University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)

LIV collaborations with clinical research groups at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) benefit from the LIV’s proximity to the university hospital and an already longstanding cooperation.

Since November 2011 the LIV and UKE are involved in the DZIF Pathogen Genomics and Detection (Thematical Translation Unit: Emerging Infections) partner site that is being developed together with the UKE’s HEXT (Hamburg Center for Experimental Therapy) -Initiative. The LIV’s Next Generation Sequencing technology platform forms an integral component of the partner site. As part of the HEXT Initiative, a bioinformatics specialist from the LIV technology platform is currently financed by the UKE. LIV research units also use HEXT-Initiative resources such as the stem cell or mouse pathology facility.

In addition the LIVs participation in the collaborative research centre (Sonderforschungsbereich, SFB) 841 Liver inflammation: infection, immune regulation and consequences has been initiated. The work of the Virus Immunology research department has been included in the application for the SFB’s second phase.

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 new 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.