It's getting hot in here - Climate Change, Pathogens and Chilli

When temperatures rise here in summer, the carriers of various pathogens are delighted - due to travelling and climate change, species from tropical regions such as the tiger mosquito, which can transmit dangerous viruses and parasites, are becoming native to us. But how does a blood-sucking insect ‘know’ when and where it is worth biting? Why does the bite itch so much afterwards and how does a pathogen actually survive the fever it triggers in our body? All of this is closely interlinked at a molecular level, as our sense of pain and temperature, like that of all other living organisms, is based on the dynamic interactions of complex biomacromolecules. Insights into the above-mentioned questions are therefore also offered by topics that at first glance seem completely unrelated, e.g. why we perceive chilli as ‘hot’, or what makes mulled wine taste so special on a cold winter's day.

The event is in German language.

More information: It’s getting hot in here – Klimawandel, Krankheitserreger und Chili (uni-jena.de)