Newsroom

Story

INFORBIO is a multidisciplinary project that combines participatory forest management by indigenous communities, agroforestry, the establishment of mobile health clinics, and the development of an early warning system for zoonotic disease surveillance through a multifaceted One Health approach. The overarching goal is to safeguard forests as natural barriers against the spread of zoonotic diseases while improving livelihoods in remote areas of the Central African Republic (CAR) and Cameroon. As part of INFORBIO, researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH), a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), are developing early warning systems for zoonoses.

23.03.2026

HIOH

Two researchers examine a Petri dish in the laboratory.

Story

The microbiome performs a variety of health-maintaining functions in the body. The microbes can produce nutrients, dampen inflammation or displace pathogens. In order to fulfill all these tasks, the microbiome must be in balance. For the microbiome, this means first and foremost that it is as diverse as possible. This makes it harder for harmful microorganisms to find a niche to live in. If microbiome diversity decreases or harmful germs dominate, there is a risk of inflammation, infections or chronic diseases - and this is precisely where the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) comes in. Using “microbiome engineering”, Dr. Lisa Osbelt-Block and Prof. Till Strowig are specifically editing the gut microbiome to prevent disease.

19.02.2026

HZI Campus

Story

On 18–20 November 2025, the Central African Republic (CAR) celebrated its first-ever Dzanga-Sangha Day (La Journée des Aires Protégées de Dzanga-Sangha). Conceived as a three-day national event, the celebration aimed to shine a spotlight on the country’s unique natural heritage and raise awareness of the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas (DSPA)—an extraordinary conservation landscape in CAR’s remote southwest. Held under the theme “Reconciling Nature, Health and Development”, the event underscored how biodiversity protection, community wellbeing, and scientific research intersect in DSPA. It was co-organized by the Government of the Central African Republic in partnership with WWF and the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH).

03.12.2025

HIOH

[Translate to English:] Rasterelektronenmikroskopische Aufnahme einer Escherichia coli-Zelle (rot), die von Bakteriophagen (grün) infiziert wird.

Story

Since the middle of the 20th century, antibiotics have been among the greatest successes in medicine. They save millions of lives every year, prevent complications during operations and make many therapies possible in the first place. But their success has a downside: More and more bacteria are developing strategies to evade the attacks of these drugs. Resistant germs are spreading around the globe, against which hardly any drugs are effective. With the annual World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) from 18 to 24 November, the World Health Organization reminds us how important it is to use antibiotics carefully and how urgently new approaches are needed to continue fighting infections effectively in the future. Almost 20 research groups in the research topic “Novel Anti-Infectives” at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) are developing new drugs against infectious diseases.

17.11.2025

HZI Campus

HIOH

HIRI

[Translate to English:] Empfangsschild des Arabuko-Sokoke-Nationalparks

Story

Natural substances are an important source of active ingredients used in medicine. However, the chemical diversity of fungi in particular has not yet been sufficiently researched. The EU project Mycobiomics, coordinated by Marc Stadler, Head of the Department “Microbial Drugs” at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), is investigating the biodiversity of fungi in Europe, Asia and Africa in order to identify pharmaceutically valuable secondary metabolites. In May and June 2025, project participants met in Kenya and South Africa for an expedition and a subsequent symposium.

09.07.2025

HZI Campus

Preparing for historical specimen sampling

Story

From 4 to 6 June 2025, the Department “Pathogen Evolution” led by Prof. Dr. Sébastien Calvignac-Spencer at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH) conducted a combined retreat and sampling mission at the Institute of Pathology of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna — a key collaboration partner for accessing and studying historical pathological specimens in veterinary medicine. HIOH is a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI). The visit focused on collecting around 60 historical tissue samples for molecular genetic analyses related to animal disease research, while also offering time for internal discussions on lab optimization, project development, and team building.

03.07.2025

HIOH

HZI in the media

... von verschiedenen Hörnchen, wie jüngste Erkenntnisse des Helmholtz Instituts für One Health in Greifswald kürzlich ...

26.03.2026

Tagesschau

zur Bekämpfung der Tuberkulose und des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung erstellt. Zahlreiche weitere Fachgesellschaften und

24.03.2026

Deutsches Ärzteblatt

... fünf Teams durch, darunter PROTON vom Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung. Dieses entwickelt einen neuartigen Wirkstoff gegen ...

22.03.2026

Ad Hoc News

Vor allem durch die Coronapandemie sind Forschende des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung in den vergangenen Jahren bundesweit bekannt geworden. Auf welche Themen die Einrichtung für die Zukunft setzt.

20.03.2026

Deutsches Ärzteblatt

... beschäftigt sich daneben unter dem Dach des Helmholtz Institutes für Pharmazeutische Forschung Saarland (HIPS) ...

18.03.2026

Biermann Medizin

... Ausbau von Produktions- und Vermarktungskapazitäten.

Das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung HZI begrüßt den Erhalt der GMP- ...

18.03.2026

Bionity.COM

... der Universität zu Lübeck, des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Braunschweig, der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover ...

17.03.2026

Biermann Medizin

Vorsorge Das Coronavirus hält die Welt nicht mehr in Atem. Doch was, wenn ein anderer gefährlicher Erreger auftaucht? So wappnet sich unser Gesundheitssystem

16.03.2026

Apotheken Umschau

... stumpfen ab“, erklärt Marc Brönstrup vom Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung in Braunschweig. Neue Antibiotika sind dringend ...

14.03.2026

ARD Mediathek

... der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover und dem Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Braunschweig neue Wirkstoffe ...

13.03.2026

MTA Dialog

... späten 1990ern hob sie der am Saarbrücker Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung Saarland (HIPS) tätige ...

08.03.2026

Saarbrücker Zeitung

European institutions, including Germany’s Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research,

06.03.2026

Clinical Lab Products

Register now for the HZI-Newsletter

and stay up to date!

Email address *

We use rapidmail to send our newsletter. I agree that my data entered here will be transmitted to rapidmail. I have taken note of the HZI's privacy policy and have been informed of my rights.