Infection Biology – (Ph.D.)

The PhD program "Infection Biology" is an integral part of the "Centre for Infection Biology" (ZIB). Students (~60: 20 per year, most of them life scientists) focus on how infectious agents or antigens/allergens enter the human body, and interact with cells´ and organs´ pathogenicity mechanisms, how early and late reactions of the host´s immune system are induced and how the immune system attacks these agents (main topics in Infection, Immunology, Microbiology and Virology). Infections by pathogens cause approximately one third of all human fatalities worldwide. An ongoing emergence of new pathogens, such as HIV, SARS and the avian influenza strain H5N1, and the recurrence of diseases previously believed to be extinct, such as tuberculosis and diphtheria, meet an alarming scenario of declining rates in vaccinations as well as an increasing resistance of germs to antibiotics. Despite considerable advances in medicine, this situation calls for extensive research and new approaches to the prevention and therapy of infectious diseases. A combination of basic sciences and applied clinical aspects is taught. The PhD Program "Infection Biology" is partly supported by the State of Lower Saxony (Lichtenberg stipends) and by the Wilhelm Hirte Foundation.

State-of-the-art advanced training in molecular Infection Biology is carried out together with MHH. Training focuses on the molecular interaction between pathogens and human/animal cells. Special attention is given to the study of model organisms, an area of research where GBF has earned an international reputation over the past few decades. From 2007, PhD training programs is also funded by means of a Helmholtz Research School of Infection Biology in Braunschweig.