Research

Funding: Industry (Stable equipment/Animal husbandry supplies), 196.665 EUR

Project Details:
Sensor-based devices are increasingly used to objectify lameness and other gait abnormalities in horses. Recording the ground reaction forces of the hooves is the gold standard but measurements require well equipped facilities and significant effort. With the help of pressure boots, which can be easily attached to the horse's hooves, their pressure on the ground and position during locomotion can be determined. Data will be compared to established kinetic (pressure measuring plate) and kinematic methods (Equinosis Lameness LocatorTM).

Results:

Keller, J., Jung, K., Geburek, F. Equine Lameness Detection and Monitoring with an Instrumented Hoof Boot.

In: Proceedings of the 5th Scientific Meeting of the European College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, ECVSMR; Cordoba, Spain, October 16-18, 2024; in print

 

Geburek, F., Jung, K., Keller, J. Bewegungsanalyse mit instrumentierten Hufschuhen - was ist möglich?

In: Tagungsband des DVG-Vet-Congress 2024 - 7. Internationaler Kongress zur Pferdemedizin / Tagung der DVG-Fachgruppe Pferdekrankheiten, 1.- 2. November 2024, Berlin, Verlag der DVG Service GmbH, Gießen, ISBN 978-3-86345-736-5, S. 44-46

 

Geburek, F. Objective gait analysis with instrumented hoof boots: What is possible?

In: British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress 2025, September 10- 13, 2025, Birmingham, United Kingdom, p. 161

 

Keller, J. Validierung und klinische Anwendung eines mit Druck- und Lagesensoren ausgestatteten Hufschuhs bei Pferden. Dissertation, Tierärztl. Hochsch. Hannover, 2025; Cuvillier Verlag, Göttingen.

 

Geburek, F., Kopf, A.-K., Jung, K., Hassenstein, M., Keller, J. In-vivo validation of an instrumented hoof boot for gait analysis equipped with pressure sensors and an inertial measurement unit.

In: Proceedings of the 71st AAEP Annual Convention, December 6-10, 2025; American Association of Equine Practitioners, Denver, CO, USA, p. 90-91

Project Details:
The objective of this prospective randomised clinical trial is to evaluate the occurrence of post-operative ileus as well as the short- and long-term outcome with the use of two different suture patterns for jejunojejunal anastomosis. Furthermore, histomorphology and several markers for inflammation, cell death, the enteric nervous system and stem cells will be evaluated in intestinal samples taken from the resection margins. In cases necessitating anastomotic revision or euthanasia, this (immuno-)histological examination will also be performed on the anastomosis itself. Determining the expression and distribution of these markers will enable the characterisation of this tissue prior to and following anastomosis and possibly identify causes for post-operative ileus or anastomotic failure.

Funding: MEKUN, 132.092 EUR

Project Details:
Grey seals are increasingly found on both the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts of Schleswig-Holstein, indicating that the number of animals using these waters is continuing to rise.
The increasing populations also increase the urgency of examining these marine mammals for their health status, as it is suspected that they can play a role in the spread of infectious diseases of harbor seals such as distemper, particularly due to their extended migratory behavior. In addition, individual animals with severe disease processes are repeatedly recorded in the Baltic Sea. In both waters, it is particularly important to examine the animals for their health status as carriers of zoonotic diseases, especially as people have been infected with these pathogens through contact with carcasses in the past. Furthermore, potential anthropogenic influences on disease incidence must be investigated in order to protect the seal populations.
With increasing populations, attacks by gray seals on other grey seals, harbor seals and harbor porpoises are also on the rise. This can occur through predation, but also through sexual intercourse with harbor seals as well as juvenile grey seals of both sexes. Negative population effects are possible as well as effects on the health of the marine mammal-eating grey seals, as they hunt at a higher trophic level than their conspecifics, comparable to polar bears or orcas. Initial cases of influenza in both harbor seals and grey seals have shown that seals are susceptible to this virus and need to be studied closely both as a reservoir and as a "spillover" of this potential zoonosis. In addition, anthropogenic activities in the habitat of grey seals continue to increase, which can have various influences not only on the health status but also on the habitat use of the animals.
The aim of this research project is to investigate the health status and causes of death of grey seals that died in the waters of Schleswig-Holstein. The aim is to examine whether the parasitic, viral and microbial load of grey seals, in particular zoonotic pathogens, is changing. For this purpose, the grey seals, which will be recovered in the years 2023 to 2026 and brought to the ITAW for examination, will be completely dissected. Histological, parasitological, virological and microbiological examinations will be carried out. In addition, a comparison will be made with the results from previous years in order to assess the development of the health status.
The development of grey seal populations in the North Sea and Baltic Sea will also be researched and evaluated. As grey seals are highly mobile marine mammals, data will be exchanged with neighboring countries. The Trilateral Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS) and the Trilateral Marine Mammal Expert Group (EGMama), as well as HELCOM's Marine Mammal Health Group for the Baltic Sea region and OSPAR's Marine Mammal Working Group in the North Sea, play a special role here. The results of the investigations are urgently needed for the work on the Marine Protection Framework Directive and the aforementioned agreements.

Project Details:
Flexural deformities are common in foals. Conservative therapy by systemic administration of oxytetracycline (OTC) is often effective, however, it is associated with risks and disadvantages. The aim of the project is to test the potential effect of pharmacological alternatives to OTC on tendon tissue ex vivo.

Results:

Part A) In this study, the influence of substances with potentially similar

mechanisms of action, however without antimicrobial properties, on viability and proliferation of

juvenile myofibroblasts was assessed in vitro. Myofibroblasts from forelimb superficial digital flexor

tendons and accessory ligaments of the deep digital flexor tendon from 6 foals, euthanized for reasons

unrelated to this study, were cultured and characterized. The myofibroblasts were incubated with

oxytetracycline, the MMP-inhibitors incyclinide, ilomastat, aprotinin, pentoxifylline, the lathyrogenic

agent β-aminopropionitrile fumarate and Dulbecco’s modified eagle medium as control. Colorimetric

cell viability (MTS) and crystal violet assays assessed their viability and proliferation capacities. The

morphology and immunohistochemistry profile of the cultured cells was consistent with tendon and

ligament myofibroblasts. All test substances were biocompatible, shown by the absence of significant

differences with cells incubated with medium, demonstrating the absence of cytotoxic or antiproliferative effect on juvenile myofibroblasts in the tested concentrations in this preliminary study.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-00311-z

Funding: VolkswagenStiftung, 700.000 EUR

Project Details:
Avian influenza in humans is associated with pneumonia, inflammation and high case fatality rates. We identified CYP19A1 as a key gene involved in sex-specific lung inflammation in SARS-CoV-2 infected hamsters and humans. CYP19A encodes for the aromatase enzyme that converts testosterone-to-estradiol leading to the activation of various estrogen-regulated pathways associated with lung inflammation. Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infected hamsters with letrozole, a clinically approved CYP19A1 aromatase inhibitor, recovered impaired lung function and overall lung health in males. We further found that also avian H7N9 influenza virus infection mediates massive upregulation of CYP19A1 in the lung of infected animals. Thus, we hypothesize that estrogen-regulated activation of inflammatory pathways in the lung play a crucial role in severe viral disease outcome. Therefore, in this proposal, we will systemically evaluate the impact of compounds that inhibit the synthesis of estrogens (using aromatase inhibitors) or interfere with estrogen-regulated down-stream pathways (using estrogen antagonists, SERMs, SERDs) against avian influenza in the hamster model. Obtained data will provide new insights into estrogen-mediated inflammatory pathways upon infection with respiratory viruses. Moreover, identification of common pathways might result in overarching drug targets to treat inflammatory lung diseases in general.

Cooperation Partners:

Evotec

Funding: Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung (BLE), 400.880 EUR

Project Details:
The future region "TiPP" has the aim of optimising transparency and traceability in a regionally established value chain pig via digital strategies from farm to fork. The focus of the practical trials is the use of Self Sovereign Identity (SSI) with its concepts and technologies (DLT, blockchain), which is completely unexplored in farm animals. For testing and the later derivation of transparency indices for consumers, animal, farm and process data are collected along the entire pig value chain in sub-projects that address current transparency-relevant areas such as data management, application of sensors, animal health, animal welfare, climate efficiency, sustainability and consumer behaviour.

Cooperation Partners:

Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachsen

Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

OFFIS e.V.

Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

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: Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr , 730.000 EUR

Project Details:
Local hospitals are generally very well supplied with sufficient quantities of erythrocytes and platelets via blood banks. However, in remote areas or war zones, the necessary infrastructure is often lacking and blood transfusions are often carried out using untested blood donations. In order to improve the storage of blood products for such situations, we are investigating the preservation of blood products through cryopreservation and lyophilization as part of the Bundeswehr's Hemoforce project.

Funding: Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), 3.000.000 EUR

Project Details:
In a wide range of injuries and medical procedures, erythrocytes or platelets from voluntary donors must be transfused into patients. When donated blood arrives at a processing center, erythrocytes are separated from platelets. Erythrocytes can be stored in protective solutions at 4 °C for up to four weeks as packed red blood cell units, whereas platelets are sensitive to cold and must be stored at room temperature. Because of this relatively high storage temperature, platelet concentrates must be discarded after 5-7 days. Under normal circumstances, blood banks in high-income countries are able to supply local hospitals very well with sufficient quantities of blood products (erythrocytes and platelets). However, in remote regions or war zones, the necessary infrastructure for a properly functioning blood bank is generally lacking, and blood transfusions are often performed using untested blood obtained from local donors. Military blood services worldwide have repeatedly identified the storage of blood products as a top priority. For long-term storage, cryopreservation can be used. However, the use of cryopreserved blood units requires a time-consuming washing process to carefully remove toxic cryoprotectants prior to transfusion. In addition, cryopreservation requires expensive, space- and energy-intensive equipment with specialized freezing systems to carefully maintain low temperatures during storage and transport in order to preserve the biological activity of the cells. Storing erythrocytes or platelets in a dried state offers the possibility of preserving the cells for long periods under conditions that are far easier to maintain (i.e., room temperature), thereby enabling transport to locations with immediate need. Here, we propose developing methods for the dry preservation of erythrocyte and platelet transfusion units that can be used directly after a simple rehydration step, for example in a war zone or military hospital.

Cooperation Partners:

Rainer Blasczyk, Constanca Figueiredo - Hannover Medical School

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