Heimspiel Wissenschaft brings scientists who come from rural regions back home to talk about their research and how it affects all of our lives. This makes science and research tangible in the local pub, the community center, the sports clubhouse, or the village square. The project was originally grant-aided by BMBFR (formerly known as BMBF) as a joint venture by the Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK), the science communication agency con gressa and the Heidelberg University’s #WisskommLab from 2022 to 2024. Currently con gressa features a Max Planck Edition of Heimspiel Wissenschaft.

Ilka Bischofs heads the Complex Adaptive Traits (CATs) in beneficial Bacilli group at BioQuant and the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg and recently visited her home village. At her Heimspiel Wissenschaft, Ilka argued that life is inherently stressful! Many strategies that bacteria use to cope with stress look familiar to us - they seek new or exploit alternative resources to deal with scarcity, they fight and resist to withstand competition with others, they protect themselves from harmful environments and they use stochastic survival strategies, known at  the financial market as bet-hedging – to cope with uncertainty. 

Ilka showed how fundamental research using her favorite bacterium Bacillus subtilis – microbe of the year 2023 – has shaped our understanding of microbial stress responses and how this, in turn inspires biotechnology. This includes well-known applications such as using these bacteria as cell factories to produce enzymes for e.g. detergents or synthesize antibiotics. She also shared exciting videos made here at the BioQuant that visualize variability in the production of highly stress-resistant spores; and outlined how this insight can help to improve spore-based application in e.g. green agriculture.

A diverse audience of about ~75 people including children and seniors, craftsmen and biotech professionals from the area attended the Heimspiel. The presentation was followed by a discussion with drinks and food to further elaborate on stress management and ask questions about life as a scientist. Some also grasped the opportunity to use a stereomicroscope to see a Bacillus biofilm with their own eyes and admire its beauty.