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Beta Version Zentrum für Infektionsforschung Research Centre for Infectious Diseases Wissenschaftlicher Bericht Josef-Schneider-Str. 2/D15 Scientific Report 2014–2015 97080 Würzburg Germany T +49-931-3182575 F +49-931-3182578 zentrum für M [email protected] infektionsforschung research centre for infectious diseases research centre for infectious diseases 2014–2015 zentrum für infektionsforschung – scientific report 2014-2015 content 1. general remarks 3.6 Department of Internal Medicine II 98 3.6.1 Hermann Einsele – Interaction of Immune Effector Cells with Aspergillus fumigatus 100 1.1 Speaker‘s Report 2014 – 2015 / Sprecherbericht für den Zeitraum 2014 – 2015 6 3.6.2 Andreas Beilhack – Experimental Stem Cell Transplantation 102 1.2 Directory of People Associated with the ZINF 12 3.6.3 Hartwig Klinker – Division of Infectious Diseases 104 1.3 Structure of the ZINF 18 3.6.4 Jürgen Löffl er – Immunity against Aspergillus spp. 106 1.4 News from the ZINF 20 3.6.5 Andrew Ullmann – Clinical Infectious Diseases 108 2. young investigator groups of the zinf 4. zinf members associated with other institutes 2.1 Cynthia Sharma (ZINF) – Deep Sequencing Approaches to Pathogenesis 28 4.1 Gerhard Bringmann – Natural Products Chemistry 112 2.2 Daniel Lopez (ZINF) – Cell-Cell Communication and Signal Transduction 30 4.2 Thomas Dandekar – Bioinformatics 114 2.3 Nicolai Siegel (ZINF) – Trypanosoma Gene Regulation 32 4.3 Markus Engstler – Molecular and Physical Parasitology 116 2.4 Ana Eulalio (BioSysNet) – Host RNA Metabolism 34 4.4 Ute Hentschel-Humeida – Marine Sponge-Microbe Interactions 118 2.5 Christian Perez (IZKF) – Regulatory Networks in Pathogenesis 36 4.5 Ulrike Holzgrabe – Medicinal Chemistry 120 2.6 Sebastian Geibel (Elite Network Bavaria) – Structural Biology of Mycobacteria 38 4.6 Caroline Kisker – Structure Based Drug Design 122 2.7 Sina Bartfeld (ZINF) – Organoids as Host Model 40 4.7 Gabriela Krasteva-Christ – Pulmonary Neurobiology 124 4.8 August Stich – Tropical Medicine 126 4.9 Heike Walles – Tissue Engineering 128 3. institutions of the research Centre for infectious diseases 3.1 Institute of Molecular Infection Biology 44 5. research programmes and infrastructure 3.1.1 Jörg Vogel – RNA Biology 46 3.1.2 Heidrun Moll – Infection Immunology 48 5.1 SFB 630 – Recognition, Preparation and Functional Analysis of Agents Against Infectious Diseases 132 3.1.3 Joachim Morschhäuser – Mycology 50 5.2 SFB/ Transregio 34 – Pathophysiology of Staphylococci in the Post-Genome Era 132 3.1.4 Knut Ohlsen – Gram-positive Cocci 52 5.3 SFB/ Transregio 124 – Pathogenic Fungi and their Human Host: Networks of Interaction 133 3.1.5 Tobias Ölschläger – Enterobacteria 54 5.4 Research Unit 1680 – Unravelling the Prokaryotic Immune System 134 3.1.6 Wilma Ziebuhr – Nosocomial Infections by Staphylococci 56 5.5 Research Unit 2123 – Sphingolipid Dynamics in Infection Control 134 5.6 DFG SPP 1316 – Host-adapted Metabolism of Bacterial Pathogens 135 3.2 Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology 58 5.7 DFG SPP 1617 – Phenotypic Heterogeneity and Sociobiology of Bacterial Populations 135 3.2.1 Matthias Frosch – Molecular Surveillance of Invasive Bacterial Infections 60 5.8 DFG SPP 1784 – Chemical Biology of Native Nucleic Acid Modifi cations 135 3.2.2 Klaus Brehm – Helminth Infections 62 5.9 German-African Cooperation Projects in Infectiology 136 3.2.3 Christoph Schoen – Evolutionary and Functional Pathogenomics of Neisseria meningitidis 64 5.10 BMBF Medical Infection Genomics 136 3.2.4 Alexandra Schubert-Unkmeir – Host-Pathogen Interactions 66 5.11 BMBF MedVet-Staph 136 3.2.5 Ulrich Vogel – Infection Epidemiology and Pathogenesis of Neisseria meningitidis 68 5.12 The Bavarian Research Network for Molecular Biosystems (BioSysNet) 137 5.13 ERA-NET 137 3.3 Institute for Virology and Immunobiology – Chair of Immunobiology 70 5.14 International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT) 139 3.3.1 Thomas Hünig – Immunology 72 5.15 National Reference Laboratory for Meningococci and Haemophilus infl uenzae 139 3.3.2 Niklas Beyersdorf – T Cell Biology 74 5.16 The Consulting Laboratory for Echinococcosis 140 3.3.3 Thomas Herrmann – Immunogenetics 76 5.17 IBD-labnet – Coordination of Activities for Laboratory Surveillance of Invasive Bacteria Diseases 140 3.3.4 Manfred Lutz – Immune Regulation 78 5.18 Wellcome Trust Strategic Award – Flatworm Functional Genomics Initiative 140 5.19 German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF) 141 3.4 Institute for Virology and Immunobiology – Chair of Virology 80 5.20 Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research (IZKF) 141 3.4.1 Lars Dölken – Systems Biology of Herpesvirus Infections 82 5.21 Graduate School of Life Sciences (GSLS) 142 3.4.2 Jürgen Schneider-Schaulies – Morbillivirus Pathogenesis 84 5.22 GRK 2157 3D-Infect – 3D-Tissue Models for Studying Microbial Infections by Human Pathogens 143 3.4.3 Sibylle Schneider Schaulies – Viral Immunomodulation 86 5.23 Core Unit for Systems Medicine 144 3.5 Department of Microbiology, Theodor Boveri Institute, Biocenter 88 3.5.1 Thomas Rudel – Infection Biology of Bacteria 90 6. appendix 3.5.2 Martin Fraunholz – Cellular Microbiology 92 3.5.3 Roy Gross – Endosymbiont Biology 94 6.1 ZINF Young Investigator Group Alumni 148 3.5.4 Vera Kozjak-Pavlovic – Bacterial Invasion and Intracellular Survival 96 6.2 Meetings and workshops organised by ZINF members 150 6.3 Seminars (Microbiology Colloquium, Virology and Immunobiology Seminars) 152 6.4 Funding 156 6.5 Publications 162 2 general remarks 3 01 general remarks speaker’s report In terms of the ZINF members, on the 29th of July 2014 we lost a long-term member, esteemed colleague and 2014 –2015 friend Axel Rethwilm, Chairman of Virology at the Institute of Virology and Immunobiology. Axel will be missed both as a person and for his contribution to infectious diseases research in Würzburg (a retrospective of his ca- reer can be found in the report). In 2015, Lars Dölken replaced Axel as the Chair of Virology. Lars joined us from the University of Cambridge and will continue his systems biology studies of herpesvirus infections. Finally, Gabriela Krasteva-Christ, a new W2 professor at the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, also joins the ZINF working on the role specialized mucosal epithelial cells that use the canonical taste transduction cascade Infectious diseases have remained a global challenge to human health and thus a prominent topic of discussion to detect bacterial pathogens. at both the academic and political levels. Human history has been continuously impacted by infectious dis- eases, and despite major progress in understanding their causes and treatment, they remain a significant socio- From 2014 to 2015, several ZINF members were awarded prestigious prizes and appointments. Ute Hentschel- economic burden to mankind. During the years 2014 and 2015, the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa and the Humeida departs ZINF after accepting a Department Head position at the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Re- ongoing Zika virus epidemic in South America have reminded us of our vulnerability to emerging pathogens. search in Kiel. Cynthia Sharma received an offer for a Full Professorship (W3) and was awarded the 2015 DFG/ The sweeping spread of antibiotic resistance throughout the world further highlights the risks posed by infec- BMBF Heinz-Maier-Leibnitz-Prize. Vera Kozjak-Pavlovic received an offer for a W2 professorship at Goethe tions. Leading policy-makers placed the issue on the agenda for the G7 summit 2015 in Elmau and discussed University, Frankfurt and was awarded the 2015 Marcella Boveri Research Prize from the University of Würzburg. the actions required to prevent us entering a post-antibiotic era. Andreas Beilhack was awarded the 2015 m4 Award of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology. Ana Eulalio was selected as a 2015 EMBO Young Investigator. Gerhard Bringmann The collaborative Research Centre for Infectious Diseases (ZINF) at the University of Würzburg has been ad- received the 2014 Gusi Peace Prize and a doctorate honoris causa of the Université des Pays des Grands Lacs dressing the molecular principles of host-pathogen interactions since 1993, by bringing together experts in (ULPGL) in Goma (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Finally, Jörg Vogel was elected to the European Acad- microbiology, parasitology, virology and immunology as well as chemists and clinicians. Founded by Volker ter emy of Microbiology in 2015. Meulen, Werner Goebel and colleagues with initial financial contributions from the Federal Ministry of Educa- tion and Research (BMBF), ZINF developed into a major scientific research programme at the University of ZINF members serve the scientific community by holding important positions in several societies and cor- Würzburg under the long-term leadership of Jörg Hacker. In recognition of its extraordinary success, the Bavar- porations. Hartwig Klinker has been appointed a board member of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Infektiologie ian Government and the University of Würzburg have continued to fund this programme. I have had the honour (2015-2017). Thomas Dandekar was nominated to the selection Committee of the Alexander von Humboldt to serve as the Spokesperson of ZINF since 2011. Foundation. Jörg Vogel was nominated to the DFG Scientific Equipment Committee and the EMBO Long-term Fellowship Committee. Cynthia Sharma was elected to the DGHM Study Group Board member for “Gastroin- The present report covering the 2014–2015 period highlights the scientific projects and achievements of the testinal Infections” and the GBM Study Group Board member for “RNA Biochemistry”. Young Investigator groups that lie at the heart of ZINF, and aims to provide an overview of the research activities of ZINF members with relevance to infectious diseases. These were exceptionally busy and exciting years, with Infectious diseases research at the University of Würzburg is supported through both national and international respect to changes in personnel, as well as networking and scientific achievements. funding initiatives. Milestones in 2014–2015 included the funding of a number of newly established Infect- ERA research networks.