GRK 1673:  Functional Molecular Infection Epidemiology

• Subject Area: Microbiology, Virology and Immunology
• Term: from 2010 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 164295104

Variations in geographical distribution, environment, host preference, virulence and relative host infectivity influence the ability of a particular pathogen to establish infection and cause disease. The International Research Training Group will include host-pathogen genomics and the analyses of (innate) host variability using bioinformatics and functional experimental tools to study the genetic diversity of pathogens and their respective host response, so as to link these variations to a unique function important for disease susceptibility and severity or otherwise. The International Research Training Group aims at the identification of functional coordinates at the crossroads of variability of both the human and pathogenic genetic repertoires.
The profile of infectious diseases in India and Germany differs not only in terms of the pathogen and its host, but also with the influence of environmental factors. Many diseases prevalent in India today have the potential of becoming relevant for countries like Germany, given the changing climate and increased mobility of humans, animals and goods. Therefore, the International Research Training Group initiated by the Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Hyderabad envisions to combine the strengths of German scientists in the field of infection biology, using state of the art experimental models, with the competence of Indian scientists in the application of bioinformatics tools to study various aspects of pathogen-host genomics by exploiting unique characteristics of the respective cohorts available in India and Germany, as well as the diversity of clinical outcome as juxtaposed to pathogen strain diversity.
The International Research Training Group will include research on pathogens like E. coli, Mycobacteria, H. pylori, S. pneumoniae and human parasites causing malaria and filariasis. The successful outcome of these studies will in the future lead to the identification of functional correlates, which will help to predict the threat caused by pathogens, and further help in the determination of high-risk patients, both factors of great importance in the era of global mobility.
The International Research Training Group will convene a group of internationally recognised research teams from different branches of biology and medicine, to initiate an interdisciplinary and intercultural approach for the training of graduate students, and will include candidates with degrees in various disciplines of the life sciences, including biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, immunology, medicine, pharmacology and veterinary sciences, from a competitive pool of highly qualified international applicants. The qualification programme of the International Research Training Group is integrated into the Dahlem Research School (DRS) of the Freie University Berlin.

• DFG Programme: International Research Training Groups
• International Connection: India
• Applicant Institution: Freie Universität Berlin
• Participating Institution: Max-Planck-Institut für Infektionsbiologie; Robert Koch-Institut (RKI)
• IRTG-Partner Institution: University of Hyderabad
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Lothar H. Wieler
• Cooperation Partners: Dr. Nasreen Z. Ehtesham; Dr. Suman Latha Gaddam; Dr. Kunchur Guruprasad; Professor Dr. Chittoor M. Habibullah; Professor Dr. Sayed E. Hasnain; Dr. Aleen Ahmed Khan; Professorin Dr. Guruprasad Lalitha; Professor Dr. Kolluri Janaki Rama Murthy; Dr. Akash Ranjan; Dr. P. Narasimha Rao; Dr. Ranganadha Rao; Professor Dr. Pallu Redanna; Dr. Tamysetty N. Sathyanarayana; Dr. Puran Sijwali; Dr. Aparna Srikantam; Dr. J. Subbana; Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi Valluri; Professor Vaibhav Vindal
• Participating Researchers: Professorin Dr. Christa Ewers; Privatdozent Dr. Lutz Hamann; Professorin Dr. Susanne Hartmann; Professorin Dr. Regine Hengge; Professor Dr. Stefan Hippenstiel; Professor Dr. Hartmut Kühn; Dr. Astrid Lewin; Professor Dr. Thomas F. Meyer; Professor Dr. Frank Mockenhaupt; Dr. Dje Philippe N´Guessan; Professor Dr. Bastian Opitz; Professor Dr. Ralf Reiner Schumann; Professorin Dr. Hortense Slevogt
• IRTG-Partner: Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Niyaz Ahmed