The Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH in Braunschweig, a partner of LFV INFECTIONS, has been leading the new Ecopath ScienceCampus since the spring of this year. The aim of the network is to use systematic approaches to obtain more information about the spread and resistance of zoonosis-causing pathogens and thus learn more about their evolutionary ecology.
News from DSMZ
At its meeting on 19 March 2024, the Senate of the Leibniz Association made major decisions in various cross-institute funding formats: the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH in Braunschweig, Germany, is leading one of seven new ScienceCampi. "The Leibniz Association and the state of Lower Saxony are funding the establishment of the Leibniz ScienceCampus EcoPath (Evolutionary Ecology of Zoonotic Pathogens during Agricultural Transformations), which has a total volume of 3.8 million euros, under the leadership of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ.", announced the Scientific Director of the Institute, Professor Dr Jörg Overmann, today.
The aim is to investigate the biological basis for the reproduction, spread and survival of pathogenic bacteria and viruses in the environment, typically in domestic and wild animals. They can cause severe infections in humans, but have so far been insufficiently investigated. "The Leibniz ScienceCampus enables us to work with our partners to develop innovative biological approaches for a better understanding of zoonotic bacteria and viruses. To accomplish this, we not only need solid expertise in molecular bacteriology and virology, but also specialist knowledge from the veterinary and agricultural sectors. The Braunschweig-Hannover-Göttingen region in Germany offers excellent conditions for the strategic and long-term development of this research topic and for increasing our international visibility. We are deepening our excellent cooperation with the TU Braunschweig and establishing a strategic network with four other key academic partners in the region. At the same time, we are fulfilling our mission as a Leibniz Institute to link basic research with application by contributing to the prevention of future outbreaks of zoonotic diseases with EcoPath," states microbiologist Jörg Overmann.
New Leibniz-Science Campus of the DSMZ in Braunschweig, Germany
The Leibniz ScienceCampus "Evolutionary Ecology of Zoonotic Pathogens during Agricultural Transformations" of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ in Braunschweig enables a joined research program together with the TU Braunschweig, the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture, the German Primate Centre-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research. The DSMZ ScienceCampus will be established in April 2024, with the aim to systematically investigate the spread and resistance of zoonotic pathogens and therefore learn more about their evolutionary ecology. This new research program will help to elucidate the evolutionary mechanisms that enable these pathogens to adapt to the environment and facilitate the transition to humans. State-of-the-art molecular ecology and systems biology methods, modelling, and data science analyses will be employed. Three pathogens that are often highly resistant to antibiotics are in the focus: Clostridioides difficile (pathogens that cause severe diarrhoea), enterococci (urinary tract and wound infections, including sepsis) and porcine coronaviruses (rare acute respiratory diseases).
Leibniz ScienceCampus links Leibniz institutes with scientific partners
The Leibniz ScienceCampi serve to establish strategic partnerships of Leibniz institutes with universities and other institutes in their region in a thematic focus area. The Senate of the Leibniz Association has approved a funding budget of 8.4 million euros for seven ScienceCampi for a period of four years. Four newly established Leibniz ScienceCampi are dedicated to the influence of aerosols on atmospheric processes, sonopharmacology for the development of more effective therapies, zoonotic pathogens, and research into resilience. The funding of ScienceCampi for research into living therapeutics, European-American relations, and social inequalities has been extended. A total of twelve funding applications were submitted, three of which for a second funding period. With the projects now funded, a total of 24 Leibniz ScienceCampi will be in the current funding programme from April 2024.
Further information can be found at www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/en/research/leibniz-sciencecampi.