Research

Researchers release a comprehensive viral genome database covering diverse ecosystems to advance understanding of viral evolution and ecosystem functions Summary Researchers have developed VIRE, a database that integrates approximately 1.7 million viral genomes derived from more than 100,000 metagenomes worldwide. Metagenomic data is obtained by comprehensively sequencing all DNA present in an environment. This approach enables […]

Health communication content created using artificial intelligence (AI) can reach people on social media more effectively and encourage more interaction than conventional posts. This opens up new opportunities for effective and cost-efficient information campaigns—especially in the field of cancer prevention and early detection. The prerequisite is that AI-generated content must be used transparently, validated by […]

Clinical medicine and medical technology internationally in 18th position – top placements for biological sciences and human biological sciences With clinical medicine and medical technology, Heidelberg University is among the best representatives of the medical sciences worldwide. In the 2025 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, both rank 18th internationally. Clinical medicine thus continues to hold […]

As a clinician scientist at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Mannheim Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University, neurologist Lukas Bunse is investigating how the body’s own immune system can be supported in fighting brain tumors. For this work, he has been awarded the Lautenschläger Prize for Young Scientists, which is endowed with €25,000. […]

Cambridge, UK, 20 November 2025: SPT Labtech, a global leader in the design and development of laboratory automation and liquid handling solutions, today announced a collaboration with Pacific Biosciences (PacBio), a pioneer in long-read sequencing, to automate PacBio’s Kinnex™ full-length RNA-seq library preparation on SPT Labtech’s firefly® liquid handling platform. The automated workflow will improve reproducibility […]

Ovesco Endoscopy AG from Tübingen is investing almost € 1 million in the company Trans-Duodenal Concepts GmbH, Mannheim, to jointly promote innovative solutions in the field of metabolic-bariatric endoscopy. Around one billion people worldwide are affected by metabolic syndrome and its manifestations such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and fatty liver disease. The Mannheim-based start-up Trans-Duodenal […]

DFG grants around 35,6 million euros to extend two transregional consortia and one CRC Heidelberg University has been successful in the current approval round of the German Research Foundation (DFG) with three grant applications for major research consortia. In the life sciences and medicine, a Collaborative Research Centre working on the Wnt signaling pathway will […]

Jens Puschhof, junior research group leader at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), receives the 2026 Research Award from the Peter and Traudl Engelhorn Foundation. The foundation honors the young scientist for his research on the influence of bacteria on the development and spread of cancer. Jens Puschhof is analyzing the close interactions between tumor […]

The TRANSCAN-3 project (T-PLEX EAC), funded by the European Union, is approaching the end of its second year with significant progress in developing personalized adoptive T cell therapies for patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). EAC remains the most common esophageal cancer in Western populations, and despite advances in chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, only around 20% […]