David versus Goliath
Our immune system is working in fascinating ways. One could say in almost biblical dimensions. Learn how eosinophils protect our body in a David-and-Goliath story.
Category Archives: Hard Science
Mum was right when saying: EAT YOUR BROCCOLI
Fabian Gondorf from the LIMES group “Immunology and Environment” on the complex interplay of diet, microbiome, immune cells and organ health.
Cannabis medicinal research: Smoking our way to health?
The author, Theodore Kapellos, is a postdoctoral researcher at the LIMES Institute of the University of Bonn. In this blog article, he shares his expertise on an interesting human physiological endogenous system that he studied during his PhD studies in the United Kingdom (https://www.path.ox.ac.uk/content/david-greaves). In contrast to its most popular recreational use, cannabis consumption may have significant medicinal implications in the fight against major chronic … Continue reading Cannabis medicinal research: Smoking our way to health?
Platelets in the immune spotlight
Lucas Secchim Ribeiro, a post-doctoral researcher in the AG Franklin, explains the potential of platelets beyond hemostasis, introducing their skills as part of our immune system, in health and disease.
What the summer school did to my immune system
Summer School in Sardinia: sounds like “holidays” but it tourned out to be an intense week. I wondered: what did the summer school do to my immune system?
Outdoor season – about travel and tramping
June 2019 – wasn’t it a great one? We enjoyed the sun, the heat, the ice-cream that we urgently needed to survive, and the vacation days we had. Where did you go and which mode of travel did you choose? This hot summer and California flair made me think of a mode of travel which all in all has become unpopular in Germany: tramping.
To eat or not to eat – thoughts on nutrition from past and present
While browsing through my grandparents’ house, I happened to stumble over a ‘Kalorientabelle’ – a calorie chart from a magazine (“Freundin”) from 1977. Curious how perception of food might have changed over the last 40 years, I took a closer look. The chart basically lists the number of calories per 100g of each food in a format ‘to carry with you all the time’ – … Continue reading To eat or not to eat – thoughts on nutrition from past and present
Time to shine – how smiling impacts our lives
Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu, when someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too. (Author Unknown) Smiling – a common pattern that paves the way to laughter. There are many sayings about smiling, like “A smile says more than 1.000 words”, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile”, and “Life is short, smile while you still … Continue reading Time to shine – how smiling impacts our lives
Living with the immune system in “auto“ mode: Coeliac disease
Isn’t “auto” always good? Automatic parking assistant in your car, auto focus of your camera, auto heating system for your home – it just makes life so much easier! When it comes to the immune system: definitely not. In this case “auto” means “against itself”, implicating that the immune system fails to distinguish between self and foreign and damages the body’s own tissues. More than … Continue reading Living with the immune system in “auto“ mode: Coeliac disease
Lonely little Lars – A polar bear’s homeland, habitat, and future
Lately, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change took place in Bonn. Apparently, confrontation and reflection on our planet´s global warming evokes very different associations in each and every one of us. When the 23rd Conference of the Parties (COP 23) was held, I thought of the little polar bear cub named Lars because I fear that many years from now children could read … Continue reading Lonely little Lars – A polar bear’s homeland, habitat, and future