Einstein in the Dome – Research Without Animal Testing?

Programme

4 November 2026: ‘Research without animal testing? New methods in biomedicine’

How are new treatments for cancer, heart failure or organ failure developed? And how do researchers today manage to specifically reprogramme cells, regenerate tissue or activate the immune system against tumours? Animal testing remains indispensable in many areas of biomedical research – yet at the same time, increasingly innovative methods based on human tissue are emerging, opening up new perspectives for medicine.

Three leading scientists provide fascinating insights into the medicine of the future – impressively visualised beneath the dome of the planetarium.

Milad Rezvani demonstrates how new liver tissue is formed from stem cells and what role regenerative medicine could play in the future in curing serious diseases. Michael Gotthardt takes the audience on a journey into the beating heart and explains how molecular processes control our heart function and why their interaction determines health and disease.

Annette Künkele illustrates how genetically modified immune cells recognise and combat tumours – and what hopes modern immunotherapies hold for cancer treatment. With striking projections, scientific precision and clear explanations, ‘Einstein in the Dome’ combines exciting research questions with an immersive experience for anyone keen to discover how the medicine of tomorrow is taking shape.

‘Scientific Grounding behind the event’

Biomedical research is currently advancing at a rapid pace; innovative high-tech methods are opening up entirely new possibilities. Many of these methods are based on human tissue, meaning they do not require animal testing and have the potential to provide more accurate predictions for humans.

Charité 3R and the Einstein Centre 3R – where 3R stands for Replace, Reduce, Refine in relation to animal testing – will present three exciting projects as examples of how such methods are being used in research.

Speakers:

Annette Künkele is Professor of CAR-T Cell Therapies, Director of the Berlin Centre for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Managing Director of the National Centre for Tumour Diseases (NCT) Berlin and Senior Consultant in the Department of Paediatric Oncology and Haematology at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

Milad Rezvani is a specialist in paediatrics and adolescent medicine and a liver specialist at the Charité, as well as head of a DFG Emmy Noether Research Group.

Michael Gotthardt is a physician and Professor of Experimental and Translational Cardiology at the Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

Moderator:

Jochen Müller, a biologist and PhD in neuroscience, organises and hosts Science Slams in Germany and abroad and writes for publications including ‘Dasgehirn.info’ and ‘Zeit Wissen’.

The event is free of charge; please register online.

Please collect your free tickets from the box office by 6.30 pm. In cooperation with the Einstein Foundation Berlin.