To kick off the visit, Christian Scherf, Administrative Director of the HZI, and Prof. Josef Penninger, Scientific Director of the HZI, welcomed the guest for a joint discussion. In two keynote presentations, they provided him with an overview of the center’s work and its significance for researching and combating infectious diseases. They addressed both the HZI’s scientific priorities and the prerequisites for successful, long-term, and interdisciplinary research.
Following this, Dennis Rohde gained insights into various areas of the HZI during a tour. The tour first took him to the Biotechnological School Lab Braunschweig (BioS). Subsequently, Prof. Wulf Blankenfeldt and Dr. Marina Greweling-Pils presented the fields of structural biology and animal husbandry and breeding, respectively. Finally, he visited the organoid platform, where innovative three-dimensional cell models are used to study infections and immune responses.
The visit provided an opportunity to learn about the various facets of research on the HZI campus in Braunschweig and to discuss the importance of modern research infrastructures for health research. With its translational research, the HZI lays the groundwork for translating scientific findings into new drugs, vaccines, diagnostics, and therapies over the long term.
