SEED MONEY PROJECTS (SMP)

The majority of countries worldwide have now developed national action plans (NAPs) to control antimicrobial resistance (AMR). However, initial research indicates that the governance and implementation of many NAPs is severely delayed and incomplete.

In this project, together with the Global Health Governance Programme in Edinburgh, we are conducting a global governance analysis of all countries represented by a self-assessment survey in the global Tripartite Antimicrobial Resistance Database (TrACCS). For this, we are applying a governance framework to assess national AMR action plans from Anderson et al. (2019) to measure the global response to AMR.

Start:    01.05.2022
End:      31.07.2022

Coordinating Institute

• German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA)

Partners

• Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)
• Global Health Governance Programme, University of Edinburgh

Projectteam 

• Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hein (GIGA)
• Dr. Anne Harant (GIGA)
• Dr. Denise Dekker (BNITM)
• Prof. Dr. Devi Sridhar (Global Health Governance Programme, University of Edinburgh)
• Dr. Genevie Fernandes (Global Health Governance Programme, University of Edinburgh)
• M. Sc. Jay Patel  (Global Health Governance Programme, University of Edinburgh)

In this project, we aim to examine the role of overconfidence in medical decision making among medical professionals and trainees in Ghana. The study focuses on the relationship between overconfidence and antibiotic prescription practices. The aim is to understand the extent, causes and consequences of overconfidence. To achieve this, we are conducting an individual survey across various healthcare facilities and teaching hospitals.

Start:  01.05.2023

End:   30.06.2025

Coordinating Institute

• Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)

Coordination

• Jan Priebe (BNITM)

Partners

• Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR)

Project Team

• Dr. John Amuasi (KCCR, BNITM)

• Jan Priebe (BNITM)

• Eva Lorenz (BNITM)

• MSc Mawuli Leslie Aglanu (KCCR)

• Angelina Effah (KCCR)

• MSc Lena Merkel (BNITM, GIGA)

This project gathers first-hand data on antibiotic use in cattle rearing and the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in animal source foods (ASF), humans, and the environment in the South Kivu province, in the east of the D.R. Congo (DRC). A region where perennial political insecurity and a lack of (road) infrastructure make the zone difficult to access, discourage qualified animal care staff to settle in the area and complicate the supply of veterinary products. The data collected will serve as invaluable basis for the design of an intervention study.

The funds are used to conduct a socio economic survey with livestock keepers on antimicrobial use in South Kivu, Eastern D.R. Congo and analyse cattle faeces and soil samples for presence of antimicrobial resistant pathogens. Hence, the project will provide an understanding of the motives, use patterns and the existing resistance levels of antimicrobials, indispensable in order to assess the problem and to design effective mitigate measures.

Start: 30.06.2023

End: 31.12.2024

Coordinating Institute:

• Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy, e. V. (ATB)

Partners:

• Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung e.V. (RWI)
• Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Bukavu (ISTM)
• link: https://www.istm-bukavu.ac/

Project Team:

• Dr. Olivier Kashongwe (ATB)
• Dr. Tina Kabelitz (ATB)
• Prof. Dr. Renate Hartwig (RWI)
• Dr. Louisette Wimba (ISTM)

Air in livestock barns - a danger for animals and humans?

In the seed money project AirBarn, aerosols inside and from animal barns are investigated as a potential source for airborne pathogens. It is known that the use of antibiotics in agriculture often selects antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but the extent to which environmental influences can change the composition of bacteria in bioaerosols and where risks arise for humans and the environment are still open research questions. In AirBarn, the size and density of fine dust particles in the pig barn will be measured. The prevalence of pathogenic microorganisms on airborne particles and the occurrence of antibiotic resistance will be investigated. Under the hypothesis that the abundance of AMR bacteria in bioaerosols varies depending on environmental conditions (temperature and humidity), different methods (microscopy, bacterial cultivation, next generation sequencing and PCR/qPCR) are applied to investigate bioaerosols in the pig barn. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the aerobiology of pathogen-containing aerosols in pig farms.

Start: 01.10.2024

End: 30.09.2025

Coordinating Institutes:

• Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik und Bioökonomie e.V. (ATB)
•  Robert Koch-Institut Berlin (RKI)

Partners:

• Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures
• Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)
• Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt für Tierzucht und Tierhaltung e.V. (LVAT)
• Leibniz Innovation Farm for Sustainable Bioeconomy (InnoHof)

Project team

• Dr. Tina Kabelitz (ATB)
• Dr. Elisabeth Pfrommer (RKI)
• Prof. Ulrich Nübel (DSMZ)
• Dr. Doreen Werner (ZALF)
• Claudia Dolsdorf (LVAT)
• Dr. Anja Hansen (InnoHof)

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria include all Mycobacterium species except M. tuberculosis and M. leprae. Currently, over 200 NTM species are described, but only a handful cause disease in humans. It is believed that transmission to humans primarily happens through contact with environmental sources such as water and soil. However, the exact transmission routes and epidemiology of environmental NTMs remains poorly investigated. To bridge this knowledge gap, this project involves collection of water samples at different sites in Germany followed by detailed characterization of isolated NTMs.

Start:    01.07.2024
End:      01.07.2026

Coordinating Institute

• Research center Borstel, Leibniz Lung center

Coordination

• Dr. ir. Margo Diricks (FZB), Dr. Inna Friesen (FZB) and Prof. Dr. Stefan Niemann (FZB)

Partners

• Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei in Berlin (IGB)

Projectteam 

• Dr. ir. Margo Diricks (FZB)
• Dr. Inna Friesen (FZB)
• Prof. Dr. Stefan Niemann (FZB)
• Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Grossart (IGB)

The aim of this collaborative project with the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar is to develop new tools for science communication. Through research at the interface between science and design, and between function and aesthetics, we are developing a novel approach to science communication.

The Bauhaus module enters this area of tension with a particularly transdisciplinary team of lecturers from the fields of design, architecture and the natural sciences. We ask ourselves how we can create spaces that attract people and spark their interest, even on a small scale. How can we encourage people to engage with insights from the natural sciences, even if they do not initially have any interest in them? The module begins with an in-depth exploration of perception. What attracts people, and how can we increase the receptiveness of passers-by? We deliberately devote a great deal of time to this research into perception before attempting to translate our findings into an object – the prototypes of the exhibition furniture. A distinctive feature of the module is the ongoing exchange between scientists from the research alliance Leibniz INFECTIONS and students at the Bauhaus-University Weimar, as well as the accompanying evaluation by the IPN – Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education.

The prototypes should be modular, expandable and transportable so that they can be used in a variety of ways. The individual pieces must function both as standalone exhibits and as part of a group, in order to reflect the diversity of the research alliance Leibniz INFECTIONS.

Start: 30.10.2026
End: 13.9.2027

Koordinierendes Institut

• Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center (FZB), Borstel
• Bauhaus Universität Weimar
• Robert Koch-Institute

Koordination

• Prof. Dr. Thomas Gutsmann, FZB, Dr. Elisabeth Pfrommer, RKI, Dipl. Ing. Charlotte Pfrommer, BUW

Partner

• Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik und Bioökonomie e.V. (ATB)
• Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin (BNITM)
• Forschungszentrum Borstel, Leibniz Lungenzentrum (FZB)
• Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei (IGB)
• Leibniz-Institut für Photonische Technologien (Leibniz-IPHT)
• Robert Koch-Institut Berlin (RKI)
• Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung (ZALF)
• Bauhaus Universität Weimar (Uni Weimar)
• Leibniz-Institut für die Pädagogik der Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik (IPN)

Projektteam 

• Dr. Elisabeth Pfrommer (RKI)
• Charlotte Pfrommer (BUW)
• Mashine Rasuli (BUW)
• Prof.Dr. Sigrun Langner (BUW)
• Hannes Hüttner (BUW)
• Julia Heinemann (BUW)
• Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Grossart (IGB)
• Prof. Dr. Thomas Gutsmann (FZB)
• Dr. Tina Kabelitz (ATB)
• Dr. Anja Silge, Marie-Luise Enghardt (IPHT)
• Dr. Doreen Werner (ZALF)
• Prof. Dr. Cornelia Betsch (Uni Erfurt / BNITM)
• Dr. Lars Korn (BNITM)
• Charlotte Haertel (IPN)