Newsroom

Symbolic image of gene scissors.
News
A new addition to the CRISPR toolbox: Teaching the gene scissors to detect RNA
CRISPR-Cas systems, defense systems in bacteria, have become a plentiful source of technologies for molecular diagnostics. Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg have expanded this extensive toolbox. Their novel method, called PUMA, enables the detection of RNA with Cas12 nucleases, which naturally target DNA. PUMA promises a wide range of applications and high accuracy. The team published its results in the journal Nature Communications.
16.07.2024
HIRI
Scientist at Podcast recording.
News
HZI Podcast: Our Microbiome
The huge community of microorganisms in our gut keeps us healthy. And when things go wrong, we get sick. And not just a little: Disorders of our microbiome could be the trigger for morbid obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases and even depression or cancer. Dr Lisa Osbelt-Block knows this. She conducts research at the HZI in the ‘Microbial Immune Regulation’ research group headed by Prof Till Strowig and is fascinated by our little fellow inhabitants. In this episode of the HZI podcast InFact she talks about how our microbiome keeps our body healthy and what happens when it is not in order. She also talks about current research into the microbiome and how the findings can be used to treat diseases.
16.07.2024
HZI Campus
Dr Nicole Schneider-Daum in the laboratory.
News
Human in vitro lung models for testing inhaled drugs
The lungs have a very complex structure, which makes it difficult to simulate them in the laboratory using human cell line models. As a result, researchers still rely on animal testing in preclinical studies to develop inhaled drugs. A research team led by Dr Nicole Schneider-Daum of the Department of Drug Delivery across Biological Barriers at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) has succeeded in establishing a human lung cell line that is suitable for the development of in vitro models. Schneider-Daum's team was awarded the Saarland research prize "Alternatives to animal testing" for this achievement.
15.07.2024
HIPS
Salmonella under the microscope
News
Unlocking the world of bacteria
Bacteria possess unique traits with great potential for benefiting society. However, current genetic engineering methods to harness these advantages are limited to a small fraction of bacterial species. A team led by the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg has now introduced a novel approach that can make many more bacteria amenable to genetic engineering. Their method, called IMPRINT, uses cell-free systems to enhance DNA transformation across various bacterial strains. The findings were published today in the journal Molecular Cell.
26.06.2024
HIRI
Heavy-ion synchrotron SIS18
News
Innovative vaccine development with heavy ion beams
Researching new vaccines quickly and powerfully for the benefit of mankind — the COVID-19 pandemic rendered clear the need for effective and rapid vaccine development processes. Scientists from the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig investigated an innovative method that has the potential to increase significantly the effectiveness of future vaccine development. This approach uses heavy ion beams to inactivate viruses and thus represents a promising alternative to conventional inactivation methods, which often impair the effectiveness of vaccines. The results were recently published in the scientific journal “Pharmaceutics”.
17.06.2024
HZI Campus
Group photo of the Inhoffen Lecture
News
Chemist Prof. Stephan A. Sieber receives Inhoffen Medal 2024
The Friends of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and Technische Universität Braunschweig have awarded the 2024 Inhoffen Medal to Prof. Stephan A. Sieber from Technische Universität München for his research into new drugs against multi-resistant bacteria. The award ceremony took place on 13 June 2024 at the House of Science in Braunschweig.
14.06.2024
HZI Campus
TWINCORE

HZI in the media

Seuchen aus dem KI-Labor: Kann Künstliche Intelligenz bereits Biowaffen bauen?

... beeindruckendes Ergebnis“, sagt Jakob Wirbel vom Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI). „Trotzdem schlafe ich momentan noch ...

15.10.2026
|
Der Tagesspiegel
Impfung sinnvoll? Erst Erkältungen, dann Corona und Grippe – So schützen Sie sich

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

14.10.2026
|
DIE WELT
HMN 2026: How crawling motility may be far older than previously thought

also included Japanese microbiologists and collaborators from IST Austria and HZI Braunschweig (Germany), demonstrated that actin inhibitors

14.10.2026
|
Health Medicine Network
Neue Empfehlungen der WHO zur COVID-19-Impfung

... in der Abteilung „Virale Immunologie“ am Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI), hat die WHO als externer ...

13.10.2026
|
DeutschesGesundheitsPortal
Metax brings genome-wide coverage into focus for sharper microbial profiling

tool called Metax, developed by researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and described in the

12.10.2026
|
Bioengineer.org
New Hope for Fighting C. difficile Infections

parts of the microbiome. HIPS is a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in collaboration with Saarland University. “We

12.10.2026
|
Technology Networks
HZI erhält 724.000 Euro: Makrophagen sollen Lungenfibrose bekämpfen

... auch gezielte Forschungsmittel an das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI): Die Forschungsgruppe von Prof ...

12.10.2026
|
Ad Hoc News
Fieser Magen-Darm-Erreger breitet sich immer stärker aus: Infektionen in England steigen drastisch

... nur in England vor. Laut Angaben des Helmholtz Zentrum für Infektionsforschung ist es dem Erreger ...

12.10.2026
|
Frankfurter Rundschau online
EU fördert Entwicklung von Immunzelltherapie bei Lungenfibrose

... und Belgien. Aus Deutschland sind das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI), das Fraunhofer-Institut für Toxikologie und ...

12.10.2026
|
MTA Dialog
Forscher entwickeln Wirkstoff gegen Pockenviren

... weitere Versuche herstellen.

 

Auch das Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung (HZI) in Braunschweig ist beteiligt. Die ...

11.10.2026
|
t-online.de
Warum Ballaststoffe nicht bei jedem gleich wirken

... unterschiedlichen Regionen unterscheidet. Der Forscher vom Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung konnte in seiner Studie zeigen, ...

10.10.2026
|
rbb radioeins
Gut bacteria team up with diet to decide who rules the microbiome

Tawk, Youssef El Mouali and colleagues at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, together with collaborators at the University of

09.10.2026
|
Bioengineer.org

Register now for the HZI newsletter