Research

Funding: Nationalparverwaltung "Nieders. Wattenmeer" Wilhelmshaven, 39.080 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of the project is a survey of the local grey seal population in the entire Lower Saxony and Hamburg Wadden Sea during the birthing season (November-December) and at the time of the fur change (March-April).
On five trilaterally coordinated dates (three during the birthing season; two during the fur-change period), airborne surveys will be conducted with a single-engine aircraft. During the aerial surveys of the tidal flats, a high-resolution SLR camera will be used to photograph the haul-outs. In order to determine the number of young born as well as the total population, the photos taken are subsequently analyzed on the computer.

Results:

Schop J., Abel C., Brasseur S., Galatius A., Jeß A., Meise K., Meyer J., van Neer A., Stejskal O., Siebert U., Teilmann J., Thøstesen C. B. (2022) Grey Seal Numbers in the Wadden Sea and on Helgoland in 2021-2022. Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/resources/2021-2022-grey-seal-report

Funding: MELUND, 56.077 EUR

Project Details:
Research on marine mammals started in Büsum after the first seal mortality in 1988/89. The aim of the scientists is to study the biology and ecology of marine mammals and to assess the impact of humans on the animals, their health and their population. The scientific focus is on studies of health (exposure to pollutants, underwater noise, stress, immune system, infectious diseases, etc.) as well as behaviour, habitat use, population densities and impacts of anthropogenic interventions. Among other lines of research, the scientists are currently investigating the effects of underwater noise (e.g. from explosions, offshore wind turbines, shipping) on the behaviour and health of seals and harbour porpoises, chemical pollution and waste, disturbances and fishing on marine mammals. The stranding network ensures that whales and seals found on the coasts of Schleswig-Holstein can be reported, recovered and necropsied. The state of health is determined by means of further histological, microbiological and parasitological examinations. In this project, the tissues of porpoises found dead in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea will be examined for specific pollutants and the auditory apparatus will be analysed.
The following pollutants will be investigated in the liver and fat of harbour porpoises from waters in Schleswig-Holstein: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and derivatives, dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and mercury (Hg). The results of the toxicological investigation will be combined with the data on health status from the autopsies and an ecotoxicological assessment will be made. The results will be used for the development of further investigations for the various agreements, such as HELCOM, OSPAR, MSRL, and development of indicators.
For investigations of the auditory apparatus, dead harbour porpoises recovered within the framework of the small cetacean monitoring programme of the Land of Schleswig-Holstein should be collected immediately after reporting in order to remove and preserve the ears as fresh as possible for the investigation. In particular, harbour porpoises found dead after blasting and other impulse sound events as well as by-catches and live strandings shall be included. High-resolution computed tomography scans of the ear bones will be performed as well as confocal microscopic and histological examinations.
The studies on the auditory apparatus of harbour porpoises carried out in this project will be considered in the context of ongoing or completed studies at ITAW with similar questions. The results of this project will be used to assess whether changes in various structures of the auditory pathways may have been caused by exposure of harbour porpoises to explosions or other impulsive sound events.

Results:

Bericht an das Ministerium für Energiewende, Klimaschutz, Umwelt und Natur des Landes Schleswig-Holstein

https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/fachinhalte/A/artenschutz/Downloads/untersuchungSchweinswale2021.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1

Funding: QS-Wissenschaftsfonds, 30.000 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of this study is to determine the sound level in pigs' nursery compartments and to detect the effects of animal behaviour and barn technology on the sound level.
In addition, occupational safety will be considered in the study by identifying particular sound events to which both, animals and humans are exposed, and quantifying them with regard to the sound pressure level. The aim is to generate representative data on noise pollution in today's piglet rearing in Germany, to determine the origin of noise pollution and - if necessary - to identify potential for improvement in terms of animal welfare and occupational safety.

Results:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2024.105410

Funding: Leibniz-Informationszentrum, Technik und Naturwissenschaften, Technische Universitätsbibliothek (TIB), Hannover, 3.560 EUR

Project Details:
In order to enable the students to think outside the box, the already existing offer at the TiHo is to
Instructional/learning videos are expanded. Film sequences are planned that contain basic information on the aquatic and terrestrial animal species researched at ITAW, with learning units on their anatomical and physiological aspects
Particularities. Film sequences on autopsies of the respective animal species are intended to further deepen the learning content and illustrate the fields of activity of the veterinarians at the ITAW. The approach is interdisciplinary
and can offer veterinary medicine and biology students as well as other interested parties insights into anatomical, physiological and pathological contexts. The basics are available and can be processed by a technically experienced assistant into an online module lasting about 90 minutes.

Funding: MWK über UMG Göttingen, 44.446 EUR

Project Details:
SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Type 2) is the causative agent of COVID-19. The course of the COVID-19 pandemic so far has emphatically shown that a coordinated bundling of interdisciplinary and complementary expertise is necessary in order to decode the diverse aspects of the biology, pathology and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 and to use the knowledge gained clinically for the treatment of patients as well as for modeling the course of infection in the population. In order to be able to provide and implement such a holistic approach, the federal state of Lower Saxony offers ideal conditions with its internationally renowned science locations. We are therefore applying for financial support for collaborative research to set up a COVID-19 research network in the state of Lower Saxony (COFONI).

Funding: MWK über UMG Göttingen, 41.000 EUR

Project Details:
SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Type 2) is the causative agent of COVID-19. The course of the COVID-19 pandemic so far has emphatically shown that a coordinated bundling of interdisciplinary and complementary expertise is necessary in order to decode the diverse aspects of the biology, pathology and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 and to use the knowledge gained clinically for the treatment of patients as well as for modeling the course of infection in the population. In order to be able to provide and implement such a holistic approach, the federal state of Lower Saxony offers ideal conditions with its internationally renowned science locations. We are therefore applying for financial support for collaborative research to set up a COVID-19 research network in the state of Lower Saxony (COFONI).

Funding: MWK über UMG Göttingen, 34.750 EUR

Project Details:
SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Type 2) is the causative agent of COVID-19. The course of the COVID-19 pandemic so far has emphatically shown that a coordinated bundling of interdisciplinary and complementary expertise is necessary in order to decode the diverse aspects of the biology, pathology and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 and to use the knowledge gained clinically for the treatment of patients as well as for modeling the course of infection in the population. In order to be able to provide and implement such a holistic approach, the federal state of Lower Saxony offers ideal conditions with its internationally renowned science locations. We are therefore applying for financial support for collaborative research to set up a COVID-19 research network in the state of Lower Saxony (COFONI).

Funding: MWK über UMG Göttingen, 29.847 EUR

Project Details:
SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Type 2) is the causative agent of COVID-19. The course of the COVID-19 pandemic so far has emphatically shown that a coordinated bundling of interdisciplinary and complementary expertise is necessary in order to decode the diverse aspects of the biology, pathology and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 and to use the knowledge gained clinically for the treatment of patients as well as for modeling the course of infection in the population. In order to be able to provide and implement such a holistic approach, the federal state of Lower Saxony offers ideal conditions with its internationally renowned science locations. We are therefore applying for financial support for collaborative research to set up a COVID-19 research network in the state of Lower Saxony (COFONI).

Funding: SprinD GmbH, 263.866 EUR

Project Details:
The viral genome of an RNA virus is released into the cell, where the viral genome is amplified and its transcripts translated into proteins to form more copies the virus. CRISPR/Cas13 enzymes cleave different sites of the viral genome and its transcripts through a combination of crRNAs. Proliferation of the virus is blocked and transcripts to be translated into viral proteins are reduced.

Cooperation Partners:

Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (UMG), Prof. Elisabeth Zeisberg

Funding: This work was supported by COVID-19 Research Network of the State of Lower Saxony (COFONI) with funding from the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, Germany (14-76403-184) and by PRACTIS?Clinician Scientist Program of Hannover Medical School, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG-ME3696/3-1)., 50.000 EUR

Project Details:
Vaccination is an important measure in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there were pharmocovigilance concerns as a very rare but potentially disastrous complication was identified after application with the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, i.e. cerebral sinus thrombosis, but also further thrombotic complications including ischemic stroke. Meanwhile, the most likely mechanism has been identified as platelet factor 4 (PF4) antibody mediated immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, a mechanism which is already known from heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Interestingly NETs were suggested to be critical for thrombus formation in the HIT-pathophysiology as well. Markers of NETosis were observed in platelet-rich thrombi in the lungs of mice with HIT. Therefore, NETs might also be involved in vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) mediated thrombotic complications and might therefore be a common trunk in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and vaccine-induced complications. Moreover, biomarkers reflecting NETs burden in the circulation and within tissue specimens (e.g. cerebral thrombi) may be suitable as diagnostic, therapeutic or prognostic targets in thrombotic diseases. Most importantly, there is a tremendous need to identify patients at risk for cerebrovascular complications due to both COVID-19 and VITT. The proposed project ISI-VITT is intended to contribute to addressing this issue.

Cooperation Partners:

Cerebrovascular Research Group (Head: Prof. Dr. Karin Weissenborn), Deptartment of Neurology, Medical School Hannover: Dr. Ramona Schuppner & Dr. Gerrit M. Grosse

Prof. Dr. Christine Falk, Institute for Transplantation Immunology, Medical School Hannover