Viruses as Plant Protectors: Research at Jülich Shows the Potential of Bacteriophages

Bacteriophages protect plants from infections and suppress their immune response

14-Jul-2026 - Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich are investigating how natural viruses that specifically target bacteria can protect plants from bacterial pathogens. These so-called bacteriophages open up new possibilities for more environmentally friendly plant protection—and, in light of increasing heat ...

Pathoblockers instead of antibiotics

DZIF project nominated for the “Science Breakthrough of the Year 2026” award

09-Jul-2026 - The project “PROTON—Breaking the Wall of Deadly Bacterial Infections” has been nominated by the Falling Walls Foundation for the title “Science Breakthrough of the Year 2026” in the Life Sciences category. The award honors scientific advances that break down barriers in science and have the ...

Probiotics instead of antibiotics in livestock production

Evonik Probiotic Boosts Broiler Survival Rate by 50 Percent

16-Jun-2026 - Probiotics can help reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock farming in order to counteract the development of antibiotic resistance. Evonik’s probiotic Ecobiol PRO germinates particularly quickly in the chicken intestine, thereby improving animal survival. This is enabled by a specific ...

New antiviral antibiotic: Daunorubicin stops bacteriophages through premature cell death

Researchers decipher how the cancer drug interrupts the viral infection cycle at an early stage

09-Jun-2026 - Bacteria also produce molecules with an antiviral effect. Researchers at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) and Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ), together with colleagues from Marburg and Zurich, have investigated the antiviral molecule daunorubicin and deciphered its mode of action against ...

New antibiotics discovered to treat multi-resistant germs

A well-known soil bacterium produces a previously unknown antibiotic that was discovered through improved fractionation methods

05-Jun-2026 - A research team involving the University of Hamburg has discovered a new active substance in a soil bacterium that has already been extensively studied. The antibiotic identified, ‘manikomycin’, has been shown to be effective against multi-drug-resistant bacteria. Initial preclinical studies ...

A new approach to weaken dangerous pathogens

Evolutionary research opens up new prospects for antibiotic therapy

26-May-2026 - Antibiotic-resistant pathogens pose one of the greatest threats to public health today. Due to the misuse and overuse of antibacterial agents in recent decades, numerous pathogens have now become resistant to antibiotics, including many last-resort antibiotics used to treat particularly severe ...

How pathogens switch to "dangerous"

27-Apr-2026 - During an infection, pathogens quickly adapt to the conditions in the body in order to survive. A research team at the University of Basel has now discovered how a protein switches on the machinery in the pathogen Leptospira that helps it survive in the body and cause disease. The work provides ...

New treatment approach against sepsis discovered

08-Apr-2026 - A research team at the Mainz University Medical Center has discovered a previously unknown mechanism by which the immune system fights bacterial infections: A specific protein, the so-called ion channel PACC1, is crucial for immune cells to be able to effectively kill bacteria. If the protein is ...

The Household as a Blind Spot in Food Safety

Household Refrigerators as Underestimated Microbial Ecosystems

26-Feb-2026 - Foto: Shutterstock Household refrigerators are considered one of the most important barriers against foodborne infections. They slow microbial growth, extend shelf life, and are a central component of the cold chain. However, a new study by Vetmeduni reveals that refrigerators are far more than ...

5,000-year-old bacteria defy 10 modern antibiotics

Ice cave bacteria could sharpen antibiotic resistance crisis – or help solve it

19-Feb-2026 - Bacteria have evolved to adapt to all of Earth’s most extreme conditions, from scorching heat to temperatures well below zero. Ice caves are just one of the environments hosting a variety of microorganisms that represent a source of genetic diversity that has not yet been studied ...