Volker grew up in northern Germany and obtained his BSc in Biology at the University of Cologne. He then went on to complete his MSc in Biomedicine at Hannover Medical School, where his master’s thesis investigated the role of innate immune cells in controlling infection with human cytomegalovirus. He completed his PhD at TWINCORE, where he characterised restriction factors that target the hepatitis C virus. During his postdoctoral fellowship in Bochum, he broadened his research interests to include other pathogens, such as the hepatitis E virus and endogenous retroelements. In 2022, Volker joined the University of Oldenburg, where he continues his work on pathogen-host interactions involving endogenous viruses, exogenous viruses and intracellular bacteria.

Kelly grew up in Tucson, Arizona (USA). She completed her BSc in Neuroscience, with a minor in Art History, at the University of Arizona in 2014, before moving to Bavaria to complete her MSc in Neuroscience at the University of Regensburg. During her master’s degree, she worked on glioblastoma and targeted therapy research, focusing on cellular stress responses. In 2017, she moved to Hamburg, where she spent three years working in biotechnology, investigating protein-protein interactions in the context of neurodegenerative diseases. In 2021, she moved to Oldenburg and, in 2022, began her PhD in the field of innate immunity, specialising in interferon-stimulated genes and the regulation of retrotransposons (LINE-1).

Olinda grew up in Luxembourg and obtained her BSc in Biology at Humboldt University in Berlin, where she carried out research into the physiology of electrically active fish. She then went on to complete her Master’s degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Potsdam, with her Master’s thesis focusing on host restriction of human retroviruses. In 2023, Olinda joined the laboratory as a doctoral candidate and is working on characterising the host’s restriction mechanisms against the hepatitis E virus.

Priscilla is from Ghana and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences at the University of Ghana (UG). She completed her Master’s degree in Molecular Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases in 2025 at UG, where she investigated genes of Toxoplasma gondii that are relevant to survival during IFNγ stimulation in primary murine macrophages. Priscilla joined the Department of Microbiology and Virology at the University of Oldenburg as a doctoral candidate in 2026. As part of her PhD research, she will investigate the mechanisms of IFN-mediated host restriction against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.

Marcel was born in North Rhine-Westphalia and grew up there before moving to Lower Saxony. Fascinated by marine ecosystems, he completed training in scientific diving in 2022 whilst studying biology at the University of Oldenburg, and graduated in 2024. His bachelor’s thesis was part of the ‘SOMWAT’ project (Nature-based Solutions for Mitigation of Watershed Pollution: Cross-habitat facilitation by coastal seagrass meadows) and focused on improving sponge farming through co-culture in seagrass meadows in Zanzibar.

With a keen interest in virology and molecular biology, he began his Master’s degree in Molecular Biomedicine in 2024. In 2026, he joined the research group to commence his Master’s thesis. His research investigates the retrotransposable element LINE-1, in particular the ORF2 protein as a key enzyme in retrotransposition, as well as its potential interaction with the interferon-stimulated gene Shiftless.

Sarah is from Germany and obtained her B.Sc. in Biology in 2024. Since 2025, she has been studying for an M.Sc. in Molecular Biomedicine and is working on her Master’s thesis in the microbiology and virology laboratory. Her current research focuses on host-pathogen interactions involving *Proteus mirabilis*, in particular bacterial invasion of various epithelial cell types, intracellular survival and potential replication, using invasion assays.

Jule is from Arnsberg and is studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. As part of her Bachelor’s thesis, she is investigating the interferon-stimulated gene Shiftless and its interaction partners.