Overview of research projects

Funding: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG, 331.800 EUR

Project Details:
Investigation of the role of T cells in the immune pathogenesis of the infectious bursitis virus. The project is embedded in the DFG-research group "ImmunoChick".

Cooperation Partners:

PD Dr. Angela Berndt, FLI

PD Dr. U. Methner, FLI

PD Dr. S. Härtle, LMU München

Prof. Dr. T. Göbel, LMU München

Prof. Dr. B. Kaspers, LMU München

Prof. Dr. B. Kaufer, FU Berlin

Prof. Dr. M. Meissner, LMU München

Prof. Dr. B. Schusser, TU München

Prof. Dr. J. Kaufman, University of Cambridge

Project Details:
Cognitive dysfunction is characteristic to the prodromal stages of Parkinson´s disease, and more generally to synucleinopathies. We test novel therapeutic options for cognitive dysfunction associated with alpha-synuclein pathology. We base our interest on microRNAs (miRNAs) which are small endogenous RNAs, and will test the hypotheses that specific miRNAs that are downregulated in PD brains are associated with cognitive dysfunction and, when delivered into the diseased brain, can form the basis for miRNA replacement therapy.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Eran Hornstein (Weizmann Institute, Israel); Prof. Achim Aigner (Klinische Pharmakologie, Universität Leipzig)

Funding: Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) of the University Hospital Erlangen

Project Details:
To investigate the impact of chronic colitis on the behavioral phenotype of mice expressing human α-synuclein under the Thy1-promoter(Thy1-αSyn mice), a well-established mouse model for synucleinopathies.

Cooperation Partners:

Dr.med. Patrick Süß, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Winkler (Dept of Molecular Neurology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen)

Funding: Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, 549.540 EUR

Project Details:
The aim of the SOUVER@N project is to promote sovereign digital teaching and learning. This includes
1) the sovereign, i.e. competent and learning goal-oriented use of digital tools on the part of teachers and students (digital literacy) as well as
2) the professional development of high-quality digitally enriched teaching/learning concepts and content, and
3) the digital sovereignty of the universities as institutions strengthened by the network.

Results:

https://www.souveraenes-digitales-lehren-und-lernen.de/home/

Cooperation Partners:

1) Universität Osnabrück

2) Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

3) Leuphana Universität Lüneburg

4) Technische Universität Clausthal

5) Stiftung Universität Hildesheim

6) Universität Vechta

7) Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

8) ELAN e.V. (1. Förderphase August 201 - Juli 2024)

Funding: Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, 1.349.525 EUR

Project Details:
The FERVET project addresses the digital teaching and review of mandatory clinical-practical skills in veterinary medicine studies and pursues three aims:
1. the enrichment of face-to-face, hybrid and virtual teaching through the development of simulators, the provision of digital teaching material, the development of a Virtual Learning Lab, the expansion of video production and the implementation of video annotations.
2. the further development and evaluation of existing formative and summative e-examination formats
3. the anchoring of the innovative measures in the university structures

Funding: EU, 215.581 EUR

Project Details:
The project is carried out at DIL e.V., Quakenbrück.
The DIL leads the work package that focuses on optimising and up-scaling ultrasound (US). Firstly, an extensive literature review on microbial decontamination by US in food and model systems was conducted. It was found that manothermosonication (MTS), a technology that combines mild thermal treatment, elevated pressure, and sonication, is the most promising approach and a potential alternative to traditional thermal pasteurisation of liquid whole egg. Consequently, the DIL developed an MTS prototype that can be used for experimental work with Salmonella Enteritidis. The results showed that MTS can provide the same level of food safety as conventional pasteurisation but with a lower thermal load, suggesting potential food quality benefits confirmed by work on physico-chemical, functional, and protein properties. In addition, sustainability studies using the life cycle analysis (LCA) methodology revealed a lower energy demand in MTS pasteurisation. As a final part of the project, a computational fluid dynamics simulation will be performed to design industrial MTS treatments for continuous application.

Cooperation Partners:

External cooperation partners:

Wageningen University, L-Università ta' Malta,

University of Reading,

Elea Vertriebs- und Vermarktungsgesellschaft mbH,

Leibniz Institut für Plasmaforschung und Technologie e.V.,

Sociedade de Estudos de Analise Sensorial a Produtos Alimentares,

Stichting Wageningen Research,

Hyperbaric,

Arla Foods,

Unilever Research and Development Vlaardingen BV,

Koninklijke Euroma BV,

Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

Funding: BMEL, ERA-NET, 117.043 EUR

Project Details:
The project is carried out on DIL e.V., Quakenbrück.
With CLIMAQUA an innovative process for the conversion and recycling of aquaculture side streams to feed based on A. platensis is created, which in turn can be used in aquaculture. The aim is to significantly reduce the high greenhouse gas emissions from aquaculture, especially for feed production, by integrating A. platensis into biomass / feed production. Geographical and site-specific features (temperature, length of daylight, etc.) are taken into account in order to obtain an almost completely digestible algae-based feed for salmon and catfish farming and thereby establish a circulatory system that is economically and ecologically sound. In addition, CLIMAQUA examines climate change-related aspects of aquaculture in two regions of the world: The use of innovative technologies in aquaculture is adapted to the climatic conditions and promotes the implementation of sustainable and local food systems.

Funding: EU, 955.230 EUR

Project Details:
It is widely recognised that noise entering the underwater environment from shipping and other human activities can disturb and harm aquatic animals. Studies have already shown these disturbance effects, while other research has suggested ways to reduce some of the noise generated by shipping. However, there are still gaps in our knowledge and understanding of how underwater noise can affect individual animals and entire populations.

This is now set to change with the SATURN consortium, which for the first time brings together leading European experts in bioacoustics, veterinary medicine, population biology, plus naval architecture and engineering in an EU-funded project. Key issues include:
- Identifying sounds that are most harmful to aquatic species and how they are generated and propagated;
- What are the short-term and cumulative long-term negative effects of noise from ships and boats on aquatic species in rivers and the sea;
- What are the most promising options for measuring and reducing the negative impacts of ship noise that can be applied to current and future ships.

Prof. Prof. h. c. Dr. Ursula Siebert, Director of the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research at the TiHo, is the leader of the biological working group in this consortium, which investigates the influence of underwater noise on the behaviour, health and energy balance of aquatic organisms. Another important aspect supported by ITAW is public relations and communication.

Funding: Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung, Berlin, 413.140 EUR

Project Details:
The project VetAmUR (Veterinary Antimicrobial Usage and Resistance) is a research project that, following the VetCab-S project, is carried out to describe the use of antimicrobials in farm animals in Germany as well as connect this with resistance data for those antimicrobials.

Background: Despite many independent investigations, no direct link between the information on antimicrobial usage and antimicrobial resistance could be estab-lished in German livestock husbandry so far. Therefore, an extensive and detailed risk assessment in regards to antimicrobial resistance is not possible, even though such an assessment is required on an international basis (Global Antimicrobial Re-sistance Surveillance System - GLASS, https://www.who.int/glass/en/). To accom-modate this demand, the VetAmUR project was initiated.

In the area of resistance data, the focus is on collecting data at farm level and de-scribing its heterogeneity with the aim of creating a standardised documentation template.

Additionally, specific periods within the fattening process and specific indications for antimicrobial administrations are documented and observed closely to deter-mine alternative treatments and prevention strategies.

Results:

Bonzelett C, Rehberg B, Winkelmann TS, Käsbohrer A, Kreienbrock L. Documentati-on of antimicrobial resistance data in veterinary practices in Germany. Berliner und Münchener Tierärztliche Wochenschrift. 2024;137:1-13 . doi: 10.2376/1439-0299-2023-14

Project Details:
In this 5-year monitoring-study the density, diversity and community structure of Collembola and Mesostigmata of three different biotope types (oak-hornbeam-mixed forest, drainage ditch (edge), wet meadow) are investigated in the nature reserve Riddagshausen, a Flora-Fauna-Habitat (FFH) area characterized by a small scale mosaic of different habitat types like ponds, meadows, farmland and mixed forests. In each of the biotope types 10 sampling points spaced at least 20 m apart from each other were selected at random. Large spacing was done to avoid spatial autocorrelation, samples therefore were assumed to be independent.
Starting in March 2021 ten soil cores (diameter 5 cm) were taken at each of the biotope types (one soil core per sampling point). The cores were subdivided into two horizons (litter layer, 5 cm mineral soil). The soil cores were used to extract Collembola, Gamasida and soil macrofauna using a modified high gradient canister method (Macfadyen, 1961; Schauermann, 1982). Collembola and Mesostigmata were determined to species level.
Moreover, Collembola species were aggregated into three different functional groups according to their vertical distribution (epedaphic, hemiedaphic, and euedaphic). These groups differ in their dispersal ability and other attributes such reproduction, mobility, metabolic activity and feeding behaviour.
This sampling and identification pattern will be repeated every year (2021-2025) in early spring (March/April).
We expect changes in the soil fauna communities of the investigated biotope types due to strong differences in the amount of precipitation between the years.

Cooperation Partners:

1) Prof. Stefan Scheu, J.F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen

2) Dr. Bernhard Klarner