Research

Funding: DFG- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, 456.829 EUR

Project Details:
PREGROW-project aims to provide a single nuclei transcriptional profile of the pituitary and its downstream targets in miniature-sized and larger-sized pigs as a model for prepubescent growth control. This approach is meant to meet a big challenge we encounter in research work on growth: Body size is a whole-organism phenotype with many different tissues involved, and the variant effects are expected to be complex. For this reason, PREGROW aims at studying the genetic landscape of growth-axis-related tissues in the pig, providing a genetic resource for deciphering mechanisms of gene interplay, and underlying variant effects. The objective is to perform a functional trait-cell type enrichment for previously identified genome-wide associated growth and height loci obtained from GWAS by assigning them to cell types identified in gene expression data on single nuclei level. The project aims at identifying those genes, which are differential in large versus miniature pigs, and can thereby be considered as important fine-regulators of prepubescent growth in pigs, in addition to the known hormonal axis regulation by growth hormone/IGF.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Malte Spielmann, Universität zu Lübeck

Funding: Landesbetrieb für Küstenschutz, Nationalpark und Meeresschutz Schleswig-Holstein, 49.580 EUR

Project Details:
The ITAW has been conducting research on marine mammals for more than 30 years and, with over 50 employees at the institute in Büsum, has sufficient highly qualified professionels on hand. The aim of the scientists is to investigate the ecology and physiology of marine mammals and to assess the impacts of humans on the animals, their health and their population.
In the project "Monitoring of marine mammal strandings", all reporting forms completed by the seal hunters are digitized and transferred to a database. This reporting forms are filled in by the seal hunters of Schleswig-Holstein for every stranded marine mammal, both for stranded sick or dead animals, and contain information on stranding date, location, species and condition of the animal/carcass. This data is summarized and evaluated annually in order to investigate trends in stranding numbers for the three resident marine mammal species and to assess the possible causes for the stranding. Furthermore, the data is regularly cross-referenced with the data from the cases investigated at the ITAW. This enables a more comprehensive and objective assessment of the situation of the native marine mammal population. In addition, more complex scientific evaluations can be carried out than before and the resulting findings can be used directly by the responsible authorities for the further development of existing management plans.

Funding: Landesbetrieb für Küstenschutz, Nationalpark und Meeresschutz Schleswig-Holstein, Tönning, 83.205 EUR

Project Details:
As part of the seal live monitoring program, harbour seals and other seal species are caught with nets in the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea. In addition to staff from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, this campaign is carried out with the help of experienced staff from the State Office for Coastal and Nature Conservation, seal hunters and other helpers. The seals are measured (including blubber thickness via ultrasound) and weighed. Blood, hair and faecal samples as well as swabs for bacteriology and virology are taken. Based on the samples, blood counts are drawn up and blood chemistry, cytology, microbiology, virology and serology tests are carried out. Furthermore, tests for heavy metals (hair and blood) and persistent organic pollutants are performed.In addition, parasitological examinations for the detection and species identification of parasites as well as cytological and pathological processing of changes in the animal body are done. If grey seals are caught during the seal catches, the named examinations will also be carried out on them.
The examinations are carried out in cooperation with the Institute of Virology and the Institute of Pathology at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, the Institute of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases at the Justus Liebig University Giessen, the Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS) of the University of Liege (Belgium) and the department of Ecological Chemistry of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH (UFZ) Leipzig. In addition to these investigations, seals are also equipped with telemetry devices as part of other research projects and doctoral theses.

Cooperation Partners:

Institut für Hygiene und Infektionskrankheiten der Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen

Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS) der Universität Liege (Belgien)

Department Ökologische Chemie des Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung GmbH (UFZ) Leipzig

Funding: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung / DLR, 182.810 EUR

Project Details:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat that involves complex, opaque transmission
processes between humans, animals and the environment. The particular role of wildlife and the
environment in the emergence, maintenance, dissemination and transmission of AMR bacteria and AMR genes is widely unknown. In the MARRES project, AMR bacteria from grey and harbour seals of the North and Baltic Sea and of sea water (environmental - eDNA) will be determined to perform a targeted surveillance of these two marine ecosystems. State of the art microbiological techniques, genome and metagenome sequencing will be applied. The evaluation of published human and animal AMR data of the investigated areas as well as on a global scale shall put the obtained results from this almost unexplored field into a One Health context. The approach covers three One Health settings of marine ecosystems as one of the greatest players in Global Health. It promises to provide relevant insight into transmission pathways of AMR bacteria, including pathogens, and of AMR determinants between humans, wildlife and the environment. A database for AMR associated to marine mammals in the Baltic Sea will be established following the FAIR principles. On a longer term, this project should be the starting point to establish a transnational network between experts in the field of AMR and marine biologists in Europe. The implementation of a harmonized AMR surveillance in the marine ecosystem sector will significantly contribute to AMR mitigation strategies and thus to public health.

Cooperation Partners:

Project coordination: Prof. Dr. Christa Ewers, Institute of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany

Dr. Iwona Pawliczka vel Pawlik, University of Gdańsk, Institute of Oceanography, Hel Marine Station, Poland

Prof. Modestas Ruzauskas, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Microbiology and Virology Institute, Lithuania

?ilvinas Kleiva, PhD, Lithuanian Sea Museum, Lithuania

Martin Hölzer, Robert Koch Institute, Germany

Funding: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)/PTJ Jülich, 165.805 EUR

Project Details:
In phase II of CREATE the subproject of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, aims at the identification and the establishment of health indicators for native marine mammal species in order to be able to assess the impacts of increasing anthropogenic activities on marine mammals and the marine ecosystem and to be able to detect them at an early stage. For this purpose, health data is analysed from about three decades, as well as data gained during the project, of native marine mammals from the German North Sea and Baltic Sea. The Knowledge gained in phase I on the spatial and temporal occurrence of bacteria and viruses will be used for more extensive investigations in phase II. The aim is to investigate a possible interaction between the occurrence of pathogenic bacteria and viruses and other infections, such as bacterial/viral co-infections or parasite infestation. It will also be analysed to what extent there is a connection between the determined causes of illness and death and the occurrence of certain pathogens. In this context, factors that are relevant to the population as a whole are of particular interest. The chronology of the data can be used to assess whether there have been changes in the burden on marine mammals over the last 30 years. Finally, the analysed data will be evaluated for their suitability for indicators, especially with regard to anthropogenic effects on marine mammal populations. The identification of such indicators would enable long-term monitoring strategies, promote the development of effective management measures and also feed into international agreements such as HELCOM and OSPAR. In addition, the data developed in the project will be used to create various Knowledge formats for stakeholders and thus communicate the here gained findings to the general public.

Cooperation Partners:

Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven inklusive Helmholtz-Institut für Funktionelle Marine Biodiversität an der Universität Oldenburg

Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

Christian-Albrechts-Universität, Kiel

GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde

Max-Planck-Institut für Marine Mikrobiologie, Bremen

Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung

Leibniz-Zentrum f. Mar. Tropenforschung Bremen

Funding: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung über Projektträger Jülich/Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Rostock, 443.773 EUR

Project Details:
The habitat of marine mammals is strongly characterised by anthropogenic use in the North and Baltic Seas. Marine mammals are sensitive to Stressors such as maritime traffic, offshore wind energy development, pollution and fishing. These activities can lead to habitat degradation for marine mammals, as habitat loss or fragmentation often occurs.
The interdisciplinary and cross-scale end-to-end (E2E) modelling System developed in the first phase of CoastalFutures will be extended in phase II to model the occurrence of marine mammals under different future scenarios. This novel tool now offers the possibility to analyse the effects of climate change and anthropogenic activities on indicator species by generating a virtual environment. For the first time, simulations on the effectiveness of various management measures for the protection and Conservation of marine mammal populations can be carried out in phase II, thus providing Knowledge for action for the implementation of political decisions. The impact of underwater noise on harbour seals as a result of the expansion of offshore wind farms (OWFs) is estimated at population level using a multifactorial assessment. Animal movement models are extended to include aspects of animal physiology so that effects on the energy budget can be integrated, while the effects of other Stressors and management measures are also considered, taking future climate conditions into account. In addition, potential impacts, such as the role of OWFs as artificial reefs and noise impacts on marine mammals, will be analysed and assessed to explore negative and positive effects. This in turn leads to a quantitative assessment of the food and habitat base for marine mammals and the exposure to Stressors in the marine protected areas.

Cooperation Partners:

-Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Institute of Coastal Systems - Analysis and Modeling

-Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Warnemünde

-Technische Universität Braunschweig, Leichtweiß-Institute for Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources

-Thünen-Institut (TI für Seefischerei, TI für Ostseefischerei)

-Leibniz Universität Hannover, Ludwig-Franzius-Institut

-Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven

-Technische Universität Hamburg, Institute of River and Coastal Engineering

Assoziierte Partner:

-Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie

-Deutscher Wetterdienst

-Bundesanstalt für Wasserbau

- Bundesamt für Naturschutz

Funding: UBA, 299.799 EUR

Project Details:
With the melting of the ice in the Arctic, new areas are becoming accessible for shipping routes, seismic oil exploration, extraction of critical raw materials for new technologies (e.g. rare earth elements), and other anthropogenic activities. All these activities have the potential to impact cetaceans.
Studies performed on rats and humans show that different chemicals (including PCBs and heavy metals) can cause hearing loss and/or effects of noise exposure are more pronounced. However, a correlation between hearing loss and high levels of PCBs or heavy metals in cetaceans has not been determined to date.

The aim of this project is to identify and quantify the effects of noise and chemical pollution on hearing in cetaceans in the Arctic. Since cetaceans rely on hearing for all their daily activities, it is crucial to understand how underwater noise and chemical pollution (or the cumulative effects of both stressors) could affect cetacean hearing.
To achieve this we will analyze ears of cetaceans that stranded or were legally harvested including complementary techniques to be able to identify lesions in the ear that are compatible with noise exposure. Samples of blubber and/or liver of the same animals will be analyzed for selected chemical pollutants to determine concentrations of persistent organic pollutants and chemical elements and correlate them with the findings of the ear analyses. If possible, the findings of the PIONEER project will be correlated with comprehensive post-mortem findings of each individual to determine the impact of the overall health status on the specific findings but also how cumulative effects of exposure (i.e. noise and chemical pollution) can affect cetacean health.
The novel approach of PIONEER combining the results of the analysis of hearing structures and concentrations of contaminants in several cetacean species in different countries along the Arctic will increase our understanding on the effects of underwater noise pollution on hearing and chemical pollution on health of wild populations.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Annika Jahnke (Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung - UFZ)

Prof. Krishna Das (Universität Lüttich, ULiege)

Dr. Marianna Pinzone (Universität Lüttich, ULiege, und Norwegisches Polarinstitut)

Project Details:
Wildlife populations in Germany and Europe are declining due to factors like habitat loss, intensive agriculture, and climate change. As more animals are rehabilitated, there is a lack of data on their survival after release. This project aims to monitor the survival and activity of species such as buzzards, sea eagles, and hedgehogs using telemetry and transponder systems to better understand the success and challenges of wildlife rehabilitation.

Cooperation Partners:

Wildtier und Artenschutz Station Sachsenhagen

Max-Planck-Institut für biologische Intelligenz

Funding: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) , 287.753 EUR

Project Details:
Prenatal (in ovo) events have an impact on postnatal life. Prenatal "treatments" may have a positive influence on adaptation to postnatal conditions. The targeted modulation of conditions during in ovo development could be a means for improving productive adaptability relating to growth and thermotolerance. The in ovo development of birds is a valuable model for studying environmental influences on early development and their long-term consequences. This is especially pertinent for myogenesis, where the response mechanisms to environmental influences on cell proliferation and differentiation can be studied. As chicken embryos have no active temperature regulation, a change in incubation temperature directly affects their body temperature. This leads to changes in the kinetics of biochemical processes and, in particular, the kinetics of relevant metabolic enzymes, which are likely associated with activity-dependent muscle and body growth. Our previous study demonstrated the respective effects on energy metabolism of low and high incubation temperatures between ED 7-10 and ED 10-13 immediately after treatment and in adulthood in broilers and identified changes in gene expression underlying the phenotypic responses. We intend to follow up on and answer the questions arising from this earlier study by analysing the effects of increased and decreased incubation temperatures within a specific treatment period (ED 10-13) on various metabolic, biochemical, and histological traits as well as on gene expression and epigenetic changes in day-old broiler and layer chicks. We will consider the one-day-of-age stage as representing the cumulative effect of the in ovo developmental processes. The aim is to uncover functional relationships along the genotype-phenotype map from the genome to the metabolome, via the epigenome and transcriptome, in response to changes in incubation temperature.

Cooperation Partners:

PD Dr. Siriluck Wimmers und Prof. Dr. Klaus Wimmers, Forschungsinstitut für Nutztierbiologie, Dummerstorf

Funding: Fritz-Ahrberg-Stiftung, 70.000 EUR

Project Details:
Consumer behaviour in our society is changing, with vegetarian and vegan diets becoming increasingly popular. This has led to a significant increase in the production of vegetarian and vegan sausage and meat substitutes in Germany. Various products made from plant-based protein sources are now available. With intensified production, however, the importance of food hygiene is also increasing. In terms of consumer health, vegetarian and vegan substitute are required to be of impeccable microbiological quality. Currently, there are no explicit legal specifications for assessing the microbiological parameters of these products. There has also been little scientific research into this topic to date. Only a few studies focus on the microbiological quality of vegan minced meat or other selected vegetarian and vegan meat substitutes. So far, few studies have focused on microbiological growth during the shelf life of these products. A direct comparison with conventional sausage and meat products has not been made.
The initial aim of this project is to obtain an overview of the microbiological composition of commercially available vegetarian and vegan sausage and meat substitutes. In addition, data on the persistence and proliferation of pathogenic germs in these products over the entire shelf life is to be collected. In this way, a foundation can be established for microbiological guidance, warning and critical values as well as for the assessment of the health risk of these products. In particular, differences and similarities in comparison to conventional sausage and meat products will be analysed. Are the plant-based substitutes generally more or less contaminated with germs than conventional products? Which (pathogenic) germs are to be expected in the substitutes? How do survival, persistence and growth rates of selected pathogenic germs in the substitutes compare to conventional sausage and meat products? These key food hygiene aspects will be addressed in this project.