PI: Kurt Zatloukal
Focus: The high-safety laboratory (BSL-3+) at the D&F Institute of Pathology has implemented increased biosafety measures for performing autopsies under full BSL-3 conditions and researching high-risk pathogens. As part of the COVID-19 pandemic, various SARS-CoV-2 virus variants were isolated and characterized, diagnostics were reviewed and further developed, vaccines were tested to determine the extent to which the immune response blocks SARS-CoV-2 viruses, drugs and natural products were tested for their antiviral effect and decontamination procedures and protective equipment were tested and further developed. In addition to SARS-CoV-2, the interactions of other high-risk pathogens such as influenza viruses, hantaviruses and monkeypox viruses as well as biotoxins with human organs are also being researched. Furthermore, replacement methods for animal experiments are being developed by using human organ cultures for infection studies and the latest technologies for biosecurity and cybersecurity are being tested and established.
International networking: As a member of the European Research Infrastructure for High Security Laboratories (ERINHA) and research partner in several EU programs to prepare for future pandemics (e.g. ISIDORe, EVORA, Interceptor, NAVIPP, EMBRACE, EDF-FPA-MCBRN-MCM), procedures are to be established in collaboration with other European high-security laboratories in order to identify dangerous pathogens more quickly, characterize their transmission and damage mechanisms and, based on these data, develop diagnostics and therapeutics, including vaccines, rapidly together with industrial partners. The research work is supported by an international scientific advisory board and an advisory board for biosafety and biosecurity.
