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Jürgen Wehland Award goes to molecular biologist Katherine Beckham
Bacterial pathogens have an arsenal of molecular tools that they need in order to be able to efficiently infect a host organism. Researchers refer to these tools as virulence factors. This includes specific structures of the bacteria, but also protein molecules that…
2018 Technology Transfer Award goes to an HZI spin-off company
Before a newly detected agent, used to fight for example a bacterial or viral pathogen, can be approved for use as medication, it must pass various test studies: The first pre-clinical studies are done on cell cultures and animals, after which follow several clinical…
Staying a step ahead of the game
Unicellular parasites belonging to the genus Trypanosoma cause sleeping sickness in humans. Sleeping sickness is a debilitating and potentially lethal disease in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is transmitted by the tsetse fly. Prof Nicolai Siegel, who heads a research group…
Helmholtz to Fund International Partnerships in Health and Matter Research
“I congratulate the three selected labs,” says Otmar D. Wiestler, President of the Helmholtz Association. “They proved themselves in a highly competitive contest and are now backed by considerable financial support and international partnerships to advance socially…
How bacteria imprint the intestinal immune system in newborns
The regulatory T cells (or "Tregs" for short) play a very important role in our immune system: They teach other immune cells which dangerous invaders to attack and which harmless to ignore. In doing so, the Tregs enable the immune cells to be tolerant to foreign…
Joining forces for immune research
“What we have learned about the immune system and its role in many widespread diseases over the last ten years opens up countless perspectives for research," says Prof Martin Lohse, Scientific Director of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), the centre…
How the body produces an endogenous antibiotic with anti-inflammatory effects
For a long time, itaconic acid was only known as a metabolic product of fungi. Its function was unknown, but for decades it has been used industrially for polymer production. In 2013, it was surprisingly discovered as an important metabolic product in the immune system.…
Ascenion's Portfolio Company WBC Acquired by Klaria
Ascenion’s team has closely worked with the inventors to secure patent protection as a basis for future commercialisation and helped negotiate an exclusive licence between the institutes and WBC. "The take-over by Klaria paves the way for translating the invention into…
Flu vaccination 2.0: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supports HZI vaccine research
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is now funding an HZI research project in which neuraminidase is modified to improve stability and promote longer lasting immunity against multiple kinds of influenza viruses. The vision behind this is to develop a universal influenza…
How bacteria produce antibiotics
”To develop bottromycins further, the producing bacteria need to be persuaded to make new versions of bottromycin that have improved properties,“ says Jun.-Prof. Jesko Köhnke, who heads the junior research group ”Structural Biology of Biosynthetic Enzymes“ at HIPS. For…
