Covid-19: From Vaccination to Medication
- Date: Nov 11, 2021
- Time: 06:30 PM - 10:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
- Speaker: Prof. Ugur Sahin, CEO BioNTech, Germany; Prof. Tzachi Pilpel, Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel; Prof. Patrick Cramer, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Germany
- Moderation: Monika Jones
- Location: online
- Host: Max Planck Society & Consulate General of the State of Israel in Southern Germany
The work of Prof. Uğur Şahin, co-founder of BioNTech and his wife Dr. Özlem Türeci in the field of mRNA research led to the development of the first SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease. Being a Personal Supporting Member of the MPG, Şahin has recently been awarded with the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize. He will discuss the evolution of the coronavirus, the development of the vaccine and potential future drugs for the treatment of the coronavirus disease.
Prof. Tzachi Pilpel, who holds the Ben-May Professorial Chair at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, will explain how his discovery on ambiguity of the genetic code as manifested by phenotypic errors has a potential to help prepare vaccines for next strains. Pilpel studies the function and evolution of genetic regulatory networks in microbes and mammals by combining experimental, computational biology and theoretical approaches. He chairs the review panel of the European Research Council (ERC) and was awarded the 2020 Kimmel Award for Innovative Investigation.
Prof. Patrick Cramer from the Department of Molecular Biology at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany, will give an insight into targeting SARS-CoV-2 with antiviral drugs like Remdesivir and Molnupiravir and new substances in order to control local outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 and prepare for the emergence of future coronaviruses. The director of the Max Planck Institute aims to understand how our genome is transcribed and regulated in health and disease, how genes are turned on, and how genes are misregulated in disease. He recently received the Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine, one of the most prestigious awards in Europe.
Welcome notes:
- Carmela Shamir, Consul General of the State of Israel in Southern Germany
- Prof. Ulman Lindenberger, Vice President of the Max Planck Society
- Prof. Alon Chen, President of the Weizmann Institute of Science
The event will be held in English.
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