Bonner Wissenschaftsnacht 2026

Why do some people fall ill - and how can genes and cell processes help to find the cause?

Researchers at the Institute for Functional Gene Analytics (IFGA) at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences are addressing precisely these questions. Today, modern medicine can read entire genomes - in other words, a person's complete genetic information. However, a genome contains millions of genetic variants. The big challenge is to find the one among all these changes that actually causes a disease and to understand which functions in the cell are altered as a result.

How do scientists manage to discover this "needle in a haystack"?

In our tent, visitors can experience this for themselves. Interactive stations show how a human genome is analyzed and how researchers identify disease-causing genetic changes step by step. You will also learn about modern methods of genome research that are already being used in medicine today.

Another focus of our research is the CytoTransport project funded by the German Research Foundation. Here we are investigating how molecules are transported within cells or across biological barriers. These transport processes are crucial for many cell functions and can lead to diseases if disrupted.

In addition, interactive games on ion channels invite visitors to discover how ions are transported through cell membranes and augmented reality applications can be used to explore three-dimensional structures of biomolecules.
Experience how modern biomedical research works - and how it contributes to the medicine of the future.

Institute for Functional Gene Analytics (IFGA), Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences

The Institute for Functional Gene Analytics (IFGA) is an interdisciplinary research institute at Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences. Scientists from the fields of biology, genetics and bioinformatics study the molecular basis of health and disease here. One focus is on the analysis of genes, proteins and cellular processes that play a role in inflammatory, metabolic or genetic diseases. The aim of the research is to gain a better understanding of fundamental biological mechanisms and to develop new approaches for diagnostics and therapy.

 More information about the IFGA (opens in a new tab)
More information about Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences

Admission

Admission to the Tent City of Knowledge and all other program items of the Bonn Science Night is free of charge.