Issue 4 | 2024

You live and learn. This is why we attended one of the largest conferences for German science journalism (Wissenswerte). Not only did we represent HITS with a booth, but also with a short talk by HITS scientist Leif Seute in the new format “Science Insight”. In his talk he demonstrated how computer-aided design of proteins opens up new possibilities in the development of drugs, vaccines or sensors.

For nine consecutive years, HITS group leader Alexandros Stamatakis (CME) has been named one of the world’s most cited researchers by Clarivate Analytics. The ranking recognizes researchers whose publications are among the top 1% in citations within their fields.

An international team of scientists at HITS and Heidelberg University has published new findings on how specific polysaccharides act as “accomplices” in the SARS-CoV-2 infection mechanism. This discovery opens up new therapeutic possibilities to combat the virus.

After 15 years, we say goodbye to Frauke Gräter, leader of the “Molecular Biomechanics” group, who will become director of the Max-Planck-Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz as of January 2025. We will miss her dearly and wish her all the best for the future.