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Understanding Infections - Fighting Pathogens The HZI: one interdisciplinary center - six sites About the HZI A research facility of the Helmholtz Association What are you looking for? Popular topics: Press Career Research groups HUMAN MICROSTAR Open Call:…

Genome Architecture and Evolution of RNA Viruses

RNA viruses are a major threat to human health and responsible for millions of deaths each year. Their replication is orchestrated by the RNA genome, which encodes for viral proteins needed to hijack the host cell. Traditionally, infectious disease research has focused on blocking viral replication by inhibiting these proteins. However, we now appreciate that the genomes of RNA viruses are not just passive carriers of protein coding information, but active participants in the viral infection process through the action of non-coding RNA. We study the structure and function of viral non-coding RNA, with the goal of harnessing the resulting knowledge in the design of next generation RNA-based therapies. This group is located at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) .

Single-cell Analysis

Pathogenic bacteria can reside in a mammalian host for a life-long period and chronic carriers form a reservoir leading to recurrent infections. Despite the importance of chronic infections for public health, how a subset of pathogens escape the host’s immune surveillance and how the host contains the spread of bacteria are still poorly understood. Scientists within the Single-Cell Analysis group develop and use single-cell transcriptomics and computational approaches to decipher the microenvironments of individual pathogens and ultimately their functional consequences on infection outcome. This group is located at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI).

Microbial Immune Regulation

The microbiota encompasses a diverse population of microorganisms that colonize many body sites such as skin and intestine of multicellular hosts. The composition of the microbiota in humans is highly variable and is influenced by nutrition, immune competence, illness and use of medication (especially antibiotics). We are interested to enhance our understanding on how these microbial communities affect human infectious diseases and how they can be manipulated to treat diseases.

Cellular Metabolism in Infection

With a focus on applying mass spectrometry and tracing approaches, the research group “Cellular Metabolism in Infection” (CMII) headed by Prof Thekla Cordes tracks metabolic pathways, leading to discoveries about the role of small molecules influencing immune cell metabolism and function.

Actinobacteria Metabolic Engineering

The growing resistance towards established antibiotics presents a serious problem especially with infectious diseases. The development of new drugs is mainly based on known molecules and mechanisms, which allows bacteria to assimilate rapidly. Hence, scientists are looking for novel drugs. At the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) , a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) at Braunschweig, the researchers develop new pathways, by which they force actinomycetes to produce hitherto unknown compounds.

Infection Immunology

An infection can be seen as a fight between a microbe and our body’s defence mechanisms. The microbe is trying to multiply and disseminate, while the different components of our immune system will work together trying to stop this process. This is not an easy mission for our body because microbes have learned how to hide, evade or even destroy some of the components of the immune system as well as how to resist antibiotic treatment. The focus of our research is to understand the battle between microbes and our immune defences. If we know the different tricks and mechanisms employed by the microbes to breach our defences we will be able to design new strategies to counteract and disarm the attacking microorganisms.

Clinical Bioinformatics

The Department “Clinical Bioinformatics” is concerned with analyzing molecular information using computer-based methods such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, or other algorithms. Its focus lies on spatially and temporally resolved processes to help understand how bacteria, as producers of natural products, interact with humans and can trigger or even protect against disease. This department is located at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) .