"MS Wissenschaft" Exhibition Ship Docks in Cologne
As part of Germany's Science Year 2026 “Medicine of the Future”, this year's exhibition aboard the “MS Wissenschaft” explores how medical innovations are developed - and what it takes for them to ultimately benefit patients.
Since 2003, the initiative “Wissenschaft im Dialog” has organized an annual exhibition aboard the ship as part of the federal Science Year program. Each year, the ”MS Wissenschaft” visits numerous cities across Germany. Since 2012, the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Today: Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt - BMFTR) has served as the official organizer of the exhibition ship, while Wissenschaft im Dialog gGmbH has managed its implementation. Most of the exhibits are contributed by leading scientific institutes and research organizations.
On July 14, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Cologne neuroscientists Prof. Dr. Ansgar Büschges, Prof. Dr. Olivia Masseck, Prof. Dr. Daniel Wehner, and Prof. Dr. Dirk Isbrandt (Principal investigator at the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne) will be on board to answer visitors' questions and explain how biomedical research works.
During the event, the researchers aim to encourage open discussion and explain why modern biomedical research relies on a combination of different scientific approaches - and why, depending on the research question, animal studies may still be necessary to advance medical knowledge.
Event Details
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Meet the Scientists – Meet the Researchers Behind the Exhibits
Mülheimer Ufer (next to the Mülheim Bridge), Cologne
One of this year's featured exhibits is titled "A Patch for the Heart?". It highlights the development of an innovative cardiac patch created through a collaboration of several scientific institutions. The exhibit illustrates the long journey from basic research and preclinical testing to clinical trials. The patch, made from living cells and designed to repair damaged heart tissue, is currently being evaluated in clinical trials. Its development represents 25 years of scientific research.
Visitors aboard the “MS Wissenschaft” can step into the role of researchers by navigating decisions that mirror real scientific processes - from selecting the appropriate cell types to considering ethical questions, including the role of animal studies in developing new therapies. Interactive heart models and a replica of engineered tissue help make otherwise invisible biological processes tangible.
"Curiosity is the starting point of every scientific discovery. MS Wissenschaft offers a wonderful opportunity to bring research directly to where people ask their questions. I look forward to talking with visitors about how basic research can gradually lead to new medical therapies," says Prof. Dr. Olivia Masseck.
Scientific Contact:
Professorin Dr. Olivia Masseck
omasseck[at]uni-koeln.de
Pictures:
https://ms-wissenschaft.de/de/presse/fotos/
Further Information:
https://ms-wissenschaft.de/de/veranstaltungen/meet-the-scientists-triff-die-forschenden-hinter-den-exponaten-koeln/
This message has been modified by the CMMC (K. Heber & Dr D. Grosskopf-Kroiher) and is based on the text by the press and communications teams of the University of Cologne (Eva Schissler, original German version here).