Research

Funding: Ministerium für Landwirtschaft, Ländliche Räume, Europa und Verbraucherschutz (MLLEV), 37.245 EUR

Project Details:
Seals are the most common marine mammal species in Schleswig-Holstein and therefore cause the majority of calls for seal hunters. In addition, in the past the seal population has been frequently affected by infectious diseases such as phocine distemper, influenza, brucellosis, and erysipelas, some of which have led to mass mortalities among the seal population or are of zoonotic relevance. To support the work of seal hunters with current research results, the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) of University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo) Foundation plans to continue the long-established investigation and monitoring of zoonotic and infectious diseases in the seal population of Schleswig-Holstein, their influence on the health status and the possible causes of death of the animals. Furthermore, other diseases and changes, especially those caused by anthropogenic influence, are recorded.
The research project investigates pathologic changes associated with infectious agents, with a special focus on zoonotic diseases. Given the ongoing avian influenza epidemic on the coasts of Schleswig-Holstein, the detection of serotype H5N8 in acutely deceased seals in 2021, as well as the interactions with other animals, the virologicinvestigations will be continued and also the importance of bacterial and parasitic pathogens will be evaluated. In addition, a possible increase in infectious diseases in harbor seals will also be evaluated in regard to increasing human activities.
The scientific knowledge gained is directly incorporated into the work of the seal hunters, who are trained in detection of infectious diseases and handling of marine mammals. The development and review of hygienic measures, theoretic knowledge about infectious diseases and documentation materials play an important role. A regionally representative number of seals will be selected from those recovered by the seal hunters and forwarded to the ITAW. Furthermore, any abnormalities reported by the seal hunters will be acted upon immediately. Scientific exchange with the seal hunters will take place throughout duration of the research project. The investigations include complete postmortem examinations of seals shot by seal hunters and further microbiologic examinations to reveal infectious agents.

Results:

Untersuchungen zum Gesundheitszustand von Seehunden in Schleswig-Holstein im Jahr 2023

Bericht an das Ministerium für Energiewende, Klimaschutz, Umwelt und Natur des Landes Schleswig-Holstein, das Ministerium für Landwirtschaft, ländliche Räume, Europa und Verbraucherschutz des Landes Schleswig-Holstein und den Landesbetrieb für Küstenschutz, Nationalpark und Meeresschutz Schleswig-Holstein

https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/fachinhalte/A/artenschutz/Downloads/seehundbericht2023.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=2

Funding: University Aarhus, 81.682 EUR

Project Details:
The Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research supports the University of Aarhus in the implementation and planning of an aerial surveys to estimate abundance of harbour porpoises in the Danish North Sea in the summer of 2023. In June-July 2023, ITAW supports with the selection of survey blocks and the transect design of the surveys to achieve the most complete coverage of the Danish North Sea. ITAW will collect data in five of the seven survey strata in the Danish North Sea in August 2023, and ITAW will analyzing the data to obtain abundance estimates of harbour porpoises. A Partenavia 68 twin-engine aircraft is used as the observation platform. Flight speed during data collection will be 90-100 kn (167-186 km/h) at an altitude of 600 feet (183 m). The study areas are to be covered on one flight day each under predominantly good sighting conditions.

Results:

Jens Würgler Hansen, Christian Lønborg & Signe Høgslund (red.) Videnskabelig rapport fra DCE - Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi. MARINE OMRÅDER 2023, NOVANA

https://dce.au.dk/fileadmin/dce.au.dk/Udgivelser/Videnskabelige_rapporter_600-699/SR632.pdf

Funding: Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, 50.127 EUR

Project Details:
Co-infection study of viral or bacterial infectious agents
infectious agents with SARS-CoV-2 infection in a mouse model

Funding: HZI, 17.149 EUR

Project Details:
SARS-CoV-2 infection in 20-month-old mice

Funding: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), 27.998 EUR

Project Details:
Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health problem worldwide and particular a challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In order to combat antibiotic resistance, it is necessary to address this in line with the One Health approach.
The aim of the project is to develop a harmonized protocol for monitoring data on antibiotic resistance in an integrated One Health approach for humans, animals and the environment and to link the data from all three One Health areas directly with each other. Furthermore, the transmission pathways of antibiotic resistance or resistance genes are to be evaluated in order to be able to take measures against the transmission and development of resistance. Support for the development of international collaboration with cooperation partners from sub-Saharan Africa served to expand cooperation through on-site visits, discussions on currently used protocols and the identification of potential challenges.

Cooperation Partners:

- Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

- Department of Disease Control & Environmental Health, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda

Funding: Niedersächsischen Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur , 50.000 EUR

Project Details:
Veterinarians and their employees have a relatively high risk of accidents at work, whether in the clinic, in the diagnostic laboratory or in research. Occupational accident and illness risks in the workplace can be reduced through systematic prevention. Only those who know the specific risks and exposures can minimize them. Safety and health during studies, and later at work in the long term, are the areas that everything should revolve around here. Experience has shown that occupational safety and infection prevention are not the most popular topics and are often only considered relevant once a risk factor has been acutely identified or an accident has already occurred.
The aim of this project is to generate a game-based and collaborative course that uses interactive and digital elements as well as a workshop-based face-to-face event to convey the topic of active occupational safety using memorable practical examples and thus accompany the participants throughout their studies. The aim is to create a profound understanding with long-lasting learning success.

Funding: TU München, 158.232 EUR

Project Details:
We hypothesize that the stabilization of the vascular system by low-dose ligands to activate the integrin αvβ3 should have beneficial effects on COVID-19 infected patients. We here investigate the effects of the synthetic ligand cylengitide and 29P for integrin αvβ3 in an animal model of SARS-CoV-2 infected hamsters in which the destruction of the vascular system in association with formation of neutrophil extracellular traps has previously been documented.

Funding: MWK, 22.000 EUR

Project Details:
The importance of the highly conserved protein Nsp15 for the infection of cells by coronaviruses has been studied in detail in recent years. As an endonuclease, it rapidly recognizes and degrades both single-stranded (ssRNA) and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). In addition, evidence from animal models suggests immunomodulatory properties of Nsp15 during early viral infection, leading to a delayed immune response. This process is ultimately involved in the development of acute respiratory failure, which is the main cause of COVID-19 mortality. As part of this funding program, we plan to develop new inhibitors of this protein through structure-guided design. Promising compounds will be characterized with respect to their ADME and physicochemical properties in order to obtain orally bioavailable compounds for the treatment of future viral pandemics.

Results:

https://www.umg.eu/forschung/corona/cofoni/

Funding: MWK, 220.890 EUR

Project Details:
CRISPR/Cas13-mediated antiviral therapy against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants: a novel technology to target viral genome

Results:

https://www.umg.eu/forschung/corona/cofoni/

Funding: Frauenhofer ITEM, 278.466 EUR

Project Details:
Frauenhofer ITEM-Therapeutic treatment against SARS-CoV-2 with inhaled VHH from BiondVax - Efficacy program in hamsters