Improved hygiene and better prevention and treatment have diminished the incidence of infectious diseases particularly in industrialised countries. However, increasing antibiotic resistance, emergence of new pathogens, together with changes in pathogen distribution due to altered climate and mobility are global challenges for humankind. The Research Alliance Leibniz INFECTIONS aims to establish an interdisciplinary research agenda and opens up new avenues of communication across disciplines. New strategies and methods for early warning and outbreak management systems will be developed to control spread of pathogens.
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Margo Diricks completes habilitation in microbiology at the University of Lübeck
Since 2020, Margo Diricks has been conducting research on non-tuberculous mycobacteria at the Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center. Using genome sequencing and bioinformatics, she investigates the distribution, genetic diversity, transmission routes and antibiotic resistance patterns of these bacteria.
Successful PhD on antibiotic resistance in aquatic ecosystems
Dr Pau de Yebra Rodó conducted research into antibiotic resistance in lakes, wastewater and livestock farming as part of the research alliance Leibniz INFECTIONS. In October 2026, he successfully defended his doctoral thesis at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Potsdam. The thesis demonstrates how water bodies, sewage treatment plants and pig farming can contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. The findings underscore the importance of an integrated One Health approach, which considers the health of humans, animals and the environment as a whole.
Inaugural lecture on mycobacteria by Dr Margo Diricks
Dr Margo Diricks from the Borstel Research Centre, Leibniz Lung Centre (FZB) and a member of Leibniz INFECTIONS will deliver her inaugural lecture at the University of Lübeck on 3 November 2026, to which she invites anyone interested. This lecture marks the completion of her habilitation. We look forward to celebrating this important academic milestone with Margo Diricks.
