Konstantin Sparrer

Deltaviruses spread through a viral Trojan Horse Hepatitis D-like satellite viruses, known as deltaviruses, have been recently discovered in a wide range of animals. These viruses are thought to expr…

We found a viral Trojan Horse: a virus can hide inside another virus.This one surprised us: deltaviruses don’t just borrow a helper virus. They can travel inside it.
A literal Trojan Horse “virus-in-a-virus” route into cells. 🤯 Kudos to 1st author @viroscope.bsky.social and co-authors !

Join Martin Schwemmle, a representative of the GfV commission for safety-relevant research in Virology, as he discusses the rules and ethics of gain-of-function experiments. Learn about regulatory mechanisms, ethical considerations, and the latest debates in this crucial topic!
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Could targeting viruses be a new hope against neurodegenerative diseases? Current therapies for neurodegenerative diseases largely manage symptoms and only modestly slow progression. This Perspective highlights emerging evidence that vaccines and antivirals may lower dement...

Recently, there has been increasing discussion about the possible influence of viral infections 🦠 on neurodegeneration 🧠. A “Perspective” in @plosbiology.org by #DZNE scientists provides an overview of this emerging topic.
👉 journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

Could targeting viruses be a new hope against neurodegenerative diseases? Current therapies for neurodegenerative diseases largely manage symptoms and only modestly slow progression. This Perspective highlights emerging evidence that vaccines and antivirals may lower…

Despite decades of intensive research, current approaches to treating #NeurodegenerativeDiseases only slow down the seemingly inevitable. Could recent data associating #vaccines with reduced risk of #dementia offer an unexpected beacon of hope?🧪 @sparrerlab.bsky.social

Could targeting viruses be a new hope against neurodegenerative diseases? Current therapies for neurodegenerative diseases largely manage symptoms and only modestly slow progression. This Perspective highlights emerging evidence that vaccines and antivirals may lower…

Despite decades of intensive research, current approaches to treating #NeurodegenerativeDiseases only slow down the seemingly inevitable. Could recent data associating #vaccines with reduced risk of #dementia offer an unexpected beacon of hope?🧪 @sparrerlab.bsky.social

KSQA: Dr. Michaela Gack (Viral Pathogenesis and Immunity) YouTube video by KeystoneSymposia

⏰ Deadline Feb. 11 (11:59 PM MST)! Submit scholarship applications and/or short talk abstracts for Viral Pathogenesis & Immunity in Hannover, Germany.

🎥 Organizer Michaela Gack: youtu.be/DuwcwCJNv50

🔗 Apply: keysym.us/KSViral26

@profvolkerthiel.bsky.social #KSViral26 #Virology #ViralImmunity

🚨Job Alert🚨

Looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our multidisciplinary team of scientists. The postdoc will collaborate with world-class structural biologist Peijun Zhang to understand everything about HIV capsids and how they work via host interactions.

Spread the word!

Poxvirus dsDNA genomes differentially activate AIM2 or NLRP3 inflammasomes in human primary cells - The EMBO Journal The innate immune system is known for its ability to recognize cytosolic DNA as evidence of infection, but detailed studies of this process have been mostly limited to mice and cell lines. To investig...

Ever wondered how you can specifically inhibit #AIM2 #inflammasomes? @y-m-tesfamariam.bsky.social generated inhibitory AIM2 #nanobodies to ‬dissect inflammasome responses to #poxvirus infections in human #PrimaryCells
@unibonn.bsky.social @immunosens.bsky.social link.springer.com/article/10.1...

This #STTT study identified that retinol-bound holo-RBP4 strongly reactivates #HIV1 in various latently infected T-cell lines via the activation of the canonical NF-κB, JAK/STAT5, and JNK signaling pathways.

#OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1038/s413...

The 3rd Annual Meeting of the YoungPI Working Group - for Junior Profs. and Group Leaders -
will take place in Heidelberg, on the 16th and 17th March 2026, just before the start of the GfV Meeting.

Registrations are now open:
youngpi.g-f-v.org/events/

Nef stabilizes actin to prevent HIV-1 sensing by RIG-I-like receptors Nature Communications - The study shows that the HIV-1 Nef protein stabilizes actin, thereby preventing R12C release and priming of RIG-I–like receptors. HIV-1 containing a mutant Nef unable...

Our story showing that HIV-1 Nef inhibits actin-mediated innate immune sensing is now out in @natcomms.nature.com. Awesome work by @alexandrelaliberte.bsky.social @caterinaprelli.bsky.social. Great collaboration with Frank Kirchhoff/Michaela Gack/Oliver Fackler. Thanks @dfg.de @bmftr!
rdcu.be/eTFJh

Nef stabilizes actin to prevent HIV-1 sensing by RIG-I-like receptors Nature Communications - The study shows that the HIV-1 Nef protein stabilizes actin, thereby preventing R12C release and priming of RIG-I–like receptors. HIV-1 containing a mutant Nef unable...

Excited to share our new paper and a new Nef function !

rdcu.be/eTFJh

Thanks to everyone involved!
@caterinaprelli.bsky.social
@sparrerlab.bsky.social

#hiv #Nef #innateimmunity #sensing #rlr #research

Tonic interferons defend against respiratory viruses in primary human lung organoid-derived air-liquid interface cultures https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.10.693424v1

Nef stabilizes actin to prevent HIV-1 sensing by RIG-I-like receptors - Nature Communications The study shows that the HIV-1 Nef protein stabilizes actin, thereby preventing R12C release and priming of RIG-I–like receptors. HIV-1 containing a mutant Nef unable to bind the actinmodulating kinas...

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Nef stabilizes actin to prevent HIV-1 sensing by RIG-I-like receptors @natcomms.nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Brain-Drain in den USA: Mehr Forschende kommen nach Deutschland Brain-Drain in den USA: Mehr Forschende kommen nach Deutschland

Helmholtz-Geschäftsführerin Sabine Helling-Moegen im Interview mit Deutschlandfunk Nova zur Attraktivität des Wissenschaftsstandorts Deutschland www.deutschlandfunknova.de/beitrag/brai...

Multiple large natural experiments have documented Shingles vaccine is linked with ~20-25% reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. A new report today adds to that and extends the to slowing the progression of dementia @cellcellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Announcement of the “Expert insights” online seminar series by the ACHIEVE Academy. Talk by Melissa Vázquez Hernández from PLOS Biology on “Publishing at PLOS Biology” Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025, at 2:00 PM.

🔬 Upcoming Expert Insights Seminar by ACHIEVE
Also join us on December 4th, 2025, at 2:00 PM (CET) for an inspiring talk on Publishing at PLOS Biology by Melissa Vázquez Hernández. Register here to join via Zoom: achieve.g-f-v.org/seminar-seri...

Highly recommended for late PhDs and Postdocs👇 #LoveVirology

The 2026 edition of the ACHIEVE mentoring program open to final year PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and veterinary/medical doctors has just launched. You will benefit from 1-year individual mentoring by established PIs,

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ViroCareer Compass – Navigating Your Career in Virology
Shape your career at the 6th #ACHIEVE Workshop of the #GfV! Explore academia, industry & diagnostics, strengthen your CV, get hands-on tips for your first grant
📅 16–17 Mar 2026 | Heidelberg | Late PhD, postdocs & MDs
📝 Apply: achieve.g-f-v.org

Announcement of the “Expert insights” online seminar series by the ACHIEVE Academy. Talk by PD Dr. Thomas Hoenen from the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut on “BSL-4.” Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at 2:00 PM. The series takes place every first Tuesday of the month.

🔬 Upcoming Expert Insights Seminar by ACHIEVE
Join us on November 4th, 2025, at 2:00 PM (CET) for an inspiring talk on “BSL-4” by PD Dr. Thomas Hoenen. Register here to join via Zoom: achieve.g-f-v.org/seminar-seri...

Let me be very clear. It is not enough that RFK Jr. was forced to admit today that no causal relationship between Tylenol and autism has been shown.

We know that while disinformation spreads like wildfire on social media, corrections most often die on the vine.

E15 Groups The Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Researchopens a call for

🚨 The #HIRI invites applications for 2 JUNIOR GROUP LEADER POSITIONS in the areas of:

🔵 RNA Biology
🔵 RNA Medicine
🔵 RNA Technology

Apply by October 31 at www.helmholtz-hiri.de/en/jobs-tale...

Find an overview in this thread. 🧵👇

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Respiratory viruses activate autophagy via the IFN-STAT1/STAT5B-SOCS1 axis https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.28.685013v1

Announcement of the “Expert insights” online seminar series by the ACHIEVE Academy. Talk by Dr. Timothy Soh from the Leibniz Institute of Virology on “AlphaFold & HerpesFolds.” Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 2:00 PM. The series takes place every first Tuesday of the month.

🔬 Upcoming Expert Insights Seminar by ACHIEVE
Join us on October 7th, 2025, at 2:00 PM (CET) for an inspiring talk on “AlphaFold & HerpesFolds” by Dr. Timothy Soh. Register here to join via Zoom: achieve.g-f-v.org/seminar-seri...

🦠 Abstract submission for the 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for Virology is open!

Share your research with the virology community and help shape the scientific dialogue next year in Heidelberg.

🕐 Deadline: Jan 4, 2026

🔗 virology-meeting.de/programme-ab...

#GfV2026 #virology #virologymeeting

Excited to be co-organizing this @embo.org Workshop on #Pathogen #Immunity and #Signalling next June 8-12 2026 in Leiden! 🥳🥳🥳 #Savethedate

„Varizella-Zoster Virus reactivation and the Risk of dementiert“, ein Abstract aus nature medicine vom 6.10.2025

Nach einem Zoster (Gürtelrose) besteht ein erhöhtes Risiko für Demenz.

Die Impfung gegen Zoster verringert das Demenzrisiko signifikant.

Die Shingrix-Impfung ist für alle ab 60 Jahre und ab 50 Jahre mit Begleiterkrankungen empfohlen.

The hepatitis E virus capsid protein ORF2 counteracts cell-intrinsic antiviral responses to enable persistent replication in cell culture Author summary Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important yet often underestimated pathogen. Depending on the genotype, HEV infections can progress to chronicity, but the underlying mechanisms remain poo...

🎉 Exciting news: my PhD project @daothilab.bsky.social has been published in #PLoS Pathogens! I investigated how the #hepatitis E virus ORF2 protein counteracts antiviral responses, contributing to persistent viral replication. A huge thank you to all collaborators! 🙏🏻
🔗 share.google/WwIT43Su3KOP...