Research

Funding: GDK - Gemeinschaft Deutscher Kryobanken, 5.000 EUR

Project Details:
In animal breeding and biodiversity conservation programs, the use of cryopreserved sperm is becoming increasingly important. Routinely, frozen semen is stored and shipped in liquid nitrogen, which has drawbacks due to its classification as dangerous good and transport costs associated with using (disposable) cryo-containers. Cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen allows for long-term storage, however, this requires bulky ultra-low temperature freezers and/or liquid nitrogen tanks. The latter is associated with high energy-demands and costs, and leaves a large carbon-footprint. If sperm could be preserved at elevated subzero temperatures, e.g., at -80 or -70 °C, without losing their viability, this would make storage and transport easier (e.g., transport on dry ice). Therefore, there is an interest in alternative options for storing and transporting cryopreserved semen, i.e., without the need for liquid nitrogen. The stability of cryopreserved specimens, and minimum storage temperature, can be increased by adding compounds that modulate the glass transition and/or ice (re)crystallization temperature of the freezing formulation. Examples of compounds with such properties are protein and sugar polymers, like polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Ficoll. In addition to increasing storage stability at elevated subzero temperatures, some polymer additives in freezing media inhibit ice recrystallization during warming.

Project Details:
The aim of our project is to investigate the regulation of key signaling pathways involved in lipid metabolism in growing goats under varying nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) supply. The focus lies on the INSR-Akt-mTOR and AMPK-LKB1 signaling axes, as well as on FGF21 and PPARγ as central regulators of lipogenesis, lipolysis, and energy homeostasis. In addition, we analyze the role of vitamin D, leptin, CaSR, FGFR1c, and β-Klotho receptors in adipose tissue. A total of 28 young goats are assigned to four dietary groups (control, N-reduced, P-reduced, and combined N- and P-reduced). RNA and proteins are isolated from different adipose depots, and the expression of selected target genes is analyzed by qPCR, while protein abundance is assessed by Western blotting. Metabolic plasma parameters (e.g., glucose, insulin, leptin, calcium, phosphate, and amino acids) are included in the evaluation.

By combining molecular analyses with physiological data, this project aims to clarify how different N and P supplies modulate lipid metabolism and energy-dependent signaling pathways. The study contributes to a better understanding of metabolic adaptation mechanisms in ruminants under nutrient-restricted feeding conditions.

Funding: Fritz-Ahrberg-Stiftung, 50.000 EUR

Project Details:
Basidiomycota have increasingly entered the focus of food science and industry in the last years. During their growth, they secrete a variety of lysing and redox-active enzymes and bioactive compounds that positively influence the aroma profile of inoculated foods. Therefore, their potential for the refinement of beef during dry-aging is to be evaluated in this project.

Funding: Africa Research Excellence Fund Research Development Fellowships (AREF), 47.816 EUR

Project Details:
Aim: Recent findings from the EcoVir project, funded by DFG, reveal a significant disparity in Aedes mosquito populations in Côte d'Ivoire and Gabon. In Côte d'Ivoire, Aedes aegypti is predominant (60%), while Aedes albopictus is more common in Gabon (27%) (manuscript in preparation). This project aims to investigate the reasons behind the observed shift from Aedes aegypti to Aedes albopictus in these regions and understand why these changes differ between the two countries. The study will examine the effects of nutritional deficiencies and commonly used insecticides on the survival of Aedes strains from both countries.


Methodology: The project will use interspecies competition assays to assess how many larvae of both species develop into adults under different environmental conditions. Nutritional stress assays will evaluate the impact of food scarcity on larval development rates. Furthermore, the study will incorporate transcriptome analysis (mRNA sequencing) to investigate the genetic and epigenetic factors influencing mosquito survival. Finally, Aedes mosquitoes will be infected with the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) to assess the impact of these environmental and genetic factors on their ability to transmit arboviruses.


Expected Outcomes: This research will provide insights into the mechanisms driving the shift in Aedes mosquito populations in West and Central Africa. It will also shed light on how nutritional stress, insecticide exposure, and genetic factors influence mosquito survival and their ability to transmit arboviruses like RVFV. These findings could inform better mosquito control strategies and reduce arbovirus transmission risks in Africa.

Cooperation Partners:

Centre de recherches médicales de Lambaréné, CERMEL

Project Details:
Oophaga pumilio, better known as the strawberry frog, belongs to the family of poison dart frogs (Dendrobatidae). These tiny tropical frogs are immediately recognizable by their intense coloration. Within the species O. pumilio, there is pronounced color polymorphism, expressed in a wide range of skin colors and patterns. Cryptic individuals usually have a green, inconspicuous coloration, while aposematic individuals are characterized by bright colors ranging from intense red to brilliant yellow. The color intensity of O. pumilio thus plays a central role in predator defense, and further studies have shown different colors to play a role in mate selection. It is also known that the color receptors in the retina enable the frogs to distinguish between the color morphs and that carotenoid pigments play a central role in the expression of coloration. Carotenoids are fat-soluble pigments that are responsible for pink, red, orange, and yellow coloration. Since O. pumilio cannot produce carotenoids itself, it must obtain them from animal prey. After ingestion, the carotenoids are absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, metabolized, and then stored in the skin and other organs, such as the eyes. As part of a feeding experiment, the frogs will be supplemented with carotenoids to determine the influence of these pigments on skin coloration and to gain a better understanding of color development in O. pumilio.
The natural range of O. pumilio includes western Panama, the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, and parts of Nicaragua. The species inhabits tropical rainforests with dense vegetation and is often observed at forest edges near the coast. Given their average body weight of around half a gram, the question remains as to how these small animals orient themselves in the complex structures of dense rainforests in their territories of several square meters. To answer this question, two independent behavioral experiments will be conducted to investigate the spatial learning behavior of Oophaga pumilio using visual signals that differ in coloration.

Project Details:
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster of April 1986 released significant radioactive contamination by means of radionuclides across Europe, presenting unprecedented challenges to environmental, radiochemistry, human and veterinary medicine. Among the most effective countermeasures developed was ammonium iron hexacyanoferrate, a Prussian blue compound that efficiently binds radiocesium in the digestive tract of animals. This compound prevented the absorption and bioaccumulation of dangerous radionuclides such as cesium-134 and cesium-137, significantly reducing contamination in the food chain. In German-speaking countries and Scandinavia, this compound became known as Giese salt after Werner Giese, the veterinarian and physicist who pioneered its application after Chernobyl. This article examines the chemistry of this remarkable compound and its classification among Prussian blue compounds, the role of radiocesium in the ecosystem, food safety and agricultural countermeasures, the history and applications of Giese salt in veterinary medicine such as powder, lickstones, and granulates, and its vital role in mitigating one of the worst nuclear disasters in history.

Results:

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40828-025-00217-3

Funding: Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE, Stream I - Development Track) , 923.840 EUR

Project Details:
Our research project establishes a strong network between Scotland and Lower Saxony?two regions with a rich agricultural heritage. We explore how positive animal welfare not only improves animal lives but also has lasting effects on sustainability, climate change, food security, human health, and the economy. Positive animal welfare goes beyond preventing suffering?it actively enhances animal well-being and creates benefits for society as a whole. Our discussion will focus on measuring positive animal welfare in farm animals.
Through interdisciplinary collaboration, we foster knowledge exchange, learn from each other, and develop innovative solutions. This network will serve as a foundation for future research projects and strengthen international cooperation. By connecting science, practice, and policy, we contribute to a more sustainable agricultural future that benefits both regions.

Cooperation Partners:

Scotlands' Rural College

University of Edinburgh

Funding: MJFF, 465.000 EUR

Project Details:
Study Rationale: Parkinson?s disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder marked by the loss of dopaminergic neurons, however the underlying exact reasons are still not fully understood. Current treatments focus on alleviating some of the symptoms of the disease, but do not stop disease progression. ACT-02, a new drug developed by Accure Therapeutics, offers a more comprehensive approach by addressing several key aspects of PD, such as alpha-synuclein aggregation, oxidative stress (cell respiration dysfunction) and inflammation. This multi-target strategy not only impacts on slowing disease progression but also improves motor and non-motor symptoms at the same time, offering new hope for managing PD more effectively.

Hypothesis: We hypothesize that inhibition of prolyl endopeptidase (PREP), an enzyme involved in protein aggregation and oxidative stress among other hallmarks of PD, will prevent neuronal death. ACT-02 treatment is expected to simultaneously improve motor and non-motor symptoms while slowing down disease progression, offering a comprehensive therapeutic approach for the treatment of PD.

Study Design: We aim to extend the tissue analysis and validate biomarkers in existing serum and brain tissue samples from transgenic animals (line 61; a reference model of PD), where we previously showed clear improvement of motor and non-motor symptoms, as well a decrease in α-synuclein aggregation and neuroinflammation, after short (1-month) ACT-02 treatment. These promising results support the design of a second efficacy study to assess the impact of longer/term ACT-02 treatment, to support phase II clinical trials. Simultaneously, we plan to complete the remaining experiments required for filing the Investigational New Drug (IND) to enable the Phase I clinical trial within the next 12 months.

Impact on Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson?s disease: The ACT-02 program offers a unique and distinct approach for PD treatment by targeting multiple pathways involved in the disease. ACT-02 treatment allows to slow disease progression and address both motor and non-motor symptoms, offering a broader strategy compared to therapies that focus on only one pathway.

Next Steps for Development: Having completed most of the regulatory and proof-of-concept pre-clinical studies required to reach first-in-human trials already, with support from the MJFF we aim to bring ACT-02 to the clinic within 12 months. Additional funding is needed to test the new formulation prototype and conduct longer efficacy study to support a Phase II clinical trial.

Cooperation Partners:

Accure Therapeutics

Funding: Biotech, 260.000 EUR

Project Details:
development of novel treatments

Funding: Nationalparkverwaltung Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer, Wilhelmshaven , 45.063 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of the project is a survey of the local grey seal population in the entire Lower Saxony and Hamburg Wadden Sea during the birthing season (November-December) 2025 and at the time of the fur change (March-April) 2026.
On five trilaterally coordinated dates (three during the birthing season; two during the fur-change period), airborne surveys will be conducted with a single-engine aircraft. During the aerial surveys of the tidal flats, a high-resolution SLR camera will be used to photograph the haul-outs. In order to determine the number of young born as well as the total population, the photos taken are subsequently analyzed on the computer.