News

All current DZIF news can be found here.

Two gloved hands hold a needle with an ampoule containing a clear liquid. The needle is inserted into the upper arm of a patient.

Flu vaccination remains essential—also in light of international case numbers

Reports are currently reaching us from Japan and several countries in Southeast Asia about an increased number of severe cases of illness caused by the influenza A/H3N2 virus. Experts at the German

The newly elected DZIF Excecutive Board (from left): Prof. Dirk Busch, Prof. Susanne Herold, Prof. Marylyn Addo, Prof. Thomas Pietschmann, and Prof. Andreas Peschel

Continuity and a breath of fresh air: New DZIF Executive Board elected

Five outstanding researchers were elected to the Executive Board at the general meeting of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF). Prof. Dirk Busch, Prof. Andreas Peschel, and Prof. Thomas

Graphical representation of the crystal structures of LecA and tolcapone

Parkinson's drug as basis for new anti-infectives

When the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa infects the body, it uses the sugar-binding protein LecA to attach itself to human cells, invade them, and form so-called biofilms. LecA thus plays a

Collaboration between KyooBe Tech and the German Center for Infection Research

The technology company KyooBe Tech GmbH and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on future research and development projects. The

Researcher wearing a cap, mask, and lab coat pipetting at a sterile bench

Blood-based immunological signatures for extrapulmonary tuberculosis decoded

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world's leading infectious diseases. Infection with the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis primarily affects the lungs, but in up to 25 percent of all infected

Two of the four winners of the Galenus von Pergamon Prize in the category of basic research—Dr. Alexander Simonis (center) and Prof. Dr. Florian Klein (second from right)—at the award ceremony. The Galenus Prize was presented by Professor Thomas Eschenhagen (second from left). The gala was hosted by Yve Fehring (left) and Matthias Gabriel (right). The individuals are standing next to each other on a stage in formal attire.

Research into alternatives to antibiotics wins Galenus von Pergamon Prize

In the future, antibodies against the virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa may serve as an alternative to antibiotics. DZIF scientists at University Hospital Cologne have been awarded the 2025

The picture shows Markus Blume, Minister of Science and the Arts (right), presenting Professor Dr. Ulrike Protzer with the Federal Cross of Merit.

Ulrike Protzer receives the Federal Cross of Merit

On October 28, 2025, Prof. Dr. med. Ulrike Protzer was awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz (Federal Cross of Merit). This honor recognizes her outstanding contributions to the field of virology

Vaccinated against polio - or not?

Poliomyelitis, also known as polio, is a contagious disease caused by the poliovirus. Thanks to the development of effective vaccines, the poliovirus has been largely eradicated and was endemic in

The DNAMR workshop speakers (from left to right): Prof. Dr. Mathias Pletz, Dame Sally Davies, Takuko Sawada, Dagmar Reitenbach und Dr. Marc Gitzinger.

World Health Summit 2025: Focus on antimicrobial resistance

The World Health Summit (WHS), held annually in Berlin, is a key forum for international exchange on global health policy. Representatives from science, politics, business, and civil society discuss

Rare virus transmitted by rats infects woman in Germany—link to private pet rat breeding facility

Doctors and scientists from the University Hospitals Leipzig (UKL) and Mannheim (UMM), and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) and the Bernhard