Prof. Dr. Jörg Overmann from the DSMZ
At its meeting on March 19, 2024, the Senate of the Leibniz Association made far-reaching decisions in various cross-institute funding formats: the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH in Braunschweig is running one of seven new science campuses. “The Leibniz Association and the state of Lower Saxony are financing the development of the Leibniz Science Campus EcoPath (Evolutionary Ecology of Zoonotic Pathogens during Agricultural Transformations), which has a total volume of 3.8 million euros, under the direction of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ.”, shares today the scientific director of the institute, Professor Dr. Jörg Overmann with. The aim is to research the biological basis for the reproduction, spread and survival of pathogenic bacteria and viruses in the environment, typically in domestic and wild animals. They can cause dangerous infections in humans, but have so far been insufficiently studied. “The Leibniz Science Campus enables us, together with our partners, to develop innovative biological approaches for a better understanding of zoonotic bacteria and viruses. To do this, we not only needed solid expertise in molecular bacteriology and virology, but also specialist knowledge from the veterinary and agricultural sectors. The Braunschweig-Hannover-Göttingen region offers particularly good conditions for strategically and long-term development of our highly topical research topic and for further increasing international visibility. We are continuing to expand our excellent cooperation with the TU Braunschweig and are strategically networking with four other key academic partners in the region. At the same time, we are fulfilling our mission as a Leibniz Institute to effectively combine basic research with application by making a practical contribution to preventing future outbreaks of zoonotic diseases with EcoPath,” explains microbiologist Jörg Overmann.
New Leibniz Science Campus of the DSMZ in Braunschweig
The Leibniz ScienceCampus “Evolutionary Ecology of Zoonotic Pathogens during Agricultural Transformations” of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ at the Braunschweig site conducts research together with the TU Braunschweig, the Hannover University of Veterinary Medicine, the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture, the German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute and the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research. The goal of the DSMZ Science Campus, which will begin its work in April 2024, is to use systematic approaches to obtain more information about the spread and resistance of zoonotic pathogens and thus learn more about their evolutionary ecology. The focus of the new research is on elucidating the evolutionary mechanisms that enable these pathogens to adapt to the environment and facilitate the transition to humans. For this purpose, the latest molecular ecology and systems biology methods, modeling and data science analyzes are used. The focus of research is on pathogens with often pronounced antibiotic resistance: Clostridioides difficile (cause of severe diarrheal diseases), enterococci (urinary tract and wound infections up to sepsis) and porcine coronaviruses (rare acute respiratory diseases).
Leibniz Science Camps connect Leibniz institutes with science partners
The Leibniz ScienceCampi serve to strategically network Leibniz institutes with universities and other cooperation partners in their region with a thematic focus. The Senate of the Leibniz Association has approved a funding budget of 8.4 million euros for a period of four years for the seven science campuses. The ScienceCampi will deal with very different topics. The three newly established Leibniz Science Camps are dedicated to the influence of aerosols on atmospheric processes, sonopharmacology to develop more effective therapies, pathogens from the animal kingdom and research into resilience phenomena. Funding for science camps for research into living therapeutics, European-American relations and social inequalities is being extended. A total of twelve funding applications were submitted, three of which were for a second funding period. With the projects now funded, a total of 24 Leibniz science campuses will be receiving ongoing funding from April.
Further information at www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/forschung/leibniz- Wissenschaftscampi/
DSMZ Press Contact:
PhDr. Sven-David Müller, press spokesman for the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH
Tel.: 0531/2616-300
E-Mail: [email protected]
About the Leibniz Institute DSMZ
The Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH is the world‘s most diverse collection of biological resources (bacteria, archaea, protists, yeasts, fungi, bacteriophages, plant viruses, genomic bacterial DNA as well as human and animal cell cultures). At the DSMZ, microorganisms and cell cultures are collected, researched and archived. As an institution of the Leibniz Association, the DSMZ, with its extensive scientific services and biological resources, has been a global partner for research, science and industry since 1969. The DSMZ is recognized as a non-profit organization, the first registered collection in Europe (Regulation (EU) No. 511/2014) and certified according to the quality standard ISO 9001:2015. As a patent depository, it offers the only nationwide opportunity to deposit biological material in accordance with the requirements of the Budapest Treaty. In addition to scientific service, research is the second pillar of the DSMZ. The institute, based on the Science Campus Braunschweig-Süd, houses more than 86,500 bioresources and has almost 230 employees. www.dsmz.de
About the Leibniz Association
The Leibniz Association connects 96 independent research institutions. Their focus ranges from natural, engineering and environmental sciences to economics, spatial and social sciences and the humanities. Leibniz Institutes are dedicated to socially, economically and ecologically relevant questions. They conduct knowledge- and application-oriented research, including in the overarching Leibniz research associations, are or maintain scientific infrastructures and offer research-based services. The Leibniz Association focuses on knowledge transfer, especially with the Leibniz research museums. It advises and informs politics, science, business and the public. Leibniz institutions maintain close cooperation with universities – in the form of the Leibniz Science Campi, with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to a transparent and independent assessment process. Due to their national importance, the federal and state governments jointly support the institutes of the Leibniz Association. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 20,500 people, including 11,500 scientists. The total budget of the institutes is 2 billion euros. www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de
The DSMZ is the largest bioresource center in the world. The collection currently contains over 87,000 bioresources.
Company contact
Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures
PhDr. Sven-David Müller, M.Sc.
Inhoffenstraße 7 B
38124 Braunschweig
0531-5312616300
Press contact
Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures
Sven David Müller
Inhoffenstraße 7 B
38124 Braunschweig
0531-5312616300