Katharina Scherer

Dr. Katharina Scherer is a Research Fellow leading an independent research group at the Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Bonn, funded by the NRW Returning Scholars Programme. Her work focuses on understanding viral infection dynamics, particularly enveloped viruses like coronaviruses, herpesviruses, and influenza viruses. She employs high-resolution light microscopy techniques to visualize and quantify virus-host interactions, viral assembly mechanisms, and cellular remodeling during infection. Key projects include developing fluorescent reporter systems and expansion microscopy to study SARS-CoV-2 and HSV-1 replication cycles. Her group collaborates internationally, recruiting PhD students in microbiology, cell biology, and biophysics to advance virus-based vaccine optimization and medical applications.

Research highlights include:

• Development of tools for spatiotemporal analysis of HSV-1 replication using dual fluorescent markers.
• Investigation of Golgi fragmentation and mitochondrial dynamics during viral assembly.
• Applications of expansion microscopy and light sheet microscopy for 3D imaging of infected cells.

Her team actively explores interdisciplinary methods to bridge virology, cell biology, and biophysics, with emphasis on clinically relevant outcomes like vaccine design and antiviral strategies.