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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

Aschenbrenner_Anna_Award_22102025

Honors & Funding

Tobias-Welte Prize for Anna Aschenbrenner

—Dr. Anna Aschenbrenner, a researcher at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn, has received the Tobias-Welte Prize from the German Sepsis Society, endowed with 3,000 Euros. She was honored for her pioneering work published in Cell, in which she and her team uncovered the molecular mechanisms underlying the life-saving effects of dexamethasone in severe COVID-19.
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Publication

How immune cells deliver their deadly cargo

—Precision is crucial for immune cells: natural killer (NK) cells and T cells eliminate infected or transformed cells by releasing targeted, highly toxic particles. A new study from the CeMM (Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences), the St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute, the Medical University of Vienna, the Medical University of Graz, the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn offers deeper insight into how these so-called cytotoxic granules are released.
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Publication

Less can be more: Low-dose steroids could effectively treat severe kidney inflammation

—Study by researchers in Bonn and Hamburg shows that lower doses of cortisone may be sufficient for aggressive kidney inflammation.
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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

  • 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".

  • Symposium On-site

    Spatial Biology Club Symposium

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    LIMES Institute, Campus Poppelsdorf

    Internal symposium for Spatial Biology enthusiasts!

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