The symposium kicked off by an inspiring keynote lecture about the co-evolution of phages and bacteria by Martin Polz, Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Universität Wien. The programme included 10 short talks which covered diverse subdisciplines of virology, including structural biology, immunology, organoids, clinical diseases and biotechnological applications. Finally, the event was concluded with an open discussion and a poster session with additional networking opportunities.
The successful AustroVirology Symposium gave a vibrant demonstration of the existing excellent virus research in Austria and fostered intense networking. Considering the current SARS-CoV2 epidemics and COVID-19, the virology research community continues to play an ever-important role for our understanding of basic biology, the fight of infectious diseases and the development of novel solutions such as innovative vaccines.