Photo of a young blond researcher in a blue T-shirt, crouching down, harvesting a plant and looking cheerfully at the camera.

©Schultz | Pérez Villacampa

Honour

From plants to new drug candidates: Fabien Schultz appointed to Academy

Schultz searches for substances with medical potential in plants, insects and fungi. He draws on the knowledge of traditional healers and animal observations in Africa. In the laboratory, his team has already shown that extracts from medicinal plants can inhibit the growth of certain pathogens. For his research, the BNITM scientist has been appointed as a Young Academy Fellow of the Akademie der Wissenschaften in Hamburg.

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Six mosquito wings are depicted, coloured red, yellow and blue.

Publication

Artificial intelligence identifies mosquito species by their wings

Researchers at the BNITM have developed an AI-based system that automatically identifies mosquito species based on their unique wing patterns with an accuracy of over 98%. This allows for faster and better monitoring of mosquito populations which is important for issuing early warnings and preventing or containing outbreaks of mosquito-borne pathogens.

©BNITM | FHH

Event

125 years of global infection research - in the heart of Hamburg

On 1 October 2025, the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) celebrated its 125th anniversary. In the course of its chequered history, the institute has made a significant contribution to the fight against diseases such as Malaria, Ebola and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Visit our exhibition in the town hall foyer until October 20 and our anniversary information event on hemorrhagic fever viruses on November 11.

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Photo of the Grand Hall of Hamburg City Hall with two chandeliers on the ceiling, elegant parquet flooring, richly decorated seating on the left and right, and historic murals.

©BNITM | Mira Lynne

Event

Anniversary week

During its anniversary week, the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) welcomed more than 1,000 guests from Germany and abroad to the European Congress of Tropical Medicine and International Health (ECTMIH), the anniversary concert in the Recital Hall of the Elbphilharmonie, and the Senate reception at Hamburg City Hall. Read here, among other things, congratulations from politicians and donors.

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Spatial transcriptomics of a mouse lymph node with cell-type labels

©Thomas Otto

Data Science Centre

Using AI to combat infectious diseases

Modern infection research generates huge amounts of data – from genome sequences to epidemiological and clinical data. The new Data Science Centre at BNITM creates the structures to bring together this data from all research sections, evaluate it using AI and bioinformatics, and make it accessible. In this way, the diversity of data becomes a driving force that connects research and accelerates the fight against infectious diseases.

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The photo shows a female Mastomys natalensis suckling.

©Adobe Stock| PIXATERRA

Publication

Lassafever more widespread than known

Lassa viruses can cause severe haemorrhagic fever, often with fatal consequences. However, a study shows that in rural Guinea, the population apparently lives not only with the virus's carrier, the multimammate mouse, but also with the virus itself. Over 80 per cent of the population carry antibodies, many of them since childhood. Hardly anyone gets sick. This finding raises questions about immunity, risk and vaccination strategies.

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