Overview of research projects

Funding: MWK, 50.000 EUR

Project Details:
Das SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-Type 2) ist der Erreger von COVID-19. Der bisherige Verlauf der COVID-19 Pandemie hat nachdrücklich gezeigt, dass eine koordinierte Bündelung von interdisziplinären und komplementären Expertisen notwendig ist, um die vielfältigen Aspekte der Biologie, der Pathologie und der Epidemiologie von SARS-CoV-2 zu entschlüsseln und die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse sowohl klinisch für die Behandlung von Patienteninnen und Patienten als auch für die Modellierung von Infektionsverläufen in der Bevölkerung einzusetzen. Die innerhalb der COFONI Technologieplattform betriebenen COVID-19-Tiermodelle soll dazu beitragen systematisch Daten zu sammeln, zu vergleichen und zu analysieren. Dies soll dazu beitragen, die aus klinischen Studien verfügbaren Daten zu bewerten und den wissenschaftlichen Fortschritt durch In-vivo-Studien kritisch zu reflektieren. Die weitere Verfeinerung und Entwicklung von Tiermodellen für COVID-19 wird zur Entwicklung von Impfstoffen und therapeutischen Wirkstoffen beitragen. Gegenwärtig laufen groß angelegte klinische Studien, in denen mehrere Kandidaten für präventive und therapeutische Maßnahmen am Menschen getestet werden. Die Ergebnisse dieser klinischen Wirksamkeitsstudien werden eine noch nie dagewesene Gelegenheit zur Rückvalidierung und Verfeinerung dieser Tiermodelle bieten.

Funding: Lionex GmbH, Braunschweig, 20.160 EUR

Project Details:
In the present project, the immunomodulatory property of purified proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis on the effect of neutrophils will be investigated. Lionex provides purified proteins for this purpose, which have been produced endotoxin-free. Based on the expertise on the antimicrobial effect and immunomodulatory effect of neutrophils, different assays will be performed at TiHo to characterize the effect of the proteins on neutrophils.

Results:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38124744/

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Mahavir Singh, Lionex GmbH, Braunschweig

Prof. Rajko Reljic, St George's, University of London

Funding: Fritz-Ahrberg-Stiftung, 20.000 EUR

Project Details:
In addition to antimicrobial molecules, nitrate and nitrite ions are also produced during the generation of PAW. PAW could thus be suitable as a basis of brines for curing meat products. On the one hand, the addition of classical nitrite curing salt could be minimized, on the other hand, the antimicrobial molecules contained in the PAW could have positive effects on the shelf life of the products. As part of the project, a novel production process of wet-cured meat products using PAW will be established and possible positive but also negative effects on the product will be determined.

Funding: BMBF, 212.548 EUR

Project Details:
We applied for an follow-up financing in order to increase the reach, the attractiveness as well as the functionaliy of the platform. Due to corona this was not possible to a sufficient extent within the originally planned projekt period. The following optimizations are now planned for the top-up phase:
Target group expansion to include interested non-scientists.
Networking of 3R-SMART with established online portals of external partners.
Integration of an area with Open-Educational-Resources.
Integration of a collection of contributions to 3R centers.
Integration of interactive elements into existing contributions.

Cooperation Partners:

Philipps-Universität Marburg

Project Details:
The aim of this project is to characterize the situation of S. suis-related disease outbreaks on farms. The main influence of PRRSV circulation on farms, specific S. suis genotypes and pathotypes on tonsils and predefined environmental factors on the occurrence and development of S. suis-related disease will be assessed. The aim is to elaborate recommendations for practice with regard to outbreak prevention on farms.

Cooperation Partners:

Kooperationspartner des EU Projektes PigsSuis (PROGRAM FOR INNOVATIVE GLOBAL PREVENTION OF STREPTOCOCCUS SUIS, Referenznummer 727966

Funding: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft, 250.000 EUR

Project Details:
Ab dem 28.01.2022 tritt das neue Tierarzneimittelgesetz in Kraft, sodass es ab diesem Zeitpunkt immer wichtiger wird, Hochleistungstiere durch optimierte Ernährung gesund zu erhalten. Ziel dieses Projektes ist eine Verbesserung der Eutergesundheit und damit einhergehend der Milchqualität durch den Einsatz von Pflanzenkohle, die mit Vitamin E angereichert wird. Zunächst soll in vitro der Effekt der Pflanzenkohle auf die Fermentation im künstlichen Pansen (RUSITEC) untersucht werden. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen der in-vitro-Studie wird anschließend die Pflanzenkohle bei laktierenden Milchkühen über das Milchleistungsfutter dosiert.

Cooperation Partners:

Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik (DIL), Quakenbrück

Internationale Forschungsgemeinschaft Futtermitteltechnik e. V. (IFF), Braunschweig

Funding: LKN, 49.979 EUR

Project Details:
Harbour porpoises are representatives of the top predators from the group of mammals in the North Sea and Wadden Sea. With the amendment of the National Park Act in 1999, part of the National Park was explicitly dedicated to harbour porpoise protection, as a high density of mother-calf pairs was found there. As part of the reorganisation of the Federal-and State Marine Programme (BLMP), a programme for joint monitoring of marine mammals was agreed in January 2011, which meets the requirements of monitoring according to the relevant European guidelines and international conventions. In this programme, the Schleswig-Holstein National Park Administration (NPV) in the Schleswig-Holstein State Agency for Coastal Protection, National Parks and Marine Conservation (LKN) has the task of organising, implementing and financing the acoustic monitoring of harbour porpoises. The acoustic surveys for the NPV are carried out by the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) as part of the joint marine mammal monitoring under the BLMP. For this purpose, measuring stations are operated at five specified sites in the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea (Lister Tief, Meldorfer Bucht, Rochelsteert and Westerland) and for the first time in the estuary of the Elbe river (close to the measuring pile ?Zehnerloch?). The monitoring stations are equipped with click detectors (Cetacean-Porpoise Detectors, C-PODs), which record the echolocation activity of harbour porpoises. The C-PODs are maintained and data downloaded on a regular basis. The data obtained are evaluated for optimising the acoustic monitoring as well as necessary extensions for a permanent operation of the measuring stations. The data of this long-term study provide information on a possible rhythm and tidal dependence in the porpoise detections over the course of a day and a year.

Funding: Ministerium für Energiewende, Landwirtschaft, Umwelt, Natur und Digitalisierung, 199.000 EUR

Project Details:
The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) population is still recolonizing large areas of Germany and nowadays inhabits almost all parts of the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein (SH). In the context of rising otter numbers, various conflicts appear on the agenda, such as road traffic as the main cause of death of otters, contamination of water bodies or the interface between fisheries and otter protection. Otters found dead can play a valuable role to answer various scientific questions, as many aspects of the ecology and behavior of this strictly protected and highly elusive species still remain cryptic. Within the first two successful years of a pilot study starting in 2019, a wide network of collaborators was established, who strategically collect all otters found dead in SH and hand them over to ITAW for examination. Over 90 otters from the years 2015-20 (some were stored from previous years) have already been examined. During the standardized post mortem examinations the age and sex of all animals, as well as the nutritional status, are determined and all abnormalities are recorded. Further, a whole spectrum of diagnostics is undertaken, including: histology, bacteriology, virology, parasitology, population genetics, dietary analysis, reproduction analysis and to some extent contaminant analysis. This allows an extensive insight into the current population health status of Eurasian otters. All findings together build a solid base for species protection measures, management decisions and conflicts of interests. The continuation of the project for initially two years is an important step to guarantee a long term data collection and to assess possible population trends of the otter population.

Funding: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie, 220.000 EUR

Project Details:
Wildlife repellents are used to keep wildlife, especially ungulates, away from roads and agricultural and forestry crops. The construction of fences is currently the most effective, but also the most complex method. However, these fences cannot and should not be installed comprehensively. For this reason, optical, acoustic or olfactory repellents are commonly
used. While the efficacy of optical and acoustic devices to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions and wildlife damage has now been refuted, the influence of olfactory repellents has not yet been sufficiently investigated. Since, in addition to the potential efficacy, the enormous amount of work and costs involved in the application also counteracts effective use, a novel wildlife steering system based on combined olfactory repellent depots for semi-automated application by vehicles is to be developed to solve this problem. These repellents can be combined and adapted according to the animal species in focus.
A special carrier paper is impregnated with the respective olfactory repellents and pressed with an aerodynamically optimized carrier for optimal flight characteristics for automated application. In this way, a targeted and cost-effective distribution of combined olfactory repellents should be possible and a virtual scent fence with increased duration of efficacy could be created.

Funding: Bundesamt für Naturschutz, 478.092 EUR

Project Details:
The species group of marine mammals represents a relevant ecosystem component in German marine waters. According to the latest assessment of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC, MSFD), marine mammals in the North Sea and Baltic Sea have not achieved good conservation status. Good data bases as well as scientifically robust approaches to assessing status are needed to adopt measures that will subsequently lead to good conservation status for the respective populations of marine mammal species. To ensure that these data are as comprehensive, comparable, and area-wide as possible, regional coordination of monitoring and indicators used for assessment is essential. Because marine mammals are highly mobile species, it is also imperative from a scientific perspective to coordinate and review the implementation of indicators and the effectiveness of monitoring at the international level. In addition, the development of the indicators is an important tool for future research concepts in the monitoring field and requires the results, scientific analyses and approaches to the design of the indicators to be brought into the international process.
The goal of this project is to further develop data-based, regionally accepted indicators for assessing the status of marine mammals in the North and Baltic Seas and to bring them to national and regional agreement. Different approaches to assess the status of biodiversity under the MSFD will be developed, refined and harmonized at international, regional and national levels. They are used nationally as well as regionally and internationally in marine conservation conventions (relevant for Germany: Oslo-Paris Commission (OSPAR) and Helsinki Commission (HELCOM)) by numerous bodies and working groups (e.g. under the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)). The cooperation regarding the MSFD and partially the Council Directive on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora will be organised within the framework of BLANO in Germany.
Scientists at the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW) of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo) Foundation have in the past developed or implemented national and international research projects as well as monitoring concepts with a focus on marine mammals, so that long-standing data series, expert knowledge and basic principles for the design of indicators are available and can be incorporated into the process. A continuous cooperation is necessary in the various working groups, in order to guarantee a sufficient incorporation of German research results and indicator concepts on international level. This is enabled within the framework of this project.

Cooperation Partners:

Dr. vet. med. Paulo Dorneles