50 Years of Ebolaviruses: From Zaire ebolavirus to the Bundibugyo virus Emergency with Nadine Biedenkopf
Speaker: Nadine Biedenkopf, the Institute of Virology, Philipps-University Marburg
Abstract: Fifty years after the simultaneous discovery of Ebola virus and Sudan virus in 1976, filoviruses continue to pose a critical threat to global health security, a reality underscored by the ongoing Bundibugyo virusoutbreak in the DRC and Uganda since May 2026. Deciphering core replication mechanisms is essential for identifying highly conserved vulnerabilities across the Filovirus family. This seminar highlights experimental approaches to investigate these high-consequence pathogens. Particular focus is placed on the application of life-cycle modeling assays to dissect individual steps of the viral life cycle, enabling detailed insights into critical virus-host interactions and driving the development of broad-spectrum, pan-filoviral strategies.
Biography: Nadine Biedenkopf studied human biology at the Philipps-University Marburg, Germany, specializing early on in infection biology. During her doctoral and postdoctoral research at the Institute of Virology in Marburg, she focused intensively on the viral transcription and replication of the highly pathogenic Ebola virus. Since 2019, she has been group leader at the institute. Her research deciphers the molecular mechanisms driving highly pathogenic RNA virus replication by utilizing life cycle modeling assays and advanced reverse genetics. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, her lab explores dynamic virus-host interactions, focusing specifically on how post-translational modifications and viral RNA structures regulate transcription and replication in filoviruses and coronaviruses. Her work bridges fundamental molecular virology with translational science to identify novel antiviral targets and broad-spectrum therapeutic strategies. Additionally, she is actively involved in preclinical vaccine development against highly pathogenic viruses.