Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)

🎉 Congratulations to Prof. Rolf Müller on his appointment to the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Partnership on One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (EUP OHAMR)! As a member of the Scientific Advisory Board, Müller will advise EUP OHAMR on scientific and strategic issues related to the topic of “One Health.” The initiative aims to contribute to the development of new solutions for the treatment and prevention of resistant infections and to close existing knowledge gaps on the topic of antimicrobial resistance. 🔗 Read the news report here: https://lnkd.in/ebiP36Tf #OneHealth #AMR #AntimicrobialResistance 📷 DZIF scientist Rolf Müller has been appointed to the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Partnership on One Health Antimicrobial Resistance © Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung Saarland (HIPS)/Bernhardt

How can the #SkinMicrobiome help maintain healthy skin? We are joining forces with Beiersdorf AG in a long-term, exclusive research partnership to investigate the role of the skin microbiome in maintaining skin health. Together, we aim to identify natural products produced by skin microorganisms that can positively influence skin balance. The collaboration builds on extensive data sets from HIPS and Universität des Saarlandes, including genetic data from the IMAGINE study (published in 2024) covering microbiomes of more than 500 test subjects, from healthy individuals and patients with various diseases. Originally collected to support the discovery of new #antiinfective agents, these resources will now also be used to advance skin care research. Two specific projects in skin microbiome research are planned, funded by Beiersdorf. A cooperation agreement signed in November 2025 provides the basis for the collaboration, with additional projects to follow. 🔍This way to read the full article on our website. ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ https://lnkd.in/ea82scyB

Reviving a forgotten antibiotic compound At HIPS, we have uncovered how bacteria build the #biphenomycins, a natural product family with strong activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Their biosynthetic genes had remained unknown for decades, blocking efforts to develop these compounds into therapeutics. The team led by Tobias A. M. Gulder, together with colleagues at Technische Universität Dresden, has now mapped the complete biosynthetic pathway and identified key enzymes such as the dual-function pair BipEF. This insight opens the door to producing biphenomycins in suitable hosts and creating improved variants. Elisabeth Strunk, Alfred Lobert, Tatiana Khorovich, Katia Guzman Lucio,  René Richarz, Maximilian Hohmann, Paul D., Tobias A. M. Gulder Photo: Lisa Göbner

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Mariia Nesterkina has been awarded a #VisitingResearch Grant by the LEO Foundation // LEO Fondet in Denmark! Under the mentorship of Andrea Heinz and co-mentorship of Thomas Rades, Mariia will continue her pioneering research on infection-sensitive nanofibers powered by thermotropic #LiquidCrystals for skin wound therapy. This exciting project will take place at the University of Copenhagen (Københavns Universitet) over the next six months, further advancing innovative solutions in wound care. Congratulations, Mariia! 👏✨ Photo: Lucia Bernhardt

Im Wissenschaftsschaufenster berichten HZI-Forschende mit Feierabendtalks direkt aus ihrer Arbeit: Im ersten Talk stellen Daniel Krug & Dr. Selina Deckarm vom Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung Saarland (HIPS) das #CitizenScience-Projekt #MICROBELIX vor - jede:r kann dort helfen, neue Antibiotika zu finden! 💊 📆 3.12., 18-19:30 Uhr 📍 Waisenhausdamm 8, Braunschweig Die Teilnahme an den Feierabendtalks ist kostenlos und ohne Anmeldung möglich. Das ganze Programm des Wissenschaftsschaufensters findet ihr hier: https://lnkd.in/ersV4gMk

We are looking for bold minds to shape the future of #infection research! 💡Join the HZI as a junior group leader in our HUMAN program and explore how #AI can transform health research! Apply by November 26: 👉 https://lnkd.in/erj6qZuY   👉 https://lnkd.in/evtGhj_t

How do you disarm one of the world’s most persistent hospital germs? At HIPS, our researchers took an unexpected route: by repurposing a well-known Parkinson’s medication. A team led by Alexander Titz has discovered that #tolcapone, an approved COMT inhibitor, can specifically block the sugar-binding protein #LecA: a key virulence factor used by #Pseudomonas aeruginosa to invade human cells and build protective biofilms. Why is this big? Because shutting down LecA doesn’t kill the bacteria directly—it disarms it. These so-called virulence blockers reduce the pathogen’s ability to cause disease while putting far less selective pressure on it, which could help slow antibiotic resistance. To uncover the mechanism, the team worked closely with Cermav, analyzing the crystal structure of LecA bound to tolcapone and showing that the drug occupies the same binding site as natural sugars. Building on this insight, over 3,200 compounds from Roche’s drug library were screened, leading to several derivatives that inhibit LecA even more strongly than tolcapone—some matching the performance of classic sugar ligands. The result: a promising new entry point for future therapies targeting a WHO-listed critical pathogen and a compelling example of how structural biology and drug-repurposing can converge to spark innovation. 🔍This way to read the full article on our website. ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ https://lnkd.in/euSfdTmt 🔬This way to the original publication. ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ https://lnkd.in/eCE6zevN Steffen Leusmann, Eike Siebs, Sakonwan Kuhaudomlarp, Annabelle Varrot, Anne Imberty, Bernd Kuhn, Christian Lerner, Uwe Grether, Alexander Titz Photo: HIPS/Leusmann