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Crystal structure of LecA and tolcapone.
News
When the hospital germ Pseudomonas aeruginosa infects the body, it uses the sugar-binding protein LecA to attach itself to human cells, invade them, and form so-called biofilms. LecA thus plays a central role in the development and progression of infections with this pathogen, which is classified as particularly critical by the WHO. Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) have now discovered that the approved Parkinson's drug tolcapone is able to specifically inhibit the activity of LecA. This finding allows the research team to develop new strategies for combating Pseudomonas infections. The researchers published their findings in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
26.11.2025
Group of people discussing research findings
News
Liver transplants often save the lives of seriously ill patients. However, there remains a risk that the body will reject the new organ. Doctors distinguish between acute and chronic rejection. While acute rejection is easy to diagnose and treat, chronic rejection causes lasting damage to the organ, is difficult to detect – currently only possible by examining tissue samples under a microscope – and is often overlooked. An international research team led by Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) has now discovered clear molecular signatures for chronic rejection even after liver transplantation, which could aid diagnosis. After ten years of work, the findings have now been published in the Journal of Hepatology.
24.11.2025
Poster for the HZI in the Science Showcase from December 3-17; topic: "Mikrokosmos ganz groß"
News
To mark its 60th anniversary, the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) is bringing its research to the heart of Braunschweig's city center from 3 to 17 December 2025. Under the motto “Bringing science to life where people spend their everyday lives ”, the HZI is presenting an interactive exhibition, hands-on stations, offers for school classes in cooperation with the BioS school laboratory and exciting after-work talks with experts from the HZI in the science showcase ("Wissenschaftsschaufenster") at Waisenhausdamm 8.
20.11.2025
Group picture of 6 people with an oversized cheque
News
A novel oral immunotherapy for cancer and a drug for treating chronic liver fibrosis: What many patients are hoping for is already a part of cutting-edge research in Lower Saxony. To ensure that such innovative ideas are translated into practical applications more quickly, the state of Lower Saxony is funding particularly promising projects: “Citrapeutics” from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and “RNA Healer” from the Hannover Medical School (MHH) will receive a total of nearly €2.5 million in funding from the Institute for Biomedical Translation (IBT) Lower Saxony to spur their innovations.
19.11.2025
banner of the WHO
News
In Germany, around 10,000 people die every year from antibiotic-resistant pathogens. At the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), scientists are using artificial intelligence to find new antibiotics. In particular, they are looking for active substances that circumvent known resistance mechanisms. They are supported by citizen scientists sending them soil samples from various habitats. On the occasion of World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week 2025, the Helmholtz Association explains how the researchers are fighting against multi-resistant germs.
18.11.2025
Portrait Dr. Felix Deschner and Dr. Max Kellner with their prizes
News
PhD students play a crucial role in the advancement of knowledge and technologies that shape our world. At the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and its locations, more than 300 doctoral students are working on solving important questions in infection research. Two HZI scientists have now been honored for their successful doctoral theses. Dr. Felix Deschner, postdoc at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), was awarded the Eduard Martin Prize of Saarland University. HZI junior research group leader Dr. Max Kellner received the PhD Award of the Vienna BioCenter for his doctoral thesis at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) in Vienna.
17.11.2025

HZI in the media

... Dr. rer. nat. Jakob Wirbel vom Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (Braunschweig). Das Experiment aus Stanford sei ...

20.02.2026
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Deutsches Ärzteblatt

... unseres Immunsystems zu entziehen. Strukturbiologen des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (HZI) konnten nun mittels ...

18.02.2026
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Bionity.COM

of our immune system. Structural biologists at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) have now used cryo-electron microscopy to

16.02.2026
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Phys.org

Was es mit Mpox – früher Affenpocken genannt – auf sich hat, welche Symptome erkrankte Personen haben und wie man sich anstecken kann.

13.02.2026
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Apotheken Umschau

Julia Port, research group leader at Germany's Helmholtz Center for Infection Research.

 

"Ongoing outbreaks—particularly those driven by

12.02.2026
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Medical Xpress

... Livia Patrono, laut einer Mitteilung des beteiligten Helmholtz-Instituts für One Health (HIOH): Denn dadurch ...

12.02.2026
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n-tv

... für den Neubau der Klinik für Strahlentherapie Würzburg sowie für das Helmholtz-Institut für RNA-basierte ...

12.02.2026
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mainpost.de

Project

 

Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH), a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), together

11.02.2026
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NewsBreak

by Prof. Hortense Slevogt, Hannover Medical School, and Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, shows that the treatment with PulmoPlas®

10.02.2026
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Biotech Investments

... der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover und des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung. „Unsere Methode erfordert nur einen ...

10.02.2026
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Health Capital

Fermentation und Aufreinigung, wurde ebenfalls am HZI in der Arbeitsgruppe von Prof. Marc Stadler, stellvertretender ...

06.02.2026
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juraforum.de

... gehört habt: Phagen. Spoiler: Was am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) passiert, rettet im Zweifel Leben – ...

05.02.2026
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