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Bacteria, Parasites & Viruses: What they really do to us | Podcast Episode 30 [Prof. Hörauf UKB]
Weigls MedNight - Der Videopodcast des UKB
Episode Description
This Podcast is about bacteria, parasites, and the question of what microbiology and immunology means in our everyday lives: - from the difference between viruses and bacteria, to antibiotics and resistance, zoonoses, climate change, and preparing for future pandemics. With Prof. Achim Hoerauf, Director of the Institute of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology. Dr. Dr. Tobias Weigl talk to Prof. Hoerauf about what's going on in the world of microorganisms, how modern vaccine technologies such as mRNA could be used beyond COVID-19, why animal testing still plays a role in certain areas of research, and what specific tips he has for hygiene, the immune system, and the responsible use of antibiotics in everyday life. (Continue reading...) https://open.spotify.com/episode/2VG0maiWbefuWSIrnF5M4s
The German Center for Infection Research in focus
he German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) has produced and released a new film about the broad spectrum of its activities. At the DZIF, over 700 researchers in 35 member institutions at seven partner sites work together on the greatest challenges of infection research for the benefit of all people. The goal is translation—the transfer of scientific knowledge from basic research to practical application. But what exactly does that mean? What diseases are the DZIF's research projects focused on? How does this huge network work in practice? And who works with whom? "We launched our new video to answer exactly these questions—for everyone interested in the work of the Center," says Dr. Timo Jäger, Managing Director of the DZIF.
Full article on the DZIF website: https://www.dzif.de/en/exciting-insights-cutting-edge-infection-research
The University Hospital Bonn is one of the DZIF’s 35 research institutions, with researchers at the Institute of Medical Microbiology Immunology and Parasitology working on DZIF areas like Novel Antibiotics; a example being corallopyronin A and neglected tropical diseases. Prof. Achim Hoerauf, director IMMIP, is the Deputy Partner Site Speaker Bonn-Köln and Deputy Coordinator of the DZIF research area Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases. In the DZIF video, (min: 5.45,) Prof. Hörauf speaks on the development of new antibiotics, like corallopyronin A.
Prof. Achim Hoerauf has been elected as a member of the The Mectizan Expert Committee/Albendazole Coordination (MEC/AC)
In recognition of his long-standing scientific contributions to the fields of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis, Professor Achim Hoerauf ( Director IMMIP and Speaker of the DNTDs) has been elected as a member of the Mectizan Expert Committee/Albendazole Coordination (MEC/AC). The MEC/AC provides independent scientific and strategic guidance to the Mectizan Donation Program (MDP), supporting evidence-based decision-making for drug donation, program implementation, and disease elimination efforts.
The Mectizan® Donation Program (MDP) is one of the most successful public–private health partnerships in global health. Launched in 1987 by Merck & Co., it provides ivermectin (Mectizan®) free of charge for as long as needed to control and eliminate onchocerciasis (river blindness) and, later, lymphatic filariasis in endemic countries. Implemented in close collaboration with the WHO, national ministries of health, NGOs, and community-based programs, MDP pioneered large-scale community-directed treatment approaches. The program has enabled the treatment of hundreds of millions of people annually across Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia. It has played a decisive role in interrupting transmission and achieving elimination of onchocerciasis in several countries and regions. Beyond filarial diseases, ivermectin has also contributed to control efforts against scabies and other neglected tropical diseases. The MDP is widely regarded as a model for sustainable drug donation programs, demonstrating how long-term commitment, strong partnerships, and community engagement can achieve lasting public health impact.
Clinical Trials to Assess Effectiveness of Treatment Guidelines for Lymphedema Induced by Lymphatic Filariasis
The LeDoxy trials have published their joint study on Lymphedema management using hygiene measures and doxycycline administration. The multi-centre, multi-country clinical trial, was conducted in 5 country, Ghana, Tanzania, Mali, Sri Lanka and India. The trials were a collaborative effort between COR-NTD (TaskForce for Global Health, Atlanta, USA) and IMMIP (Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, The German Center for Infection Research, Bonn-Cologne site, Germany). Trials in Ghana and Tanzania were funded by The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Neglected Tropical Diseases Program through their support of the Coalition for Operational Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (COR-NTD) grant (AID-OAA-G-14-00008), funded those conducted in Mali, Sri Lanka and India. IMMIP’s institute director Prof. Achim Hoerauf is the co-coordinator of the TAKeOFF consortium and Dr. Ute Klarmann-Schulz the Bonn PI. Continue reading
The German Center for Infection Research in focus
The German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) has produced and released a new film about the broad spectrum of its activities. At the DZIF, over 700 researchers in 35 member institutions at seven partner sites work together on the greatest challenges of infection research for the benefit of all people. The goal is translation—the transfer of scientific knowledge from basic research to practical application. But what exactly does that mean? What diseases are the DZIF's research projects focused on?
Code for a Cure: Combating River Blindness with Data & AI
A team of experts at Capgemini, in collaboration with University Hospital Bonn and Amazon Web Services, has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that will accelerate the speed of clinical trials aiming to establish new treatments for River Blindness, a neglected tropical disease which affects over 20 million people globally. Currently, the specialist work of clinical trials can only be carried out manually by a handful of global experts, so the winning model could save years of work and speed up the development of new treatments.Continue reading
The Search for New Treatment for River Blindness
The World Health Organization estimates that 1.15 million people have lost their vision due to river blindness, while 220 million require preventive therapy against onchocerciasis. For over 25 years, the Institute of Medical Microbiology Immunology and Parasitology, at the University Hospital Bonn and the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, in Kumasi Ghana have been conduction clinical trials in river blindness and lymphatic filariasis... Continue reading
The Future of Combatting Neglected Tropical Diseases – Innovative Financing and Shared Global Responsibility
Prof. Achim Hoerauf, Director IMMIP and Speaker of the DNTDs, together with Dr. Carsten Köhler, University of Tübingen, co-chaired the session on "The Future of Combatting Neglected Tropical Diseases- Innovative Financing and Shared Global Responsibility", at the World Health Summit 2025 in Berlin.
About the Session:
The financing of programs to combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) faces significant challenges. Continue reading
