Autumn School Akademie für Immunologie

Merseburg, Germany, October 12-17, 2025

The DGfI Autumn School invites you to embark on an up-to-date educational journey through the immune system. Students, postdocs, group leaders and industry representatives with a background in natural sciences or medicine are welcome to this immersive program engaging lectures by internationally renowned experts in the field. The curriculum of the DGfI Autumn School will cover basic and advanced concepts of innate and adaptive immunity from the textbook up to recent achievements, in developmental immunology, clinical translation and technologies. Participants will benefit from student presentation opportunities and interactive networking sessions with speakers and industry partners, strengthening connections within our vibrant immunological community.

 

Program 2025

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Lectures by renowned experts in immunology and Q&A sessions
The lectures cover both fundamental and controversial immunological concepts, alongside significant immune-related diseases. The lectures of renowned and established immunologists will focus on topics such as the organization and evolution of the immune system, the genetic basis of the formation of the immune repertoire, the recognition of (auto)antigens, the development and selection of lymphocytes, the activation and effector mechanisms of immune cells, and the intricate communication networks within the immune system.

The program is designed to foster a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions, processes, and relationships that characterize the immune system.
Following the event, participants will receive exclusive password-protected access to all lecture presentations via our website.

Meet-the-Speakers and poster sessions
Discuss your own research or research interests intensively with the lecturers and other participants of the Autumn School over lunch/dinner. Present your work on a scientific poster, creating valuable opportunities for in-depth conversations, constructive feedback, and potential collaborations in a vibrant academic atmosphere. Poster size is DINA0 (118,9 cm x 84,1 cm, height x width).

Round table discussion groups
The round table discussion groups enable the participants to discuss and explore a specific topic with all participants on equal footing. Each round table begins with a brief overview or short presentation by a moderator who introduces the topic before guiding participants through a structured discussion based on pre-submitted questions. Depending on the subject matter, participants may also share and discuss their own data and experiences. When registering, please select your preferred round table and provide suggested questions or discussion points to ensure conversations address the specific interests and needs of all participants.

Round table topics in 2025:

• Animal research (e.g. methods, writing a proposal, restriction/problems, arguments for/against animal research)
• CRISPR/Cas (e.g. in silico guide design, in vitro guide testing, Cas9 variants, mutation types, applications)
• Flow cytometry (e.g. Basics (Fluidics, Optics), Fluorochromes/Multicolor panels, Gating strategies, Compensation/Controls, Data analysis/interpretation, Cell Sorting, Troubleshooting)
• Entrepreneurism
• Single cell technology (e.g. single cell transcriptomic approaches (scRNA-seq/snRNA-seq; spatial transcriptomics), scATAC-seq, experimental planning and troubleshooting (finding the right experimental setting), data analysis tools and pipelines (find the right toolbox for your question), limitations , future perspectives, usage of deposited existing data sets)
• Statistics

Meet-the-Companies
Meet-the-companies offers a dynamic, facilitated social activity where participants engage with industry representatives in an informal, high-energy setting. This innovative ice-breaker provides an excellent opportunity to learn about cutting-edge products and applications while exploring career paths beyond academia. Conversations about methods, products, and job opportunities can continue during coffee breaks, creating valuable networking connections.

Social program
The Autumn School's social program features a welcoming Get-together, a guided tour of the historic Merseburg Cathedral, and a lively farewell party. These carefully planned social events provide perfect opportunities to unwind, build meaningful connections, and enjoy the company of colleagues and new friends in a relaxed atmosphere.

 Participation
Due to limited space the number of participants is restricted to 80. In general, we receive more applications than available places, so it is worthwhile to register early.

The organizing committee

Sandra Beer-Hammer Tübingen	Thorsten Buch Zurich	Olaf Groß Freiburg	Christian Karsten Lübeck	Katrin Kierdorf Freiburg	Birgit Sawitzki Berlin	Wolfgang Schuh Erlangen
Bettina Happel Marburg	Iris Noetzelmann Tübingen	Tanja Durez Berlin

The venue

Merseburg, the cathedral and university town near Halle (Saale) is one of the oldest cities in central Germany and is considered the home of the Merseburg Incantations (Merseburger Zaubersprüche), the only examples of Germanic paganism written in Old High German language. Merseburg has a castle and picturesque many-towered cathedral adjacent to the beautiful castle garden. Further interesting attractions are the Ständehaus and the Gotthardtteich.

For further information about Merseburg visit the official city homepage: www.merseburg.de.

How to get here

 

We thank our sponsors and cooperation partners! These are our sponsors 2025

Without the support by our sponsors and cooperation partners we would not be able to organize the school. Learn more about them here →

Register here now →