Welcome to the DZIF -

the German Center for Infection Research

Research Areas

DZIF is doing research in nine areas:

Community-Acquired Infections at Mucosal Interfaces

Hepatitis

HIV

Infections of the Immunocompromised Host

Healthcare-Associated Infections

Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases

Emerging Infections

Novel Antibiotics

Tuberculosis

News

News and Press Releases:

Three small refrigerated glass bottles with labels indicating their contents.
© UKE/Leonie Mayer

Preparedness for future pandemics: MERS vaccine candidate shows long-lasting immune response

Members of the PKAMR in a meeting room, other people are connected via a large monitor.
© DNAMR

Equitable access to innovative antibiotics—global challenges and policy options

The Parliamentary Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (PKAMR) convened on January 13, 2026, for its second working session of this legislative period in the German Bundestag. The focus was on how to
Photo of a large crowd of people in a lecture hall, taken from a bird's eye view.
© DZIF / Matthias Balk

Infection research in the age of antibiotic resistance, gender medicine, and precision medicine

On February 23 and 24, 2026, experts from the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) and the Paul-Ehrlich-Society for Infection Therapy (PEG) will meet at the Maritim Hotel in Bonn for their
Sticker on a glass pane with a schematic representation of a head wearing a respirator mask in side view
© FZB/Christoph Lange

Non-invasive diagnosis of tuberculosis using respiratory masks

Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) has so far been based primarily on sputum samples. However, not all patients are able to produce sufficient sputum. A recently published prospective study
Portrait Rolf Müller
© HIPS/Bernhardt

International consortium against antimicrobial resistance

Prof. Rolf Müller, Scientific Director of the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and scientist in the Novel Antibiotics research area at the German Center for Infection
All news

What is the DZIF? Find out more in our

DZIF movie

More than 700 people work at the DZIF with the common goal of translating basic research into clinical practice. The well-being of the patient is our primary focus. Get more insights in our new DZIF film:

Watch the movie
A GIF animation with clips from the DZIF film.

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Research in Focus

Hannover - Braunschweig | Heidelberg | München | Tübingen

Transplant Cohort

Medical data and biological samples obtained from transplant patients are collected and managed across Germany with the help of the DZIF Transplant Cohort. The data and samples form the basis of scientific studies which investigate the connections between numerous factors influencing an organ’s susceptibility to infection and organ function. By [...]

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Hamburg - Lübeck - Borstel - Riems

Clinical Tuberculosis Center

The Clinical Tuberculosis Center provides the expertise and infrastructure for the optimization, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) as well as for translating research results into clinical practice. The main objectives of the Clinical Tuberculosis Center include coordinating clinical research activities involving the DZIF TB cohort. This cohort includes [...]

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Hannover - Braunschweig

Preclinical development of Amidochelocardins

The challenge of antibiotic drug development today is the discovery and optimisation of novel bioactive compounds that do not show cross-resistances with clinically applied antibiotics, ideally due to a novel mode of action (MoA) which adresses unexploited microbial targets. In the case of chelocardin, this antibiotic substance was identified several [...]

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Tübingen

New strategies for specific eradication of Staphylococcus aureus

In this project, the scientists develop genetically engineered phage lysins and specific bacteriocins for the elimination of hospital germs such as Staphylococcus aureus, they clarify mechanisms of potential resistance mechanisms, and they analyse whether broad-spectrum or specifically acting agents have a more effective and lasting effect on colonization by [...]

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Our Partner Sites

Location

Bonn - Köln

Research areas
Contact person
Prof Achim Hörauf: Coordinator of the consortium "Neglected tropical diseases" at DZIF.

Prof. Dr. Achim Hörauf

University Hospital Bonn
Deputy Partner Site Speaker Bonn-Köln
Deputy Coordinator Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases
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Location

Hamburg - Lübeck - Borstel - Riems

Research areas
Contact person
Nicole Fischer

Prof. Dr. Nicole Fischer

University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Deputy Partner Site Speaker Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems
Coordinator Bridging Topic "Diagnostics"
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Location

Hannover - Braunschweig

Research areas
Contact person
Silke Hartmann

Dr. Silke Hartmann

Hannover Medical School
Partner Site Manager Hannover - Braunschweig
Project Manager Community-Acquired Infections at Mucosal Interfaces
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München Tübingen Heidelberg Giessen – Marburg – Langen Bonn – Köln Hannover – Braunschweig Hamburg – Lübeck Borstel – Riems