Newsroom

Group photo with 11 people behind a 3D lettering “HZI 60”

News

On November 27, 2025, the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) celebrated its 60th anniversary with a ceremony attended by cooperation partners, alumni, and guests from the worlds of science, politics, and industry. The research institution has been located on the Science Campus Braunschweig-Süd since 1965 and underwent several reorientations and renaming in the following decades. Among those offering their congratulations at the ceremony were Lower Saxony's Minister President Olaf Lies, the new President of the Helmholtz Association Prof. Martin Keller, and his predecessor and long-time companion of the HZI, Prof. Otmar D. Wiestler.

27.11.2025

HZI Campus

Crystal structure of LecA and tolcapone.

News

When the hospital germ Pseudomonas aeruginosa infects the body, it uses the sugar-binding protein LecA to attach itself to human cells, invade them, and form so-called biofilms. LecA thus plays a central role in the development and progression of infections with this pathogen, which is classified as particularly critical by the WHO. Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) have now discovered that the approved Parkinson's drug tolcapone is able to specifically inhibit the activity of LecA. This finding allows the research team to develop new strategies for combating Pseudomonas infections. The researchers published their findings in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

26.11.2025

HIPS

Group of people discussing research findings

News

Liver transplants often save the lives of seriously ill patients. However, there remains a risk that the body will reject the new organ. Doctors distinguish between acute and chronic rejection. While acute rejection is easy to diagnose and treat, chronic rejection causes lasting damage to the organ, is difficult to detect – currently only possible by examining tissue samples under a microscope – and is often overlooked. An international research team led by Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) has now discovered clear molecular signatures for chronic rejection even after liver transplantation, which could aid diagnosis. After ten years of work, the findings have now been published in the Journal of Hepatology.

24.11.2025

CiiM

Poster for the HZI in the Science Showcase from December 3-17; topic: "Mikrokosmos ganz groß"

News

To mark its 60th anniversary, the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) is bringing its research to the heart of Braunschweig's city center from 3 to 17 December 2025. Under the motto “Bringing science to life where people spend their everyday lives ”, the HZI is presenting an interactive exhibition, hands-on stations, offers for school classes in cooperation with the BioS school laboratory and exciting after-work talks with experts from the HZI in the science showcase ("Wissenschaftsschaufenster") at Waisenhausdamm 8.

20.11.2025

HZI Campus

Group picture of 6 people with an oversized cheque

News

A novel oral immunotherapy for cancer and a drug for treating chronic liver fibrosis: What many patients are hoping for is already a part of cutting-edge research in Lower Saxony. To ensure that such innovative ideas are translated into practical applications more quickly, the state of Lower Saxony is funding particularly promising projects: “Citrapeutics” from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and “RNA Healer” from the Hannover Medical School (MHH) will receive a total of nearly €2.5 million in funding from the Institute for Biomedical Translation (IBT) Lower Saxony to spur their innovations.

19.11.2025

TWINCORE

HZI Campus

News

In Germany, around 10,000 people die every year from antibiotic-resistant pathogens. At the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), scientists are using artificial intelligence to find new antibiotics. In particular, they are looking for active substances that circumvent known resistance mechanisms. They are supported by citizen scientists sending them soil samples from various habitats. On the occasion of World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week 2025, the Helmholtz Association explains how the researchers are fighting against multi-resistant germs.

18.11.2025

HIPS

HZI Campus

HZI in the media

Dr. Rolf Müller, Managing Director of Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), were both named laureates of the

22.12.2025

Research Information

... ein Interview mit Josef Penninger geführt . Er ist wissenschaftlicher Geschäftsführer des Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung in ...

21.12.2025

T3N

Institut für RNA-basierte Infektionsforschung (HIRI), einem Standort des Braunschweiger Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in ...

19.12.2025

healthcare-in-europe.com

Biosyntheseweg aufzuklären. Das HIPS ist ein Standort des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Zusammenarbeit mit ...

18.12.2025

Bionity.COM

Finanzierungsmöglichkeiten fehlen.

Josef Penninger, wissenschaftlicher Geschäftsführer des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (HZI)

16.12.2025

MedMedia

Korte from the Technical University of Braunschweig and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI).

The research was carried out as

12.12.2025

The Hindu

... des Leibniz Lungenzentrums Borstel, des Helmholtz-Instituts für Pharmazeutische Forschung Saarland sowie weiterer wissenschaftlicher ...

12.12.2025

Bionity.COM

Einrichtungen des regionalen Forschungsökosystems – darunter das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI), das Deutsche Zentrum für

12.12.2025

EUROPE SAYS

Korte of the Technical University of Braunschweig and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI). The findings emerged from the

12.12.2025

The New Indian Express

Universität Würzburg. Seit 2018: Postdoc am Helmholtz-Institut für RNA-basierte Infektionsforschung (HIRI), Entwicklung Bayes’scher ...

12.12.2025

BIOspektrum

Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center, the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland and other scientific institutions in

11.12.2025

Technology Networks

von Humboldt professor, head of department at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig and full professor at the Hannover

10.12.2025

European Research Council

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