In April 2026, the new Research Training Group “Activation of Cellular Anti-Microbial Effectors” (ACME) will start under the direction of Prof. Schlüter. The DFG is funding it over a period of five years with a total of around 7.2 million euros – with the option of a further four years of funding. In ACME, researchers are looking for new cellular defence mechanisms against viruses and bacteria and are training young scientists in the process.
On the one hand, the researchers want to influence the molecular mechanisms by which pathogens misuse the body’s cells as a place to multiply and, on the other hand, strengthen the cell’s own internal defences in order to better control infections. As part of this research, the Research Training Group is training 20 natural science and ten medical doctoral students as well as one young natural science researcher and one young medical researcher.
The focus is on human infections with alphaherpes and influenza viruses as well as on bacteria in which intracellular infections are an essential part of the disease process. “Such cellular effectors could have the task of recognising the pathogen, controlling it or eliminating it directly,” explains Prof. Schlüter.
The focus of the RTG is on training young scientists. “Our central goal is to provide young scientific and medical doctoral students with comprehensive and interdisciplinary training in the field of infection biology of human intracellular infections in ten scientific sub-projects and to offer them a wide range of state-of-the-art methods,” says Prof. Schlüter. The projects are led by 13 internationally recognised researchers from the MHH, TWINCORE and the HZI.
The Research Training Group is cooperating with the “Centre for Immunology of Viral Infections” at Aarhus University. In addition to seminars by Danish infection researchers in Hanover, which the RTG will coordinate together with RESIST, the collaboration also includes research visits to Denmark by doctoral students from the Research Training Group.
Kirsten Pötzke
The photo shows Prof. Dr. Matthias Lochner (left) and Dr. Nishanth Gopala Krishna with doctoral student Merle Gatz. They support the training of young scientists in the new RTG.