Leibniz-HKI

Scanning electron microscope image: Bacteria of the species Enterococcus faecalis (purple) attach to hyphae of the fungus Candida albicans (turquoise). Source: Leibniz-HKI

🔬 Leibniz-HKI Research featured as Biomedical Picture of the Day!
Proud to see a microscopy image from one of our recently published studies was selected as Biomedical Picture of the Day on March 5, 2026!
BPoD article: bpod.org.uk/archive/2026...
Paper: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

Endlich die Spielregeln verstanden Kooperation gibt es bei Brettspielen, Forschenden und Bakterien. In enger und lokaler Zusammenarbeit entschlüssel…

Finally understanding the rules of the game:
Working closely together in Jena, scientists have now deciphered how two species of bacteria join forces to avoid being eaten.
www.leibniz-hki.de/de/pressemit...
@microverse.bsky.social
@uni-jena.de
@uni-wuerzburg.de

What drives women in science — and how do they drive science forward? 🔬🚀

Great to see that @microverse.bsky.social has captured and shared the voices of women scientists for #InternationalDayOfWomenAndGirlsInScience, including colleagues from our institute.

@leibnizhki.bsky.social

With Christmas just around the corner, we wish all our colleagues, partners, and friends joyful holidays and a successful start into the New Year!
We will be back in January.
Warm wishes from the #LeibnizHKI.

🎄🎀⭐

The picture shows a colon cross section of a mouse colonized with Candida albicans.

Two men, Christian Hertweck and Jonas Fiedler, standing outdoors on the grounds of the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) in Jena. Both are dressed casually, facing each other and smiling. Institute buildings and greenery visible in the background.

Schematic illustration showing inactivation of the bacterial toxin Malleicyprol by the enzyme BurK. This illustration was taken from the respective publication in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, doi: 10.1002/anie.202521105, created by Jonas Fiedler, Leibniz-HKI.

Researchers at #LeibnizHKI discovered an enzyme that cleaves the toxin malleicyprol and reduces virulence in Burkholderia bacteria.

🗞️ Press release: lmy.de/VwRfa
🔎 Original paper: doi.org/10.1002/anie...

@dfg.de @uni-jena.de @microverse.bsky.social @angewandtechemie.bsky.social

A man and a woman stand side by side in a hallway, leaning casually against a doorframe. Both are smiling and wearing light-colored shirts and trousers. On the left side of the image, a large colorful speech-bubble graphic contains a research quote about metabolic adaptations during bacterial infections. A pink arrow near the bottom right indicates swiping. The wall features decorative artwork, and a ‘Leibniz-HKI’ logo appears in the lower left corner.

A woman and a man are standing on a staircase landing inside a building. The woman stands with arms crossed and the man leans casually against the wall, both smiling. A large multicolored text bubble on the left displays a quote about immune responses to fungal infections and postdoctoral research. A ‘Leibniz-HKI’ logo is visible at the bottom left, and a pink arrow on the floor points to the right.

A graphic page with a bright rainbow gradient background. Large bold text reads ‘December – Wolfgang Vivas & Dolly Montaño.’ Below it is smaller text saying ‘Leibniz-HKI Calendar 2025.’ A pink arrow on the right indicates swiping. The Leibniz-HKI logo appears in the lower left corner.

A couple walks hand in hand with a small child between them along a paved path on a research campus. All three are wearing jackets, and the adults hold the child’s hands. Above them is a colorful text bubble with the quote: “More awareness of family dynamics in academia would help many scientists. (Dolly)”. The logo “LEIBNIZ-HKI” appears in the lower left corner.

Meet our #December #calendar 2025 feature Wolfgang Vivas & Dolly Montaño, postdocs from Venezuela 🇻🇪 at Leibniz-HKI. How do they both juggle demanding research 🧪 with family life 👨🏻‍👩🏻‍👦🏻 while also keeping their creativity alive? 🎨 Find it out in their interview: lmy.de/Ibiul

#FacesOfScience #LeibnizHKI

"May the phage be with you!" 🎬🧬

Julia Frunzke (@fz-juelich.de) joined our #JEMS at @leibniz-hki.de! She discussed antiviral defense & how delayed phage DNA replication buys cells time to respond.

Great science + movie quotes = 💯.
Thanks for the visit, Julia!

#ScienceSky #Microbiology #Phage

Transparent anatomical 3D illustration of the human abdomen showing the digestive tract, with the colon highlighted in bright orange and red to indicate inflammation and tumor-affected areas. © Adobe Stock / appledesign

The research network #PerMiCCion, funded by the #BMFTR, enters its 2nd funding phase to uncover why more young adults develop colorectal #cancer, and how the gut microbiome can enable earlier detection and personalized prevention.
➡️ lmy.de/fZkRG

@mbdlab.bsky.social
@uni-jena.de

#Microverse

The German Research Foundation (@dfg.de) welcomes the provisional agreement announced by the European Union on a new legal framework for so-called NGT-1 plants produced using new genomic techniques (NGT). The DFG and #Leopoldina have been campaigning for years for this classification.

lmy.de/QqMLB

A lab scientist in a white coat and blue gloves looks through a microscope, with computer screens showing colorful data in the background.

Funded PhD position 9/9: Study the role of human p11-dependent EGFR in regulating phagosome maturation and antifungal defense & benefit from the PhD training program ILRS 2.0. Apply by 13 Dec.
🎓 lmy.de/saMIG

#PhDOpportunity #ScienceJobs #LeibnizHKI

Four young adults are jumping with their arms raised on a grassy area in front of a modern, curved building, smiling and appearing joyful.

Funded PhD position 8/9: Develop scalable moss-bacteria co-cultivations for the discovery and production of new natural products & benefit from the PhD training program ILRS 2.0. Apply by 13 Dec.
🎓 lmy.de/diSOz

#PhDOpportunity #ScienceJobs #LeibnizHKI

... And here is a direct link to the original publication in Nat Mircobiol: doi.org/10.1038/s415... 🙂

@mbdlab.bsky.social 👏

#UniJena #LeibnizHKI #Microverse

A laboratory researcher wearing a white coat and blue gloves uses a pipette to transfer liquid into a tray of small tubes, surrounded by lab equipment and bottles.

Funded PhD position 7/9: Discover mycoparasites as unexplored resource for antiinfectives & benefit from the PhD training program ILRS 2.0.
Apply by 13 Dec.
🎓 lmy.de/FMclh

#PhDOpportunity #ScienceJobs #LeibnizHKI

A scientist with dark curls and black glasses in a white lab coat and blue gloves holds up a sample slide for inspection in a bright laboratory, slightly smiling, with lab equipment, shelves and a big window in the background.

Funded PhD position 6/9: Explore liver-on-chip based macrophage-drug interactions in invasive candidiasis & benefit from the PhD training program ILRS 2.0.
Apply by 13 Dec.
🎓 lmy.de/ZAZGj

#PhDOpportunity #ScienceJobs #LeibnizHKI

Two researchers in white lab coats and blue gloves stand in a laboratory, smiling and reviewing a document together, surrounded by scientific equipment and supplies.

Funded PhD position 5/9: Study microbiome-enteric nervous system interactions in sepsis & benefit from the PhD training program ILRS 2.0. Apply by 13 Dec.
🎓 lmy.de/ybPgD

#PhDOpportunity #ScienceJobs #LeibnizHKI

A woman sits at a desk with two computer monitors, focused on her work in a bright office; a blurred screen with a scientific graphic is visible in the foreground.

Funded PhD position 4/9: Advance image quantification of organ-on-chip-based experiments within JIPipe & benefit from the PhD training program ILRS 2.0.
Apply by 13 Dec.
🎓 lmy.de/tSJYf

#PhDOpportunity #ScienceJobs #LeibnizHKI

A woman in a white lab coat and blue gloves works at a lab bench, smiling as she uses a pipette to transfer liquid into a small tube. Colorful laboratory containers and equipment are arranged in front of her, and another person works in the background.

Funded PhD position 3/9: Investigate how Candida albicans lipases shape fungal-bacterial interactions & benefit from the PhD training program ILRS 2.0. Apply by 13 Dec.
🎓 lmy.de/VyUor

#PhDOpportunity #ScienceJobs #LeibnizHKI

A man and a woman in white lab coats sit at a computer in a bright laboratory. The man, wearing blue gloves, smiles and points at the monitor while the woman beside him also smiles, watching the screen.

Funded PhD position 2/9: Study neutrophil extracellular vesicles as a key defense mechanism against Aspergillus fumigatus & benefit from the PhD training program ILRS 2.0. Apply by 13 Dec.
🎓 lmy.de/yisip

#PhDOpportunity #ScienceJobs #LeibnizHKI

A woman and a man wearing white lab coats sit together at a desk in a bright office, looking at a laptop screen. The woman is smiling and gesturing toward the laptop as they discuss the information displayed.

Funded PhD position 1/9: Explore RNA modification by natural products across species & benefit from the PhD training program ILRS 2.0.
Apply by 13 Dec.

🎓 lmy.de/szeVW

#PhDOpportunity #ScienceJobs #LeibnizHKI

Portrait of Prof. Axel Brakhage with short white hair, glasses, and a dark blazer over a patterned shirt. He is centered against a dark background with flowing green lines. In the upper right corner are the green Spotify logo and a white Deezer logo with a heart graphic.

🎙️ For #WAAW, our Director Axel Brakhage joins the German podcast “Contagious Enthusiasm” to discuss natural products in antibiotic development, the need of innovative #AMR strategies & the challenging conditions for researchers. lmy.de/EWdVZ

🎧 Spotify: lmy.de/bsezx
🎧 Deezer: lmy.de/Jzccq

A young woman with curly reddish-brown hair stands by a staircase railing in a modern building. She is wearing a long yellow pleated skirt, a black top, and black boots. She is holding several notebooks or books in her arms and is smiling gently at the camera.

Graphic design image with a blue-to-purple gradient background. The word ‘NOVEMBER’ appears at the top in bold orange letters, followed by the name ‘Sophia Hitzler’ in large purple text. Below, in smaller black text, it reads ‘Leibniz-HKI Calendar 2025.’ The word ‘SWIPE’ is written in bold black letters next to a yellow arrow pointing to the right. The Leibniz-HKI logo is placed in the bottom left corner.

A woman with curly reddish-brown hair is working in a laboratory. She is wearing a white lab coat and blue gloves and is examining a transparent bottle filled with liquid. In the background, another person in a lab coat is seated at a workstation. The room is bright and equipped with typical laboratory instruments.

A person with curly hair, wearing a black top and a long yellow skirt, stands on an indoor staircase holding books and looking upward with a smile. A colorful speech bubble above reads: ‘It’s especially fun to introduce young people to science and see how curiosity develops.’ The logo ‘LEIBNIZ-HKI’ appears in the bottom left.

Meet our #November feature Sophia Hitzler, a doctoral researcher at Leibniz-HKI, in this year’s #calendar 2025! From a fascination with fungi 🍄 to mentoring 👩‍🏫 and an unexpected dream job 🐳, discover her journey here: lmy.de/sBQAV

#FacesOfScience #LeibnizHKI

@aps-hki.bsky.social

📖 Perfect weekend reading for fungal fans! 😉 Our @mpm-hki.bsky.social colleagues uncover how #CandidaAlbicans manages to invade tissue as hyphae but spread as yeast. Published in @femsjournals.bsky.social.

🧑🏻‍🔬: @jlspragu.bsky.social

Christine Vogler, Equal Opportunities Officer at Leibniz-HKI, accepted the TOTAL E-QUALITY award and the Sustainability Award.

🎉 #LeibnizHKI has again been honored with the TOTAL E-QUALITY rating for our equal-opportunities personnel policy – for the 5th time in a row! This year, we also received the Sustainability Prize 2025 for our long-term commitment to equality, diversity & inclusion.

🗞️✨ lmy.de/zVSiL

#TotalEquality

📣 I’m excited to share two open positions in my lab @leibniz-hki.de. For this interdisciplinary project with @luziagyr.bsky.social, I’m seeking (1) an enthusiastic PhD student interested in fungal natural product research and genetic engineering, as well as (2) a technical assistant 👇🏻

Zoltán Cseresnyés, an older man with short gray hair and a friendly smile, stands indoors beside a long office table. He is wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt, gray trousers, and brown shoes. He holds a small potted bonsai tree in both hands. On the table next to him are a large potted plant, a green watering can, and a book. The background shows a bright modern room with white walls and wooden flooring. In the upper left, a colorful speech bubble contains the text: “I am an image analyst. I help biologists and chemists to analyze their image data and get information and quantification out of microscopy images, thus allowing them to modify or plan experiments.” The Leibniz-HKI logo appears in blue at the bottom left, and an orange arrow points to the right.

Colorful calendar page for October 2025 from the Leibniz-HKI Calendar. The background fades from blue on the left to purple on the right. The word 'OCTOBER' appears in bold orange letters. Below it, the name 'Zoltán Cseresnyés' is written in large green text. At the bottom left, small black text reads 'Leibniz-HKI Calendar 2025' with the blue Leibniz-HKI logo beneath it. On the right side, the word 'SWIPE' is written in black uppercase letters next to an orange arrow pointing right.

A close-up photo shows the back of a man’s head as he looks at a computer monitor displaying a complex network of colorful lines and nodes on a dark background – microscopy data visualization. The desk below the monitor holds papers, computer accessories, and cables. In the top left, a colorful speech bubble contains the text: “The real highlight was being there at the very beginning of super-resolution microscopy.” The Leibniz-HKI logo appears in blue at the bottom left, and an orange arrow points to the right.

Zoltán Cseresnyés and a younger woman with dark hair, one of his colleagues, sit side by side at a table in a bright office. Zoltán, wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt, gestures with his hand while explaining something on a laptop screen. The woman listens attentively, wearing a patterned blouse and a wristwatch. Behind them, large windows with blinds fill the room with natural light. A colorful speech bubble above them contains the text: “It is crucial to remain flexible and open – both in mind and in career.” The Leibniz-HKI logo appears in blue at the bottom left of the image.

🍁 Meet our #October #calendar 2025 feature: Zoltán Cseresnyés, imaging specialist at our @appsysbio.bsky.social research group. From 1980s Hungary to super-resolution microscopy at Cambridge, he now helps researchers unlock insights from complex images. 🔬🌌
lmy.de/LsPim

#FacesOfScience #LeibnizHKI

Over the past two days, @leibniz-hki.de has hosted the Junior Groups in Infection Research Annual Meeting. We talked a lot about collaborations, the future of infection research and enjoyed dinner at the Botanical Garden @uni-jena.de.

#bmftr #infection #research #science

Leibniz-HKI receives Thuringian Animal Welfare Award 2025 The Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) has been honored with the T…

👉 read the full press release here:
shorturl.at/x6Lzk

Kerren Volkmar and Maria Straßburger from the Leibniz-HKI are honored with an award and flowers

🏆The @leibniz-hki.de receives the Thuringian Animal Welfare Award 2025!
An innovative lung model reduces animal testing in infection research by up to 90%.
Science and animal welfare go hand in hand🤝

#AnimalWelfare #Research @soziales.thueringen.de

Picture Credits: TMSGAF; Delf Zeh

The dose makes the difference The yeast fungus Candida albicans not only uses the toxin candidalysin to cause infections, but also to colonize t…

🗞️ Press release: shorturl.at/AzMAg
🧪Original paper: doi.org/10.1038/s415...