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On the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions to combat pathogens
The novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019 and spread rapidly around the world. The first case in Germany was confirmed in January 2020. In early 2020, SARS-CoV-2 was identified as the cause of the infectious…
Mpox/Monkeypox - What the HZI experts say
Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is related to the eradicated smallpox virus. Despite the name, monkeys are not the natural reservoir of the virus. Instead, rodents are probably the reservoir from which monkeys can also contract the virus. It is currently unknown via which…
Paths into the unknown
EM started in 1982 at the former Gesellschaft für Biotechnologische Forschung (GBF) and in 1989 moved into a new building, which presented a major challenge in itself: The floors of the new building were covered with vibrating screed, which is not suitable for…
Computational Biology for Infection Research
The Department of “Computational Biology for Infection Research” studies the human microbiome, viral and bacterial pathogens, and human cell lineages within individual patients by analysis of large-scale biological and epidemiological data sets with computational techniques. Focusing on high throughput meta’omics, population genomic and single cell sequencing data, we produce testable hypotheses, such as sets of key sites or relevant genes associated with the presence of a disease, of antibiotic resistance or pathogenic evasion of immune defense. We interact with experimental collaborators to verify our findings and to promote their translation into medical treatment or diagnosis procedures. To achieve its research goals, the department also develops novel algorithms and software.
Biostatistics
High-Throughput-technologies generate large amounts of data. The drawback: these biological and medical data must be processed to results with statistical methods and models. Concepts from robust and computational statistics as well as visualisation techniques help to better understand, estimate and cope with the uncertainty and strong variation that are often inherent in biological and medical data. The project group „Biostatistics“ is part of the research group „Cellular Proteome Research” which is led by Lothar Jänsch.
Experimental Immunology
Immune cell populations are characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity to enable efficient and specialized responses to the diverse set of pathogens. This is particularly true for cells of the adaptive immune system, but also innate immune cell populations are heterogeneous and can adapt to different environmental conditions. Adaptation of immune cells is often associated with epigenetic alterations that lead to the fixation of gene expression patterns, finally resulting in cells with highly specialized fates, phenotypes and functional properties.
Pathogen Evolution
Ecological interactions that underpin human life are highly dynamic, and changes in complex ecosystems can have far-reaching consequences on human health. Therefore, One Health also has a very strong evolutionary component. Over the last decades, evolutionary biology concepts have provided a major contribution towards unveiling the short- and long-term dynamics of pathogen emergence and spread. The importance of evolutionary approaches has become particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the initial emergence event and the later spread and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 have been investigated using evolutionary genomics – with the rise of variants of concern (VOC) being pointed out in the first place by observational data and inferential statistics. The Department of Pathogen Evolution studies both current and historical samples and uses them to make targeted predictions about the potential spread of important pathogens, thus providing important contributions to public health. The department is located at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health .
