scicom

Communicating Science: From the Lab to Everyday Life

How do you explain a virus to a politician, a traveler, or even a child? This semester, our students tackled that challenge head-on. As part of our science communication seminar Infectious Diseases Explained in a Nutshell, 24 students in 8 groups transformed complex research into engaging stories, videos, podcasts, and guides for different audiences — from patients and scientists to policymakers and the general public.

Their task: pick an infectious disease and find a creative way to make its science accessible and relevant. The results range from an “exam-ready” guide on tick-borne encephalitis to a child-friendly podcast about reptile-borne salmonella, and even a mock policy briefing on whooping cough.

What unites all these projects is a clear message — good science communication bridges the gap between knowledge and action. Here’s a look at what they came up with:

1. Explaining TBE to Students

The exam is due and you still need to grab all the facts about tick-borne encephalitis or TBE? In their exam-ready guide Franziska, Gina and Jana transformed condensed information about the viral disease and its infection mechanisms into easy to learn and snackable content.

2. Addressing politicians regarding pertussis

As an infection researcher you might be asked to or feel obliged to advise politicians on pathogens and infectious diseases. Slipping into the roles of CDC scientists, Chenguo, Wei and Ao addressed local decision-makers regarding the resurging dangers of whooping cough and made suggestions for policy priorities and counteractions.

3. Ecducating patients about HPV

Patients are a sensitive and worried target group, especially concerning sexually transmitted infections like Human Papillomavirus or HPV. To address this, “No Shame, Just Facts” was the credo of the HPV prevention guide by Yasmin, Jana and Valentina. In their blog article, they followed the story of Jade, a fictious character, who was recently tested positive for HPV. Jade learns about the virus, possible disease outcomes and prevention methods, for instance in an interview with a real HPV expert.

4. Informing scientists about OROV

Ever heard about the Oropouche virus or OROV? Neither have many scientists. So, Lea and Nick gave an overview of this South American arbovirus to medical aid staff heading into an outbreak region. A detailed video depicted what we know so far about the virus biology, though many questions are yet to be answered. Further, they discussed diagnosis, protection measures and developments that lead to the recent outbreaks.

5. Warning travelers about Dengue

Dengue is spreading rapidly nowadays and is especially prevalent in popular travel destinations. In their blog article Paula, Leonie and Anna warn backpackers that an infection with the dengue virus is “more than just a mosquito bite”. Wrapped up in a fun way, they’ve compiled all the necessary advice travelers need to know to protect themselves against infection and severe course of illness, including a quick travel checklist on social media.

6. Sharing information on TBEV with scientists

Scientists themselves might be unaware of parasites and pathogens when in the field. Therefore, Johanna, Johanna and Melina gave detailed information on TBEV or Tick-borne encephalitis virus tailored specifically to address their fellow researchers. Elaborating thoroughly on the “ecology, immune evasion and the expanding European risk landscape” of TBEV, they explained the classification of risk zones in Germany and pathogenesis on a molecular level.

7. How to explain salmonella to your kids?

Reptiles like snakes and geckos are fascinating pets and increasingly popular among children. Although harmless and low-maintenance, only few pet owners know that these animals can harbor bacteria that can cause disease also in humans. Clément, David-Vlad, Pandya and Tabitha educated about the “Hidden dangers” of reptile-borne salmonella infections. In their article, children can learn in a kid-friendly podcast and a comic video how bacteria can cause disease and how proper pet handling and hygiene gives protection.

8. Informing patients about Mpox

The Mpox virus, formerly known as monkey pox virus, has caused several epidemics throughout the last years. However, public knowledge about the pathogen, its infection route, the symptoms and available therapies is scarce. In their article “Understanding Mpox” Franziska, Alina and Imke told patients what they need to know about the virus, symptoms and prevention with the help of fictional science influencers.

From scientific facts to storytelling, our students proved that communicating infectious diseases can be both creative and impactful. Whether through comics, policy briefs, or social media campaigns, they showed how knowledge can inspire awareness and action.

If you’re curious about infectious diseases and want to learn how to bring science to life beyond the lab, join us for next year’s Infectious Diseases Explained in a Nutshell seminar!