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From October 2026 to July 2027, Prof. Irah King, from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, will conduct research at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg, a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in cooperation with Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU). His stay is supported by the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The award is endowed with 60,000 euros.

22.10.2026

HIRI

Schematic graphic on a dark blue background showing the AI-supported protein design process from left to right. On the left, a glowing blue protein structure made of ribbons and helices is shown, with one region highlighted by a dashed orange outline. An arrow leads to a box containing a neural network symbol with blue and orange nodes. A second arrow leads to a newly generated golden protein domain made of helices and loops. The labels below read "Protein context", "AI model" and "Generated protein domain". Image AI-edited.

News

New active ingredients for drugs to treat infections, cancer, or other serious diseases are often based on substances originally discovered in microorganisms, plants, or other living organisms. Producing or improving such active ingredients in a targeted manner using microorganisms is often challenging because the underlying biological processes are extremely complex. Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) have now shown that artificial intelligence can help with this task. Using AI, they developed novel protein building blocks for biological production systems. The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature Communications.

21.10.2026

HIPS

HZI Campus

Portrait of Milan Gerovac in front of a light background

News

Bacteriophages are viruses that exclusively infect bacteria and are therefore considered a promising treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections. The annual World Phage Day on October 22 also highlights this potential. At the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, junior research group leader Dr. Milan Gerovac will investigate bacteriophages in even greater detail in the future. For his research on permanent bacteriophage infections, he has received a five-year grant of 1.5 million euros from the European Research Council (ERC).

20.10.2026

HZI Campus

Arm with a band-aid - symbolic image after vaccination

News

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a new position paper on COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Henning Jacobsen, a researcher in the department “Viral Immunology” at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), supported the WHO as an external advisor and contributed to the paper. The updated recommendations focus on people at increased risk of severe COVID-19. With the upcoming cold and flu season in mind, the paper provides a good reason to get your vaccination status checked.

13.10.2026

HZI Campus

Macrophages under an electron microscope

News

Pulmonary fibrosis is currently incurable and leads to increasing shortness of breath. An international research consortium involving the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and coordinated by Hannover Medical School (MHH) is now developing an innovative therapeutic approach as part of the BREATH-EC project: Genetically modified immune cells (macrophages) are designed to recognize pathological scarring processes and specifically inhibit them. The aim is to halt the progression of the disease and possibly even reverse it. The European Union (EU) is funding the project with around ten million euros.

12.10.2026

HZI Campus

News

Treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics often leads to side effects, as it affects not only the pathogens but also the “good” bacteria in the gut. A research team from Hannover Medical School (MHH), Saarland University Hospital (UKS), and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) has now demonstrated that the natural compound argyrin B is highly effective against the pathogen Clostridioides difficile while largely sparing the beneficial gut microbiome. The researchers published their findings in the journal npj Antimicrobials and Resistance.

08.10.2026

HIPS

HZI in the media

... “

Das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung: Wissenschaftler:innen am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) untersuchen ...

22.10.2026

DeutschesGesundheitsPortal

... Lange, Leiterin der Abteilung Epidemiologie am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung in Braunschweig und Mitglied der Ständigen ...

22.10.2026

DIE WELT

... befallen. Am HZI in Braunschweig wird daran geforscht.

Am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Braunschweig ...

22.10.2026

NDR Norddeutscher Rundfunk

are extremely complex.

Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) have now shown that artificial

21.10.2026

Phys.org

Würzburg (JMU) und dem Helmholtz-Institut für RNA-basierte Infektionsforschung (HIRI), einem Standort des HZI in ...

20.10.2026

Regional Heute

community. HIPS is a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) that operates in collaboration with Saarland University.

20.10.2026

WDC Tv News

... Verabreichung eintritt. Expertin Berit Lange vom Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung betonte, dass jetzt der richtige Moment ...

16.10.2026

upday

... Berit Lange im Gespräch mit FOCUS online. Sie ist Leiterin der Abteilung Epidemiologie am Helmholtz-Zentrum ...

16.10.2026

Focus Online

protection against BV. Researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research have reported evidence that antibodies produced after

16.10.2026

Medscape

... ist Leiterin der Abteilung Epidemiologie am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung in Braunschweig und Mitglied der Ständigen ...

16.10.2026

Berliner Morgenpost

... beeindruckendes Ergebnis“, sagt Jakob Wirbel vom Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI). „Trotzdem schlafe ich momentan noch ...

15.10.2026

Der Tagesspiegel

also included Japanese microbiologists and collaborators from IST Austria and HZI Braunschweig (Germany), demonstrated that actin inhibitors

14.10.2026

Health Medicine Network

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