The Institute of Virology at the Long Night of Research 2026

On 24 April 2026, the Institute of Virology took part in the Long Night of Research (Lange Nacht der Forschung), an Austria-wide science event that drew around 192,000 visitors this year. From 5 pm to 11 pm, the Medical University of Innsbruck opened its doors to curious visitors of all ages.

The Institute was represented by members from both research and diagnostics, offering a lively programme of interactive stations:

• 3D-printed viruses – Visitors could handle physical virus models and match them to their names.
• Antibodies meet viruses – A hands-on experiment demonstrated how antibodies act against viruses.
• Through the microscope – Virus-infected cells from everyday lab work, as well as ticks collected in the course of an ongoing study, were on display under the microscope.
• Fact or Fake? – A quiz challenged visitors with tricky questions about viruses and virology.
• Speed challenge – How quickly can you put on a biosafety level 3 (S3) suit and still be properly protected? The evening’s record: an impressive 27.4 seconds!

Visitors also learned which viruses are studied at the Innsbruck site – presented in an engaging and accessible way.

It was a wonderful evening for young and old alike, with many enthusiastic visitors and especially curious children. A big thank you to everyone who participated and helped make the evening a success!