Dossier - 23/07/2012 Extremophilic bacteria What causes stress for some, actually speeds others like extremophilic bacteria up. They love it hot, sour or salty, toxic substances like heavy metals also do them good and even give them energy. As molecular and systems biology techniques get better and better, industry is also becoming increasingly interested in these exotic organisms. What potential does knowing the biochemistry of extremophilic bacteria have for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/extremophilic-bacteria
Article - 23/07/2012 Inhospitable niches are a rich source of extremozymes At first sight nothing much seems to grow in either the Namib desert or the Antarctic. However a closer inspection of the ground a few centimetres below the surface reveals an enormous diversity of organisms. Industry is well aware of this rich source of microorganisms that have something to offer on the molecular level as well as for use in technical applications. So-called extremozymes have long been popular ingredients in cosmetics detergents…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/inhospitable-niches-are-a-rich-source-of-extremozymes
Article - 29/05/2012 Intestinal bacteria and human gut types The type of bacteria that colonize the human gut does not just influence our digestion and well-being. Metagenome sequencing has provided an international consortium involving scientists from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory at the University Hospital of Heidelberg with evidence that certain individuals have different gut types with different types of bacteria. Such individuals not only differ in their predisposition to disease, but also…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/intestinal-bacteria-and-human-gut-types
Article - 29/05/2012 David Schleheck: exploring the effective degradation of surfactants David Schleheck biologist at the University of Konstanz focuses on the bacterial degradation of surfactants and LAS in particular. The results of his research are of huge importance for the recycling of grey water in areas including home sewage treatment systems for example.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/david-schleheck-exploring-the-effective-degradation-of-surfactants
Article - 30/04/2012 3D insights into the molecular teamwork in biomembranes For chemists cellular biomembranes are hard nuts to crack. It is difficult to analyze proteins that are firmly anchored in biomembranes using standard biochemical methods and it is even more difficult to investigate their three-dimensional structure and interaction with other proteins. A group of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Anne S. Ulrich at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology KIT have developed a method that enables them to take a close look…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/3d-insights-into-the-molecular-teamwork-in-biomembranes
Article - 30/04/2012 Antibiotic resistance in hospitals There is an alarming rise in infections caused by bacteria that are resistant to common antibiotics. A particular problem is nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections of newborns, for which a Germany-wide surveillance system has been established. Novel natural substances with an antibiotic effect might be able to contain the danger.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/antibiotic-resistance-in-hospitals
Press release - 14/03/2012 How a natural antibiotic found in sweat affects microorganisms The skin creates a barrier between the body and its environment. Natural antibiotics that can kill potential pathogens such as bacteria or fungi represent an additional level of protection by the immune system. Dermcidin one such antibiotic produced in human sweat glands is active against a number of microorganisms on the skin. A team of scientists from the University Hospital Tübingen and the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology were…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/how-a-natural-antibiotic-found-in-sweat-affects-microorganisms
Press release - 08/02/2012 Cellular Switches: From the RNA World to the “Modern” Protein World G proteins play a central role in cellular signal processing. They are described as molecular switches that oscillate between on and off regulated by effectors. Biochemists at Heidelberg University have now gained fundamental insights into the mechanics of these switches.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/cellular-switches-from-the-rna-world-to-the-modern-protein-world
Article - 23/01/2012 Karen Lienkamp: intelligent surface materials fight off microbes Resistant germs are tough and will settle anywhere. They grow on all types of surface which is a major cause for concern for medical doctors and industrial researchers alike. The chemist Dr. Karen Lienkamp Junior Fellow at the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies FRIAS and head of a group of junior researchers at the University of Freiburg develops surface materials for biomedical applications and industrial production facilities. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/karen-lienkamp-intelligent-surface-materials-fight-off-microbes
Article - 16/01/2012 Alexander Titz: molecular design to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become an important cause of infection, and is often picked up in hospitals, especially by patients with weakened immune systems. It can cause respiratory and urinary tract infections, as well as lead to infections on implants and wounds. P. aeruginosa lives in a gel-like matrix, a so-called biofilm that is highly resistant to antibiotics, making it very difficult to eradicate. Dr. Alexander Titz and his team at the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/alexander-titz-molecular-design-to-combat-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria
Article - 19/12/2011 New research training group to investigate bacterial survival strategies The University of Tübingen is to establish a new DFG-funded research training group in which doctoral students from twelve research groups will investigate bacterial survival strategies. The results will contribute to the development of new antimicrobial drugs and also be put to good use in the fields of epidemiology and ecology.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/new-research-training-group-to-investigate-bacterial-survival-strategies
Press release - 28/11/2011 CeCo Labs develops new method for isolating bacterial cell walls CeCo Labs UG, founded as a spin-off from the University of Tübingen, has developed an internationally unique method for isolating bacterial cell walls. These are used in research to investigate antibiotic resistance, for example. Unlike conventional techniques, the method developed by CeCo Labs is able to supply a very high number of ultra-pure cell walls extremely quickly. Orders have already been placed by customers across the globe.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/ceco-labs-develops-new-method-for-isolating-bacterial-cell-walls
Article - 21/11/2011 Johannes Huebner's interest in intestinal bacteria and their sweet-sour capsule Some Enterococcus species are common commensal organisms in human intestines and other species are used in raw-milk cheese where they enhance flavour development. On the negative side enterococci are also a common cause of hospital-acquired infections. Prof. Dr. Johannes Huebner from the Freiburg University Medical Centre is hoping that the bacterias capsular polysaccharides might at some point in the future be used as a vaccine opening the door…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/johannes-huebner-s-interest-in-intestinal-bacteria-and-their-sweet-sour-capsule
Article - 20/11/2011 Can probiotic lactic acid bacteria protect the intestines against pathogens? Nutrition scientists from the Max Rubner-Institut MRI in Karlsruhe are investigating how human pathogens and probiotic bacterial strains interact with each other in the human gastrointestinal tract. Are probiotic bacteria in yoghurt or in pickled vegetables for example able to reduce the health risk posed by pathogenic bacteria?https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/can-probiotic-lactic-acid-bacteria-protect-the-intestines-against-pathogens
Article - 14/11/2011 Marina Freudenberg and Chris Galanos – more than 40 years of bacterial defence research This years Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology was awarded to three renowned scientists one of whom is the American Bruce Beutler who was instrumental in clarifying the structure of the mammalian Toll-like 4 TLR4 receptor. Prof. Dr. med. Marina Freudenberg and Dr. Dr. h.c. Chris Galanos from the Freiburg-based Max Planck Institute MPI of Immunobiology and Epigenetics have co-authored the key publication that led to the award of the Nobel Prize…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/marina-freudenberg-and-chris-galanos-more-than-40-years-of-bacterial-defence-research
Press release - 24/08/2011 The project ANTIGONE aims at responding to unexpected epidemic threats The European Commission has decided to allocate an additional 12 million euro from the EU's Research Framework Programme to reinforce Europe's capacity for tackling pathogens like the virulent Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria that recently infected close to 4,000 people in Europe and killed 46. The project will also try to identify possible ways of eradicating diseases and draw lessons that may help prevent threats in the future.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/the-project-antigone-aims-at-responding-to-unexpected-epidemic-threats
Article - 22/08/2011 Dieter Spiteller is taking an in-depth look at the chemistry of microbial symbionts Prof. Dr. Dieter Spiteller, head of the new Department of Chemical Ecology at the University of Konstanz, is investigating how organisms interact with each other by way of chemical signals, antibiotics and toxins. Spiteller and his team of researchers are using leafcutter ants endemic to South and Central America as one of several research objects.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/dieter-spiteller-is-taking-an-in-depth-look-at-the-chemistry-of-microbial-symbionts
Press release - 04/08/2011 Testing water quality - Test kit makes in situ testing easy Moisture and warmth create the ideal living conditions for a wide range of micro-organisms which can pose a risk to human health. Now, a new quick testing kit for bacteria means that the microbiological contamination of water or other surfaces can be measured directly in situ, with no need for expensive and time-consuming laboratory tests.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/testing-water-quality-test-kit-makes-in-situ-testing-easy
Press release - 21/04/2011 Gut bacteria could help with diagnostics and influence treatments In the future, when you walk into a doctor’s surgery or hospital, you could be asked not just about your allergies and blood group, but also about your gut type. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and collaborators in the international MetaHIT consortium, have found that humans have three different gut types.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/gut-bacteria-could-help-with-diagnostics-and-influence-treatments
Press release - 21/04/2011 Scientists describe temperature compensation mechanism in bacteria Temperature fluctuations have an adverse effect on most living organisms. Mammals and birds have intricate systems to keep their body temperatures constant. Though primitive coliform bacteria do not possess such systems, they still manage to offset these fluctuations. Scientists at Heidelberg University’s Centre for Molecular Biology have found out how this “bacterial thermostat” works by investigating a model organism, the intestinal bacterium…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/scientists-describe-temperature-compensation-mechanism-in-bacteria
Article - 04/04/2011 FreiBiotics GmbH – new drugs against resistant bacteria Bacteria adapt quickly to their environment and also to antibiotics. Many of the antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections have become ineffective as a great many bacteria have become resistant to them. Freiburg-based FreiBiotics GmbH is looking for completely new classes of antimicrobial substances. A screening method that has been developed over the last few years based on biosensors makes the identification of new substance classes more…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/freibiotics-gmbh-new-drugs-against-resistant-bacteria
Press release - 30/03/2011 Bacteria poison themselves from within The research group led by Anton Meinhart at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg has shown that proteins from the zeta toxin group trigger a self-destructive mechanism in bacteria. The triggers for this bacterial suicide are toxin/antitoxin systems that play an important role in the hereditary transmission of resistance and virulence genes. The scientists have thus found a valuable new tool for the development of new…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/bacteria-poison-themselves-from-within
Article - 20/03/2011 Non-pathogenic bacteria for the treatment and prevention of allergies Researchers and physicians from the Department of Dermatology at Tübingen University Hospital are investigating huge numbers of non-pathogenic bacteria with the aim of shedding light on their potential for the prevention and treatment of allergies. The mode of action of highly promising candidates is being investigated in further detail. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/non-pathogenic-bacteria-for-the-treatment-and-prevention-of-allergies
Article - 08/11/2010 Molecular biology assisted by information theory What do the Internet and mobile communication have in common with the division of yeast cells and viruses? Quite a lot, says Martin Bossert, professor at the Institute of Telecommunication Technology and Applied Information Theory in Ulm. The 55-year-old engineer coordinates an interdisciplinary priority programme of the German Research Foundation (DFG, SPP 1395 Information and Communication Theory in Molecular Biology) that applies information…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/molecular-biology-assisted-by-information-theory
Article - 04/11/2010 Stefan Günther – Software for text and cell jungles Junior professor Dr. Stefan Günther from the Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Freiburg has a long-standing interest in computer sciences and is now developing software to model three-dimensional protein structures. This enables him to predict interaction mechanisms between therapeutic substances and cellular enzymes.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/stefan-guenther-software-for-text-and-cell-jungles