Brief info
MedUni Innsbruck is western Austria’s leading medical research institution, with 3,400 students and 2,200 staff. The Institute of Virology is Austria’s second-largest virology center, with strong expertise in vector-borne diseases, B and T cell immunity, diagnostics, and RNA virus research. MedUni Innsbruck played a key role in COVID-19 studies, with contributions in neutralizing antibodies, T cells, epidemiology, and single-cell transcriptomics. MedUni Innsbruck PI G. Gerold has over 15 years of experience in reverse genetics of RNA viruses, including CHIKV and other alphaviruses, and maintains a broad panel of reporter and wild-type virus clones. Infrastructure includes BSL-2 and BSL-3 labs, electroporators, flow cytometers, imaging systems, ultracentrifuges, and advanced sequencing platforms such as Nanopore. The diagnostics unit processes over 20,000 tests annually and covers 50+ pathogens. MedUni Innsbruck also offers automated RNA workflows, high-throughput ELISA and RT-qPCR platforms, and capabilities for neutralization, ADE, and cross protection assays. Expertise and facilities also support test development and technology transfer.