Welcome to the DZIF -

the German Center for Infection Research

Research Areas

DZIF is doing research in nine areas:

Community-Acquired Infections at Mucosal Interfaces

Hepatitis

HIV

Infections of the Immunocompromised Host

Healthcare-Associated Infections

Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases

Emerging Infections

Novel Antibiotics

Tuberculosis

News

News and Press Releases:

Pills dropping from a medicine bottle into the palm of a hand
© UNITE4TB

Open letter: Experts call for urgent expansion of Pretomanid label

A scientist is working in a laboratory. She is wearing glasses, a white lab coat and blue gloves, and is holding a pipette as she works with samples. In the background are laboratory equipment and shelves of scientific supplies.
© TWINCORE/Grabowski

Preventing severe courses: new antibodies against hepatitis E

Infections with the hepatitis E virus often go unnoticed because they cause no symptoms. However, in patients with weakened immune systems or pre-existing liver damage, and in pregnant women, the
Schematic representation of organs and tissues arranged in a circle and connected to all others by a network of arrows.
© Maria Rohm/Helmholtz Munich/DZD

The language of organs: how faulty communication leads to disease

Changes in diet and the environment constantly pose new challenges to the human metabolism. Different organs and tissues work together in complex interactions to keep the metabolism in balance. The
The picture shows the award ceremony at the Joint Annual Meeting of the DZIF and DGI. Three men are standing together, the middle one is holding a certificate with the title “DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research 2024”. They are all smiling and wearing formal attire. The DZIF logo can be seen on a roll-up in the background.
© Matthias Balk

Prof. Peter G. Kremsner receives the DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research 2024

Prof. Dr. Peter G. Kremsner, a renowned tropical medicine specialist and infection researcher, has been awarded the DZIF Prize for Translational Infection Research 2024. The award recognizes his
Four single images of differently stained tissue sections with enclosed tuberculosis granuloma showing different structural elements and accumulated BTZ-043.
© CC BY 4.0/Images modified from: Römpp, A., Treu, A., Kokesch-Himmelreich, J. et al. The clinical-stage drug BTZ-043 accumulates in murine tuberculosis lesions and efficiently acts against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Nat Commun 16, 826 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56146-9.

Novel antibiotic BTZ-043 also reaches tuberculosis bacteria hiding in dead lung tissue

Every year, 10 million people contract tuberculosis (TB), a disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), and approximately 1.5 million patients succumb to the disease. Treatment
All news

What is the DZIF? Find out more in our

DZIF movie

More than 700 people work at the DZIF with the common goal of translating basic research into clinical practice. The well-being of the patient is our primary focus. Get more insight into the DZIF in our new DZIF film:

Watch the movie
A GIF animation with clips from the DZIF film.

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Research in Focus

Hannover - Braunschweig | Heidelberg | München | Tübingen

Transplant Cohort

Medical data and biological samples obtained from transplant patients are collected and managed across Germany with the help of the DZIF Transplant Cohort. The data and samples form the basis of scientific studies which investigate the connections between numerous factors influencing an organ’s susceptibility to infection and organ function. In [...]

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Hamburg - Lübeck - Borstel - Riems

Clinical Tuberculosis Centre

The Clinical Tuberculosis Centre provides the expertise and infrastructure for the optimisation, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) as well as for translating research results into clinical practice. The main objectives of the Clinical Tuberculosis Centre include coordinating clinical research activities involving the DZIF TB cohort. This cohort includes [...]

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Hannover - Braunschweig

Preclinical development of Amidochelocardins

The challenge of antibiotic drug development today is the discovery and optimisation of novel bioactive compounds that do not show cross-resistances with clinically applied antibiotics, ideally due to a novel mode of action (MoA) which adresses unexploited microbial targets. In the case of chelocardin, this antibiotic substance was identified several [...]

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Tübingen

New strategies for specific eradication of Staphylococcus aureus

In this project, the scientists develop genetically engineered phage lysins and specific bacteriocins for the elimination of hospital germs such as Staphylococcus aureus, they clarify mechanisms of potential resistance mechanisms, and they analyse whether broad-spectrum or specifically acting agents have a more effective and lasting effect on colonization by [...]

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Our Partner Sites

Location

Hamburg - Lübeck - Borstel - Riems

Research areas
Contact person
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Location

Hannover - Braunschweig

Research areas
Contact person
Silke Hartmann

Dr. Silke Hartmann

Hannover Medical School
Partner Site Manager Hannover - Braunschweig
Project Manager Community-Acquired Infections at Mucosal Interfaces
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Location

Bonn - Köln

Research areas
Contact person
Oliver Cornely

Prof. Dr. Oliver Cornely

University Hospital Cologne
Coordinator Product Development
Coordinator Clinical Trial Office (CTO)
Partner Site Speaker Bonn-Cologne
E-Mail Send mail
Prof Achim Hörauf: Coordinator of the consortium "Neglected tropical diseases" at DZIF.

Prof. Dr. Achim Hörauf

University Hospital Bonn
Deputy Partner Site Speaker Bonn-Köln
Deputy Coordinator Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases
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Location

Heidelberg

Research areas
Contact person
Stephan Urban

Prof. Dr. Stephan Urban

Heidelberg University
Deputy Coordinator Hepatitis
DZIF Professor "Translational Virology"
Partner Site Speaker Heidelberg
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München Tübingen Heidelberg Giessen – Marburg – Langen Bonn – Köln Hannover – Braunschweig Hamburg – Lübeck Borstel – Riems
15
Databases- & Biobanks 2023