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Physics of Parasitism (PoP) is a DFG-funded Schwerpunktprogramm (Priority Programme). It is a joint effort of German parasitologists and physicists that was approved for funding in November 2021. There are currently 16 research projects, including a central technology platform, spread across the country. Although it is a German initiative, PoP is open to all interested scientists from all countries.

Parasitism, the intimate antagonistic liaison between two species, has always fascinated scientists from a variety of disciplines. Traditionally, parasitology was concerned mainly with organismic studies, while today’s parasitology focuses on medically-relevant cellular and molecular mechanisms, at ever-increasing depth. The priority programme “Physics of Parasitism” (PoP) defines a new frontier in this field, namely the physics of parasites interacting with their hosts.

For the first time, physicists and biologists jointly survey the forces acting in and around parasites. In this instance, even phylogenetically divergent biological systems are readily comparable, because PoP does not aim at deciphering molecular pathways, but rather measuring and modelling physical parameters. This is the unifying element within PoP.

Twitter - @ParasitePhysics

Instagram - parasitephysics

PoP News

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Coordination

Markus Engstler (Universität Würzburg)

Funding

The SPP 2332 Physics of Parasitism is fully funded by the DFG.

Trypanosome in Pillar Array - MarkusEngstler — MarkusEngstler

PoP News

We welcome new people

April 1st, 2022

Five new researchers in our department: Franziska Schönhofer (M.Sc, Jones-Engstler), Nashmil Aslam (PhD, Jones-Engstler), Antonia Konle (PhD, Morriswood), Tom Beneke (Postdoc, Engstler) and Jose Carlos Quilles (Postdoc, Kramer).