Research

Funding: DFG, 372.000 EUR

Project Details:
Der Begriff "innate immune memory"" beschreibt das Phänomen, dass Zellen des angeborenen Immunsystems auf ein Pathogen oder ein Pathogen/Mikroben-assoziiertes molekulares Muster (PAMP/MAMP) anders reagieren, wenn sie vorher Kontakt mit diesem PAMP oder anderen Pathogenen hatten. Die stärkere Sekundärreaktion wird als Ausdruck eines Trainings des angeborenen Immunsystem oder als ""trained innate immunity"" bezeichnet, deren Induktion ein vielversprechendes prophylaktisches Konzept darstellt. Um dies für das Rind nutzbar zu machen, fehlen entscheidende Grundlagenkenntnisse über die Biologie relevanter, zu trainierender Immunzellen: die Monozyten und die aus ihnen differenzierenden Makrophagen. So ist noch unbekannt, inwieweit das hormonelle Profil und zirkulierende Stoffwechselmetaboliten von Kühen unterschiedlicher Leistungs- und Reproduktionsstadien die Monozyten/Makrophagen-Differenzierung und Polarisierung beeinflussen und wie dies das Reaktionsverhalten auf eine Stimulation mit Erreger-stämmigen Molekülen steuert und ihr innate immune training beeinflusst. Vor diesem Hintergrund soll im Projekt analysiert werden, wie sich die Zusammensetzung boviner monozytärer Subpopulationen, deren Transkriptom, das Expressionsmuster von C-Typ-Lektin-Rezeptoren (CLRs) und ihre Trainierbarkeit durch CLR-Liganden im Verlauf der Trächtigkeit und in verschiedenen Leistungsstadien verändert und gesteuert wird. Ergänzt wird dies durch mechanistische Analysen von epigenetischen Modifikationen und Effektorfunktionen myeloider Zellen nach innate immune training über CLR-Liganden. Die Analysen des CLR-vermittelten Trainings und der Monozyten/Makrophagen-Polarisierung erfolgen bei Kühen in den zentralen Lebensphasen, der Hochlaktation und der Spätträchtigkeit, um zu prüfen, wann bei der Kuh Differenzierungs-steuernde immunmodulatorische Strategien Wirksamkeit zeigen, die auf dem innate immune training-Prinzip beruhen. Im Projekt werden grundlegende Erkenntnisse über die CLR-abhängige Modulation von Monozyten- und Makrophagen-Funktionen gewonnen, die in der Prophylaxe peripartaler Infektionserkrankungen und im rationalen Design Leistungs-angepasster immunmodulatorischer Konzepte Anwendung finden können."

Funding: MWK Niedersachsen, 184.200 EUR

Project Details:
Die Kryokonservierung von ex vivo und in vitro Kultursystemen des Respirationstraktes verschiedener Spezies ist eine bislang wenig erforschte Methode, welche den Nutzen dieser Modelle als Ersatz und Ergänzung von Tierversuchen aber deutlich steigern könnte. Daher sollen im vorliegenden Teilprojekt primäre Zell- und Gewebekulturen wie Nasenschleimhaut-Explantate, Air-Liquid Interface Kulturen aus trachealen Epithelzellen und Lungenpräzisionsschnitte von ausgewählten Spezies wie Frettchen, Hund, Maus und Schwein mittels verschiedener Gefriermedien kryokonserviert und nach dem Auftauen morphologisch, funktionell sowie anhand einer Transkriptomanalyse untersucht und mit nicht kryokonservierten Kulturen verglichen werden. Insbesondere die Zilienmorphologie und funktionalität der Kultursysteme soll dabei im Mittelpunkt stehen und durch softwaregestützte Videoanalysen näher charakterisiert werden. Die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse sowie die generierten Kulturen sollen Projektpartnern des Verbundes und darüber hinaus anderen Arbeitsgruppen über die gesamte Förderperiode zur Verfügung stehen.

Cooperation Partners:

Forschungskooperation mit der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover: "Mikro-Replace-Systeme"""

Funding: Landesbetrieb für Küstenschutz, Nationalpark und Meeresschutz S-H (LKN), 42.025 EUR

Project Details:
Harbor porpoises are representatives of the top mammalian predators in the North Sea and Wadden Sea. With the amendment of the National Park Act in 1999, part of the national park was explicitly dedicated to the protection of harbor porpoises, as a high density of mother-calf groups was found there. As part of the reorganization of the Federal-Länder Marine Programme (BLMP), a programme for the joint monitoring of marine mammals was agreed in January 2011, which meets the requirements of monitoring in accordance with the relevant European directives and international conventions. The Schleswig-Holstein National Park Administration (NPV) within the Schleswig-Holstein State Agency for Coastal Protection, National Park and Marine Conservation (LKN) has the task of organizing, implementing and financing the acoustic monitoring of harbour porpoises in this programme. The acoustic surveys for the NPV are carried out by the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) as part of the joint marine mammal monitoring program under the BLMP. For this purpose, measuring stations are operated at five defined locations in the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea (Lister Tief, Westerland, Rochelsteert, Meldorfer Bucht and Outer Elbe). The monitoring stations are equipped with click detectors (C-PODs), which record the echolocation activity of harbor porpoises. The C-PODs are serviced and read out at regular intervals. The data obtained in this way is evaluated against the background of the optimization of the acoustic monitoring as well as necessary extensions for a permanent operation of the measuring stations. The data from this long-term study will provide information on the possible rhythm and tidal dependency of the harbor porpoise detections throughout the day and over the course of a year.

Funding: EU, 736.000 EUR

Project Details:
The project is carried out on DIL e.V., Quakenbrück.
The dietary shift has been identified as a major key to reducing the footprint of the food system. The objective of GIANT LEAPS is to deliver strategic innovations, methodologies, and open-access data sets to speed up this dietary shift in line with the Farm-to-Fork strategy and contribute to the Green Deal target of reaching climate neutrality by 2050. DIL is leading the development of the open cloud data platform for the project to facilitate interoperability of data generated within the project and the existing knowledge in the protein food production domain. Development of inventory data collection protocol and facilitating data gathering for sustainability assessments is another sub-task of DIL aligned with the cloud data platform.

Cooperation Partners:

Stichting Wageningen Research,

University Of Surrey,

Unilever U.K. Central Resources Limited

The University Of Manchester

Agt Food And Ingredients

Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule Zuerich

Danone Global Research & Innovation Center Bv

Rukov Jakob Lewin

Roquette Freres Sa

Deutscher Allergie- Und Asthmabund E.V.

Fc Cv

Capacity Development In Nutrition Research-Capnutra

Napiferyn Biotech Sp Zoo

Mosa Meat Bv

Verhagen Franciscus

Europa Media Szolgaltato Non Profitkozhasznu Kft,

Associacao Oceano Verde Laboratorio Colaborativo Para O

Desenvolvimento De Tecnologias E Produtos Verdes Do Oceano,

Solar Foods Oy

Viva Maris Gmbh

Foodcompanions Bv

Stichting Effost

Iris Technology Solutions, Sociedad Limitada

Fundacion Azti - Azti Fundazioa

Medical University Sofia,

Institut National Des Sciences Et Industries Du Vivant Et De

L'environnement - Agroparistech,

Institut National De Recherche Pour L'agriculture,

L'alimentation Et L'environnement,

Teagasc - Agriculture And Food Development Authority

Wageningen University

Luonnonvarakeskus

Universita Degli Studi Di Napoli Federico Ii

Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus Vtt Oy

University College Cork - National University Of Ireland, Cork

Matis Ohf

Institut De Recerca I Tecnologia Agroalimentaries

Funding: Madagascar National Parks; Kölner Zoo, 132.620 EUR

Project Details:
The overall objective of this project is to understand the effects of forest fires on vegetation and wildlife dynamics in dry deciduous forests of western Madagascar and to model their long-term post-fire regeneration potential by applying a landscape approach. This study will build on the fire history of the last 35 years within Ankarafantsika National Park (ANP) derived from annually available remote sensing data. We aim to investigate the impact of different time spans since the last fire, fire severity and different fire intervals on forest integrity on the one hand, and on lemur population dynamics as one representative and enigmatic, forest-dependent, vertebrate group on the other hand. Lemurs are highly suitable study species in this respect, since they fulfill key ecosystem functions (e.g. pollination, seed dispersal, food-web interactions), and the presence of the complete lemur assemblage indicates intact forest habitats. This will allow a prognosis of the long-term regeneration potential of recently burnt areas. As such, this project will provide guidance for a sustainable conservation management in the region and beyond, and will help to identify preferable areas for forest restoration and therefore nature-based-solutions towards pressing environmental problems in Western Madagascar.

Cooperation Partners:

Dr. Harison Rabarison, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar

Dr. Hanta Razafindraibe, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar

Dr. Romule Rakotondravony, Universitity of Mahajanga, Madagascar

Dominik Schüßler, MSc, Universität Hildesheim

Project Details:
The aim of this work is to determine the properties of the Giese salt in order to arrive at a contemporary classification of the Giese salt in the group of Prussian blue compounds/iron(III) hexacyanidoferrate(II/III), sometimes AFe3+[Fe2+(CN) 6] xH2O, (A = K, Na, NH4). Furthermore, the synthesis of Prussian blue nanoparticles is investigated.

Funding: EU, 267.625 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of this project is the large-scale, automated welfare monitoring of animal-based indicators at the slaughterhouse, that are related to welfare on-farm, during (un)loading, transport, and slaughter. Novel sensors will be developed and tested to measure these indicators, so data can be collected continuously and automatically.
More Informationen: https://www.awish-project.eu/

Cooperation Partners:

24 Partner aus 13 Europäischen Ländern. Koordination: ILVO, Belgien

Project Details:
To optimize therapeutic shoes for foals a computer simulation of a foal hoof will be developed. Energy densities and Von Mises stresses will be calculated.

Funding: BfN, 1.933.080 EUR

Project Details:
As top predators, marine mammals are an important component of marine ecosystems. They are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic activities such as fisheries, offshore wind energy development, shipping traffic, etc. The survey and assessment of their populations and precise knowledge of their distribution patterns, habitat requirements and population trends are prerequisites for their effective protection and sensible protected area management.
Within the framework of this project, the collection of new data along the analysis of existing data sets will contribute significantly to the knowledge required for the consideration of fundamental ecological relationships and are of high scientific value. Habitat-based models are used to investigate which abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic factors fundamentally influence the occurrence and distribution of marine mammals. Population dynamics models will provide information on the influence of various stressors on the development of harbour porpoise populations. These models will provide simulations of future population trends assuming different pressures from anthropogenic stressors and can, thus, inform the development of adequate management measures. HABITATWal will also integrate the German contribution to the international SCANS-IV survey in summer 2002, when regionally coordinated visual surveys in the shelf and offshore waters of the European Atlantic will be conducted to generate robust abundance estimates for regularly occurring cetacean species. Detailed information on the acoustic and visual occurrence and density of minke whales and other cetacean species will be collected through a dedicated shipboard survey on the Dogger Bank and an annual monitoring will be developed. In addition, the expansion of the recording methods in large-scale monitoring is to be accompanied scientifically. This also includes a feasibility study on the possible addition of a passive-acoustic monitoring (PAM) network in the German North Sea.

Funding: MWK Niedersachsen, 48.510 EUR

Project Details:
As part of this project, in addition to the regular physics lecture, a real escape room is being developed for students in the teaching building on the subject of physics, in which they can apply and test the knowledge they have learned in the lecture in a problem-oriented manner. For this purpose, the subject matter is packed into 10 small, creative puzzles that cover important topics from the fields of mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, waves and oscillations as well as optics.

Results:

https://doi.org/10.15487/tiho.6_2023.1