Research

Funding: Europäische Kommission, 375.836 EUR

Project Details:
G-TwYST will execute rat feeding trials with GM maize NK 603 based on OECD Test Guidelines and according to EFSA considerations. In the case of maize NK603 two 90-day and a combined 2-year chronic toxicity/carcinogenicity study will be performed. By combining the results of the G-TwYST project with those of the GRACE project (90-day and 1-year study with maize MON810) it will be possible for the first time to describe the potential medium term and long term toxic effects of the two above-mentioned events. Partners will strictly comply with international standards and norms concerning feeding trials and closely collaborate with EFSA. Feeding stuff used in the trials will be produced according to the principles of good agricultural practice. The project will analyse and report the results of the feeding trials and develop recommendations on the scientific justification and added value of long-term feeding trials for GMO risk assessment. The project will ensure scientific excellence, independence and transparency of both the research process and the results. Transparency and accessibility of project plans and results is a key characteristic of the project and will be ensured by establishing a project website and by using an open access database set up by GRACE as information hubs. Results will be published as open access journal papers. Dedicated engagement, communication, and dissemination activities will target scientists, policy makers and a broad range of stakeholders. Participatory steps will be included in the planning as well as in the interpretation/conclusion phase. Moreover, the views of risk assessment and regulatory bodies as well as wider societal issues will also be taken into consideration. The results of the project will enable risk managers drawing conclusions with regard to framework of the currently applicable GM food/feed risk assessment requirements and procedures in the EU.

Funding: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, 198.000 EUR

Project Details:
In this project, we will mechanistically investigate the impact of polyphenols on the AA cascade. For this purpose we will employ liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for the quantification of a comprehensive set of oxylipins of all branches of the AA cascade as targeted metabolomics approach. We will analyze the effect of polyphenols on the activity of cyclooxgenase, lipoxygenase, cytochrome P450 and epoxide hydrolase pathways of the AA cascade in different cell culture assays as well as in cell free approaches. Moreover, we will utilize the oxylipin pattern to monitor oxidative stress occurring during inflammation and its amelioration by food-born antioxidants. With these high-content screening tools, we will not only discover potentially active polyphenols, but also gain information on their mode of action, quantitative data on their potency and qualitative data on the breadth of their effects.

Funding: FAZIT-Stiftung, 35.000 EUR

Project Details:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract characterized by the onset of inflammation and tissue damage. Ample evidences suggest that IBD pathogenesis results from a multifactorial process involving genetic, environmental as well as immunogenic factors. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an IBD characterized by the chronic inflammation of the colon. Depending on the location and extent of inflammation, UC can be referred to as: 1) ulcerative proctitis, 2) proctosigmoiditis, and 3) universal colitis. Under the last condition, another process called backwash ileitis (BWI) can result from the influx of colonic content to the ileum through an inflamed ileoceacal valve, extending thus the colitis to the terminal ileum. Gut mucosa integrity and functions such as digestion/absorption, detoxification, non-immune defensive roles and cell-cell interactions require the activities of hydrolases of the small intestinal brush border membrane (BBM) as well the presence of important basolateral membrane proteins [1, 5-9]. Alterations in the expression and activity of BBM hydrolases i.e. intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP), disaccharidases and aminopeptidases N (APN) have been observed in different colitis-induced animal models. Interestingly, abnormalities of the small intestine such as compromised enzymes activities and decreased intestinal cell differentiation were also observed in freshly isolated ileum from UC patients. In addition to the BBM hydrolases basolateral membrane proteins that play key roles in maintaining the integrity of intestinal cells such as mucusal mucin, E-cadherins and connexin 43 (Cx43) among others are also reported to contribute to the pathogenesis of UC.
The general aim of this project is to decipher using in vitro and in vivo models, the role of calcium signaling in ER stress and how is this could lead to a dysfunction of the intestinal epithelial cells.

Cooperation Partners:

1. Prof. Dr. Anaclet Negezahayo, Institut für Biophysik der Leibniz-Universität Hannover;

2. Prof. Dr. Marwan El-Sabban, Medical Faculty, American University of Beirut

Project Details:
Ziel dieses Projektes ist eine Simulationsmethodik zu entwickeln, mit deren Hilfe neu entwickelte Hüftgelenksprothesen für den Hund auf ihre Eignung untersucht werden können.
Das Design für neue Hüftgelenkstotalendoprothesen (HTEP) wird häufig von humanmedizinischen Prothesen übernommen und lediglich in der Größe an den Hund angepasst. Die Belastung des Hüftgelenks des Hundes entspricht jedoch aus biomechanischer Sicht nicht der des Menschen, da die Gewichtsverteilung durch die vierbeinige Fortbewegung beim Hund anders ist. Dadurch sind die Anforderungen an das Design einer HTEP für den Hund andere, als die an eine HTEP für den Menschen. Die Lasteinleitung über die Prothese in den Knochen spielt eine wichtige Rolle bei Knochenumbauprozessen und kann durch das Design verändert werden. Kommt es zum sogenannten "stress-shielding" und damit verbundenen Knochenabbauprozessen, führt dies häufig zu Lockerungen und damit zu Revisionsoperationen. Im Rahmen der Implantatentwicklung in der Humanmedizin ist es heutzutage üblich mittels Computersimulationen wie Mehrkörpersimulationen (MKS) oder Finite-Element-Methode (FEM) die Eignung neue Implantate zu überprüfen, bevor die Prothesen in Patienten implantiert werden. Eine derartige Prüfstrategie gibt es für Implantate für den Hund nicht. Die Eignung der Prothesen wird im Tierversuch direkt am Patienten erprobt. Bei nicht geeigneten Prothesendesigns kann dieses mit Schmerzen und Schäden für den Patienten verbunden sein. In diesem Projekt sollen ein canines Mehrkörpersimulations- sowie ein Finite-Element-Modell entwickelt werden, mit deren Hilfe Schwachstellen bei der Entwicklung neuer Implantate entdeckt werden können bevor sie am Patienten erprobt werden. Dadurch können die Tierversuchszahlen reduziert werden und neue Implantate sicherer gemacht werden.

Cooperation Partners:

Institut für Umformtechnik und Umformmaschinen der Leibniz Universität Hannover; Prof. Dr. B.A. Behrens, Dr.-Ing. habil. A. Bouguecha, S. Betancur Escobar

Funding: Gesellschaft zur Förderung Kynologischer Forschung e.V., 24.000 EUR

Project Details:
Ziel der Arbeit ist die Etablierung eines standardisierten, patientenangepassten, submaximalen Belastungstests, mit dem auch geringgradige Störungen des Herz-Kreislauf-Systems definiert werden können. Der Belastungstest wird zunächst an gesunden Beaglen etabliert. Es werden verschiedene Parameter gemessen, von denen angenommen wird, dass sie die Herz-Kreislauf-Situation angemessen wiedergeben. Im zweiten Schritt werden Herzpatienten, welche nach CHIEF B1/B2 (asymptomatische Herzerkrankung) eingeteilt sind, mit diesem Belastungstest untersucht. Dabei wird dessen Eignung, eine Leistungsinsuffizienz bei solchen Patienten früh zu charakterisieren, überprüft.

Results:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6002043/

Project Details:
Unser langjähriges Forschungsinteresse im Bereich "kasuale Biodiversitätsforschung" gilt der Untersuchung der frühen Evolution der Biodiversität in diploblastischen Tieren (Placozoen, Schwämme und Hohltiere). Wir studieren auf verschiedenen Ebenen die Entstehung von Formenreichtümern mit dem Fernziel, die reale Artendiversität und ihre systematische Einbettung zuverlässig zu erfassen, schützenswerte Einheiten zu definieren, und das ökologische Wechselspiel zwischen Diversitätsdynamiken und Umweltfaktoren zu modellieren. Hierbei bedienen wir uns der experimentellen Feldforschung ebenso wie der Entwicklung und Anwendung neuer molekulargenetischer Arbeitstechniken. Auch die mathematische Entwicklung eines neuen DNA-Barcoding-Algorithmus sowie die Genomsequenzierung (aktuell für das Placozoon Trichoplax adhaerens; www.jgi.doe.gov/sequencing/why/CSP2005/trichoplax.html) gehören zu unseren Arbeitstechniken, um den Anforderungen der Zukunft zu genügen.

Cooperation Partners:

Dr. Peter Holland, Department of Zoology, Univ. of Oxford.

Dr. Rob DeSalle, American Museum of Natural History, New York City.

Dr. Stephen Dellaporta, Dept. Molecular Cellular & Developmental Biology, Yale University.

Dr. Vicki Pearce, Inst. of Marine Sciences, Univ. of California

Dr. Ferdinando Boero, University of Lecce Italy

Funding: EU 7. FP

Project Details:
The EFFORT (Ecology from Farm to Fork Of microbial drug Resistance and Transmission) project will provide scientific evidence and high quality data that will inform decision makers, the scientific community and other stakeholders about the consequences of anti-microbial resistance (AMR) in the food chain, in relation to animal health and welfare, food safety and economic aspects. Specifically, EFFORT will strive to answer the following fundamental, but complex questions demanded by risk managers:

What is the impact of antimicrobial usage in food-producing animals on human exposure to AMR determinants?
What are the most important transmission routes and sources of human exposure to AMR determinants?
What is the impact on human health of transfer of AMR determinants between commensals and pathogenic microorganisms?
How can human exposure to AMR determinants through food-producing animals be reduced?
What is the most cost-effective way of monitoring antimicrobial resistance occurrence in food-producing animals and in the food chain?

The answers are expected to support political decisions and to prioritise risk management options along the food chain both on the short and long term horizon. In addition, the results can inspire and guide future research initiatives.

http://www.effort-against-amr.eu/

EFFORT is on LinkedIn (EFFORT: Ecology from Farm to Fork of microbial drug resistance and transmission) and on Twitter (@effortamr)

Cooperation Partners:

19 Partner aus 10 Mitgliedsstaaten

Funding: MWK Niedersachsen / VW Stiftung, 7.400.000 EUR

Project Details:
N-RENNT (Niedersachsen Research Network on Neuroinfectiology) aims to start a neuroinfectiology research network in Lower Saxony fostering and boosting this young and important interdisciplinary field. N-RENNT will be established by implementing both focused research projects and an advanced and specific training program for graduate students. Structure-building measures as well as sustainability of the project are guaranteed by lasting support by the Speaker University (University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, TiHo).

Cooperation Partners:

-Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine Göttingen, Clinical Neuroscience, Neurogenetics

-Technical University Braunschweig, Zoological Institute, Division of Cellular Neurobiology

-Institute for Experimental Infection Research, -Twincore -Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research -Helmholtz Center for Infection Research,Infection Genetics -University Medical Center Göttingen, Department of Neuroimmunology

- Hannover Medical School, Department for Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology,Department of Neuroanatomy

Institute of Immunology, Institute of Virology, Clinical Neuroanatomy and Neurochemistry

Project Details:
Etablierung von Protokollen zur Herstellung von Späroiden aus Mammakarzinomzellen

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Dr. Udo Markert, Plazenta-Labor, Universität Jena

Funding: MWK Niedersachsen / VW Stiftung , 7.400.000 EUR

Project Details:
N-RENNT (Niedersachsen Research Network on Neuroinfectiology) aims to start a neuroinfectiology research network in Lower Saxony fostering and boosting this young and important interdisciplinary field. N-RENNT will be established by implementing both focused research projects and an advanced and specific training program for graduate students. Structure-building measures as well as sustainability of the project are guaranteed by lasting support by the Speaker University (University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, TiHo).

Cooperation Partners:

-Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine Göttingen, Clinical Neuroscience, Neurogenetics

-Technical University Braunschweig, Zoological Institute, Division of Cellular Neurobiology

-Institute for Experimental Infection Research, -Twincore -Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research -Helmholtz Center for Infection Research,Infection Genetics -University Medical Center Göttingen, Department of Neuroimmunology

- Hannover Medical School, Department for Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology,Department of Neuroanatomy

Institute of Immunology, Institute of Virology, Clinical Neuroanatomy and Neurochemistry