Kiel Life Science: Data visualization is revolutionizing life sciences!

Kiel Life Science: Data visualization is revolutionizing life sciences!

On February 13, 2025, the New Year's reception of the research focus “Kiel Life Science” (KLS) took place at the Christian Albrechts University of Kiel (CAU) in the Kiel Zoological Museum. Around 75 guests took part in this important event. The guest speaker, Moritz Stefaner, a renowned information designer from Bremen, gave a lecture entitled “More beautiful knowledge – data visualization beyond the bar chart”. He discussed the increasing importance of data visualization in a world in which data flows and their complexity are constantly growing. Stefaner emphasized the need to make complex amounts of data in life science research understandable.

Professor Thomas Bosch, head of KLS, highlighted the role of data visualization in interpreting research results at the New Year's reception. The reception also offered insights into the current status and future perspectives of Kiel's life sciences. The KLS aims to continue the Cluster of Excellence “Precision Medicine in Chronic Inflammation” (PMI) after a successful assessment in Bonn. In this context, two new research centers were presented: the Kiel Microbiome Center (KMC) and the Kiel Spatial Biology Center (KSBC).

Research centers and research priorities

The Kiel Microbiome Center focuses on the microbiome and translational innovations to promote health. The Kiel Spatial Biology Center, on the other hand, uses modern single-cell procedures and imaging technologies to analyze biological processes and disease mechanisms. Both centers are part of KLS's efforts to ensure the competitiveness of Kiel as a science location and to actively participate in shaping the future of the CAU.

The Institute for Experimental Medicine (IEM), which includes several independent research groups, plays an important role in Kiel's research landscape. It is dedicated to various areas such as evolutionary medicine, medical ethics, systems biology and asthma and COPD research. The research groups work both nationally and internationally on significant topics, including the study of host-microbiome interactions to better understand inflammatory diseases.

Data visualization in research

The relevance of data visualization is particularly important in the life sciences, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Data visualization tools enable researchers to visually analyze complex data sets and identify patterns. These tools convert raw data into visual formats such as charts, heatmaps, and interactive dashboards. Examples include Python libraries like Matplotlib and commercial platforms like Tableau.

Using data visualization tools speeds up research because they enable faster pattern recognition. They also promote team collaboration through intuitive visual representations and support decision-making for regulatory authorities and pharmaceutical companies. The analysis of patient data plays a crucial role, especially in precision medicine. However, effective use of these tools requires principles such as simplicity, accuracy and interactivity to clearly represent complex data and seamlessly integrate it into existing systems.

With these diverse approaches and developments, KLS is at the forefront of research in Kiel, while creating additional synergies through close collaboration with other institutions and universities at home and abroad.