Approval for the first vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 is approaching. But there will not be enough vaccine doses for everyone. How the vaccination is regulated in Germany and which groups of people should receive the vaccine first.

Fabian Theis uses artificial intelligence to unlock the secrets of human cells. In the Corona Pandemic, he was able to help decipher how viruses work in the body

Antibodies could become an important weapon in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, no therapy has yet been officially approved. 

Millions of people fall ill each year with the parasitic diseases African sleeping sickness, Chagas' disease and leishmaniasis. Researchers have now discovered a new weakness in the parasites and developed an active substance that kills the pathogens. For their interdisciplinary work they were awarded the Erwin Schrödinger Prize 2020 at the Helmholtz General Assembly.

Infectious diseases often spread in waves. Why is this the case and what do epidemiologists expect in view of the rising number of infections in the coming weeks?

Ulrike Protzer has made it her mission to decipher the world of viruses - with the aim of finding effective therapies for infectious diseases. Together with her team, she is primarily researching hepatitis B - and the novel coronavirus. This makes her a sought-after expert in the media.

A small proportion of those infected with the novel coronavirus continue to suffer its consequences even months afterward. Researchers now want to get to the bottom of whether and why COVID-19 can lead to long-term damage.

It almost feels as if we’ve been in standby mode. While research on SARS-CoV-2 has been pushing forward at full pace in recent weeks, the virus has brought life as we know it to a standstill in dramatic fashion. And here in Germany, it has only restarted in a very careful, cautious way. One thing is for certain: The coronavirus crisis is set to be part of our lives for a long time to come. And it’s likely to permanently change the relationship that science shares with society and politics.

American cell biologist Ben Engel liked Munich so much on his first visit nine years ago that he immediately decided to stay there. He now uses high tech methods to investigate the inner workings of cells at the Helmholtz Pioneer Campus.