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Dr. Andreas Pavlou, first author of the study, in the lab
News
Project manager of the immune defense in the brain
Infections in the brain can have serious consequences and are often fatal. The immune defense system works differently here than in the rest of the body. A team of researchers at TWINCORE – Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research in Hanover – has now discovered, in collaboration with partners, which signaling pathways play a central role in communication between immune cells in the brain in their defense against viruses. The results have now been published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation. The TWINCORE is a joint institution of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and Hannover Medical School (MHH).
09.07.2025
TWINCORE
[Translate to English:] Empfangsschild des Arabuko-Sokoke-Nationalparks
Story
International collaboration to explore the hidden world of fungi
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
The One Health Surveillance team from HIOH receives the award for “Best Research Environment 2024”.
News
Best Research Environment 2024
Excellent conditions for research, an inspiring atmosphere and fair cooperation: for all this, the research group “One Health Surveillance” (OHS) at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH) has been awarded the “Best Research Environment 2024” prize by the Junge Akademie. Under the leadership of Dr. Fee Zimmermann, the OHS group is establishing health and environmental observatories, so-called “One Health Exploratories”, which collect long-term and systematic data on the health of humans, animals and the environment and integrate it into a big picture. The HIOH is a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig in cooperation with the University of Greifswald, the University Medicine Greifswald and the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut.
09.07.2025
HIOH
Electron micrograph of coccal bacteria growing in chains
News
Long-term effects of influenza A virus infections on lung cells and their response to pneumococci
Influenza viruses can trigger epigenetic changes in the alveolar epithelium, the cell layer that lines the alveoli, permanent changes in gene activity without changing the DNA itself. These changes have a lasting effect on subsequent immune responses and result in the body no longer being able to react appropriately to the bacterial pathogens in the event of a subsequent infection with pneumococci. A research team at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the University Hospital Magdeburg (UMMD) has published new findings on the long-term consequences of an influenza A infection in a mouse model in the journal Cell Communication and Signaling.
04.07.2025
HZI Campus
Preparing for historical specimen sampling
Story
Tracing ancient pathogens in Vienna
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
Electron microscope image
News
Multiresistant intestinal bacteria: Displacement through food competition
If an intestinal inhabitant such as the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) becomes resistant to many antibiotics, it can cause serious health problems if it enters the bloodstream. How can such potentially dangerous multi-resistant bacteria be effectively removed from the gut? Researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), in collaboration with researchers from Hannover Medical School (MHH), explored this question in their latest study.
03.07.2025
HZI Campus

HZI in the media

Seuchen aus dem KI-Labor: Kann Künstliche Intelligenz bereits Biowaffen bauen?

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

15.10.2026
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Der Tagesspiegel
Impfung sinnvoll? Erst Erkältungen, dann Corona und Grippe – So schützen Sie sich

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

14.10.2026
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DIE WELT
HMN 2026: How crawling motility may be far older than previously thought

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

14.10.2026
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Health Medicine Network
Neue Empfehlungen der WHO zur COVID-19-Impfung

... in der Abteilung „Virale Immunologie“ am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI), hat die WHO als externer ...

13.10.2026
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DeutschesGesundheitsPortal
New Hope for Fighting C. difficile Infections

parts of the microbiome. HIPS is a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in collaboration with Saarland University. “We

12.10.2026
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Technology Networks
HZI erhält 724.000 Euro: Makrophagen sollen Lungenfibrose bekämpfen

... auch gezielte Forschungsmittel an das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI): Die Forschungsgruppe von Prof ...

12.10.2026
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Ad Hoc News
Fieser Magen-Darm-Erreger breitet sich immer stärker aus: Infektionen in England steigen drastisch

... nur in England vor. Laut Angaben des Helmholtz Zentrum für Infektionsforschung ist es dem Erreger ...

12.10.2026
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Frankfurter Rundschau online
EU fördert Entwicklung von Immunzelltherapie bei Lungenfibrose

... und Belgien. Aus Deutschland sind das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI), das Fraunhofer-Institut für Toxikologie und ...

12.10.2026
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MTA Dialog
Metax brings genome-wide coverage into focus for sharper microbial profiling

tool called Metax, developed by researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and described in the

12.10.2026
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Bioengineer.org
Forscher entwickeln Wirkstoff gegen Pockenviren

... weitere Versuche herstellen.

 

Auch das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Braunschweig ist beteiligt. Die ...

11.10.2026
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t-online.de
Warum Ballaststoffe nicht bei jedem gleich wirken

... unterschiedlichen Regionen unterscheidet. Der Forscher vom Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung konnte in seiner Studie zeigen, ...

10.10.2026
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rbb radioeins
Gut bacteria team up with diet to decide who rules the microbiome

Tawk, Youssef El Mouali and colleagues at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, together with collaborators at the University of

09.10.2026
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Bioengineer.org

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