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Person wearing purple gloves performing chemical synthesis

News

For decades, tuberculosis (TB) has been one of the deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. Resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are particularly problematic, as many established drugs are becoming increasingly ineffective against them. However, a research team from the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and Saarland University has now discovered a new family of natural substances that exhibit excellent activity against the TB pathogen. They have also investigated these substances so comprehensively that targeted further development is possible for the first time. The researchers have now published their findings in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

21.01.2026

HIPS

News

Two collaborative projects involving the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) are being funded with 100,000 euros each from the joint program "zukunft.niedersachsen" of the state of Lower Saxony and the Volkswagen Foundation. Both projects result from the collaboration between HZI and the MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR), established in 2024 as part of a cooperation between the Helmholtz Association and the British Medical Research Council (MRC). The funded MARITH project will grow organoids from throat tonsil tissue to study the development of immunological memory in humans, while the ViReST project analyzes the sites of viral replication in respiratory infections and their impact on virus transmission.

20.01.2026

HZI Campus

News

The global skin care company Beiersdorf and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) have entered into a long-term, exclusive partnership. In this collaboration they aim to investigate the role of the skin microbiome in maintaining healthy skin. The goal is to identify natural products produced by microorganisms on the skin that have a positive effect on skin balance. The project is based on extensive data sets on microorganisms that inhabit human skin.

13.01.2026

HIPS

Cryo-electron microscope image of the nuclease Cas12a3 with illustrated scissors

News

The CRISPR “gene scissors” have become an important basis for genome-editing technologies in many fields, ranging from biology and medicine to agriculture and industry. A team from the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg has now demonstrated that these CRISPR-Cas systems are even more versatile than previously thought. In cooperation with the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and Utah State University (USU) in Logan (USA), the scientists have discovered a novel CRISPR defense mechanism: Unlike known nucleases, Cas12a3 specifically destroys transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNA) that are vital for protein production to shut down infected cells. The team published its findings today in the journal Nature.

07.01.2026

HZI Campus

HIRI

News

The gene scissors CRISPR-Cas are an important tool for genome editing. However, their functionality is limited because they rely on specific sequences to operate. Their ancient ancestors, on the other hand, may have been much more versatile. Rediscovering their forgotten abilities and harnessing them for biotechnological applications is the goal of the “RGNcestry” research project led by Chase Beisel, affiliated department head at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI). The European Research Council (ERC) is funding the project with ten million euros over a period of six years.

23.12.2025

HIRI

News

Rare diseases affecting fewer than five in 10,000 people are often particularly difficult to diagnose and treat. As part of their joint funding program “zukunft.niedersachsen”, the state of Lower Saxony and the Volkswagen Foundation have now selected nine promising research projects for funding that aim to develop new diagnoses and treatments for rare diseases. Among them are two projects from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI). The PREDICT-CTP consortium of TWINCORE, the HZI, and Hannover Medical School (MHH) is developing a new diagnostic method for rheumatic diseases. In the StopPSC project, researchers from the HZI and MHH are developing new agents to treat primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronically progressive inflammation of the bile ducts.

22.12.2025

TWINCORE

HZI Campus

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HZI in the media

"Trump ist eine Bedrohung für die Demokratie und Freiheit. Eine Rückkehr in die USA ist beruflich keine Option mehr", so Biologin Dr. Elsa Anderson. Forschenden droht in den USA in der zweiten Amtszeit von Donald Trump der Verlust ihrer wissenschaftlichen Freiheit, sie suchen des

02.11.2026

arte

... nach dem Saarland benannt.

Seit gut drei Jahren läuft das vom Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung ...

02.11.2026

Tagesschau

... antrat, leitete er eine Forschungsgruppe am Helmholtz-Institut für RNA-basierte Infektionsforschung (HIRI) in Würzburg. Vorbeugen ...

30.10.2026

Universitätsklinikum Würzburg

... ist Leiterin der Abteilung Epidemiologie am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) und Mitglied der Ständigen Impfkommission ...

30.10.2026

Focus Online

von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen und des Helmholtz-Zentrums für Infektionsforschung zwei bislang unbekannte Naturstoffe entdeckt. Die

30.10.2026

Bionity.COM

Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and its Saarland University partner site, the Helmholtz Institute for

27.10.2026

Scienmag Science Magazine

experimental and modeling study led by scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig. The researchers found that

26.10.2026

Bioengineer.org

... am Helmholtz Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) und dessen Saarbrücker Standort, dem Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische ...

26.10.2026

Verband Deutscher Biologen e.V.

Dr. Milan Gerovac, Nachwuchsgruppenleiter am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Braunschweig, erhält den begehrten ...

24.10.2026

Homburg

heads the Research Group “Molecular Cell Biology” at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (HZI), has shed new light on the central

23.10.2026

Health Medicine Network

... “

Das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung: Wissenschaftler:innen am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) untersuchen ...

22.10.2026

DeutschesGesundheitsPortal

... Lange, Leiterin der Abteilung Epidemiologie am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung in Braunschweig und Mitglied der Ständigen ...

22.10.2026

DIE WELT

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HZI in the media

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