Photo: Dr. Sebastian Heene
In November 2025, NIFE was open to the public (https://nife-hannover.de/erfolgreicher-tag-der-offenen-tuer/) demonstrating its manifold activities in research and translation. I (Prof. Dr. Andrea Hoffmann) contributed a talk on “Stem Cells and Immune Cells: Conjoined Twins for Novel Biohybrid Implants”. The term ´conjoined twins´ alludes to the inseparable functions of both cell types as partners for correct function of our body and medical implants. The talk was ´conjoined´ as well with respect to the audience: There were students who attend the regular lecture series in „Adult stem cells“ (https://prof-andrea-hoffmann.de/adult-stem-cells-in-regenerative-medicine/) with a lot of sophisticated knowledge that they have acquired during their university studies. There were also lay people interested in the NIFE topics of implants, coming with general knowledge in diverse fields beyond mere science. It is my mission to make an impact on the education of young people like students or pupils and likewise to translate “science talk” into generally understandable language, thus creating a payback for society for the third-party funding that my group and I have received up to the present day. Beyond, our mission is to find novel solutions for improving treatments for patients and to extend our knowledge as a researcher.