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Speakers of ImmunoSensation
L to R: Prof. Gunther Hartmann, Prof. Anja Schneider, Prof. Waldemar Kolanus, Prof. Andreas Schlitzer

Millions in funding for ImmunoSensation

ImmunoSensation selected for further funding in the nationwide Excellence Competition

The Bonn Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation3 will be funded for further seven years as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments. The aim of the new funding period, which begins on January 1, 2026, is to research immune diversity: the structural, functional and dynamic diversity of the immune system. Involved are the University of Bonn, the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE). The funding amounts to around 50 million euros.

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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 and the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) of the Helmholtz Association.

Founded in 2012, ImmunoSensation2 is currently in its twelfth year of funding. We 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.

Members & Publications


Members

Members database


Publications

Publications database

News

Speakers of ImmunoSensation

Honors & Funding

ImmunoSensation goes into the next round

—The Bonn Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation will be funded for further seven years as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments. The aim of the new funding period, which begins on January 1, 2026, is to research immune diversity: the structural, functional and dynamic diversity of the immune system. Involved are the University of Bonn, the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE). The funding amounts to around 50 million euros.
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Boy prepping DNA at the Day of Immunology

Outreach

Immunology in the city center

—The human immune system is diverse on both genotypic and phenotypic level. This diversity is crucial for a robust and adaptable immune response. But our immune systems also differ fundamentally depending on our sex, age, and the environmental influences to which we are exposed. Accordingly, immune diversity was at the core of this years event, celebrating the anual "Day of Immunology". More than 30 ImmunoSensation scientists were on hand in the Bonn city center, to discuss current immunological research with the public.
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Microglia interacting with T cells in the central nervous system of SPG15-deficient mice

Publication

Immune Cells Drive Congenital Paralysis Disease

—Patients with spastic paraplegia type 15 develop movement disorders during adolescence that may ultimately require the use of a wheelchair. In the early stages of this rare hereditary disease the brain appears to play a major role by over-activating the immune system, as shown by a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. The study was led by researchers at the University of Bonn and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE). These findings could also be relevant for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
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News overview

Upcoming events

  • Lecture On-site

    What the Health

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    Museum Koenig Bonn

    Visit the exhibition and lectures and discover how your consumption can influence your health and the health of the planet.

  • On-site

    Lecture by Mauro Gaya

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    BMZ I Lecture Hall

    Mauro Gaya from Centre d’Immunologie de Marseille Luminy is giving a talk titled "B cell instruction to mucosal antigens".

  • Hybrid

    PRO IDRUGS Lecture Series

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    BMZ I Lecture Hall

    Eric Fischer from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School in Boston is giving a talk titled "Molecular Mechanisms of Ubiquitin Ligases From Structure to Therapies".

  • On-site

    Spatial Biology Club Lecture

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    DZNE Lecture Hall

    Ali Ertürk from the Helmholtz Institute in Munich is giving a talk titled "AI-Powered 3D Imaging & Targeted Therapies: Mapping and Treating Disease at Cell Level Perturbations".

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