Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research

The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) is Germany's largest state research institution addressing global challenges in infectious diseases. HZI leverages cutting-edge research and next-generation technologies to develop innovative approaches for preventing, diagnosing, and treating these diseases. With over 1,000 employees and approximately 200 guest scientists from more than 70 countries, HZI operates across multiple sites in Germany. Its headquarters are located in Braunschweig, within a campus designed to support interdisciplinary research. The center conducts high-level foundational studies and collaborates both internally and externally to develop and implement novel strategies for combating infectious diseases.

Role within COMBINE

Young Investigator Group Nanoscale Infection Biology
The group develops innovative assays to visualize virus-receptor interactions using single-molecule microscopy, enabling the study of receptor engagement by individual viruses in living cells. Computational data processing allows for the extraction and quantification of the nanoscale organization of cellular proteins and their dynamic responses to virus engagement. These studies are further complemented by single-virus tracking and live-cell measurements of protein turnover, which reveal localized cellular responses to virus attachment. Within COMBINE, we will leverage advanced microscopy to characterize MARV-cell interactions, providing a foundation for evaluating small molecules and virus-targeted antibodies designed to interfere with these processes.

Research Group Chemical Biology
Screening for small molecules as inhibitors of the interaction of the virus with host cells targeting the interactions of viral lipids, glycans and proteins with their specific host cell receptors; this task includes the development of the respective screening assays and the performance of the screening campaign using particularly the EU OPENSCREEN compound library.

Research Group Cellular Proteomics
LC-MS studies to discover surface proteins and posttranslational modifications (PTMs) in tissue-specific MARV-host cell interactions. Identification of tissue-specific PTM signatures of MARV glycoprotein (GP) focusing on surface-exposed glycosylation, palmitoylation and phosphorylation. Complementary definition of MARV permissive tissue-specific host cell surfaceomes (surface proteins) by glycoproteomics (O- and N-linked glycosylation sites and glycan structures). Click-chemistry-aided interactome analyses (LC-MS; BONCAT proteomics) of tissue-specific MARV-host cell infections in the attachment and entry phase.