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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
[Translate to English:] Rasterelektronenmikroskopische Aufnahme einer Escherichia coli-Zelle (rot), die von Bakteriophagen (grün) infiziert wird.
Story
Since the middle of the 20th century, antibiotics have been among the greatest successes in medicine. They save millions of lives every year, prevent complications during operations and make many therapies possible in the first place. But their success has a downside: More and more bacteria are developing strategies to evade the attacks of these drugs. Resistant germs are spreading around the globe, against which hardly any drugs are effective. With the annual World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) from 18 to 24 November, the World Health Organization reminds us how important it is to use antibiotics carefully and how urgently new approaches are needed to continue fighting infections effectively in the future. Almost 20 research groups in the research topic “Novel Anti-Infectives” at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) are developing new drugs against infectious diseases.
17.11.2025
Researchers from the HZI
News
The company Clarivate Analytics publishes an annual list of “Highly-cited Researchers” to recognize scientists whose publications have had a particularly large impact on their field. In 2025, three researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) are once again among the honorees: bioinformatician Prof. Andreas Keller, molecular biologist Dr. Max Kellner and biotechnologist Prof. Marc Stadler were recognized for their widely cited research and the significant contribution they have made to their respective disciplines.
12.11.2025
 Fabian Leendertz with certificate
News
During the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Academy of Sciences in Hamburg , Fabian Leendertz, founding director of the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH), was inducted as a full member. The ceremony took place on 16 October 2025 in Hamburg. Five new members joined the interdisciplinary network, which currently comprises 145 leading scientists from northern Germany. HIOH is a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI).
11.11.2025
Dr. Lina Herhaus heads the junior research group “Immune Signalling” at the HZI.
News
Scientist Dr. Lina Herhaus, who heads the junior research group “Immune Signaling” at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), will receive one of the coveted Exploration Grants from the Boehringer Ingelheim Stiftung starting in March 2026. This program offers outstanding basic researchers in biology, chemistry and medicine the opportunity to explore new directions in research. In addition, Herhaus received the Walther Flemming Award from the German Society of Cell Biology (DGZ) and ibidi GmbH on October 27, 2025. The prize is endowed with 3,000 euros and is awarded to experienced postdoctoral researchers and young scientists for outstanding achievements in cell biology.
29.10.2025

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