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In a joint project, the two University of Cologne scientists are investigating mutations of viral pathogens in connection with the immune response / The European Research Council awards ERC Synergy Grants to interdisciplinary groups of two to four excellent researchers
University of Cologne scientists Professor Dr Michael Lässig and Professor Dr Florian Klein, along with two partners from France and the US, have been awarded a Synergy Grant by the European Research Council (ERC). Synergy Grants provide funding of approximately 10.5 million euros over a period of six years to excellent researchers working together as a team on a project. Lässig and Klein’s team received the research prize for their project CoEvolve, which investigates the co-evolution of viruses and the immune system. Professor Dr Joybrato Mukherjee, Rector of the University of Cologne, says: “This award granted to our two researchers is an outstanding recognition, and it shows how fruitful collaboration between physics and virology can be for science and society. It also exemplifies the excellent cooperation between the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine, which is crucial for the strength of interdisciplinary research at our university. A heartfelt congratulation to both researchers on this success.”
Professor Dr Michael Lässig conducts research at the University of Cologne’s Institute for Biological Physics. He combines physical principles with biological data to understand the dynamics of adaptation, selection, and molecular evolution. His team advises the World Health Organization on the selection of flu vaccines. Professor Dr Florian Klein is Director of the Institute of Virology at University Hospital Cologne. His research focuses on the development of virus-directed antibodies. The aim of his research is to gain a better understanding of the immune response against viruses and to use this knowledge to develop new vaccines and antibody therapies. The two scientists submitted their application along with Professor Dr Aleksandra Walczak (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France) and Professor Dr Michael Desai (Harvard University, USA).
About CoEvolve:
Vertebrates, including humans, protect themselves against pathogens through a highly developed immune system. For vaccines and therapies to remain effective in the future, it is crucial to understand how viruses change and how the immune system reacts to them. The CoEvolve research project investigates co-evolution, i.e., the mutual adaptation of viruses and the immune system. The aim of the project is to predict how pathogens evolve in the future and how the immune defence can be optimally adapted to this.
The focus is on flu viruses (influenza) and SARS-CoV-2, both of which cause severe respiratory diseases and change particularly quickly. While influenza has been with humans for decades, SARS-CoV-2 has only recently become part of this evolutionary interplay.
The international research team is investigating co-evolution on several levels: in laboratory experiments, in long-term studies with humans, and by surveillance data from viruses circulating worldwide. New molecular tests and computer models will be developed to better understand the interactions between the virus and the immune system. On this basis, CoEvolve will track the joint evolution of viruses and immunity, develop models for predicting future virus variants, and provide strategies for better vaccines and preventive measures.
With these findings, CoEvolve is helping to better predict future waves of infection and to strengthen public health in the long term.
Professor Dr Michael Lässig
Institute for Biological Physics, University of Cologne
+49 221 470 4309
mlaessig@uni-koeln.de
Professor Dr Florian Klein
Institute of Virology, University Hospital Cologne
+49 221 478 85800
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