Research

Funding: DFG, 535.000 EUR

Project Details:
When dry preservation of gametes and/or genetic material were possible without loss of fertilizing potential, this can be implemented for securing genetic resources and would transform biobank facilities and the breeding industry. This would facilitate low-cost room temperature storage easing off-the-shelf availability and transport. Moreover, dry preservation methods for biologics can be implemented in underdeveloped countries, remote locations, and non-laboratory settings. Without taking protective measures, biomolecules in mammalian cells are subject to (irreversible) conformational changes during drying and specimens are prone to chemical degradation during storage, impairing their functions. Numerous attempts have been pursued to preserve cell viability and functionality in the dried state, mostly inspired by nature’s way to survive drying in a state of suspended animation referred to as anhydrobiosis. However, only limited successes have been reported in keeping ordinary mammalian cells viable after drying and subsequent rehydration. Attempts focused on the introduction of specific disaccharides (i.e., trehalose, sucrose), stress proteins, and membrane modification strategies, which play a role in acquiring desiccation tolerance in nature. However, the complex orchestrated cellular adaptation mechanisms of anhydrobiotic organisms are not likely to be mimicked in cells that are not naturally resistant to dehydration. Dried mammalian cells may retain their structure and specific functional properties. For example, dried sperm and somatic cells can be injected into (enucleated) oocytes for the production of offspring. However, under ambient conditions, biomolecules in dried cells are susceptible to rapid degradation during storage. Major factors impairing storage stability of biomolecular structures in a dried cellular environment are the presence of reactive molecules, environmental conditions, and inherent susceptibility for damage (e.g., degree of lipid saturation and chromatin condensation). We propose a different approach for long-term room temperature preservation of genetic resources; not focusing on recovering fully functional cells but by generating ‘artificial’ cell-like nuclei-containing structures. We plan to do this by (1) making ‘ghost cells’ from sperm to remove damaging reactive molecules normally present in the cells, while keeping organelles and cytoskeletal elements inside, and (2) by making demembranated sperm encapsulated in giant liposomes. In both cases, damaging reactive molecules in cells are removed, while protective molecules can be easily introduced.

Funding: UBA, 156.832 EUR

Project Details:
Because they occupy the top of the food chain, apex predators such as birds of prey, otters, seals, and porpoises serve as useful indicators of pollutants in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments. When combined with data from selected prey species (e.g., fish), data from chemical monitoring of top predators can provide useful quantitative information on the persistence and bioaccumulation of chemical substances throughout the food web. A number of these chemical substances are classified as persistent, mobile, or bioaccumulative and toxic substances (PMT, PBT substances), very persistent, very bioaccumulative, and very mobile substances (vPvB/vPvM substances), as well as endocrine disruptors (EDs).
The "Beyond Life Apex" project will investigate the contamination of food chains by top predators in order to determine the presence of substances and their co-exposure in Germany, as well as the potential adverse health effects of selected contaminants. The project will provide new insights into the exposure of organisms at various trophic levels, the degree of biomagnification in terrestrial and aquatic food chains, priority substances for further regulatory assessments, the adverse effects of chemical pollutants on top predators, and the causes of these effects. This project is being carried out as a collaboration between the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin, and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH (UFZ) in Leipzig, and is funded by the Federal Environment Agency.

Cooperation Partners:

Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ)

Leibniz-Institut für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung (IZW)

Project Details:
The aim of this project is the development and adaptation of AI-based methods for automated annotation and functional interpretation of single-cell sequencing data in mammals. The focus is on adapting transformer-based models to multi-species datasets from livestock and model organisms. By integrating single-cell transcriptomic data, robust models for cell type annotation, state classification, and regulatory effect prediction will be established. The developed approaches will be applied to tissues with growth-related processes to identify functional cell populations and regulatory patterns using AI. The objective is to provide scalable tools for comparative functional genomics at single-cell resolution in mammals.

Project Details:
The aim of this follow-up project is to investigate the contribution of structural genomic variation to the genetic architecture of growth in the pig model. The focus is on the identification and characterization of structural variants using long-read sequencing and their regulatory effects in non-coding genomic regions. Analyses of animals with divergent growth phenotypes will be used to detect growth-associated structural variants and selection signatures. These variants will be evaluated with respect to their location in regulatory sequences, putative enhancers, and chromatin domains, and linked to gene expression data from growth plate tissue. The objective is to identify functionally relevant non-coding variation affecting growth-regulatory processes.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Tim Kacprowski, Leiter Abteilung Data Science in Biomedicine, Peter L. Reichertz Institut für Medizinische Informatik der TU Braunschweig und der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover

Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur (MWK) ZERN - Zukunft Ernährung Niedersachsen, 30.000 EUR

Project Details:
The project is carried out on DIL e.V., Quakenbrück.
The project "HIDDEN PEATENTIAL! - Exploring the Hidden Potential of Plant-Based Proteins" aims to communicate scientifically sound knowledge on sustainable nutrition and alternative protein sources, with a particular focus on plant-based proteins derived from legumes such as peas.
Using a Citizen Lab outreach format, two interactive public events will be held in pedestrian zones in Osnabrück and Quakenbrück. Through tastings, hands-on experiments, playful learning formats and direct dialogue with scientists, citizens are invited to engage with topics such as sensory properties of plant proteins, amino acid composition, techno-functional characteristics (e.g. foaming properties of aquafaba), and environmental impacts of different protein sources.
The project contributes to public science communication within the ZERN network and serves as a pilot for transferable outreach formats supporting informed and reflective decision-making in the field of sustainable nutrition.

Cooperation Partners:

Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik (DIL), Quakenbrück, Abteilung Biochemie der Ernährung;

Universität Osnabrück

Funding: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE) im Rahmen der Industriellen Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF) aufgrund eines Beschlusses des Deutschen Bundestages, 524.935 EUR

Project Details:
The "SweetGut" project investigates the effects of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) on the human gut microbiome, intestinal barrier function and inflammation-related processes. Both individual sweeteners and commonly used combinations in sweetened dairy products are examined.
Using in vitro cell models and ex vivo fecal models, potential adverse physiological effects such as microbial dysbiosis and proinflammatory responses are analyzed. In addition, the project evaluates whether functional oligosaccharides (e.g. inulin, GOS, FOS) can mitigate or compensate for these effects.
The overall aim is to provide a scientific basis for safe, health-oriented reformulation of sugar-reduced dairy products and to support consumer protection.

Cooperation Partners:

Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik (DIL), Quakenbrück, Abteilung Biochemie der Ernährung; Abteilung Biotechnologie

Max-Rubner-Institut (MRI), Bundesforschungsinstitut für Ernährung und Lebensmittel, Institut für Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Kiel

Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur (MWK) ZERN - Zukunft Ernährung Niedersachsen, 365.144 EUR

Project Details:
This project is carried out at DIL e.V., Quakenbrück.

The project provides evidence-based insights into the sensory quality, microbiological safety and potential health effects of raw milk kefir. The results identify conditions under which raw milk kefir can be a viable option for regional direct marketing. A practical guideline supports dairy farms in quality-assured production and marketing.

Cooperation Partners:

Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik (DIL), Quakenbrück, Abteilung Biochemie der Ernährung

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Fakultät für Agrarwissenschaften, Labor für sensorische Analysen und Konsumentenforschung, Department für Agrarökonomie und Rurale Entwicklung

Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz, 7.500 EUR

Project Details:
The objectives of the project include determining the level of genetic diversity, the genetically effective population sizes, and the extent of gene flow, as well as the association between microsatellites and SNPs.

Cooperation Partners:

Kooperation zwischen der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (GAUG, Abteilung Wildtierwissenschaften), der Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (JLU, Arbeitskreis Wildbiologie, AG Reiner) und der Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover (ITAW, Institut für Terrestrische und Aquatische Wildtierforschung) sowie dem Landesjagdverband Niedersachsen (LJN)

Funding: DFG (VIPER GRK)

Project Details:
Hypothesis:
Viral genomic sequences obtained from archived canine formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue of the central nervous system and will allow establishing a cause-consequence relationship between the detected known and unknown viral pathogen and pathological findings.
Aim and objectives:
The general aim of the project is further identify the viral cause of canine diseases of the central nervous system.
-By using conventional histology and immunochistochemistry of archived tissues from the last 6 decades to identify cases of non-supprative encephalitis of unknown origin
-Suspected virus infection will be further substantiated by applying double-stranded RNA or selected interferon stimulated genes specific antibodies and a probe specific for interferon β.
-Followed by ribonucleic acid extraction from the selected FFPE tissues, RT-qPCR using pan-genus primer and/or NGS. Alignment to reference genomes available in databases will be used to detect known viral pathogens and related unknown viruses
-Investigation of the pathogenesis of the discovered virus by studying cell tropism and the distribution of the virus in the host organism using in situ hybridization for the distribution of the pathogen

Cooperation Partners:

Institut für Virusdiagnostik, Friedrich Löffler Institut

Funding: DFG, 502.000 EUR

Project Details:
This project focuses on advancing our understanding of the human enteric nervous system (ENS), specifically the myenteric plexus, which plays a crucial role in regulating gastrointestinal motility. The ENS is often compared to an external hard disk controlling gastrointestinal functions and operating autonomously from the brain. Our literature research emphasizes the need for human-specific data, due to limitations in extrapolating findings from animal models to humans, as demonstrated by species-specific differences in neurotransmitter effects and signalling pathways.
The present study proposes comprehensive research methods involving human intestinal (colonic) tissue sampling and preparation, neuroimaging with voltage and calcium-sensitive dyes, in vitro motility experiments in organ bath, and immunohistochemistry. Our aim is to bridge the gap in knowledge regarding the functional properties and connectivity of human myenteric neurons. The experimental design involves investigating neuronal activation, neurotransmitter responses, and synaptic communication within the human colonic myenteric plexus. Additionally, the study aims to characterize and identify mechanosensitive enteric neurons, to perform immunohistochemistry for phenotypic analysis, and to study spontaneous and nerve-mediated intestinal motility and its pharmacology. The project also aims to explore the influence of extrinsic afferents on intestinal motility. Furthermore, the project plans to assess the impact of patient characteristics especially in relation to age, sex, and body mass index on the neuronal count and motility data.
In summary, the research project strives to provide a comprehensive understanding of the human colonic myenteric plexus, contributing valuable insights into the pathophysiology of functional gastrointestinal disorders and potentially paving the way for targeted therapeutic interventions.