Research

Funding: DFG, 255.550 EUR

Project Details:
Bovine Viral Diarrhea/ Mucosal Disease (BVD/ MD) is an economically important notifiable disease of cattle. The causative agent, BVD virus (BVDV), is a plus strand RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae, genus Pestivirus. BVDV is known to enter oronasally and through the respiratory tract, from where it spreads to various organs and tissues. The initial stage of infection is poorly understood. In the context of preliminary work it was shown that non-differentiated polarized respiratory epithelial cells are highly susceptible to apical and basolateral infection with BVDV, but virus release occurs only via the apical side of the cells. Thus, it remains unknown how pestiviruses cross the barrier of the airway epithelium. However, it is well established that BVDV and other pestiviruses have a strong tropism for immune cells. Therefore, an important goal of this project is to explore the pathway by which BVDV crosses the barrier of the respiratory epithelium and spreads from there to immune cells.
In the first part of the project, the infection of airway epithelial cells (tracheal/bronchial epithelial cells) will be investigated. Two cell culture systems established at the Institute of Virology are available for the analysis of end-differentiated cells: Air-liquid-interface (ALI) cultures and precision lung slices (PCLS). Subsequently, cells that have not yet completed differentiation or cells that are in the regeneration phase after epithelial injury will be examined. Finally, we will analyze whether BVDV can overcome the epithelial barrier in a paracellular manner by exploiting leaky junctions between cells. To find out whether the different infection characteristics in the different culture systems and under the various infection conditions depending on the degree of differentiation can be correlated or explained with the presence of the cellular receptor, the expression of the receptor for BVDV, CD46, will be analyzed. For the detection of CD46 a monoclonal antibody is available, which was produced at the Institute of Virology. Another focus will be studies on the infection of macrophages. Co-cultures of macrophages and airway epithelial cells will be established to find out whether macrophage infection can be used to overcome the epithelial barrier.
Other interesting perspectives for future projects include the role of cellular innate immunity for respiratory epithelial infection with BVDV, and viral-viral or viral-bacterial co-infections.

Funding: Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, 51.831 EUR

Project Details:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global challenge worldwide, and generally results from consumption of antimicrobials. Antimicrobial use (AMU) in animal production is part of these processes and has been recognized as a source of global burden of AMR. Surveillance of veterinary AMU and AMR and its reduction is one of the strategic objectives of many regional and global initiatives on antimicrobial resistance crisis. Since, the resistance to critically important antimicrobials like colistin, particularly due to mobile colistin resistance gene (mcr-1), has already been reported in Pakistan from commercial broilers, wild birds and human. Therefore, data on antimicrobial usage and its association with resistance should be prioritized in food animals. Although Pakistan?s National Action Plan on AMR urged to monitor and reduce antimicrobials use and resistance in animals, little effort has been done to curb AMR in food animals. The objective of this project is to quantify AMU in commercial broiler farms in Pakistan and its association with the emergence of AMR in commensal E. coli isolates from broilers. The proposed study will fill the important knowledge gap on the AMU of critical importance antimicrobials in broilers farming, phenotypic antibiotic resistance and genomic characteristics of multidrug resistant E. coli using next generation sequencing approach. The association between AMU and AMR will be determined using statistical approaches. Our work will be an important contribution toward understanding the interplay between AMU and AMR at farms-level in Pakistan and other low- and middle-income countries with comparable farming practices.
This project comes under One-Health remit on antimicrobial resistance and aligns perfectly with the work at University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover which has been also designated as the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training for Health at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface.

Results:

Umair M, Mohsin M, Sönksen UW, Walsh TR, Kreienbrock L, Laxminarayan R. Meas-uring Antimicrobial Use Needs Global Harmonization. Glob Chall. 2021 Jun 10;5(10):2100017. doi: 10.1002/gch2.202100017.

 

Mohsin M, Farooq U, Hartmann M, Brogden S, Kreienbrock L, Stoffregen J. Case Study: Using a Shared International Database to Document Veterinary Consumption of Antibiotics in Pakistan. Antibiotics (Basel). 2023 Feb 15;12(2):394. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics12020394.

Cooperation Partners:

Institute of Microbiology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan

Funding: EIP_Agri, ELER_Fonds Hier investiert Europa in die ländlichen Gebiete mit der Maßnahme: Europäische Innovationspartnerschaft Mit dieser Maßnahme wird die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Landwirtschaft, Ernährungswirtschaft und Wissenschaft unterstützt. Ziel ist die Durchführung von Projekten, die zu Innovationen und einer Stärkung der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit in der Landwirtschaft führen., 482.195 EUR

Project Details:
The project "DEALS- Decontamination with alternative methods as a hurdle concept on carcasses and cuts of pork, broiler and turkey" investigates the combined application of several innovative decontamination methods in connection with meat production. The aim is to reduce the number of carcasses to be discarded (resource conservation) and to improve or ensure the food safety of the meat (consumer protection). For this purpose, plasma water as well as UV-C treatment, the application of starter cultures and the newer application of plasma water in the form of EWNS (engineeres water nano structures) are to be used. Step by step these decontamination methods will be applied in vitro on pure cultures of relevant microorganisms, on carcass surfaces of pigs, broilers and turkeys, and finally on meat cuts. Within the project, a prototype for the combined application of the methods is to be developed in cooperation with the HAWK, which has already proven itself in another EiP project. The close exchange with the OG partners from the downstream primary production (slaughterhouses) is particularly essential for the practical implementation of the ideas.

Cooperation Partners:

HAWK- Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst Hildesheim. Göttingen, Holzminden;

Schlachtbetrieb Mario Klos;

Lohmann & Co.AG

Funding: EU, 215.581 EUR

Project Details:
The project is carried out at DIL e.V., Quakenbrück.
The DIL leads the work package that focuses on optimising and up-scaling ultrasound (US). Firstly, an extensive literature review on microbial decontamination by US in food and model systems was conducted. It was found that manothermosonication (MTS), a technology that combines mild thermal treatment, elevated pressure, and sonication, is the most promising approach and a potential alternative to traditional thermal pasteurisation of liquid whole egg. Consequently, the DIL developed an MTS prototype that can be used for experimental work with Salmonella Enteritidis. The results showed that MTS can provide the same level of food safety as conventional pasteurisation but with a lower thermal load, suggesting potential food quality benefits confirmed by work on physico-chemical, functional, and protein properties. In addition, sustainability studies using the life cycle analysis (LCA) methodology revealed a lower energy demand in MTS pasteurisation. As a final part of the project, a computational fluid dynamics simulation will be performed to design industrial MTS treatments for continuous application.

Cooperation Partners:

External cooperation partners:

Wageningen University, L-Università ta' Malta,

University of Reading,

Elea Vertriebs- und Vermarktungsgesellschaft mbH,

Leibniz Institut für Plasmaforschung und Technologie e.V.,

Sociedade de Estudos de Analise Sensorial a Produtos Alimentares,

Stichting Wageningen Research,

Hyperbaric,

Arla Foods,

Unilever Research and Development Vlaardingen BV,

Koninklijke Euroma BV,

Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

Funding: BMEL, ERA-NET, 117.043 EUR

Project Details:
The project is carried out on DIL e.V., Quakenbrück.
With CLIMAQUA an innovative process for the conversion and recycling of aquaculture side streams to feed based on A. platensis is created, which in turn can be used in aquaculture. The aim is to significantly reduce the high greenhouse gas emissions from aquaculture, especially for feed production, by integrating A. platensis into biomass / feed production. Geographical and site-specific features (temperature, length of daylight, etc.) are taken into account in order to obtain an almost completely digestible algae-based feed for salmon and catfish farming and thereby establish a circulatory system that is economically and ecologically sound. In addition, CLIMAQUA examines climate change-related aspects of aquaculture in two regions of the world: The use of innovative technologies in aquaculture is adapted to the climatic conditions and promotes the implementation of sustainable and local food systems.

Project Details:
Cognitive dysfunction is characteristic to the prodromal stages of Parkinson´s disease, and more generally to synucleinopathies. We test novel therapeutic options for cognitive dysfunction associated with alpha-synuclein pathology. We base our interest on microRNAs (miRNAs) which are small endogenous RNAs, and will test the hypotheses that specific miRNAs that are downregulated in PD brains are associated with cognitive dysfunction and, when delivered into the diseased brain, can form the basis for miRNA replacement therapy.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Eran Hornstein (Weizmann Institute, Israel); Prof. Achim Aigner (Klinische Pharmakologie, Universität Leipzig)

Funding: Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) of the University Hospital Erlangen

Project Details:
To investigate the impact of chronic colitis on the behavioral phenotype of mice expressing human α-synuclein under the Thy1-promoter(Thy1-αSyn mice), a well-established mouse model for synucleinopathies.

Cooperation Partners:

Dr.med. Patrick Süß, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Winkler (Dept of Molecular Neurology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen)

Funding: Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, 549.540 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of the SOUVER@N project is to promote sovereign digital teaching and learning. This includes
1) the sovereign, i.e. competent and learning goal-oriented use of digital tools on the part of teachers and students (digital literacy) as well as
2) the professional development of high-quality digitally enriched teaching/learning concepts and content, and
3) the digital sovereignty of the universities as institutions strengthened by the network.

Results:

https://www.souveraenes-digitales-lehren-und-lernen.de/home/

Cooperation Partners:

1) Universität Osnabrück

2) Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

3) Leuphana Universität Lüneburg

4) Technische Universität Clausthal

5) Stiftung Universität Hildesheim

6) Universität Vechta

7) Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

8) ELAN e.V. (1. Förderphase August 201 - Juli 2024)

Funding: Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, 1.349.525 EUR

Project Details:
The FERVET project addresses the digital teaching and review of mandatory clinical-practical skills in veterinary medicine studies and pursues three aims:
1. the enrichment of face-to-face, hybrid and virtual teaching through the development of simulators, the provision of digital teaching material, the development of a Virtual Learning Lab, the expansion of video production and the implementation of video annotations.
2. the further development and evaluation of existing formative and summative e-examination formats
3. the anchoring of the innovative measures in the university structures

Funding: EU, 955.230 EUR

Project Details:
It is widely recognised that noise entering the underwater environment from shipping and other human activities can disturb and harm aquatic animals. Studies have already shown these disturbance effects, while other research has suggested ways to reduce some of the noise generated by shipping. However, there are still gaps in our knowledge and understanding of how underwater noise can affect individual animals and entire populations.

This is now set to change with the SATURN consortium, which for the first time brings together leading European experts in bioacoustics, veterinary medicine, population biology, plus naval architecture and engineering in an EU-funded project. Key issues include:
- Identifying sounds that are most harmful to aquatic species and how they are generated and propagated;
- What are the short-term and cumulative long-term negative effects of noise from ships and boats on aquatic species in rivers and the sea;
- What are the most promising options for measuring and reducing the negative impacts of ship noise that can be applied to current and future ships.

Prof. Prof. h. c. Dr. Ursula Siebert, Director of the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research at the TiHo, is the leader of the biological working group in this consortium, which investigates the influence of underwater noise on the behaviour, health and energy balance of aquatic organisms. Another important aspect supported by ITAW is public relations and communication.

Results:

Paper

"Unsealing behaviour: Variation in harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) responses to anthropogenic sound in relation to individual health"

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X25002528?via%3Dihub