Many people are infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and most are unaware of it. However, EBV can sometimes cause cancer, and this pathogen also appears to play an important role in multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. Researchers have discovered that EBV increases the ability of infected immune cells to migrate. In this way, the pathogen promotes its spread in the body – a discovery that may have therapeutic implications.

A building with 7400 m² of research space for robotics and artificial intelligence is being built on the Max Planck Campus in Büsnau. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) and the University of Stuttgart will be working there with partners from science and industry as well as start-ups from 2027.

Dr Dr Varun Venkataramani and Dr Moritz Mall have been awarded this year’s Hella Bühler Prize for their outstanding research on the interaction between nerve and tumor cells and on tumor plasticity. The award granted by Heidelberg University goes to young researchers from the Heidelberg research location who have already drawn attention to themselves through the outstanding scientific quality of their cancer research.

VDI Guideline 5708 “Bioprinting, methods and definitions”: What sounds technical and sober at first glance is an important step forward in the future field of 3D bioprinting. The guideline was developed under Dr. Hanna Hartmann from the NMI in Reutlingen and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Groll from the University Hospital of Würzburg. It creates a binding, practical basis for reproducible and quality-assured bioprinting procedures.

On May 9, 2025, representatives from the life sciences industry in North Carolina and Baden-Württemberg met in Stuttgart for professional exchange. The goal of the event was to explore opportunities for collaboration in biotechnology, medical technology, and pharmaceutical research.

Medulloblastomas, childhood brain tumors in children, are thought to develop between the first trimester of pregnancy and the end of the first year of life. Researchers have now published their findings in the journal Nature. They analyzed the genetic changes of each individual cancer cell in tumor samples in order to reconstruct which genetic changes occur first during tumor development and when.

A research team led by PD Dr. Justus Marquet and from the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research has developed two methods that allow muscle activity and training-induced adaptations to be measured completely contactlessly. The studies demonstrate that magnetic fields generated during muscle activity can be captured using highly sensitive quantum sensors - without the need for electrodes or skin contact.

This year Furtwangen University (HFU) is launching the “HFU Skills4MedTec” project to further enhance its profile as a leading authority in medical technology and to develop targeted scientific training courses for specialists and managers in the industry.

3D bioprinting is a great hope in the field of regenerative medicine to produce miniaturized tissues and organ precursors with biological functionality. Today, however, scientists are still working on the challenge of producing a printable and at the same time compatible starting material.

Individuals with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease show altered blood levels indicating damaged neuronal contacts as early as 11 years before the expected onset of dementia symptoms. This is evident in the levels of the protein “beta-synuclein”. An international team report these findings in the journal “Alzheimer’s & Dementia”. The biomarker studied here could potentially help to detect neurodegeneration at an early stage.

The human brain continuously processes sensory impulses that compete for our attention. Our ability to select enables us to process specific information and ignore irrelevant stimuli. In this way, we can recognize a familiar face in a large crowd of people. But how is this made possible?

The “Digital Integration and Innovation in Surgery” project aims to promote the transfer of new findings and research results into practice. The School of Informatics at Reutlingen University will work together with Furtwangen University, BioMedTech e.V., University Hospital Tübingen and other stakeholders to examine how intelligent digital assistance systems can contribute to improved patient care during surgical procedures.