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Green rod-shaped bacteria
News
The diversity of bacterial species in the gut is greatly reduced in people with a Western lifestyle compared to those following a traditional lifestyle and typically consuming fresh unprocessed foods. Such distinction is particularly profound for Segatella, a group of bacterial species belonging to the Prevotellaceae family. Now an international research team led by Prof. Till Strowig from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in cooperation with the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, the University of Trento (Italy) and the University Hospital Essen has succeeded in cultivating and characterizing Segatella bacteria and establishing their roles in human health in depth. Not only did they discover new Segatella species, but they were also able to show that men who practiced sex with men have a significantly higher Segatella carriage, the diversity of which resembles that of non-Western populations. The results were published in the journals Cell Host & Microbe and Cell Reports Medicine.
22.02.2024
Scanning electron micrograph of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
News
Tuberculosis and malaria are among the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide and are increasingly spreading, not least due to climate change. In both cases, antimicrobial resistance renders established active substances ineffective. To ensure that effective drugs are still available in the future, researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) are working together with Evotec, a leading company for drug research and development, on resistance-breaking anti-infectives based on natural products. The research project of the team led by Prof. Rolf Müller now receives 3.1 million euros in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In addition, the HIPS has been accepted as a member of the renowned "Tuberculosis Drug Accelerator".
21.02.2024
Martina Palatella (left) and Margherita Pevere in the laboratory of the department “Experimental Immunology”.
News
It is widely known that the cells of the human immune system are natural works of art that protect us from serious diseases on a daily basis. Now they are also part of an art project at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig: The international artist Margherita Pevere used the HZI laboratories to examine her own immune cells and will create a work of art from the results. Pevere is supported in her work by Martina Palatella, a doctoral researcher in the HZI department “Experimental Immunology” headed by Prof Jochen Hühn.
15.02.2024
Portrait Berit Lange
News
The Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) has appointed new members to the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO). Among the 19 experts is Dr Berit Lange, acting head of the department “Epidemiology” at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig. The STIKO is an independent, voluntary committee of experts with the aim of developing vaccination recommendations for the population in Germany. The newly appointed STIKO will hold its inaugural meeting on March 12 and 13, 2024.
13.02.2024
Microscopic image of cells infected with RSV. Green: RSV-F protein labelled with GFP in the cytoplasm of the cells, magenta: RSV-F protein, blue: cell nuclei.
News
The respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes severe lower respiratory tract infections, particularly in young children. To date, there is neither an antiviral therapy against the virus nor a vaccination for children. This is why researchers led by Thomas Pietschmann at TWINCORE, a joint institution of Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, are looking for new active substances against RSV. In a large-scale study, they have now identified lonafarnib as a promising candidate. They have published their results in the journal Nature Communications.
12.02.2024
Sarah Reichardt, Alexander Westermann, Gianluca Prezza and Chase Beisel
News
Researchers from the Würzburg Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) deployed CRISPR interference for the first time for the functional characterization of the gut mutualist Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. They identified a small ribonucleic acid (sRNA) that modulates the microorganisms' growth in the presence of bile. The findings should contribute to a better understanding of the bacterium’s lifestyle in its native environment, the human intestine, and to the development of clinical applications. The study was published in the journal PNAS.
06.02.2024

HZI in the media

Medikament Tolcapon identifiziert. Das HIPS ist ein Standort des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Kooperation ...

01.12.2025
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Homburg

... wissenschaftlicher Ko-Direktor des Helmholtz Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (HZI). Thomas Pietschmann engagiert sich seit 2023 im ...

28.11.2025
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juraforum.de

Dr. Alexander Titz, group leader at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS). “Finding new ways to disrupt its

28.11.2025
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ARCHYDE

... “, sagte die Leiterin der Epidemiologie am Braunschweiger Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung.

 

Lange betonte, flächendeckende ...

28.11.2025
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Evangelische Zeitung

... ein Zentrum für Quantentechnologie entstehen und das Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung ausgebaut werden.

 

Mehr ...

27.11.2025
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Tagesschau

Euro werden investiert in die Erweiterung des Helmholtz-Instituts für Pharmazeutische Forschung Saarland (HIPS). Und ...

27.11.2025
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ZEIT online

s drug tolcapone. HIPS is a site of the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) in collaboration with Saarland University.

 

The

26.11.2025
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Medical Xpress

... erhielt das Projekt „Citrapeutics“ vom Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Braunschweig eine Förderung in Höhe ...

25.11.2025
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Bionity.COM

led by Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) has now discovered clear molecular signatures for

24.11.2025
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Medical Xpress

Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover (MHH) und dem Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI), hat nun eindeutige molekulare Signaturen ...

24.11.2025
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DeutschesGesundheitsPortal

Braunschweig. Das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) bringt anlässlich seines 60. Jubiläums seine Forschung vom 3. ...

22.11.2025
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Regional Heute

Universität Hannover (LUH), dem Helmholtz Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Braunschweig, der Technischen Universität Braunschweig ...

21.11.2025
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Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

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