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Schematic graphic on a dark blue background showing the AI-supported protein design process from left to right. On the left, a glowing blue protein structure made of ribbons and helices is shown, with one region highlighted by a dashed orange outline. An arrow leads to a box containing a neural network symbol with blue and orange nodes. A second arrow leads to a newly generated golden protein domain made of helices and loops. The labels below read "Protein context", "AI model" and "Generated protein domain". Image AI-edited.
News
Artificial intelligence aids in the development of new active ingredients
New active ingredients for drugs to treat infections, cancer, or other serious diseases are often based on substances originally discovered in microorganisms, plants, or other living organisms. Producing or improving such active ingredients in a targeted manner using microorganisms is often challenging because the underlying biological processes are extremely complex. Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) have now shown that artificial intelligence can help with this task. Using AI, they developed novel protein building blocks for biological production systems. The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature Communications.
21.10.2026
HIPS
HZI Campus
Portrait of Milan Gerovac in front of a light background
News
ERC Starting Grant for bacteriophage research
Bacteriophages are viruses that exclusively infect bacteria and are therefore considered a promising treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections. The annual World Phage Day on October 22 also highlights this potential. At the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, junior research group leader Dr. Milan Gerovac will investigate bacteriophages in even greater detail in the future. For his research on permanent bacteriophage infections, he has received a five-year grant of 1.5 million euros from the European Research Council (ERC).
20.10.2026
HZI Campus
Arm with a band-aid - symbolic image after vaccination
News
New WHO recommendations on COVID-19 vaccination
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a new position paper on COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Henning Jacobsen, a researcher in the department “Viral Immunology” at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), supported the WHO as an external advisor and contributed to the paper. The updated recommendations focus on people at increased risk of severe COVID-19. With the upcoming cold and flu season in mind, the paper provides a good reason to get your vaccination status checked.
13.10.2026
HZI Campus
Macrophages under an electron microscope
News
Research into shortness of breath: EU funds the development of immune cell therapy for pulmonary fibrosis
Pulmonary fibrosis is currently incurable and leads to increasing shortness of breath. An international research consortium involving the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and coordinated by Hannover Medical School (MHH) is now developing an innovative therapeutic approach as part of the BREATH-EC project: Genetically modified immune cells (macrophages) are designed to recognize pathological scarring processes and specifically inhibit them. The aim is to halt the progression of the disease and possibly even reverse it. The European Union (EU) is funding the project with around ten million euros.
12.10.2026
HZI Campus
blue stick-shaped bacteria
News
Well-Known Natural Compound Shows Unexpected Effect Against a Dreaded Pathogen
Treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics often leads to side effects, as it affects not only the pathogens but also the “good” bacteria in the gut. A research team from Hannover Medical School (MHH), Saarland University Hospital (UKS), and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) has now demonstrated that the natural compound argyrin B is highly effective against the pathogen Clostridioides difficile while largely sparing the beneficial gut microbiome. The researchers published their findings in the journal npj Antimicrobials and Resistance.
08.10.2026
HIPS
Portrait of Jiteshkumar Deore in front of a gray wall
Portrait
Helmholtz Global Fellow at HIPS
Through the Helmholtz Global Fellow Program, the Helmholtz Association supports outstanding international researchers whose projects bring fresh scientific momentum to Helmholtz centers. One of these fellows is Dr Jiteshkumar Prakash Deore, who has been conducting research at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) since May 2026. In Dr Kenan Bozhuyuk’s group "Synthetic Biology of Microbial Natural Products", he is working on new synthetic biology platforms for the development of antimicrobial agents.
07.10.2026
HIPS

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
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
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
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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