GRK 840:  Host Pathogen Interactions in Generalised Bacterial Infections

• Subject Area: Basic Research in Biology and Medicine
• Term: from 2003 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 273551

Generalised bacterial infections continue to be a threat especially for patients with trauma or after major surgery. In spite of considerable progress in intensive care and anti-microbial chemotherapy the letality of septic shock still ranges between 30 and 80 per cent. In the United States more than 200 000 patients annually die from severe sepsis, the estimated costs are more than 15 billion US-dollars per year. The emergence and the rapid spreading of multi-resistant bacterial strains will probably further increase the problem. In this Research Training Group scientists from eight scientific disciplines will work together towards a solution of these complex problems. The projects include research about Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, about innate and adaptive defence mechanisms, clinically relevant animal models as well as a clinical study.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Universität Greifswald
• Spokesperson: Professorin Dr. Barbara Bröker
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Andreas Greinacher; Professor Dr. Johannes Peter Haas; Professor Dr. Michael Hecker; Professor Dr. Claus-Dieter Heidecke; Professor Dr. Robert S. Jack; Professor Dr. Markus M. Lerch; Professor Dr. Stefan Maier; Professorin Dr. Christine Schütt; Professor Dr. Ivo Steinmetz; Professor Dr. Uwe Völker