Research

Project Details:
The behavior of European hedgehogs after hindlimb amputation is insufficiently researched. While some literature suggests hedgehogs may cope well with such amputations, there is a lack of systematic studies to confirm this. This project aims to evaluate the gait of hedgehogs after hindlimb amputation during rehabilitation. Healthy four-legged and three-legged hedgehogs will be analyzed and compared using accelerometers to understand the impact on their movement and survival, ultimately contributing to more effective treatments and better outcomes for wildlife rehabilitation.

Funding: Interreg VI-B Norseeprogramm EFRE (Mittel aus dem Europäischen Fonds für regionale Entwicklung - EFRE) Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Bundes- und Europangelegenheiten und Regionale Entwicklung, Hannover Mittel des Bundes, 411.143 EUR

Project Details:
The North Sea is one of the busiest shipping areas. In order to achieve the EU's climate targets, a massive expansion of wind farms is planned in the North Sea. The North Sea is also a valuable habitat for many species that are threatened by future maritime developments. This also includes the risk of noise pollution. DEMASK aims to encourage maritime decision-makers, spatial planners and industry stakeholders to address the issue of underwater noise by jointly planning scenarios for the future of the North Sea, improving the tools and knowledge to assess noise mitigation scenarios and setting strategic priorities that lead to a well-managed noise landscape.
DEMASK consists of three working groups. The centerpiece (WP1) is the joint scenario planning process. WP1 relies on stakeholder participation and is specifically designed to maximize the uptake of strategic policy priorities for noise mitigation. It defines and assesses the key policy scenarios for noise reduction. WP2 focuses on predicting the future noise situation. Finally, WP3 will carry out risk assessments for biodiversity in the North Sea for alternative action scenarios. Pilot projects will predict the noise scenarios for these alternative scenarios compared to the baseline situation and use these noise scenarios to assess the impacts of noise and the associated risks for indicator species. Risks will be assessed on the basis of sensitivity, distribution, habitat and exposure if the thresholds for the occurrence of biologically significant adverse effects (LOBE) are exceeded at the regional level. This work package is led by ITAW.

Cooperation Partners:

Projektkoordination, Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), Ministry of Infastructure and Water Management, Utrecht

Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), Hamburg

TNO research, Den Haag

IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Kristineberg

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Brüssel

North Sea Foundation, Utrecht

Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Oostende

JASCO Applied Sciences

Funding: MEKUN, 394.000 EUR

Project Details:
Amphibians worldwide are confronted with a variety of factors causing a rapid population declines. In Schleswig-Holstein, these population declines can also be in otherwise widely distributed species and cannot be explained by structural parameters alone, such as habitat loss and alteration. Other factors influencing amphibians can include toxicological contamination and invasive pathogens. The effects of those stressors on our native amphibians are largely unknown. Furthermore, the extent to which the different stressors interact is largely unknown, although it is assumed that they potentiate each other. In order to implement successful conservation measures in the long term, it is important to identify and evaluate the relevant stressors. Based on preliminary studies carried out at the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) from 2021 to 2023, the project aims to investigate possible stressors for amphibians native to Schleswig-Holstein. This includes the continued monitoring of pathogens, such as fungi originating from Asia (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and B. salamandrivorans (Bsal)) as well as Ranaviruses and herpes viruses. In addition, of animal-related data as well as data on habitat-specific factors are collected to be able to explain differences in the occurrence of infectious agents. The collection of habitat-related data includes water quality characteristics (e.g. pH value, water temperature) and analyses of possible contaminants correlation with utilization, structure and surrounding vegetation over the course of the year.
In addition to recording possible stressors and their interaction, this study aims to develop a basis to evaluate habitats in the course of species protection measures such as reintroduction projects.

Cooperation Partners:

Rachel Marschang und Christoph Leineweber, LABOKLIN GmbH, Bad Kissingen

Annika Jahnke und Nadin Ulrich, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung, Leipzig

Krishna Das, University oh Liege, Lüttich, Belgium

Arne Drews, Landesamt für Umwelt, Schleswig-Holstein

Christian Winkler, faunistische Gutachten

René Seifert, Bündnis Naturschutz in Dithmarschen e. V.

Funding: Ministerium für Energie­wende, Klimaschutz, Umwelt und Natur (MEKUN), 766.851 EUR

Project Details:
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) is classified as endangered in Europe due to continuous the population declines. Meanwhile, its occurrence along the coast of Schleswig-Holstein has potential for conflict with the culturally established and economically important fisheries.
The methods investigated in the pilot study showed promising effects: the tested eider protection fence effectively protected the mussel lines from feeding damage by common eiders and there were clear differences to control lines that were freely accessible to the eiders. However, the measures have so far only been tested on a small scale. In order to investigate the practicability on a realistic scale, this follow-up project aims to extend the to a larger area and possibly include other deterring methods that have not been used in the pilot project.

The long-term objective is to find practicable methods that are applicable to commercially operated mussel farms and at the same time function in terms of animal welfare or can even contribute to the reduction of bycatch in other areas.

At the same time, necropsies of dead common eiders will be continued in order to provide information on the incidence of disease within the population, identify pathological changes and classify these in the context of the population decline. This includes bacteriological, virological and parasitological analyses. In addition, toxicological examinations will provide information on the animals' exposure to environmental pollutants.

Funding: Stiftung zur Förderung der Erforschung von Ersatz- und Ergänzungsmethoden zur Einschränkung von Tierversuchen, 125.000 EUR

Project Details:
Chronic pain represents a significant health problem affecting approximately 20 to 50% of the world's population. Therapeutic methods are largely developed in behavioral tests with induced pain in rodents. This approach does not allow for pain treatment, leading to severe distress for the animals. Nevertheless, therapeutics developed in animals are not always effective in humans. Therefore, two in vitro models using human cells will be developed to quantify neuron-mediated chronic pain with the highest possible predictive power. For this purpose, stem cell-derived sensory neurons will be used (1.) to develop a luciferase-based exocytosis assay to easily quantify the increased release of neuropeptides (Substance P and Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide) involved in the chronic pain response. Additionally, (2.) an innervated skin model will be developed to quantify neurite outgrowth and the expression of regulated genes associated with chronic pain receptors and ion channels involved in signal transduction in vitro. The proof-of-concept for the use of these models in pharmacology and toxicology will be provided by inhibiting induced neuropeptide release, induced neurite outgrowth, and induced gene expression with therapeutically effective substances or by triggering them through the addition of exogenous substances. This approach allows for the modeling of molecular pathways of chronic pain development in vitro, directly in human cells, to avoid unnecessary animal experiments and to develop effective and safe therapeutics for humans. Following the project, the skin model will be adapted to model atopic dermatitis using induced pluripotent stem cells and primary cells from patients, aiming to bring specific in vitro disease models into application for the development of new therapies in cooperation with industrial partners. Furthermore, the project should serve as a foundation for further cross-disciplinary in vitro modeling, such as the simulation of chronic joint pain.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Dr. Annemarie Lang, Ph.D., University of Michigan

Funding: IDT Biologika und von der Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), 484.000 EUR

Project Details:
We will study the immunogenicity and efficacy of our vaccine candidate, MVA-MERS-S, when used in different single vaccination and vaccination-booster setting in the lethal k18-hDPP4-mouse model after MERS-CoV-challenge infection. Different vaccination schedules also include different time points of challenge infection. We will characterize the activation of MERS-CoV-specific antibodies and T cells. The protective efficacy will be analyzed by morbidity, mortality and viral load in the lung and the brain a target organs. Moreover, a histopathological examination of the upper and lower respiratory tract of the animals upon challenged with MERS-CoV will show any evidence of ADE and ERD, respectively. Another study will evaluate the impact of passively transfered sera from MVA-MERS-S vaccinated mice for the outcome of protection after challenge infection.

Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz, 255.930 EUR

Project Details:
The mouflon or mouflon Ovis gmelini musimon only occurs in a few remaining populations in Lower Saxony. The mouflon should have a good chance of survival at least in some low mountain regions due to its predator avoidance strategy with short steep escapes up rocky slopes, but has become extinct in the lowland regions due to the presence of the wolf.
There is much discussion about the few animals in Lower Saxony and Germany in general: The mouflon is not originally native here (not autochthonous) and causes high levels of damage to forestry locally. On the other hand, it is classified as endangered by the IUCN in its native Corsica and Sardinia and is a symbolic species for hunters. Therefore, in this study we want to take a neutral view and use photo traps and direct observations to determine facts about abundance, behavior and enemy avoidance strategies as well as damage effects. In addition, surveys and interviews will be used to obtain the opinions of the various stakeholders (hunters, foresters, farmers, other nature lovers, etc.).
All of this data will be used to objectify the discussion about mouflon, large predators and human interests and to model the survival probabilities of Lower Saxony's mouflon populations in the presence of wolves and lynx.

Funding: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, 625.000 EUR

Project Details:
As long as animal experiments cannot be completely replaced, the question will arise on which animals research should take place. In this project, an interdisciplinary working group wants to investigate the ELSA-relevant question, according to which criteria the selection of laboratory animal models takes place or should take place. The aim of the enterprise is to determine the manifold reasons for the choice of certain laboratory animals; the process is interdisciplinary in the full sense of the word and put the different rationalities into a well-founded correlation. The question condenses several open and important issues concerning the treatment of animals. The answer is to be examined in each of the disciplines involved, between them and finally in their association, whether it is possible to establish a coherent catalog of criteria that also creates clarity for the practice of animal experimentation, both for everyday research and at the interface to legislation and enforcement. This is important against the background of rapidly changing social value judgements about animals, which also lead to permanent tensions here. In this project we want to investigate the ELSA-relevant question of the criteria for the selection of laboratory animal models. We follow an interdisciplinary approach, which is represented by the following cooperation partners: Its members are: Prof. Dr. Peter Kunzmann (ethics), Prof. Dr. Bernhard Hiebl (laboratory animal science), Prof. Dr. Maren von Köckritz-Blickwede (infection research) (all TiHo- Hannover) and the legal scientist Prof. Dr. Dr. Tade Spranger (University of Bonn).

Cooperation Partners:

Tade Spranger, Rechts- und Staatswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Bonn

Funding: DFG, 498.400 EUR

Project Details:
The equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is the main reason for blindness in horses, and 10% of the european horses are affected. Significantly, ERU is an important available model for human autoimmune uveitis as the clinical and immune-pathological characteristics are similar. As a cause for ERU, various hypotheses are described in the literature. On the one hand, infections with Leptospira interrogans are discussed as well as other bacterial, parasitic or viral infections. Independent of the initiating cause, there are numerous indications that ERU is an immune-mediated disease. In the body after the control of the primary infection, an overreaction of the immune system occurs in response to activated immune cells. In addition to lymphocytes, these immune cells can also be neutrophil granulocytes. Among various antimicrobial functions, neutrophils have been shown to release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). NETs are extracellular DNA fibers with associated proteases and antimicrobial peptides which are released by activated cells. NETs mediate entrap of invading pathogens, but when massively released may contribute to detrimental autoimmune reactions of the host.
The research project presented here is intended to provide essential insights for the involvement of NETs in the pathogenesis of ERU. In the first phase of our study, our findings indicate an involvement of NETs in the pathogenesis of ERU with detrimental effects. In short, NETs correlate to disease severity, seem to damage the blood retinal cells, and induce autoantibodies against NET proteins. We hypothesize, that those autoantibodies might shield the NETs from degradation by DNases, resulting in their persistence and potentially in new disease episodes. Thus, in the current project we aim to characterize if and how the phase of disease (non-active quiescent phase versus acute inflammatory phase) influences cellular involvement and extracellular DNA release. Based on our previous data, we further hypothesize that different cell types besides neutrophils play a role in extracellular DNA release during the progression of ERU, which enables crosstalk between various immune cells. Therefore, we will study the release of ETs by other immune cells besides neutrophils and its interplay with adaptive immune cells. Finally, since the use of gentamicin in the treatment of ERU patients is well established, the aim is to determine the influence of gentamicin in varying concentrations and along with distinct stimuli on equine immune cells, focusing on ET release.
 

Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur (MWK), 324.000 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of this subproject is the further development and optimization of a 3D lung epithelial cell culture model
for the investigation of viral and bacterial infections and the effect of immunomodulatory
immunomodulatory substances on the course of infection and cell biochemical processes. An increased
complexity of the model system using physiological or pathophysiological oxygen
conditions and microfluidic systems enables the in vitro system to be approximated to the in vivo situation and
to the in vivo situation and will help to reduce the number of test animals in the long term. The
complexity of the infection model is reduced by physiologically relevant oxygen conditions (defined
tissue-specific hypoxic conditions) and by 3D co-cultivation of human or animal pulmonary
or animal pulmonary epithelial cells and neutrophil granulocytes. In addition
the use of primary cells and induced pluripotent stem cells should provide long-term optimization.