Science Talk in July

Using the animal kingdom’s tricks to our advantage: what we can learn from animals to prevent pandemics.

The guest speaker at the Science Talk on 30 July 26 at phaeno is Max Josef Kellner, a professor at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo) and head of a junior research group at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig. In his talk, the expert will shed light on the complex interactions between viruses and their hosts. As head of the ‘Virus-Host Co-Evolution’ (VICO) laboratory, he focuses primarily on the question of why natural carriers – such as bats – can live with pathogens like Ebola or coronaviruses without falling ill themselves. 

To unravel these mysteries, the researcher relies on state-of-the-art, pioneering methods: so-called organoids. These are highly complex, miniaturised organ models that are grown directly in the laboratory and can replace traditional animal testing.

With the insights gained, Kellner aims to make a decisive contribution to effectively preventing future pandemics and developing novel, precision therapies for humans. The talk combines the latest scientific research with illustrative real-world examples and impressively demonstrates how looking to nature can provide the key to safeguarding health in the future. 

The Science Talk is organised in partnership with the Volkswagen Group and will take place on Thursday, 30 July 2026 at 6.30 pm at the phaeno Science Theatre.

Admission is free. 

The Science Talk will be held in a hybrid format, both in person and as a live stream on YouTube. You can find the link to the live stream on the phaeno website at www.phaeno.de