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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 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.

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News

News Florian Schmidt 09 2024

Central mechanism of inflammation decoded

—The formation of pores by a particular protein, gasdermin D, plays a key role in inflammatory reactions. During its activation, an inhibitory part is split off. More than 30 of the remaining protein fragments then combine to form large pores in the cell membrane, which allow the release of inflammatory messengers. As methods for studying these processes in living cells have so far been inadequate, the sequence of oligomerization, pore formation and membrane incorporation has remained unclear until now.
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Honors & Funding

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children

—Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children and poses a significant threat to health. The joint research project "EDI-4-ALL" (Early detection and interception for acute lymphoblastic leukemia) aims at the development of new analysis tools for the early detection of a genetic predisposition to ALL in newborns. The project is a joint endeavour by leading scientists from the Universities of Düsseldorf, Gießen and Bonn, the Charité Berlin and Zytovision, under participation of Prof. Alksandra Pandyra. The project is funded with a total of 2.6 million Euros by the BMBF.
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Larvae of the fruit fly Drosophila (foreground) - have a kind of stretch sensor in the esophagus (grey structure in the middle). It reports swallowing processes to the brain. If food is ingested, special neurons of the enteric nervous system (red) release serotonin.

Publication

Swallowing triggers a feeling of elation

—Researchers at the University of Bonn and the University of Cambridge have identified an important control circuit involved in the eating process. The study has revealed that fly larvae have special sensors, or receptors, in their esophagus that are triggered as soon as the animal swallows something. If the larva has swallowed food, they tell the brain to release serotonin. This messenger substance ensures that the larva continues to eat. The researchers assume that humans also have a very similar control circuit. The results were recently published in the journal “Current Biology.”
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Upcoming events

  • Lecture On-site

    Immuno Talk

    Venusberg Campus, BMZ I, Lecture Hall

    Prof. Dr. Peter Mullen, assistant professor of Microbiology and Immunology in the Keck School of Medicine of USC will give a talk titled "Metabolic drivers of aging and disease".

  • Lecture On-site

    Immuno Talk

    Venusberg Campus, Teaching Building, Lecture Hall

    Prof. Malcolm White, professor at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland is giving a talk titled "How to stop a virus: Lessons from bacteria"

  • School On-site

    International School on Advanced Immunology

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    Awaji Island, Japan

    Join the 3rd International School organised by ImmunoSensation2 in Bonn and IFReC in Osaka. (Application closed)

  • Lecture On-site

    Immuno Talk

    BMZ I Lecture Hall, Venusberg Campus

    Prof Dr. Yang Li is giving a talk titled "Multi-omics single-cell data integration and regulatory network inference in diseases"

Events overview