Eine Kamera ist auf eine reflektierende Glasscheibe gerichtet.
© DZIF

News

All current DZIF news can be found here.

Ein Schwarz-Weiß-Portraitbild von Prof. Dr. Michael P. Manns
© Karin Kaiser/MHH

The DZIF mourns the loss of Professor Michael P. Manns

The former President of Hannover Medical School (MHH) and Clinical Director of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Prof. Michael P. Manns, passed away on 15 August 2025. Manns succumbed

A lab technician in a lab coat and cap pipettes liquids between rows of sample tubes in a sterile bench
© Forschungszentrum Borstel, Leibniz Lungenzentrum/C. Lange

Standard tests alone not sufficient to predict tuberculosis in immunocompromised individuals

While tuberculosis no longer plays a major role in large parts of Europe, many people still carry the pathogen. For people with weakened immune systems, for example after an organ transplant or in the

Photo of a group of people consisting of the scientists Dr. Christian Brandstetter and Prof. Till Strowig as well as the scientist Dr. Lisa Osbelt-Block in the middle.
© HZI/Janne Reinking

Fighting infections with the power of the microbiome

A balanced gut microbiome not only contributes to digestion, but is also an important protective factor against infections. Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) led by Prof

DZIF scientist Prof. Dr. Dr. med. Susanne Herold
© JLU/Rolf K. Wegst

Susanne Herold admitted to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina

Prof. Dr. Dr. med. Susanne Herold, a renowned lung and infection researcher at Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) and the University Hospital of Giessen and Marburg and scientist at the German

A close-up image of a healthcare professional wearing white gloves administering a vaccine injection into a person's upper arm using a syringe.
© Mufid Majnun auf Unsplash

Therapeutic vaccine for chronic hepatitis B enters first clinical trial in patients

TherVacB, a novel therapeutic vaccine for chronic hepatitis B developed under the leadership of Helmholtz Munich in collaboration with the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), has entered its

Microscopic image of a diverse community of gut bacteria in various shapes and artificially colored hues on a dark background.
© Maier Lab (Lisa Maier, Anne Grießhammer, Leonardo Boldt), Tübingen Structural Microscopy Core Facility (Michaela Wilsch-Bräuninger, Stefan Fischer); Kolorierung/Coloring: Elke Neudert

Unexpected side effect: How common medications pave the way for pathogens

The human gut is home to a dense network of microorganisms, collectively known as the gut microbiome, which actively contributes to health. These microorganisms aid digestion, train the immune system

View of the world map with red markings indicating the latitudes and regions for which analyses of the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 lines are available. SARS-CoV-2 viruses are symbolically distributed across the world map.
© CoVerage; CDC/Alissa Eckert, Dan Higgins

Data-driven detection of concerning SARS-CoV-2 variants months in advance

Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several variants of the virus have developed into Variants of Concern (VOCs), as classified by the World Health Organization (WHO). VOCs are virus variants

Group photo of PanACEA, a successful European-African TB trials consortium that developed trial capacity in many African countries.
© PanACEA consortium

Safe alternatives to toxic tuberculosis drug linezolid

Two international clinical studies led by PD Dr. Norbert Heinrich from the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at LMU University Hospital Munich and conducted with international

The logo of the DZIF Academy is shown at the top left and an icon of a certificate can be seen on the right of the image.
© hunthomas/Adobe Stock

Apply now: DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research 2025

The German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) is again offering the DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research. Scientists can apply to the DZIF Academy until October 6, 2025. A prize of 5,000

Single E. coli rod bacteria in an electron micrograph
© HZI/Mathias Müsken

Multiresistant intestinal bacteria: Displacement through food competition

If an intestinal inhabitant such as the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) becomes resistant to many antibiotics, it can cause serious health problems if it enters the bloodstream. How can such