Research

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:
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: 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: Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE, Stream I - Development Track) , 9.238 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: Fritz-Ahrberg-Stiftung, 15.000 EUR

Project Details:
Embryonic muscle formation (myogenesis) gives rise to the various skeletal muscles of the body. Depending on their function, these muscles have different proportions of the various muscle fibre types after the animals are born. This also means that, as studies on pigs, for example, show, the muscles undergo different biochemical changes during meat maturation after the animals have been slaughtered. Research often focuses on the back muscle (Musculus (M). longissimus dorsi), which, however, is not representative of the entire musculature of the slaughtered animal, as has been shown in pigs. For this reason, in addition to the longissimus muscle, other muscles from the front and hindquarters of cattle are obtained in this project and characterised in terms of their physicochemical properties (e.g. pH, colour) before being packaged as fresh meat in a modified atmosphere. At the end of the storage period, this meat is examined physicochemically and microbiologically and then processed into raw sausages. The latter are also analysed physicochemically and microbiologically during the storage period. For comparison, these tests are also carried out on various turkey muscles, as poultry meat is also very important in meat consumption.

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.

Funding: Alexander-von-Humbold-Stiftung, 9.200 EUR

Project Details:
Our study will align with the high priority topics for research identified by WHO in 2023. It will shed light on alternative treatment options for Salmonella infections, address the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance, and provide valuable insights for future research and advancements in the field.
The outcome of this study will be a phage-based treatment strategy, comprising product that I can evaluate through animal trials on chickens in Iran.

Results:

Nutrient-media dependent antimicrobial effects of Limosilactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus casei against Salmonella Enteritidis Shakeri G., Batman S.G. , Peh E. , Plötz M. , Kittler S., VAAM 2026, 22.3.-25.3.2026, Berlin, Germany (Poster)

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.

Project Details:
Preclinical investigations of the anticonvulsant efficacy range of azetukalner