{"id":3506,"date":"2025-09-30T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.infectnet.org\/?p=3506"},"modified":"2025-10-14T17:18:43","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T15:18:43","slug":"das-war-das-6-netzwerktreffen-von-infect-net-in-jena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/infectnet.org\/en\/archive\/3506","title":{"rendered":"This was the sixth Infect-Net network meeting in Jena."},"content":{"rendered":"

Sequencing, Visibility and Diagnostics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On 24 and 25 September, Infect-Net chairwoman Prof Dr Bettina L\u00f6ffler<\/a><\/strong> invited participants to the sixth network meeting in Jena. Immediately following the 77th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology (DGHM), 45 infection researchers from all over Germany gathered at the Friedrich Schiller University and Jena University Hospital (UKJ). The focus was on current developments in the sequencing and diagnosis of infectious diseases and the question of how our newly founded association can gain even more visibility and influence for infection researchers in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Heiko Hellmann | UKJ Medienzentrum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Welcome address<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In her opening speech, association chairwoman Prof Dr Gabriele Pradel<\/a><\/strong> addressed current social and political trends towards traditional role models and patriarchal power structures. These developments increasingly call gender equality and equal opportunities into question. According to Pradel, this makes the role of women's networks all the more important in defending privileges and rights and demanding a say in society. Infect-Net aims to make a decisive contribution to this, not only for women in infection research. Pradel also thanked her colleagues on the project board who helped her launch and shape the Infect-Net network initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hosts then presented their research location, Jena:
Prof Dr Bettina L\u00f6ffler<\/a><\/strong>, Director of the Institute for Medical Microbiology at the UKJ, provided exciting insights into her research on antimicrobial surface structures for implants and 3D models of bone tissue. Her colleague PD Dr Stefanie Deinhardt-Emmer<\/a><\/strong> presented the new Leibniz Centre for Photonics in Infection Research (LPI)<\/a> and used her own work to show how high-resolution imaging techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime microscopy (FLIM) can be used to visualise pathogens at the cellular level and for pathogen diagnostics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keynote speech by Lia van der Hoek: Hunting for unknown viruses<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One highlight of the meeting was the keynote speech by Dutch virologist Prof Dr Lia van der Hoek<\/strong><\/a> from Amsterdam University Medical Centre. As an expert in detecting previously unknown viruses, she took us on a fascinating scientific \u2018detective journey\u2019: she researches rare and mysterious viral infections in humans and animals. In addition to identifying new pathogens, she also develops approaches for vaccines and therapies. Her presentation impressively demonstrated how much curiosity, perseverance and passion goes into this research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research live \u2013 and at the highest level<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The keynote speech was followed by an intensive scientific exchange:<\/p>\n\n\n\n