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Bacteria fend off invading viruses with molecular scissors that slice up viral DNA — a system called CRISPR that holds immense promise for gene editing therapies. But viruses can fight back with a molecular trick that stops the scissors from ever being made. Writing in the journal Nature, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF, USA) in cooperation with researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig describe how a viral “anti-CRISPR” protein sits on the bacteria’s protein assembly line — which is known as a ribosome — and jams it as a CRISPR protein named Cas12 begins to form. This triggers the ribosome’s quality control mechanism to destroy the emerging protein, along with its messenger RNA (mRNA) blueprint. HIRI is a site of the HZI in cooperation with the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU).

Have you ever wondered where our medicines actually come from? The answer often lies right beneath our feet, in the hidden world of bacteria and fungi. At Lower Saxony Day 2026, you can dive into the fascinating world of microorganisms with the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and discover how nature helps us in the fight against infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance. The HZI will be represented at the state mile on Kurt-Schumacher-Straße at the booth of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK). The public festival will take place from June 12–14, 2026, in Braunschweig.

The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (Hrvatska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti (HAZU)) has announced the election of 32 new members to its ranks. Among the newly elected corresponding members is Prof. Luka Čičin-Šain, head of the department “Viral Immunology” at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI). Čičin-Šain studies how our immune system responds to widespread viruses and develops new vaccine technologies against viral diseases.

The floating science exhibition “MS Wissenschaft” has been on tour again since May 7, and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) is represented on board with an interactive exhibit. As part of the 2026 Science Year on the theme “Medicine of the Future,” MS Wissenschaft is making stops in more than 30 cities in Germany, Austria, and, for the first time, Poland. On board: the “MYXO-MAT-3000,” which playfully sends visitors on a quest to discover new sources of active ingredients, immersing them in the world of antibiotic research. HIPS is a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in collaboration with Saarland University.

At the 6th Portfolio Conference of the Institute for Biomedical Translation (IBT) Lower Saxony at Medical Park Hannover, the “DeColi” project of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig was awarded a grant of approximately 1 million euros. DeColi takes a preventive approach: Instead of reacting to infections that have already developed, the project aims to specifically eliminate Gram-negative pathogens from the gut reservoir before they cause disease. A total of 2.3 million euros was awarded at the conference. In addition to DeColi, the “Pathopress” project by the University Medical Center Göttingen and HAWK Göttingen received funding.

Many applications—whether in medicine, biotechnology, or agriculture—require the ability to eliminate unwanted cells, since these can compromise health, reduce productivity, or interfere with desired biological processes. However, doing so without affecting other cells remains a significant challenge. A collaboration of the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg, Akribion Therapeutics in Zwingenberg, as well as the University of Utah and Utah State University in the US, has now resulted in a CRISPR-based tool that can target specific cells based on a recognized transcript, opening up numerous potential uses. The findings were published today in the journal Nature.