Newsroom

Scientists in Saarbrücken are on a mission to discover natural products from soil bacteria in order to develop these into new medicines for the treatment of infectious diseases. They are asking the public to join their efforts and become part of an ongoing citizen science project launched recently to improve access to regional microbial biodiversity.

Scientists from InSCREENeX GmbH and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) have collaborated to develop a technology allowing cells from any tissue to be proliferated in a petri dish without losing the cells' tissue-specific properties. For example, this allows for newly discovered agents to be selectively tested in the cell culture and it provides the ability to examine organ-specific effects. In the meantime, the researchers have fine-tuned their process to the point where only a small number of cells is required as the starting material. Today, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce Braunschweig honoured this technology with the 2018 Technology Transfer Award. The award is endowed with 10,000 euros and goes to Dr Tobias May, Dr Roland Schucht and Dr Tom Wahlicht from InSCREENeX, as well as Prof Dagmar Wirth, who is the head of the "Model Systems for Infection and Immunity" research group at the HZI.

On average, every adult in Germany suffers from up to three respiratory infections per year. Although mostly caused by viruses, these infections are sometimes incorrectly treated with antibiotics. Dr. Stefanie Castell, deputy head of the HZI Department of Epidemiology, talks about a training project called WASA (“Wirksamkeit von Antibiotika-Schulungen in der niedergelassenen Ärzteschaft” – effectiveness of trainings on antibiotic prescription in primary care) that should improve the handling of antibiotic prescriptions.

More and more resistant pathogens are spreading that cannot be harmed by traditional antibiotics. They are a great danger to the public health systems throughout the world. Without a major change in medical research and development, diseases that can be treated today may become incurable in just a few years. A small wound on a finger may suddenly turn life-threatening, since more and more bacteria become resistant to common antibiotics. The development of resistance is a natural effect of evolution. Resistance arises during the use of antibiotics as some bacteria that are immune to the medication due to genetic variance survive the treatment and then continue to proliferate. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers antibiotic resistances to be one of the “major threats to global health and food safety”. They cause longer stays in hospital and therefore increasing costs of therapy and higher mortality. The spreading of resistances can be explained by a number of reasons, for example overly eager administration of antibiotics in the treatment of the symptoms of common colds, the use of antibiotics for insufficient periods of time or the improper use in animal husbandry. But one fact is clear: Solutions must be found rapidly by innovative research.

At outside temperatures of -10 °C, Stefan Schmelz, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, seems to have discovered an alternative energy source for himself. The postdoctoral fellow in the "Structure and Function of Proteins" department at the HZI would seem to need one to master all the tasks in his workday. He calls it a challenge – rather than a problem – to be working to capacity both at work and at home. The father of three small children knows exactly how important it is to be organised and to address tasks with an aim. "Time management is everything," he says. The large range of tasks entrusted to him in the department is impressive: He is responsible for the entire computer infrastructure and the major equipment as well as the X-ray room, the imagers and the crystallography units. Having to change his agenda is his everyday routine – and he is happy with it: He likes his work at the HZI and does not want the routine of an assembly line job.

The new “Helmholtz International Labs” programme will fund research projects covering new medicines for infections, the effects of environmental impacts on health, and unique insights into the structure of matter. These international labs will receive up to 300,000 euros annually for an initial period of five years. This will increase collaboration between the Helmholtz Association and excellent research institutions worldwide, as part of the Association’s internationalisation strategy.