Skip to main content
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.

Members & Publications


Members

Members database


Publications

Publications database

News

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.
View entry
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.
View entry
Scientists that contributed to the study

Publication

New way to prevent duodenal cancer

—People with the hereditary disease familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) have a greatly increased risk of developing a malignant tumor of the duodenum. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 at the University of Bonn have now discovered a mechanism in the local immune system that can drive the development of cancer. They see this as a promising new approach to preventing duodenal carcinoma in people with FAP. The results have now been published in the journal "Nature Communications".
View entry
News overview

Upcoming events

  • Lecture On-site

    What the Health

     –

    Museum Koenig Bonn

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

  • Lecture On-site

    SFB Lecture

     –

    BMZ II, Seminar Room

    Dr. Milad Rezvani from the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin is giving a talk titled "Liver talks: Understanding the Blood-Liver Chatter with Human Stem Cell-based Models"

  • Lecture On-site

    Spatial Biology Club

     –

    DZNE, Lecture Hall

    Dr. Aletta van den Bosch from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience is giving a talk titled "Microglial states determine lesion dynamics in multiple sclerosis"

  • Workshop Online

    Allyship & Self Advocacy (Workshop Series: Surviving to Thriving in Academia)

     –

     –

    online (Zoom)

    This workshop is part of the IRENE Workshop Series "Surviving to Thriving in Academia".

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