ImmunoComm: communication is everything!

Like our neuronal system, our immune system is one of the most complex networks in the human body and has fascinated scientists for a long time. It protects us against external pathogens, but at the same time removes malignant cells that could become a threat. The corona pandemic has shown how important it is to understand and comprehend the basis of immunology: Without the immense efforts of research and development, it would not have been possible to develop vaccines against SARS-CoV- 2 within such a short period of time. With the public debate about pandemic measures and vaccinations, the basics of immunology have become even more important, not least as an aid to personal decision-making. Communication on this topic - via traditional media and beyond (social media, blogs, vlogs) - has multiplied, and the way information is obtained has changed drastically with increasing digitization. In their communication and information habits, young people mainly use social networks and digital channels. When it touches the subject of the immune system, young adults still have large gaps in their knowledge. This is where our project comes in: It is dedicated to the subject of scientific communication in the field of immunology for young adolescent people. Since the beginning of the pandemic, they have been increasingly confronted with news from the science and health sector, but the variety of information sources makes it difficult for them to distinguish serious information from dubious one (keyword: fake news). ImmunoComm aims to teach young people between the ages of 16 and 19 the important basics of Immunology, arouse their enthusiasm for Research and at the same time show them how good and serious science communication works. In this project, a group of schoolchildren works intensively for a year with scientists and experts from the fields of communication / journalism. The young people are trained in workshops by communication experts: The different means of communication as well as their importance are discussed, the young people get an insight into journalistic work and professional communication from different perspectives (print, online, radio, social media, etc.). The aspect of target group-oriented communication is also worked out together. In addition the students visit the applicant`s laboratory thereby getting an insight into the work environment of immunologists and into scientific experimentation. They also learn about the role of Helper T-cells in immunological memory (the applicant`s specialty). In a further workshop at Open Science, the students can then also perform immunological experiments themselves. Subsequently, in a co-creative, participatory approach, the young people work with the experts to create contributions for other young people on an immunological or related topic (peer-to-peer approach). They will work on the Research Topic of the applicant. They are free to choose the format (e.g. report, podcast, interview, YouTube shorts, TikTok video, etc.). The communication contributions are then published via the channels of those involved in the project. All people involved should benefit from the project: The young people by strengthening their skills, gaining insight into various professional fields and their respective roles in our society, gaining experience and being able to play an active role; the consortium members professionally involved in the project by gaining a better understanding of the requirements of young people for contemporary science communication; and the wider target group of young people, to whom the materials are disseminated by providing them with high-quality sources of information.

The overarching goal of the project "ImmunoComm: communication is everything" is to help young people to acquire skills in scientific communication in the field of Immunology and at the same time to deepen their knowledge in this particular field. The starting point is the scientific project APP30885 on the differentiation and regulation of follicular T helper cells, which, along with the B cells, are important in our immune system for generating antibodies and acquiring immunological memory. A group of 24 teenagers aged 16 to 19 from 12 different schools in Vienna, Lower Austria and Hungary were taught theoretical and practical knowledge in the areas of Immunology and media design. This allowed them to generate communication contributions for young people on the research topic in a setting supervised by experts. They could create written and video contributions to spread and explain the immune system and memory T cells to their peers. In addition to the scientific content, the focus of the project is on communication aspects.