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

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

... eingeschleppt werden könnte. Epidemiolog:innen des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (HZI) haben nun gezeigt, dass ...

23.10.2025

innovations report

this development, a research team at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), in collaboration with the Swiss

22.10.2025

Phys.org

Malaria-Medikamentes ermöglichen könnte. Das HIPS ist ein Standort des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung in Zusammenarbeit mit ...

22.10.2025

Verband Deutscher Biologen e.V.

(Bild: DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c08354 / Hips / CC BY 4.0) Wissenschaftler am Hips entwickelten eine Plattform zur Produktion von Furanoliden, die effektiv gegen Bakterien und Krebszellen wirken können und vielversprechende Wirkstoffe darstellen.

21.10.2025

PROCESS

at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), in partnership with the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI

20.10.2025

Bioengineer.org

their biological activity. HIPS is a site of the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI) in collaboration with Saarland University.

20.10.2025

Phys.org

... die Abteilung „Experimentelle Immunologie“ am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Braunschweig, lehrt als Professor an ...

17.10.2025

Deutsches Ärzteblatt

Einrichtungen als nationale assoziierte Partner: das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung Braunschweig, die Universität Bayreuth, das

17.10.2025

AlphaGalileo

... diesem Ergebnis kommt ein Forschungsteam des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Zusammenarbeit mit der ...

14.10.2025

Deutsches Ärzteblatt

Individualisierte Infektionsmedizin, einer gemeinsamen Einrichtung des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung und der MHH. Bis zuletzt

13.10.2025

Springer

Ein Grippe-Test könnte in Zukunft womöglich sehr schnell gehen: einfach ein Kaugummi kauen. Ein deutsches ...

09.10.2025

Apotheken Umschau

... am 1. Oktober 2025. Das HIPS ist ein Standort des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in ...

07.10.2025

juraforum.de

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