University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)

A strategic partnership between the LIV research group Virus Genomics and the Institute of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene at the UKE has been in place since 2011. An integral part of this partnership is the LIV's high-throughput sequencing technology platform, which provides techniques for the metagenomic analysis of infectious pathogens in clinical samples. The surveillance of virus variants during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic funded by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, and DZIF-supported development of new methods for pathogen identification are examples of this partnership. Another subject of the partnership between UKE and the Virus Genomics research group is the investigation of chronic DNA viruses, both within joint DZIF projects and as part of the DFG-funded research group FOR 5200.

There is also close cooperation between the LIV and the UKE in studies on the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection. The department Virus Immunology, together with colleagues at the UKE, as well as African colleagues in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Cameroon, investigates the metabolic determinants of HIV-1-associated pathogenesis within the framework of an international network funded by the DFG. In addition, the Department of Virus Immunology is involved in investigations of the DFG-funded research group RU 5068 on sex-specific differences in immune responses. Prof. Altfeld is spokesperson of the TTU HIV in the DZIF, and coordinates the HIV-1 research projects between the LIV and the UKE.

In addition to the UKE’s Health Care Center’s Infectiology research group, a new strategic partnership between the LIV Virus Genomics research group and the UKE’s Department of Medical Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene has been initiated. As part of the projects promoted by the DZIF and industry, Next Generation Sequencing will be used to investigate cases of suspected viral aetiology of interest to clinical and infection biology.

Another clinical collaboration involves the LIV research department Viral Zoonoses - One Health: A UKE clinical cooperation group is integrated in the LIV research department under the direction of Professor Petra Arck. Together they investigate why certain risk groups are particularly vulnerable to developing severe influenza or even dying.

The department Virus-Host Interaction has a long-standing collaboration with the lab of Prof. Felix Stahl, Institute of Immunology, UKE. Together, studies are being carried out on the mouse model of congenital CMV infection. These investigations were integrated into the clinical research group KFO296 “Feto-Maternal Immune Cross Talk” (spokesperson: Prof. Petra Arck, UKE) and are part of a current CRC initiative.

The BMBF junior research group Genomics of Retroviral Infections, funded by the Erich und Gertrud Roggenbuck Stiftung, has started a collaboration with the UKE Institute of Neuropathology. The aim is to jointly identify novel biomarkers for certain pediatric brain tumors.