​​What if we could disarm bacteria instead of killing them? Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) are developing a pathoblocker against Staphylococcus aureus. Unlike conventional antibiotics, the drug candidate does not kill the bacteria or inhibit their growth. Instead, it neutralizes a toxin that the pathogen uses to damage host tissues and cause severe disease. By targeting the pathogen’s harmful effects rather than its survival, this approach could help reduce the evolutionary pressure that drives antibiotic resistance. Discover how this innovative strategy could contribute to the Medicine of the Future and change the rules of the race against antibiotic resistance.

​​At first glance, biology and computer science seem like opposites. But wherever enormous amounts of data are generated from research, progress is hardly possible without digital methods. Bioinformatician Prof. Andreas Keller therefore relies on artificial intelligence (AI). He heads the department “Clinical Bioinformatics” at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS). In this episode of the podcast “InFact”, produced by the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), he discusses how AI can help us to understand the communication between beneficial and harmful bacteria in our bodies, predict long-term effects of infections and develop new drugs against dangerous pathogens. Find out more about AI-enabled novel drugs here. 

​​The microbiome performs a variety of health-maintaining functions in the body. The microbes can produce nutrients, dampen inflammation or displace pathogens. In order to fulfill all these tasks, the microbiome must be in balance. For the microbiome, this means first and foremost that it is as diverse as possible. This makes it harder for harmful microorganisms to find a niche to live in. If microbiome diversity decreases or harmful germs dominate, there is a risk of inflammation, infections or chronic diseases - and this is precisely where the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) comes in. Using “microbiome engineering”, Dr. Lisa Osbelt-Block and Prof. Till Strowig are specifically editing the gut microbiome to prevent disease. With precise interventions, the microbiome engineers displace pathogens from the microbiome and prevent infections before they occur. 

Find out more about this innovative approach here.​ 

Carrion flies are surprisingly effective at collecting DNA from their environment. They can pick up and transport DNA from various sources, including bacteria, viruses, animals and even human cells. Dr Fee Zimmermann and her team from the research group “One Health Surveillance” at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH) in Greifswald, a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), use carrion flies to collect environmental DNA. This unique ability helps the researchers gather long-term data on human, animal, and environmental health — both in the African tropics and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany.
In this interview, Zimmermann explains the comprehensive approach known as One Health, which links human, animal and environmental health to address issues related to emerging pathogens, biodiversity, antimicrobial resistance and climate change.
Click here for more information.