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Displaying results 151 to 160 of 231.
Hepatitis
Viral hepatitis © Fotolia/Kateryna Kon Hepatitis C virus infection Liver inflammation is usually caused by an infection with hepatitis viruses. But it can also be caused or exacerbated by alcohol abuse, a certain fungal toxin or medication overdosing. The…
Coronaviruses
Coronaviruses © CDC/Fred Murphy, Sylvia Whitfield (Public Domain) Coronaviruses The coronaviruses are a family of viruses that includes a series of very different pathogens. These viruses usually infect mammals, rodents, and birds, but only few…
Ebola
Ebola © Adobe Stock/jaddingt The outbreaks are sudden and severe. The Ebola fever then spreads rapidly throughout the Endemic disease area. The rate of fatality often is higher than 50%, sometimes up to 90%. Currently, there is no specific antidote and no…
Biofilms
Biofilms – living in slime Covered by a thick slimy coating made of biopolymers, the bacteria shield themselves from the immune system and antibiotics. In Germany alone, some 100,000 infections annually are related to biofilms – with clinically relevant…
Information for pupils
Information for Pupils Biotechnological School Lab Braunschweig (BioS) © HZI/Christine Bentz Pupils in the Biotechnological School Lab Braunschweig (BioS) The Biotechnological School Lab Braunschweig has been open to pupils in grades 11 to 13 since spring…
Imprint
Imprint according to the following German regulations: § 6 TDG, § 10 MDStV Publisher Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH (Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research) Inhoffenstraße 7 38124 Braunschweig Telefon: 0531 6181-0 Telefax: 0531 6181-2655…
Cell Biology
Recent reports published by the World Health Organization (WHO) entitled "The Global Burden of Disease" (GBD) highlights the importance of research on host-pathogen interactions. Evolution is an ongoing process driving the development of highly virulent and multi-resistant bacteria strains or so called “emerging pathogens“. A deeper understanding of the complex interaction between pathogenic bacteria and their host is inevitable to face these problems in the future. As Cell biologists, we address host-pathogen interaction on the level of single cells, embodying the smallest living unit on both sides. Upon contact, pathogens need to manipulate the normal behavior of host cells in order to establish a niche for survival and to evade the hosts defense mechanisms. We study these induced changes on the cellular and molecular level, in order to exactly understand which host process is targeted by a given virulence mechanism an why.
Host-Pathogen-Microbiota Interactions
The importance of RNA in maintaining cellular physiology by controlling gene expression in response to intrinsic and external cues has long been underestimated. Now, numerous human diseases have been linked to RNA functioning. Likewise, we now know that bacterial pathogens harness a large suite of noncoding RNA molecules to adapt to environmental stress and to precisely regulate their virulence programs. In an era of antibiotic crisis, it is essential to discover alternative combat strategies against pathogenic bacteria — ideally ones that spare the beneficial microbial species. The high specificity of RNA molecules provides great potential for achieving these goals. This group is located at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI).
RNA Synthetic Biology
RNA is a ubiquitous molecule of life that plays intimate roles in how cells function and make decisions. These same properties can be harnessed to create a new generation of engineering tools to further interrogate the properties of biology and control how cells behave. The “RNA synthetic biology” group aims to better understand the roles RNA plays in biology and to exploit these roles to improve how we study, diagnose, and treat infectious diseases in humans. This department is located at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI).
