Newsroom

Interview

Poliomyelitis, also known as polio, is a contagious disease caused by the poliovirus. Thanks to the development of effective vaccines, the poliovirus has been largely eradicated and was endemic in only two countries in 2024. However, until the virus is eradicated worldwide, vaccination protection is important in Germany as well, as the virus could be reintroduced at any time. Epidemiologists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) have now shown that many people do not know their vaccination status and cannot find it on their vaccination record. In an interview on the occasion of World Polio Day on October 24, Dr. Carolina Klett-Tammen, deputy head of Clinical Epidemiology in the department “Epidemiology” at the HZI, explains the study results, which have been published in the journal BMC Public Health.

23.10.2025

HZI Campus

Light microscopy of red blood cells, some are infected with Plasmodium

News

It has long been known that bacterial pathogens are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. However, common medications are also becoming less effective against malaria, a tropical disease caused by a parasite. To counteract this development, a research team at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), in collaboration with the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), has now developed a new drug candidate that can kill the malaria pathogen even when existing drugs are no longer effective. The team has now published its findings in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

22.10.2025

HIPS

Fluorescence microscopy of cells in magenta and blue

News

Natural products derived from microorganisms are a promising source of new active ingredients, but are often produced only in very small quantities. A research team from the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) led by Tobias Gulder has now succeeded in establishing a chemo-enzymatic platform for the production of furanolides – a class of natural products with a broad spectrum of activity. This strategy not only allows furanolides to be produced cost-effectively, but also enables structural modifications to be made. The newly generated molecules are capable of effectively combating both bacterial pathogens and cancer cells. The team has now published its findings in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

20.10.2025

HIPS

Two speakers in front of a presentation on a screen

News

On 9 and 10 October 2025, the One Lab Retreat of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) took place at the Wyndham Hannover Atrium. Researchers, managers and task force representatives from all HZI sites came together to present current scientific results, discuss interdisciplinary topics and further develop strategic cooperation.

13.10.2025

News

Professor Rolf Müller, Scientific Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and Professor of Pharmaceutical Biology at Saarland University, has been awarded the Mannich Medal by the German Pharmaceutical Society (DPhG). Awarded in honour of the German chemist Carl Mannich, the medal is the DPhG's highest scientific accolade and is presented annually for “outstanding achievements in the field of pharmaceutical sciences”. The medal was presented at the DPhG's annual conference in Freiburg on October 1, 2025. HIPS is a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in collaboration with Saarland University.

07.10.2025

HIPS

A woman puts a strip of chewing gum in her mouth

News

Influenza is much more than just a nasty cold – it is one of the most dangerous infectious diseases worldwide, claiming around half a million lives every year. What makes it particularly insidious is that flu viruses are contagious even before the first symptoms appear. Despite this threat, the diagnostic options available to date are far from ideal. They are often expensive, complicated to use and simply unavailable in many poorer regions of the world. A research team led by Professor Lorenz Meinel from the University of Würzburg in cooperation with researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research has developed the technology behind a new self-test for influenza, recently published in ACS Central Science.

02.10.2025

HZI Campus

HZI in the media

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

01.12.2025

Homburg

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

28.11.2025

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

ARCHYDE

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

Lange betonte, flächendeckende ...

28.11.2025

Evangelische Zeitung

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

Mehr ...

27.11.2025

Tagesschau

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

27.11.2025

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

Medical Xpress

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

25.11.2025

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

Medical Xpress

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

24.11.2025

DeutschesGesundheitsPortal

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

22.11.2025

Regional Heute

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

21.11.2025

Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

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