National Reference Center for Mycobacteria
Medical Head of NRZ
Dr. med. Martin Kuhns
+49 4537 / 188-2075
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Scientific Head
Prof. Dr. Stefan Niemann
+49 4537 / 188-7620
+49 4537 / 188-2091
The National Reference Center, appointed by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Robert Koch Institute, participates in the coordination of measures in the fight against and the surveillance of tuberculosis (TB).
- National Reference Center (NRC) for Mycobacteria
- Supranational Reference Laboratory (SRL) of WHO
The activities of the Reference Center comprise the following domains:
- Diagnostics: Examination of approximately 12,000 samples per year for the detection and identification of mycobacteria as well as for susceptibility testing
- Epidemiology: DNA fingerprinting for the discovery of infection chains in order to improve control measures
- Development, improvement, and evaluation of new techniques for a more rapid diagnosis of TB
- Advisory service for diagnostic laboratories and physicians. The consultation comprises inquiries on the epidemiology, diagnostics, and therapy of TB
- Training: Approximately 100 guests annually are trained in all fields of TB diagnostics.
- Expert for INSTAND EQA for tuberculosis
- Consultant: among others for WHO, Médecins sans frontières (MSF), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), "Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau" (KfW, "German loan bank for reconstruction"), and KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation with activities in the following countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegowina, Croatia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrghysztan, Pakistan, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Southern Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
Documetation-Video of the National Reference Center
About the National Reference Center:
The NRZ for mycobacteria was one of the first reference centers in Germany and has always been based at the Research Center Borstel. In addition to diagnostics, the focus of the work is on epidemiology and the development, improvement and evaluation of new techniques for faster diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). In addition, research focuses on antibiotic resistance, the development of new active ingredients and the transmission of TB in low and high incidence countries. The completion of the building and the move to the new laboratories is planned for 2021. The costs amount to 12.8 million euros and are funded equally by the federal and state governments.
- Client: Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center
- General planning: Heinle Wischer Gesellschaft für Generalplanung GmbH
- Project manager: Turner & Townsend
- Primary isolation of mycobacteria with liquid and solid media from all specimens
- Detection of mycobacteria by means of nucleic acid amplification methods from all specimens (exception: venous blood and bone marrow)
- Differentiation of mycobacteria by molecular techniques
- Susceptibility testing of all mycobacteria species in liquid and on solid media. Genetic detection of mutations associated with resistance against INH and RMP.
- DNA analyses (IS6110 DNA fingerprinting, spoligotyping, MIRU) for the comparison of tuberculosis bacteria isolates, for example in the case of a suspected laboratory cross contamination
Information on tuberculosis
- Division of Mycobacteriology at the FZB
- Tuberkulose Fact Sheet der WHO
- STOP TB homepage
- Robert Koch-Institut
- INSTAND
- American Thoracic Society
- Centers for Disease Control
- European Society of Mycobacteriology
- Euzéby: List of Mycobacteria with Standing in Nomenclature
Head
Medical Head of NRZ
Dr. med. Martin Kuhns
+49 4537 / 188-2075
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Scientific Head
Prof. Dr. Stefan Niemann
+49 4537 / 188-7620
+49 4537 / 188-2091
Office / Requests for test results
Birgit Voß
+49 4537 / 188-2110
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Laboratory manager / Accounting
Birte Schlüter
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Anne-Kathrin Slevogt
+49 4537 / 188-2050
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Staff scientists / external quality assessments
Dr. Sönke Andres
+49 4537 / 188-6480
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Dr. Doris Hillemann
+49 4537 / 188-7610
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Christina Kallenberg
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Technical Staff
Melanie Arwers
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Lea Behrens
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Kristine Beuck
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Rico Bluszis
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Fenja Boysen
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Anna Delfs
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Carina Dührkopp
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Silvia Höllger
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Claudia Larisch
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Ilse Radzio
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Birte Schlüter
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Katja Schweim
+49 4537 / 188-2100
+49 4537 / 188-3110
Nationales & WHO Supranationales
Referenzzentrum für Mykobakterien (NRZ)
Parkallee 38
DE-23845 Borstel