Research

Funding: Roland und Elfriede Schauer-Stiftung, 92.200 EUR

Project Details:
This project focuses on the identification and characterization of glycosylated helminth ligands (protein/lipid) of host C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), in particular Dectin-1, Dectin-2, CLEC12A and DC-SIGN. Further, we plan to investigate how the respective CLR/ligand interactions affect innate responses of host immune cells.

Funding: Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, Projektförderung Freiraum, 144.160 EUR

Project Details:
Entomophagy has traditionally been practised in many regions and is now gaining popularity in Europe. Commercial production reduces the burden on wild populations, ensures safety and quality and generates new streams of income. However, like all other domesticated animals, insects reared in large quantities need oversight to ensure animal welfare and health. This does not happen yet.
The aim of this project is therefor to train students of veterinary and biological sciences to work in this field. As an elective module veterinary students learn how to care for and assess insect rearing, while students of biology learn to how to identify edible insect species. Students will raise their own insect charge and will become a potential advisor for farmers interested in commercial insect rearing.

Funding: BLE/ Unterauftrag FLI, 78.300 EUR

Project Details:
Pig production has grown dramatically worldwide over the last 20 years, leading to increased herd sizes
with weekly production cycles of piglets. In the meantime, the dynamics of infections with swine influenza A
viruses (swIAV) have changed, from epizootic acute respiratory
outbreaks to a self-sustaining infected status of affected herds. Moreover, the genetic and antigenic
diversity of swIAVs in European pig populations has dramatically increased in recent years. Thus, novel
reassortants and antigenic variants have emerged regionally, that can escape control strategies based on
vaccines licensed for use in Europe. The self-sustaining forms of swine influenza (SI) in large holdings
adversely affect animal health and welfare, and prompts the excessive use of antibiotics when swIAV is
associated with other respiratory pathogens in the porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC), resulting in
severe economic losses. There is an urgent need to increase knowledge of within-herd virus dynamics and
evolution in order to design intervention and prevention measures to limit swIAV persistence in intensive
herds and counteract continuous production losses and emergence of new swIAVs.The objectives of the
research project PIGIE are:
- to define the epidemiological and economic factors that drive the prevalence and dynamics of swIAV in
large pig herds,
- to evaluate the impact that swIAV enzootic infections have on animal welfare, production parameters and
economic productivity,
- to study the genetic and antigenic diversity of swIAV in Europe,
- to identify the host-pathogen factors that would foster swIAV evolution,
- to provide a better understanding of long-lasting and protective immunological memory responses
developed in the infected hosts,
- to identify mitigation points in continuously infected herds,
- to implement and evaluate control strategies that would help to counter sustained infections in closed
intensive herds.

Cooperation Partners:

FLI, Riems

Funding: Frauenhofer ITEM, 331.375 EUR

Project Details:
Therapeutic treatment against SARS-CoV-2 with inhaled VHH from BiondVax - Efficacy Program in Hamsters

Funding: DZIF, BMBF, 65.000 EUR

Project Details:
In May 2022, an unprecedented multi-country outbreak of monkeypox affecting Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Australia was recognized. Monkeypox (MPX) is a re-emerging, zoonotic, and potentially life-threatening viral disease caused by monkeypox virus (MPXV), an orthopoxvirus endemic in Central and West Africa. As of June 28th 2022, a total of 4119 confirmed cases have been reported worldwide (ECDC), including 676 confirmed cases in Germany (RKI). This is the first time that chains of human-to-human MPXV transmission are documented without epidemiological links to West or Central Africa. At present, most cases are detected in young men, self-identifying as men who have sex with men, and associated with mild clinical symptoms. However, MPXV may cause severe disease in risk groups of the population (young children, pregnant women, immunosuppressed persons), and a spread of MPX into the general population is to be expected as most of the younger population (<50-60 years of age) lack virus specific immunity because of the end of smallpox vaccination programmes in the 1980ties. Thus there is a risk of an extended period of MPX circulating also outside of Africa, and ongoing efforts in the public health response must interrupt MPX transmission chains and clear MPXV from its new environment as soon as possible. Current countermeasures include the use of a licensed smallpox vaccine (IMVANEX) based on Modified Vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) and a licensed drug against smallpox (Tecovirimat). STIKO recommends vaccination with IMVANEX as post-exposure prophylaxis for contacts of MPX patients and for persons at high risk of exposure.
The aim of this application is to support this counteraction measures against the MPX outbreak by preparing for the development and clinical use of the DZIF MVA-SARS-2-S candidate vector vaccine as bivalent vaccine against MPX and COVID-19 including the establishment of a preclinical model for immunogenicity and efficacy testing.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Dr. Marylyn Addo, UKE Hamburg

Prof. Dr. Gerd Sutter, LMU München

Funding: Verein für Bioökonomieforschung (FBF), 9.600 EUR

Project Details:
The FBF funded project "Influence of stress during rearing management and later eligibility in sperm production" revealed a clear difference in a developed management score and in mean testosterone concentrations between young bulls with good versus poor sperm quality. However, due to a lack of sensitivity, hormone measurements could not be used as adequate diagnostic tests to identify very good or bad bulls with regard to their later performance and performance persistence, neither at an age of four months nor later at the first semen collection.
This more in-depth study is designed to search for better biomarkers using proteomics as non-target approach. Bulls with a very good versus bad performance persistence over two years will be analyzed by mass spectrometry using the plasma samples collected close to the first semen collection during the preliminary project. Data sets of the mass spectrometric measurements with identified peptides will be matched with a bovine protein database to finally name proteins of the plasma samples. Both groups of bulls will be compared with respect to the proteins identified and the amounts of the same.
In order to establish test methods that are as practicable as possible, promising fertility-associated proteins will subsequently be measured in the blood samples from all age classes investigated during bull calf rearing using commercially available ELISA kits. These data will be used to establish reference ranges and thresholds using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Optimally, suitable biomarkers in the blood allow an early preselection of bull calves that are eligible for the collection of quantitatively and qualitatively good semen.

Cooperation Partners:

Institut für Toxikologie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

Funding: University of St Andrews, 212.000 EUR

Project Details:
The European Atlantic is changing rapidly, and it is essential that neighbouring countries have access to up-to-date robust information on the status of key species and populations so that future monitoring and management can be directed effectively and efficiently to achieve and maintain favourable conservation status of species and good environmental status of European Atlantic waters. The "Small Cetaceans in European Atlantic waters and the North Sea (SCANS)" survey is being planned for summer 2022. The objective of SCANS-IV is to estimate the abundance of cetacean species in shelf and oceanic waters of the European Atlantic through a large-scale multinational aerial and shipboard survey in July 2022. This is the most appropriate survey month because of the higher probability of good sighting conditions, and also to ensure that results are comparable with those from SCANS surveys conducted in 1994, 2005/2007 and 2016 (Hammond et al. 2002, 2013, 2021). Thus, this project will represent the fourth survey in the SCANS series. SCANS-IV will deliver regionally coordinated synoptic surveys in shelf and offshore waters of the European Atlantic. It will generate robust abundance estimates for regularly occurring whale and dolphin species and improve power to detect trends in shelf and offshore species. The outputs of the project are timely for EU Member States obligations for reporting under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD Article 8: due 2024) and the next reporting round under the Habitats Directive (Article 17: 2019 - 2024) (where applicable) and allow OSPAR/HELCOM assessments. The estimates are also needed for impact assessments of offshore industries and fisheries.
The project will be achieved through the successful completion of six work packages. The first two WPs (WP1 & WP2) focus on collecting data on cetacean abundance and distribution through implementation of aerial surveys on the continental shelf and shipboard surveys in offshore waters. The data will be analysed in WP3 to generate abundance estimates, trends and perform spatio-temporal habitat modelling. WP4 will consider the long-term security of the large-scale cetacean monitoring SCANS programme in the Northeast Atlantic and propose a governance structure to ensure the continuation into the future. WPs 5 & 6 will focus on dissemination of results, project management and reporting.

Results:

Estimates of cetacean abundance in European Atlantic waters in summer 2022 from the SCANS-IV aerial and shipboard surveys. Final report published 29 September 2023. 64 pp.

https://tinyurl.com/3ynt6swa

Cooperation Partners:

Projektkoordination Dr. Anita Gilles, ITAW-Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover

University of St Andrews, United Kingdom  

Joint Nature Conservation Committee, United Kingdom  

Wageningen Marine Research, Netherlands  

Aarhus University, Denmark  

Swedish Museum of Natural History, Sweden  

La Rochelle University, France 

Instituto Español de Oceanografia, Spain  

University of Aveiro, CESAM - Centre of Environmental and Marine Studies and Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e das Florestas, Portugal

Funding: DFG, 110.700 EUR

Project Details:
Tetraspanins are evolutionary conserved integral membrane proteins of 200-350 amino acid lengths. Through their large extracellular loop they mediate protein - protein and protein - lipid interactions in cellular membranes thereby shaping membrane microdomains called ‘tetraspanin webs’. In humans and mice 33 tetraspanins are described and mosquito species express at least 15 tetraspanin orthologs. In mammalian cells, tetraspanins are host co-factors for several viruses including papillomaviruses, influenza virus, hepatitis C virus, HIV-1 and coronaviruses (Gerold et al., 2015; Bruening et al. 2018; Banse et al., 2018; Alberione et al. 2020; Palor et al., 2020). For hepatitis C virus, colleagues and we showed that the tetraspanin CD81 is a host range determining factor (Vogt et al. 2013; Scull et al., 2015; von Schaewen et al., 2016).
The proposed project aims at characterizing in detail, which of the 33 human tetraspanins in addition to CD81 are host factors for alphaviruses and whether tetraspanins from reservoir species, dead end host species and transmitting mosquito vectors serve as host factors of alphaviruses. Thereby the work will contribute to the understanding of the molecular composition and function of alphavirus replication complexes and determine the role of tetraspanins in species range, transmission and consequently emergence of alphaviruses.

Funding: Umweltbundesamt, 264.210 EUR

Project Details:
Under the Act on the Implementation of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty (AUG), the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is the national licensing authority for all activities in Antarctica that are organised from or emanate from Germany. As part of the licensing procedure under the AUG, an environmental assessment must be carried out by UBA as the implementing authority for all notified activities in the area covered by the Antarctic Treaty.
Seismic surveys using airguns are carried out to reliably determine the topography and geological composition of the seabed. These devices emit acoustic signals with high sound pressure levels. So far, the data basis is insufficient to assess possible impacts on marine fauna.
The aim of this project is to assess the effects of a geoscientific, seismic survey with airguns during the expedition "WAIS-BELL" (PS 134) in 2022/23 on cetaceans in the Antarctic. Here a behavioural response study will be carried out, which will include a multidisciplinary approach combining visual recording methods and passive acoustic monitoring (PAM).
The project aims to generate data on the distribution, habitat use and possible behavioural responses of cetaceans in their Antarctic feeding area in an undisturbed and acoustically disturbed situation. The work will be carried out during seismic surveys in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas and will be carried out in close cooperation between TiHo, JASCO and the AWI geophysics group in their survey programme.
The noise exposure and vocalisations of cetaceans are recorded using an autonomous acoustic recording system (AMAR), which allows the identification, localisation and tracking of vocalizing individuals. Visual recording methods (helicopter, autonomous drone, possibly bridge or crow's nest of FS Polarstern) will be used to collect data on the distribution and behavioural responses during the seismic survey as well as habitat use of the cetaceans during transits to and from the study area.
The results will contribute significantly to assessing the potential effects of seismic surveys with airguns on whales and provide important information for the management of anthropogenic activities in the Antarctic Treaty Area.

Results:

The project aimed at assessing the effects of seismic airgun surveys during the PS134 (WAIS-BELL) expedition on Antarctic cetaceans. A multidisciplinary monitoring concept combining visual observations and passive acoustic methods was developed to investigate behavioural responses, avoidance distances, and potential masking of whale vocalisations.

Ship-based observations by marine mammal observers (MMOs) and a validation team proved to be the most reliable mitigation measure. A comparison showed that teams of two MMOs achieved nearly the same detection performance as teams of three. Based on all shipboard sightings, a median avoidance radius of 3.4 km was determined when airguns were active, compared to 1.2 km when they were inactive. Limitations included weather, darkness, observer variability, and blind spots behind the vessel. The infrared (IR) camera provided some additional detections, but was constrained by technical issues, humidity, and a large blind sector. Nevertheless, system upgrades are recommended because of its utility during darkness. Helicopter aerial surveys significantly expanded the observation radius (up to 90 km) and gave insights into species distribution, but are not suitable for real-time mitigation. After initial technical issues, the drone showed potential for future real-time monitoring, though it could not yet be fully evaluated.

 

An Autonomous Long-Term Observatory (ALTO) system with an integrated AMAR was intended to record vocal activity before, during, and after seismic operations, but produced no data due to a technical malfunction, despite the general suitability of this technology. The PAM system QuietSea™ integrated into the streamer generated mostly false alarms. Among many detected events, only one single automatic detection was confirmed as a real baleen whale vocalisation. Possible reasons include masking by vessel noise, the bubble curtain behind the ship, and insufficient calibration or hardware issues.

No single method provided complete and reliable marine mammal monitoring under all conditions. Ship-based visual monitoring currently remains the most effective mitigation tool. IR systems, drones, and acoustic technologies require technical improvements, but could become valuable complementary tools, particularly in darkness, poor weather, or for underwater detection. A robust mitigation and protection strategy will require a combination of optimised monitoring approaches.

Cooperation Partners:

JASCO Applied Sciences

Prof. Rochelle Constantine und Tane van der Boon (MAUI63 project New Zealand)

Dr. Brandon Southall (Southall Environmental Associates, Inc., SEA)

Funding: Deutsche Wild Tier Stiftung, Hamburg, 8.415 EUR

Project Details:
The harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) is the only species found in German waters. This species is protected as an Annex II and IV species under the Habitats Directives, among others. Harbour porpoises inhabit coastal waters, which means that their distribution largely overlaps anthropogenic activities. The resulting pressures on the harbour porpoise range from noise pollution and competition for prey fish to accidental bycatch in set net fisheries. The area of the Eckernförde Bay in the western German Baltic Sea is characterised by a high degree of anthropogenic use and thus has a high potential for disturbance of harbour porpoises. Set net fishing is widespread in this area and is the fishing method with the highest incidental bycatch. The area around Eckernförde also has a high incidence of shipping, as it is a rather narrow bay from which many fishing vessels leave, a harbour and training area for military activities, and a high area of tourist activities is situated here.
In order to develop effective measures for the protection of harbour porpoises, it is first necessary to investigate the habitat use of harbour porpoises in this area. In the western part of the German Baltic Sea, acoustic monitoring has been carried out by ITAW since spring 2021, but there is a gap in the area of the Eckernförde Bay. Within the framework of this research project, a monitoring station is to be deployed in the Eckernförde Bay that can meaningfully close this gap. The monitoring station will be equipped with a CPOD in spring, which will be replaced after about 3 months in order to collect data on harbour porpoise occurrence for a total of about 6 months. Underwater sound will be recorded simultaneously allowing for correlating harbour porpoise presence with the occurrence of anthropogenic noise.