Science on Tap 2025

On June 12, 2025, the popular event series Science on Tap took place again in Hamburg: Bars and pubs in the city became lively places of exchange between research and society. The Leibniz Institute of Virology was also part of the event - represented by Prof. Marcus Altfeld, Prof. Kay Grünewald, Dr. Jan Hellert and Märit-Runa Jönsson.

In the Windschirm Bar, Prof. Marcus Altfeld (LIV/UKE) took the audience on an immunological search for clues on the subject of Male colds - fairy tale or truth? How differently do male and female immune systems react to infections? And is there more to the so-called man's cold than just a cliché? New scientific findings suggest that women actually have a more reactive immune system - with measurable consequences for disease progression and therapeutic approaches.

At the same time, the LIV/CSSB/UHH team led by Prof. Kay Grünewald, Dr. Jan Hellert and Märit-Runa Jönsson presented fascinating insights into the world of high-resolution cell images at the Mathilde Bar Eimsbüttel. Under the title Making a Cellfie - by nature photographers with high-tech magnifying glasses, they demonstrated how modern cryo-electron microscopy can be used to visualize viruses in action. This technique makes it possible to analyze biological structures in unprecedented detail - for example, how viruses infect human cells and cleverly gain access to their inner workings.

Science on Tap is organized by the DESY research center and the University of Hamburg. They are supported by the Clusters of Excellence CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter and Quantum Universe, as well as PIER, the strategic partnership between DESY and the University of Hamburg.