Center for Integrative Infectious Diseases Research (CIID)

In the spirit of our #DZIFPEG2026 Joint Meeting, we would like to honor the commitment of Prof. Maura Dandri and Prof. Hans-Georg Kräusslich as outgoing members of the DZIF Executive Board👏

We are grateful for their contributions and look forward to continuing our work within the DZIF network.

📢Paper alert📢

Now out in @bmc.springernature.com with open access: our very cool collaboration with @chlandalab.bsky.social on FIB-milling designs for cryoET

rdcu.be/e2nXE

Here you can see different designs for the stress relief cuts for dual-axis tomography. Read the paper for more details😀

📢Job alert📢

@uniheidelberg.bsky.social has an opening for a full W3-position on “Modeling of Biological Processes” 😀👍 Here is the call

tinyurl.com/3w9e9dtf

and application deadline is March 15. The group would be located at the beautiful #BioQuant center right in the middle of Neuenheimer Feld.

Together with colleague and friend Carl Herrmann @uniheidelberg.bsky.social, we are looking for a motivated postdoc with experience in organoid culture and data analysis (#bioinformatics), for a project in the @hlsalliance.bsky.social Joint Postdoc call.

www.health-life-sciences.de/opportunitie...

Measles virus and rinderpest virus divergence dated to the sixth century BCE Measles virus diverged from rinderpest virus in the sixth century BCE, indicating an early origin for human measles.

Measles likely came from cows (via rinderpest) around the 6th century BCE.

For 2,500 years, we didn’t evolve superhuman resistance—children just died. Real protection only came in the 1960s, with vaccines.

Our superpower isn’t evolving into superhumans. It’s outthinking pathogens.

Chirality of malaria parasites determines their motion patterns - Nature Physics Malaria parasites move on helical trajectories when infecting their hosts. Now it is shown that they use right-handed chirality to control their motion patterns, and that this chirality is linked to t...

(1/2) Our work with @freddyfrischknecht.bsky.social on the chirality of malaria parasites has found its home in the January issue of @natphys.nature.com:

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Moreover, we are very happy that it comes with a news and views article 👍❤️😀

The Alliance is looking for outstanding, international early career scientists/ clinician scientists, for bridging projects between two or more Alliance partner institutions.

👉Deadline on 3/31/26 5pm CEST

Info on our webpage at:
www.health-life-sciences.de/opportunitie...
#postdoc

Infotafel mit Logo der Prospects DFG Research Career Series und den Terminen: 10.02.2026, 14:30 - 16:00 Uhr – The Emmy Noether Programme (in English) 11.03.2026, 10:30 - 12:00 Uhr – DFG-Förderangebote für Postdocs 14.04.2026, 14:30 - 16:00 Uhr – Das Walter Benjamin-Programm 20.05.2026, 14:00 - 15:30 Uhr – DFG funding Opportunities for Postdocs (in English) 25.06.2026, 14:00 - 15:30 Uhr – The Emmy Noether Programme (in English)

#ECR save the dates! 🗓️ In der Reihe #PROSPECTS informiert unser Team #Karriereförderung auch 2026 regelmäßig über die Fördermöglichkeiten bei der DFG. Hier haben wir die Infotalks für die erste Jahreshälfte. Teilnahme ohne vorherige Registrierung möglich, Link erscheint hier.
👉 sohub.io/bvv0

📣 Great news! We’re giving you more time to submit your abstract for the Annual Meeting of the Society for Virology.

Don’t miss the chance to present your research in Heidelberg from 17–20 March 2026!

🎯 New deadline: Jan 11, 2026

☝️ Submit now:
🔗 virology-meeting.de

#virology #conference

Study: Two-thirds of pig slurry samples from Northwestern Germany contain hepatitis E viruses | German Center for Infection Research Scientists at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) have examined pig slurry from the northwestern region of Germany and detected

Scientists at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf have examined pig slurry from the northwestern region of Germany and detected hepatitis E viruses in two-thirds of the samples, some with very high viral loads.

The 35th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Virology will take place in Heidelberg from March 17 to March 20, 2026. We have an exciting programme and look forward to welcome you here!

Registration and Abstract submission are now open. Please see details here:

virology-meeting.de

Great new collaboration with @thmllr.bsky.social and Hans-Georg Kräusslich from @ciid-heidelberg.bsky.social came out on December 1st #HIV day - nuclear speckles & HIV capsid & antivirals gallore!!!

Join us (again) for another fantastic BioMalPar meeting @embl.org and also a great pre-meeting @ciid-heidelberg.bsky.social

Wow, researchers from our #SFB1129 are implicated in the Science 2024 Breakthrough of the Year, because they showed that HIV-capsids are flexible and go through nuclear pores. The latest paper on Lenacapavir-induced capsid damage just came out in @embojournal.org

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Science’s 2024 Breakthrough of the Year was lenacapavir, an injectable drug that demonstrated remarkable success at preventing HIV infection with one shot every 6 months. The drug attaches to the lattice-like capsid proteins that shield the virus’s genetic material—a mechanism that could inspire other antivirals. Lenacapavir could help end the HIV/AIDS epidemic, but that will hinge on access for those who need it most.

Science’s 2024 Breakthrough of the Year was lenacapavir, an injectable drug that demonstrated remarkable success at preventing HIV infection with one shot every 6 months.

Learn more about last year's #BOTY on #WorldAIDSDay: https://scim.ag/48pk7zZ

#WorldAIDSDay2025 AIDS, which is caused by HIV infection, ranks among the top ten causes of death worldwide. Despite medical advances, a cure for HIV remains elusive. To overcome disruption, we must innovate, collaborate, and accelerate research.
Learn more about our HIV research: www.dzif.de/en/hiv

Lab life and Christmas cookies can match when the students get creative

📢 Paper alert 📢

Chirality is known to be important for the movement of microorganisms and active matter. In our new paper out today in @natphys.nature.com, we show that chirality is used by malaria parasites to control their motion patterns:

doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Here comes a 🧵 ... (1/9)

Malaria Parasites Move on Right-Handed Helices: Motion patterns help the transition between tissue compartments – explanation for asymmetry in the body plan of the pathogen
www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/newsroom/...

Have you ever wondered: What is the Viral Glycan Shield – and why does it matter? 👀 Watch our short explainer video to find out! 🎥

#SHIELDproject #Virology #ScienceExplained #ScienceVideo

For more info on the viral glycan SHIELD and our project, visit our website: shield-consortium.eu

Next Tech Program Open till 2/27/2026
Technician + engineering support for junior research group leaders at Alliance institutions.
👉strengthens junior research group leaders’ technical capacity by funding
👉one full-time technical position.
www.health-life-sciences.de/opportunities/nexttech

Interesting @hhh-idia.bsky.social seminar by Johan Elf from @uu.se during his visit of our imaging facility @ciid-heidelberg.bsky.social. In his talk he showcased a microfluidic device for rapid antibiotic-resistance testing.

Now recruiting several PhD students and postdocs for different projects of our excellence cluster SynthImmune: application.synthimmune.de
For more info see perspective article below and synthimmune.de

Beautiful beasts (2): Thanks Ian for allowing us to help a little to help you figuring out how B-cells help T-cells. What a spectacular cover coloured by #micronaut Martin Oeggerli.

We are looking to recruit a Ph.D. student to start in Q1 2026 for an exciting new project that is part of the newly funded SynthImmune Cluster of Excellence. Are you interested in the intersection of virology and immunology? Please see the attached info and apply at application.synthimmune.de.

Respiratory viruses update:

#RSV & #influenza activity remain at low levels in the EU/EEA; however, circulation of both viruses has begun to increase, with a rise in flu infections occurring earlier than in recent seasons.

#COVID19 activity still widespread but decreasing.
More info: erviss.org

HIV im Erbgut – Forschende decken Mechanismus auf Forschende des DZIF haben einen bislang unbekannten Mechanismus entschlüsselt, mit dem HIV-1 seine Integrationsorte im menschlichen Erbgut gezielt auswählt.

🧬 #HIV bildet lebenslange Reservoire in Immunzellen. DZIF-Forschende am Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg haben einen unbekannten Mechanismus entschlüsselt, mit dem HIV-1 seine Integrationsorte im menschlichen Erbgut auswählt. Diese Erkenntnisse eröffnen neue Wege für potenziell heilende Behandlungen.

Mysteries of trafficking of the vRNP segmented genome and assembly of influenza A virus revealed by in situ cryo-ET!
🔗 rdcu.be/eMmct
We are very excited that our paper is finally out!
🎉 Big congratulations to Moritz Wachsmuth-Melm and to everyone involved.

Presenting Stimulator Grant 2025 Recipients:
💉 Michael Mastalerz and 🧫Viet Loan Dao Thi are working on a broad-spectrum antiviral therapy for #hepatitisE. This project aims to synthesize novel nucleobase antiviral compounds and inhibit HEV infection.
daothilab.bsky.social @uniheidelberg.bsky.social

Together with Ralf Bartenschlager @ciid-heidelberg.bsky.social we are looking for a PhD student!

The project @trr179.bsky.social will revolve around (Hepatitis) viruses and the regulation of pattern recognition receptors in innate antiviral immunity.

Contact us if you're interested!
#PhDPosition