Article - 18/08/2008 The unnoticed bacterium In contrast to the USA human granulocytic anaplasmosis infection rarely occurs in Germany. Dr. Friederike von Loewenich at the Freiburg Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene are investigating the reason for this discrepancy.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-unnoticed-bacterium
Infection control - 07/01/2021 Gene accordions as potential markers for pathogenic properties Bacteria must react to changes in the environment in order to survive. This is partly done by adapting genetic material, for example by multiplying and shortening individual genome segments. The research group led by Dr. Simon Heilbronner from the Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine at the University of Tübingen has shown that these so-called gene accordions are frequently found in the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/gene-accordions-potential-markers-pathogenic-properties
Article - 16/02/2015 The cellular power station of the cholera pathogen – from the structure to new antibiotics The bacterium Vibrio cholerae causes cholera, a severe disease that affects up to 3.5 million people a year. A team of scientists from the universities of Freiburg, Hohenheim and Konstanz have now gained new insights into the way the bacterium produces energy. They have elucidated the structure and function of the bacterium’s energy-production machinery. The research results provide new insights into biochemical energy production and the…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/the-cellular-power-station-of-the-cholera-pathogen-from-the-structure-to-new-antibiotics
Press release - 09/10/2012 Bacterium in a Laser Trap Scientists from the Department of Microsystems Engineering IMTEK of the University of Freiburg have constructed an innovative new optical trap that can grab and scan tiny elongated bacteria with the help of a laser. Optical tweezers could previously only be used to grab bacteria at one point not to manipulate their orientation. The Freiburg researchers have now succeeded in using a quickly moving focused laser beam to exert an equally distributed…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/bacterium-in-a-laser-trap
Article - 01/09/2016 Tailor-made biotech fibres for improved wound dressings Scientists have developed a biotechnological process to produce bacterial alginate. The alginate quality is highly reproducible, making it suitable for the production of fibre-based medicinal products such as wound dressings.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/made-to-measure-biotech-fibres
Article - 30/08/2010 How cancer-causing bacteria reached the South Seas in outrigger canoes The bacterium Helicobacter pylori causes gastric ulcers and gastric cancer. The prehistoric great migrations of human populations, including the expansion of the Austronesians across the Pacific and Indian Oceans, can be reconstructed in precise detail from the genetic makeup of different Helicobacter strains. https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/how-cancer-causing-bacteria-reached-the-south-seas-in-outrigger-canoes
Article - 14/06/2010 Mycoplasma bacteria as models for minimal cells Bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma are one of the smallest self-replicating cells and serve as model organisms in synthetic biology research for investigating essential life functions as well as being used as chassis for novel, tailor-made biosyntheses. Researchers from Heidelberg are among the groups who focus predominantly on investigating mycoplasma bacteria as minimal organisms.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/mycoplasma-bacteria-as-models-for-minimal-cells
Press release - 17/03/2010 Bacterial balance that keeps us healthy Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, working within the European project MetaHIT and in collaboration with colleagues at the Beijing Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, China, established a reference gene set for the human gut microbiome – a catalogue of the microbe genes present in the human gut. Their work proves that high-throughput techniques can be used to sequence environmental samples, and…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/bacterial-balance-that-keeps-us-healthy
Dossier - 30/08/2010 Disease prevention through better diagnostics “Classical treatment approaches are not the only way to ensure good health, rehabilitation and care. In fact, it is envisaged that more effective prevention will contribute to halting the development of diseases and maintaining good health. Prevention is designed to prevent health risks and diseases, make them less likely and delay their onset.” (Declaration of the German government; Official Records of Parliament 17/845, 26th February 2010) https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/disease-prevention-through-better-diagnostics
Article - 18/05/2013 Biofilm research aims at fighting hospital germs Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common bacterium that can be found in many different places – soil, water, washing basins, toilets and washing machines, to name but a few examples. Due to its resistance to antibiotic treatment, P. aeruginosa is mainly known as the cause of hospital-acquired infections. David Schleheck, a biologist from Konstanz University, deals specifically with the bacterium’s presence in biofilms. His research could open up new…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/biofilm-research-aims-at-fighting-hospital-germs
Article - 10/09/2012 Jan Wehkamp to investigate the causes of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases It takes a great deal of courage to question a common scientific doctrine especially for scientists at the very beginning of their careers. But around ten years ago Dr. Jan Wehkamp did not shy away from doing just that and as a result he and his scientific partner Professor Dr. Eduard Stange came up with a new explanation for the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/jan-wehkamp-to-investigate-the-causes-of-chronic-inflammatory-bowel-diseases
Press release - 15/11/2012 How bacteria attack their host cells with sticky lollipops Yersinia enterocolitica, a pathogenic bacterium, causes fever and diarrhea. By help of a protein anchored in its membrane, Yersinia attaches to its host cells and infects them. Scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen and the Leibniz-Institut fuer Molekulare Pharmakologie in Berlin have determined the structure of an important component of the membrane protein and have gained insight into its biogenesis. The…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/how-bacteria-attack-their-host-cells-with-sticky-lollipops
Article - 06/07/2014 Behaviour-changing signalling molecules as alternative to antibiotics Bacteria display group behaviours when they form biofilms or cause infections. These group behaviours protect them against adverse environmental conditions. Thomas Böttcher from the University of Konstanz studies the signalling molecules that control this behaviour. His work involves identifying and characterising natural substances that can prevent bacteria from forming biofilms and from swarming. The substances’ medically relevant effect makes…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/behaviour-changing-signalling-molecules-as-alternative-to-antibiotics
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
Press release - 25/05/2021 From harmless skin bacteria to dreaded pathogens The bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidisis primarily a harmless microbe found on the skin and in the noses of humans. Yet some strains of this species can cause infections – in catheters, artificial joints, heart valves, and in the bloodstream – which are difficult to treat. These bacteria are often resistant to a particularly effective antibiotic, methicillin, and are among the most feared germs in hospitals.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/press-release/harmless-skin-bacteria-dreaded-pathogens
Article - 01/08/2010 Manfred Kist – 25 years of fascination for a stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori is a genus of bacteria that inhabits the human stomach. The bacteria can cause duodenal and gastric ulcers and are also linked to the development of gastric cancer. Prof. Dr. Manfred Kist from the Freiburg University Medical Centre has spent around 25 years of his scientific career on investigating H. pylori a bent rod-shaped bacterium.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/manfred-kist-25-years-of-fascination-for-a-stomach-bacterium
Dossier - 09/09/2013 New trends in the field of immunology B- and T- lymphocytes along with macrophages have long been regarded as the most important cells of the human immune system and have thus been a major focus of research. This has now changed and it is now the dendritic cells that are regarded as the major components of the adaptive immune system and have become a major focus of scientific interest. Research into innate immune defence mechanisms has also become more important due to the discovery…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/dossier/new-trends-in-the-field-of-immunology
Article - 17/08/2015 CDT – a bacterial toxin that mediates its own delivery into cells Clostridium difficile is totally harmless in healthy people. However, in combination with antibiotics it can cause severe diarrhoea and intestinal inflammation in elderly and debilitated people. But how does the spore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium deploy its power? And how does it enter the cell? Dr. Panagiotis Papatheodorou and his colleagues from the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology (Director: Prof. Dr. Klaus…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/cdt-a-bacterial-toxin-that-mediates-its-own-delivery-into-cells
Article - 25/01/2014 Call for responsible antibiotics prescription Heidelberg University Hospital and the University Medical Centre in Mannheim are working hard to counteract the increase of antibiotic resistance. Strategies include a European-wide system for infection surveillance, the training of health professionals in the responsible use of antibiotics and the search for novel antibiotic substances in unconventional organisms.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/call-for-responsible-antibiotics-prescription
Article - 11/11/2015 A metal enzyme that can cleave benzene rings Aromatic rings are extremely stable and very difficult to break apart. Prof. Dr. Matthias Boll from the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Biology and his team work with Geobacter metallireducens, a bacterium that can completely degrade aromatic compounds under strictly anaerobic conditions. While the biological degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons is of global relevance, the chemical resulting from the reduction of benzene rings could also be…https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/a-metal-enzyme-that-can-cleave-benzene-rings
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 - 11/10/2010 Georg Sprenger - virtuoso of bacterial metabolism manipulation Microorganisms can be taught to do things that they are unable to do naturally. Bacterial metabolisms can be changed in order to make the bacteria produce new products and convert new substrates. In addition, existing bacterial conversion strategies can be optimised for biotechnological applications. Prof. Dr. Georg Sprenger is the head of the Institute of Microbiology at the University of Stuttgart and he is an expert in this field.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/georg-sprenger-virtuoso-of-bacterial-metabolism-manipulation
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 - 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
Article - 23/05/2018 Bacteriophages as alternatives to antibiotics Multidrug-resistant bacteria are resistant to many existing antibiotics and can be difficult to treat. There are increasing numbers of them worldwide. Although novel antibiotics are being developed, there are far too few of them to tackle the rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria. In Eastern Europe, doctors have been treating bacterial infections with viruses that infect bacteria, so-called bacteriophages, for almost 100 years.https://www.gesundheitsindustrie-bw.de/en/article/news/bacteriophages-as-alternatives-to-antibiotics