Join us in Heidelberg!
Our annual Young PI meeting will be held this year before the yearly GfV conference in Heidelberg!
This year's theme focuses on the leadership toolbox, lab organization, and recruitment. Its a great opportunity to learn from each other and to connect! Looking forward to see you there!
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December 2025:
As 2025 draws to a close, we look back on a year of scientific progress and collaboration. To name a few highlights: our first MüRuLab-research paper came out, Flo successfully defended his thesis, and we got funded—twice! It is also worth mentioning that we mastered the escape room. I'm very grateful for the team and the efforts we’ve taken together. Here’s to an exciting and productive 2026 ahead!​
December 2025:
New Voices in Virology
A fantastic way to conclude 2025!
The Journal of Virology (JVI) has announced its inaugural New Voices in Virology collection, and I am honored to be among those selected from more than 275 applicants.
Now, time to dive down the rabbit hole of literature research! Stay tuned for our review on lipids, membranes, and coronaviruses!
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October 2025:
Funding!
What a month!
We are delighted to announce that the "Research Campus of Central Hesse" (FCMH) funded our research proposal within the "Experimentation Spaces" funding line.
Together with Prof. Julia Weigand (Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Marburg), we want to analyze the RNA biochemistry of SARS-CoV-2.
The picture is AI-generated and... apologies... I couldn't train the program to accurately depict a single-stranded RNA :)
October 2025:
Antrittsvorlesung
Christin gave her official public inaugural lecture (Antrittsvorlesung) on 20.10.2025.
(The "Privatdozent" title (an academic title in German-speaking university systems) provides the legal right to teach at the university level and to supervise doctoral students​)
September 2025:
New publication alert!
First offical publication of the MüRu lab is out in mBio!​
​​German press release:
Wie Lipide die Vermehrung von Coronaviren beeinflussen — JLU
August 2025:
Flo's PhD Defense
What a milestone!!
This week, Flo successfully defended his PhD in the Ziebuhr lab, which he completed as part of the GRK-SphingoINF project. Congrats!
Although it's theoretically not the first official PhD from the MüRu group, I'm incredibly proud of his work, dedication and the journey we've taken together.
From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to a brilliant thesis and a great mBio paper! I'm even prouder that he will be staying with us for a PostDoc delving deeper into the world of lipids and coronaviruses! Stay tuned!​
July 2025:
Our research got funded!
The Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture (HMWK) funded our project "Shaping Spherules- The role of lipids in the replication of chikungunyaviruses" on chikungunyavirus-induced membrane alterations and their effect on hijacking the host cell metabolism with 264.000 Euro!
​Exiting times ahead!!!!
July 2025:
Celebrations!
There was something to celebrate!
Fantastic news: The first paper from the junior research group led by Florian has been accepted by mBio. It's wonderful to see that all the hard work, primarily by Florian, has paid off.
In addition, Tine successfully defended her habilitation; the Antrittsvorlesung is still pending.
May 2025:
Farewell Felix
Felix has completed his experimental work in our laboratory and handed in his master thesis today. He has identified new interaction partners of nsp3 and nsp4 and investigated their role in coronavirus replication—a really nice piece of work. Felix will soon start his PhD thesis at the JLU Giessen. We wish you all the best on your further academic journey.
March 2025:
GfV Meeting in Hamburg
Elisa and Flo attended the annual meeting of the Society of Virology in Hamburg and presented their work on antiviral aerosol therapy and sphingolipids in coronaviral replication organelle formation. In addition to good discussions, they also took away some exciting new ideas!
March 2025:
Annual youngPI meeting
Shortly before the GfV conference, the young PI working group organized a meeting for new group leaders at the Bernhard Nocht Institute. The focus was particularly on management, which was also discussed in the panel discussion with the invited speakers Marylyn Addo, Anja Ehrhardt, and Christine Engeland. We were very pleased with the lively participation.
Join us in Hamburg!
Are you a young PI and new to the field?
We invite you to our young PI annual meeting before our annual GfV meeting 2025 in Hamburg!
We are happy to announce Marylyn Addo and Anja Ehrhard as our guest speakers. Register now!
March 2024:
GfV Meeting in Vienna
Florian and Elisa went to Vienna to present their work. For this, Florian was awarded a Travel Grant and selected for an oral presentation! Well done!
January 2024:
Von Behring-Röntgen Grant
We are happy to announce that we got funded by the Von Behring-Röntgen Stiftung! Exciting years ahead!
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