Newsroom

A view inside a laboratory; two hands wearing blue gloves working with a pipette

News

Bacteria have spent decades evolving resistance to virtually every antibiotic we have thrown at them. To stay ahead, new drugs must hit targets that existing antibiotics have never touched. A research team at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) has now developed a series of synthetic drug candidates that do exactly that: By blocking an essential molecular supply system, these molecules cut off the bacteria's essential vitamins supply and starve them to death. The team published its findings in two studies back to back in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

21.07.2026

HIPS

Macrophages under an electron microscope

News

Macrophages are considered the “scavenger cells” of the immune system, but some pathogens exploit these very cells as hiding places. Researchers from the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg and Philipps-Universität Marburg have now discovered a mechanism that helps immune cells to balance their response to infection: a long non-coding ribonucleic acid called SAILR, which acts as an apoptosis regulator. The findings were published recently in the journal PNAS.

20.07.2026

HIRI

News

Prof. Hortense Slevogt, research group leader at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and lead senior physician at Hannover Medical School (MHH), has been appointed to the Commission on Anti-Infectives, Resistance and Therapy (ART) at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The ART Commission is an independent expert panel at the RKI that develops recommendations on the rational use of anti-infectives based on current scientific evidence. Its goal is to ensure the effective use of anti-infectives while limiting the emergence and spread of resistant pathogens.

15.07.2026

HZI Campus

Photo of Leonard Knegendorf at an office workstation

News

Premature babies in the intensive care unit are particularly at risk of becoming infected with potentially pathogenic bacteria. A team of doctors in Hanover has now investigated which external factors play a role in this. They concluded that climatic conditions have an influence. The study was led and designed by Dr Leonard Knegendorf, a clinician-scientist at TWINCORE, the Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research. The findings were published in the scientific journal "Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control". TWINCORE is a joint institution of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and Hannover Medical School (MHH).

13.07.2026

TWINCORE

Collage of portraits of Alexander Titz and Christian Sieben

News

New broad-spectrum antiviral agents are considered an important contribution to pandemic preparedness. A project led by Alexander Titz, Professor of Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Saarland University (UdS), and Prof. Christian Sieben, research group leader at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), aims to develop such active compounds to fill a gap in pandemic prevention. To achieve this, the two researchers intend to block a step that occurs at the very beginning of viral infection: the binding of viruses to sugar molecules on the cell surface. The Volkswagen Foundation is now funding the development of such inhibitors with almost one million euros.

06.07.2026

HZI Campus

HIPS

Collage of Portraits of Mark Brönstrup and Henning Jacobsen

News

The Falling Walls Foundation has nominated two projects from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) for the “Science Breakthrough of the Year 2026.” The award recognizes groundbreaking scientific advances that break down walls in science and have a global impact. The PROTON team led by Prof. Mark Brönstrup was nominated for the development of a novel antibiotic technology against the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the ENDURIVAC team, represented by Dr. Henning Jacobsen, was recognized for the development of a vaccine platform that induces long-term immunity against respiratory pathogens.

03.07.2026

HZI Campus

HZI in the media

An einer weiteren Station veranschaulicht das Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung, wie die Entwicklung neuer ...

25.08.2026

MSN Deutschland

Technologien“ im HUMAN-Projekt am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Braunschweig . Im Mittelpunkt ihrer Arbeit steht ...

23.08.2026

Regional Heute

... Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover (MHH) und des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (HZI). Dafür setzten die Forschenden sechs ...

19.08.2026

Pharmazeutische Zeitung

... Arbeiten am Universitätsklinikum Köln und am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung startet nun die Entwicklung und GMP- ...

19.08.2026

DeutschesGesundheitsPortal

available genomic resources. HIPS is a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in collaboration with Saarland University.

14.08.2026

News Medical

... verfügbaren genomischen Ressourcen erheblich. HIPS ist ein Standort des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung in Zusammenarbeit ...

12.08.2026

DeutschesGesundheitsPortal

... nennen wären da zum Beispiel das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung oder aber das Deutsche Zentrum für ...

11.08.2026

news38

Ein Forschungsteam am Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung Saarland (HIPS) hat nun eine Reihe synthetischer ...

07.08.2026

ZMK - Zahnheilkunde Management Kultur

des HIRI kooperieren hierbei mit dem Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) und dem Helmholtz-Institut für One Health (HIOH). Ein

06.08.2026

Börse Express

... beschleunigen

Das DFKI hat zusammen mit dem Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung Saarland (HIPS), der ...

02.08.2026

SR Saarländischer Rundfunk

... Forschungszentrum Fahrzeugtechnik (NFF) oder dem Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI).

Am 24. März 19973 ...

01.08.2026

t-online.de

... including to Germany, for further testing. Professor Fabian Leendertz at the Helmholtz Institute for One ...

31.07.2026

Deutsche Welle

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