Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several variants of the virus have developed into Variants of Concern (VOCs), as classified by the World Health Organization (WHO). VOCs are virus variants that are predicted or known to cause large waves of infections due to their altered phenotypic characteristics and with risk of altering disease severity, reducing vaccine effectiveness or otherwise leading to increased burden of health care systems. Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) have developed an analysis method to detect VOC early in their development. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.

The Friends of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and the Technische Universität Braunschweig are awarding Prof. Richmond Sarpong from the University of California, Berkeley, with the Inhoffen Medal 2025. Sarpong is an eminent organic chemist who has distinguished himself through particular successes in synthetic chemistry and method development. The award ceremony took place on July 10, 2025 at the HZI in Braunschweig.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding the DEEP-DV research group for another four years with a total of €5.3 million. This marks the second phase of the successful work of the interdisciplinary group, which includes scientists from Braunschweig, Hamburg, Hannover, Berlin, Regensburg, Ulm, Freiburg, and Munich. DNA viruses such as herpes viruses and polyomaviruses can remain in the body permanently after an initial infection and cause serious health consequences years later.