The kick-off of the new lecture series "Survival strategies" of the Heidelberg Collaborative Research Centers in life science was made on February 8, by the Heidelberg virologist Prof. Dr. med. Hans-Georg Kräusslich with his lecture on "Dangerous germs". Prof. Kräusslich, Director of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology at Heidelberg University Hospital, investigates the question of how viruses and parasites spread throughout the body and how the host combats these pathogens. From the current work of the Collaborative Research Center "Integrative Analysis of the Replication and Spreading of Pathogenic Agents" (SFB 1129), the researcher reported what approaches are available to intervene in the course of the disease and inhibit its spread. For more information see:

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He will share the Leibniz Prize with Eicke Latz for their ground breaking research in the field of innate immune responses. Each of the awardees receives € 1.25 million to support his research.

Veit Hornung leads, together with Percy Knolle from the Technische Universität München, project TP08. This project aims to define the innate sensing and signaling pathways that are engaged upon HDV infection and decipher the functional consequences of chronic innate immune activation on cellular immunity in vitro and in vivo.

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Further information Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize

Prof. Dr. Veit Hornung: Veit Hornung is Chair of Immunobiochemistry (W3), Gene Center and Department of Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich and heads the TRR179 project TP08. This projects aims to identify the innate mechanisms sending relevant signaling cascades responsible for the activation of the IFN-system by the HDV.

Prof. Dr. Ralf Bartenschlager: Ralf Bartenschlager is Chair of the Molecular Virology at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University. He is speaker of the TRR179 and project leader of TP09. The aims of the part of the TRR179 is to study the IFN-response activation by HCV and HBV via distinct pattern recognition factors.

Press release Heidelberg University

The new construction of the Center for Integrative Infection Research - Center for Integrative Infectious Disease Research (CIID) - is finished.

Thanks to its optimal infrastructure and high-security laboratory space, the new campus building in Neuenheimer Feld offers the best possible conditions for infection research, a designated focus at Heidelberg Medical School and the University Hospital Heidelberg.

State Secretary Gisela Splett handed over the new building to the Heidelberg University on Monday, November 13, together with Minister of Science Theresia Bauer.

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(1) Adelheid Cerwenka was appointed as Professor of Immunbiochemistry at the Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University. Prof. Cerwenka is member of the Centre for Biomedicine and Medical Technology in Mannheim. Her professorship will bridge basic research with clinical applications. Moreover, Adelheid Cerwenka will teach medical students at the Medical Faculty Mannheim with a focus on Immunology and Biochemistry. Her project TP07 within TRR179 aims to dissect the Natural Killer cell-mediated immune responses against hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection.

(2) As of July 1st, Andreas Pichlmair has been appointed the DZIF professorship for „Immune Pathology of Viral Infection” at the Technical University Munich where he will strengthen the research focus area ’Translational Immunology’ at the TUM School of Medicine and the research program of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF). Within TRR179 (TP11) Prof. Pichlmair characterizes the molecular alterations of the cellular signaling network as induced in persistent viral infection. He aims to determine the infected-state homeostasis and to dissect the functional consequences for innate, but also adaptive immune responses.

The exchange program between CanHepC and TRR179 initiated in 2016 sends the first exchange student from Germany to Canada. Janine Kemming from Freiburg will stay at the lab of Naglaa Shoukry who will receive her in November 2016.

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The Canadian hepatitis network CanHepC and the TRR179 started their collaboration on April, 3rd 2017. Based on this cooperation we are offering the opportunity for one CanHepC trainee and one student from the TRR179 Network to do a 2-6 months internship with one the of PIs affiliated to the other network. CanHepC is a National Hepatitis C (HCV) Research Network linking over 100 researchers, health practitioners, affected community members, trainees, policy and decision makers from across Canada as well as international partners. Our goal is to build research capacity, conduct innovative research and translate evidence into practice and policy, to improve HCV prevention and the quality of life of persons infected with HCV in Canada.

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Dirk Grimm was appointed as Professor for “Viral Vector Technologies” at the Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University. Prof. Grimm is member of the Department of Infectious Diseases, Virology and focuses on the development, characterization and application of innovative technologies for targeted manipulation of gene expression on the DNA & RNA levels in eukaryotic cells, animals and ultimately humans. His project TP18 within TRR179 aims to exploit vector technology for gene knock-down/knock-out to target HBV gene expression and persistence in immunocompetent mice, in order to study the impact on the antiviral immune response and control of viral infection.

The Hector Prize is endowed with 150.000 Euro. With this Award, the Foundation honors his outstanding achievements in basic clinical/medical research on reproduction strategies and immune biology of hepatitis C virus and dengue virus. The cell culture models developed by Ralf Bartenschlager laid the foundation for the development of antiviral medications against HCV, which eliminate the virus in 95% of treated patients.

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His research on replication of Hepatitis C virus provided the foundation for development of pharmaceutical components for hepatitis treatment and finally the cure for chronical liver infection.

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