Special shout-out to our Horizon Europe partner consortia: @combatdengue.bsky.social, @shield-project.bsky.social , @vigilant-eu.bsky.social, and @combinemarvproject.bsky.social for your amazing contributions.

Here’s to more collaboration & discovery ahead! 🙌
#FundedByEU

Excited to connect with local, national, and international colleagues, as well as representatives from related EU-funded projects, to share insights and strengthen collaborations.

Alex's work in DEFENDER will be crucial in guiding the development of targeted therapies and preventative measures for Nipah virus, one of the world’s most dangerous zoonotic viruses.

👉 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra...
🌍 Website: www.uni-marburg.de/en/fb20/depa...

At the institute’s state-of-the-art BSL-3/-4 animal facility, Alex and her team focus on the development antiviral strategies through preclinical testing. Their work involves highly pathogenic viruses such as Nipah and Ebola – both of which require advanced containment and specialized animal models.

Her team’s work in DEFENDER is instrumental in identifying Nipah virus entry factors and antiviral targets, laying the groundwork for urgently needed therapeutic strategies.

👉 Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-ma...
🌍 Learn more: www.uni-marburg.de/en/fb20/depa...

Based at The Philipp University of Marburg in Germany, Andrea leads a pioneering group focused on the cell biology of Nipah virus, diving deep into the molecular mechanisms of viral replication, particle assembly, and immune evasion.

In @defender-project.bsky.social, Lisa brings her deep expertise to the fight against Lassa virus — advancing strategies for targeted antiviral interventions.
👉 Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-oest...
🌍 Learn more: www.bnitm.de/forschung/fo...

Her team investigates immune response dynamics, virus-induced pathology, and host-pathogen interactions, all while pioneering innovative therapeutic approaches to combat these severe infections.

His contributions are paving new paths in antiviral drug development through targeted protein degradation and novel therapeutic modalities.

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mark-broe...
Website: www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en/research/...

In DEFENDER, Mark leads research on bifunctional drug conjugates, focussing on:
➡️ PROTACs – traditionally applied in oncology, his lab is now establishing their repurposing for antiviral strategies.
➡️ Nanobody-antiviral conjugates – innovative approaches for Nipah and Lassa virus infections.

🔗 Connect with Petr on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/petr-chla...
🌐 Website: www.bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de/groups/chlanda

In the DEFENDER consortium Petr and his team bring critical expertise in structural virology, providing access to state-of-the-art cryo-EM, cryo-ET, cryo-FIB, and cryo-CLEM technologies to support groundbreaking discoveries.

His team focuses on enveloped viruses such as influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and Ebola, using cutting-edge cryo-electron microscopy techniques to visualize viral protein and membrane interactions at the molecular level. 🔬

Connect with Bruno on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bruno-cor...
Website: people.epfl.ch/bruno.correi...

His team blends advanced computational methods with experimental validation to design novel proteins that could change the future of medicine. In the DEFENDER project, they are pushing boundaries with AI-guided immunogen design.