The virus is changing again. There are two new variants: Eris and BA2.86. They have already been detected in seven countries. And BA2.86 in particular may have what it takes to trick our immune system. Does this mean? Is everything starting over? We are looking at the current development.

Dozens of research groups around the world are working on nasal Kovid vaccines containing attenuated viruses. They also need to be protected from mild diseases and therefore better protected against Long Covid. The latest highlight from Basel: Scientists are modifying vaccine viruses so that they can no longer replicate, but still cause a strong immune response. We show you where the nasal spray vaccine research is and what the challenges are.

Vacation time is travel time. But what most people don’t consider is that sometimes souvenirs go home unintentionally with them. And they can do a lot of damage. Like the Japanese beetle. Originally it was probably brought in as a stowaway on an airplane. Because it has highly effective mouthparts, it eats almost anything it finds and can destroy an entire crop in the process.

About ten years ago, a blind student knocked on the office of Ilka Agricola, professor of mathematics from Marburg, and asked for learning materials. It soon became clear that the more scientific and technical the subjects were, the harder it was to find accessible material for the blind and visually impaired. The professor from Marburg wants to counteract this with the “math4VIP” initiative and has started a collaboration with KIT in Karlsruhe.