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Numerous pathogens are capable of becoming resistant to medications, such as antibiotics, which allows them to protect themselves from the antibiotics and to spread vigorously. Moreover, many diseases cannot be treated sufficiently because there are no effective drugs available. The search for new drugs is very laborious and resource-consuming. Natural products, so-called secondary metabolites, that are produced by bacteria, fungi and plants are some interesting candidates in this context. Especially soil-dwelling myxobacteria produce a large variety of natural agents which they use to eliminate microbial competitors or enemies. This is the special field of natural product researcher Prof Rolf Müller. Honouring his outstanding research aimed at the discovery of microbial natural products mainly from myxobacteria, the German pharmacist has been awarded this year's Inhoffen Award, to be presented on 17 May. Müller directs the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), a branch site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Saarland University.

Antibiotics are still overprescribed in primary care and prescriptions are often not in line with the recommendations and guidelines set out by the medical associations. For this reason, the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Hygienenetzwerk Südostniedersachsen, the City of Braunschweig, the Klinikum Braunschweig, and the AOK Niedersachsen have developed a project called "Effectiveness of training on antibiotic prescription routine for General Practitioners (GP)" (Wirksamkeit von Antibiotikaschulungen in der niedergelassenen Ärzteschaft, WASA) that is funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, BMG).

Fungi are considered a natural source of antimicrobials in drug discovery. So far, little research has been done on the fungal diversity of tropical regions which promises novel compounds with antibiotic activity. An international research group led by Prof Marc Stadler from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) has discovered novel metabolites that displayed antimicrobial and nematicidal responses. These substances are produced by a previously unknown type of fungus, which the team discovered during their study in the rainforest of Thailand. Results of their study were published in the scientific journal MycoKeys.

Stroke and heart attack are the leading cause of death in the Western world. Würzburg scientists have used a special technique to get a clearer picture of the cells involved and their activity. They present their results in the journal Circulation Research.

Humans are constantly exposed to pathogens like bacteria and viruses. In most cases, the immune system successfully detects and eliminates these invaders. However, the herpesvirus family has adapted brilliantly to the immune system: its members manage to stay in the host’s body for life after infection. A research team at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) recently discovered that a protein of the carcinogenic Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) commandeers an immune system component for its own benefit. This enables the virus to successfully infect its host. The researchers have published their results in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Pathogens.