Leibniz Research Alliance INFECTIONS in an Urbanizing World - Humans, Animals, Environments
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 Leibniz Research Alliance (LRA) 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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LFV INFECTIONS Summer School 2024: Antimicrobial Resistance: Navigating between Access & Excess
Join us for this innovative summer school on Antimicrobial Resistance: Navigating Between Access & Excess. Dive into interdisciplinary discussions, cutting-edge research, and innovative strategies to combat one of the greatest health challenges of our time. From economic implications to environmental impacts, from policy perspectives to scientific breakthroughs – this immersive program offers a unique opportunity for PhD students and postdocs across diverse research fields to shape the future of global health. Don't miss your chance to be part of this transformative journey!
New study shows: Antimicrobial resistance in the hospital germ C. difficile is rare
Clostridioides difficile is a bacterium that occurs worldwide in the intestines of humans and animals. If the composition of the intestinal flora is out of balance, e.g. due to the intake of medication, these pathogens can become rampant. The toxins excreted by the bacteria then lead to sometimes severe intestinal inflammation, which can be fatal.
The inflammation is usually treated by administering an antibiotic that is effective against C. difficile. Three different antibiotics are currently recommended for this treatment: vancomycin, fidaxomicin or metronidazole (the latter in exceptional cases). In the last 25 years, however, the frequency of mutations has increased, which leads to a decreased susceptibility to these drugs and thus reduces the success of the therapy.
New pioneering Leibniz Lab to combat future pandemics
The new Leibniz Lab "Pandemic Preparedness: One Health, One Future" links excellent inter- and transdisciplinary research from 41 Leibniz institutes. For the first time in Germany, pathogen-oriented sciences (virology, bacteriology, mycology and immunology) are collaborating with other life sciences such as ecology, health technologies, health economics and educational research. This new instrument of the Leibniz Association will be funded for three years with three million euro. The aim of the Leibniz Lab is to pool research in these areas in order to prepare, to prevent and to respond better to future pandemics and to make the knowledge gained available to policymakers in the form of evidence-based recommendations for action.
