Ex vivo models to study tissue-specific features of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Project description Infection with coronavirus not only leads to problems in the respiratory tract, but also in other organs. However, little is known about how the coronavirus infects various organs. In this project we therefore study how the coronavirus manifests itself in different organs. In addition, the research focuses on simulating coronavirus infections in cultured miniature organs in the laboratory. In these mini-organs we can study in great detail how the coronavirus infects cells and which molecular pathways it uses for this. We hope that these human cell models can contribute to improving the diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus infection, while also reducing the use of laboratory animals.