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Cluster of Excellence “Controlling Microbes to Fight Infections” (CMFI)

News

The Frankenstein molecule: resurrecting an ancient antibiotic to create antibiotics of the future
30.11.2023 The Frankenstein molecule: resurrecting an ancient antibiotic to create antibiotics of the future In the Media

Nature - Behind the paper

Taking antibiotics back in time
30.11.2023 Taking antibiotics back in time Press Release
Welche Rolle spielen Darmbakterien bei der Krebsimmuntherapie?
23.11.2023 Welche Rolle spielen Darmbakterien bei der Krebsimmuntherapie? Press Release

Events

Voices in Infection Biology
29.11.2023 – 30.11.2023 Voices in Infection Biology CMFI Invited Speaker More
How do gram-negative bacteria build their outer membrane?
30.11.2023 How do gram-negative bacteria build their outer membrane? 12:30 pm 2:00 pm Joint Microbiological Colloquium Antonio Calabrese More
What is in the air? Microbial communities at the amazon rainforest atmosphere
07.12.2023 What is in the air? Microbial communities at the amazon rainforest atmosphere 12:30 pm 2:00 pm Joint Microbiological Colloquium Luciano F. Huergo More

About the CMFI

The surfaces of the human body host colonies of microorganisms, known as microbiomes. Along with bacteria which have a positive effect on human health, microbiomes contain potentially life-threatening pathogens. In the past, broad-spectrum antibiotics have often been used to tackle them. Nowadays it is known that this not only promotes resistance to antibiotics – in many cases it also damages the microbiome as a whole. 

 

CMFI researchers aim to develop new strategies to control microbial mechanisms and fight infections.

The Cluster of Excellence CMFI brings together researchers from different disciplines such as infection biology, immunology, bioinformatics, pharmaceutical biology, antibiotics research, molecular and medical microbiology, biotechnology, environmental biology, systems biology, chemistry, and medical history and ethics. Their common goal is to elucidate the mechanisms of interaction between beneficial and harmful bacteria and the host in order to develop novel targeted therapeutic and anti-infective treatments.

The CMFI is one of more than 50 Clusters of Excellence funded by German federal and state governments as part of the Excellence Initiative to sustainably strengthen Germany as a center of science, improve its international competitiveness and make cutting-edge research at German universities visible. In addition to the University of Tübingen, the Max Planck Institute for Biology and the University Hospital Tübingen are involved in the CMFI.

More about the Research