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Scientist at sterile bench

Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation²

Immunology as a key to better health

ImmunoSensation2 is a Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). We are dedicated to the study of innate immunity beyond the boundaries of classical immunology. We address the immune system as a sensory organ for health, which we term the immune sensory system. We are immunologists, neurobiologists, systems biologists, biochemists, biophysicists and mathematicians from the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Bonn, the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) of the Helmholtz Association.

Founded in 2012, ImmunoSensation2 is currently in its fourteenth year of funding. We will continue to pursue our mission of innovative science in immunology. Further, we link immunology to other systems, such as the metabolic system and the nervous system. Ultimately, we want to better understand the intimate connection between the immune sensory system and human health and disease. The cluster will contiune as ImmunoSensation³ for a funding period of another 7 years, starting 2026, taking immune diversity into focus.

Members & Publications


Members

Members database


Publications

Publications database

News

Nobel Prize 2025 in Physiology or Medicine

Honors & Funding

They discovered how the immune system is kept in check

—The body’s powerful immune system must be regulated, or it may attack our own organs. Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025 for their groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance that prevents the immune system from harming the body.
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MIB vl Future Panel 021025

Honors & Funding

Successful MIB Future Panel 2025 in Bonn

—the MIB Future Panel 2025, organized by the Medical Imaging Center Bonn (MIB) and the Transfer Team of the Medical Faculty Bonn, once again offered an exciting platform for exchange among science, clinics, start-ups, industry, and investors — with a special focus on medical imaging and artificial intelligence (AI).
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News_Lukacs-Kornek

Publication

Obesity causes lungs to age prematurely

—What effects does severe obesity have on the lungs? A research team led by Prof. Dr. Veronika Lukacs-Kornek from the ‘ImmunoSensation2’ Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn and the Institute for Molecular Medicine and Experimental Immunology (IMMEI) at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) investigated this question. The results suggest that obesity causes the lungs to age faster. The findings have been published in the journal ‘Cell Reports’.
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News overview

Upcoming events

Poster announcing the 2025 Cluster Science Days

Featured Conference Hybrid

Registration open: The Cluster Science Days '25

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registration deadlines
on-site participation: October 21st
online participation: November 11th

  • Workshop Online

    SciCom Focus: Writing

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    online (zoom)

    The "SciCom Workshop Series" equips PhD students and postdocs with practical tools to present their work clearly and confidently across formats: writing and media to stage and video.

  • On-site

    1st EFIS Sex Differences in Immunity Congress

    Pasteur Institute, Paris

    Join the congress!

  • Lecture On-site

    ImmunoTalk by Michael Meyer-Hermann

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    Lecture Hall (B013.1UG.303), BMZI

    Prof. Michael Meyer-Hermann at the Hemlholtz Centre for Infection Research is giving a talk titled "Whole person research: Emergence and control of chronic diseases".

Events overview

Insights

Immunosensation 360°

Follow us on a virtual tour into the institutes and laboratories of ImmunoSensation2!

The 360° experience allows you to embark on an exciting journey, exploring the diversity of immunological research performed at ImmunoSensation2. Let our scientists guide you through the sites of scientific excellence and introduce you to the amazing world of the immune system.

Multimedia report "Beyond the Boundaries"

In our multimedia report "Beyond the boundaries" we introduce some of our outstanding group leaders. We take a closer look on their scientific work and their career paths within ImmunoSensation2, highlighting their innovative research approaches as well as the excellent research environment at the University of Bonn.

 

The report introduces