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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

Portrait

Through the Helmholtz Global Fellow Program, the Helmholtz Association supports outstanding international researchers whose projects bring fresh scientific momentum to Helmholtz centers. One of these fellows is Dr Jiteshkumar Prakash Deore, who has been conducting research at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) since May 2026. In Dr Kenan Bozhuyuk’s group "Synthetic Biology of Microbial Natural Products", he is working on new synthetic biology platforms for the development of antimicrobial agents.

07.10.2026

HIPS

HZI in the media

Lange, Leiterin der Abteilung Epidemiologie am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung in Braunschweig erwartet insgesamt einen typischen

12.11.2026

Wiesbadener Kurier

... Technischen Universität Braunschweig, Forschungsgruppenleiter am Helmholtz Zentrum für Infektionsforschung.

Nach seiner Promotion über ...

09.11.2026

Radio38

WDR am 05.11.2026: Vitamine sind lebenswichtig. Viele greifen deshalb zu Kapseln, Pulvern und Brausetabletten, um mit einer Extraportion nachzuhelfen.

Das Geschäft boomt: Hersteller versprechen mehr Energie, ein stärkeres Immunsystem, gesünderes Altern und Schutz vor Krankheiten

06.11.2026

ARD Mediathek

Jörg Vogel, Direktor des Helmholtz-Instituts für RNA-basierte Infektionsforschung und Sprecher der Leopoldina-Arbeitsgruppe RNA-basierte ...

04.11.2026

Tagesschau

... Team der MHH beteiligen sich das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, das Fraunhofer-Institut für Toxikologie und ...

04.11.2026

Deutsches Ärzteblatt

... leitete er eine Forschungsgruppe am Helmholtz-Institut für RNA-basierte Infektionsforschung (HIRI) in Würzburg.

Vorbeugen - ...

02.11.2026

Management & Krankenhaus

"Trump ist eine Bedrohung für die Demokratie und Freiheit. Eine Rückkehr in die USA ist beruflich keine Option mehr", so Biologin Dr. Elsa Anderson. Forschenden droht in den USA in der zweiten Amtszeit von Donald Trump der Verlust ihrer wissenschaftlichen Freiheit, sie suchen des

02.11.2026

arte

... nach dem Saarland benannt.

Seit gut drei Jahren läuft das vom Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung ...

02.11.2026

Tagesschau

... ist Leiterin der Abteilung Epidemiologie am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) und Mitglied der Ständigen Impfkommission ...

30.10.2026

Focus Online

von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen und des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung zwei bislang unbekannte Naturstoffe entdeckt. Die

30.10.2026

Bionity.COM

Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and its Saarland University partner site, the Helmholtz Institute for

27.10.2026

Scienmag Science Magazine

experimental and modeling study led by scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig. The researchers found that

26.10.2026

Bioengineer.org

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HZI in the media

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