News 2026
23.03.2026
Funding awarded for German-Moldovan project to combat drug-resistant tuberculosis and strengthen antimicrobial stewardship
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a high-priority pathogen in the context of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The WHO European Region is particularly affected, and the Republic of Moldova has one of the highest proportions of drug-resistant TB cases in the region.Against this backdrop, the Research Center Borstel – Leibniz Lung Center, together with the Chiril Draganiuc Pneumology Institute and the Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy (USMPh) in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova, has been awarded funding of up to €200,000 for the project “Fighting Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis through Antimicrobial Stewardship.”
19.03.2026
Launch of a Weekly International TB and NTM Consilium with Partners in Ukraine
At the beginning of the month, a weekly international multidisciplinary TB and NTM consilium was launched by staff from the Research Center Borstel together with partner institutions in Ukraine. The case discussions will take place weekly via videoconference over the next two years and enable continuous professional exchange between the participating institutions..
06.03.2026
Environmental stimuli from farms train the immune system
Why does growing up on a farm protect against asthma? In a recent study, researchers from Munich, Borstel and Großhansdorf have identified molecular mechanisms by which farm dust influences immune cells and reduces allergic inflammatory reactions in the lungs. Their findings were published in the journal Science Advances.
05.03.2026
Pan-African Network for Genomic Surveillance Holds Third Annual Meeting in Maputo
From February 10–12, 2026, scientists, physicians, and health representatives from twelve African and three European countries gathered in Maputo, Mozambique, for the third in-person meeting of the Pan-African Network for Genomic Surveillance of Poverty-Related Diseases and Emerging Pathogens (PANGenS). Since 2023, the consortium has been building genome-based surveillance for tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and HIV in sub-Saharan African countries, including Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Gabon, Nigeria, Benin, Gambia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Liberia. The meeting highlighted the consortium’s growth, collaboration, and impact on public health research in partner countries.
02.03.2026
Hörtipp: Geschlechtersensible Infektiologie
Dr. Bianca Schneider, Leiterin der Forschungsgruppe "Wirtsdeterminanten bei Lungeninfektionen" am Forschungszentrum Borstel, Leibniz Lungenzentrum erklärt in der aktuellen Folge "Forschung aktuell" vom #Deutschlandfunk, warum Männer häufiger an #Tuberkulose erkranken als Frauen und wie man ihre Forschungsergebnisse nutzen kann, um die Therapie in Zukunft zu verbessern. Und das nicht nur bei der Tuberkulose, sondern auch bei anderen Erregern: