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The annual list of “Highly-cited researchers” identifies scientists who have demonstrated a significant impact in their chosen field over the last ten years through the publication of several highly-cited papers. This year, the Braunschweig Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) has two researchers on the list: bioinformatician Prof Alice McHardy and biochemist Prof Jörg Vogel. The ranking by Clarivate Analytics, a company specialising in bibliometric data, includes more than 6,100 researchers.

Infections with two pathogens pose a serious threat in the clinics. Researchers from Würzburg and Jena have developed a technique that provides new insights into this process and can be used as an early warning system. The research results have now been published in the journal Cell Reports.

Professor Jörg Vogel (Würzburg, Germany) has been announced as the President of the European Academy of Microbiology (EAM) from 1 January 2021. Prof Vogel will take over from Prof Philippe Sansonetti, the former President of the Academy since 2012. He thanked and acknowledged his predecessor and stated his intent to “continue to promote microbiology as a field of study and recognize excellence within its practice”. Vogel also outlined his vision to “work to grow the size and reputation of the Academy” and emphasized the importance of international scientific cooperation. Vogel is a German microbiologist in the field of RNA biology, and is the Founding Director of the Würzburg-based Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI). He also directs the Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB) of the Medical Faculty at the University of Würzburg in Bavaria, Germany, and has been a member of the EAM since 2015.

Mit der Auftaktveranstaltung am 12. November 2020 ist BIOMEDAS offiziell gestartet. Das neue Doktorandenprogramm wurde von der Translationsallianz in Niedersachsen (TRAIN) initialisiert und ist an die Hannover Biomedical Research School (HBRS) der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover (MHH) angegliedert. Für fünfzehn Datenwissenschaftler beginnt damit ihre strukturierte Doktorandenausbildung.

Scientists at TWINCORE have succeeded in identifying two factors that protect liver cells of mice from infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). These are Cd302, a lectin, and Cr1l, a complement receptor-like protein. The research outlined in this study lays the foundation for the future development of a mouse model for HCV vaccine research. The results are published in the journal Science Advances.

The digestive tract is densely populated with bacteria and other microorganisms. This intestinal microbiota helps the host utilise nutrients. Particularly plant fibres can only be broken down and absorbed with the help of intestinal bacteria. The composition of the microbiota is dynamic and depends, among other factors, on the diet. Scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig have shown that the utilisation of the fibre arabinoxylan enables bacteria of the genus Prevotella to play a dominant role in the microbial ecosystem. For the study, the Braunschweig researchers cooperated with the Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens in Berlin. The scientists published their results in the journal Cell Host & Microbe.