Pandemic preparedness
Berlin, 15 April 2024 – The corona pandemic is on everyone’s lips again: Politicians are calling for and discussing reappraisal measures focussing on coronavirus crisis management and the associated consequences. However, the pandemic not only concerns experts and observers at the federal political level, but is also causing movement in the field of research. The newly founded Leibniz-Lab “Pandemic Preparedness: One Health, One Future“ specialises in linking inter and transdisciplinary research on future pandemics in terms of preparation, prevention and response.
The fact that the lab is a model example of cooperation is demonstrated by the range of stakeholders involved. For the first time throughout Germany, 41 Leibniz Institutes, including pathogen-oriented sciences such as virology, bacteriology, mycology and immunology, are working together with other so-called life sciences, such as ecology, and interdisciplinary fields such as health technologies, education research and health economics in research into viruses, bacteria and fungi, summarised as respiratory pathogens, as well as acute disease progression and possible long-term consequences. An interdisciplinary and long overdue project with foresight – that is what the experts involved agree on. After all, a large number of past pandemics were triggered by respiratory pathogens. The assessment of Prof. Dr. Gülşah Gabriel, Head of the Viral Zoonoses-One Health department at the Leibniz Institute of Virology and spokesperson for the Leibniz Lab, illustrates the great relevance of the lab, which is funded with three million euros for a period of three years.
The Ferdinand-Braun-Institute, Leibniz Institute for High Frequency Technology (FBH) and part of the Optics and Photonics Cluster of the Joint Innovation Strategy innoBB of the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, which is managed by Berlin Partner, are also involved. The FHB is researching, among other things, diode lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for medical applications and has already developed operational UVC LED emitters that are used at the Berlin Charité. As a technology partner with experience and expertise in the areas of UV surface disinfection and remote UVC antiseptics, the institute will support the lab’s work in the area of hygiene in the future.
Another overarching goal of the new Leibniz Lab is to group together findings and newly acquired knowledge in the form of evidence-based recommendations for action and to make these available to political decision-makers. The intended knowledge transfer between research and politics covers an equally important point amid the demands for the appraisal of past corona measures: prevention and preparation for future pandemic scenarios.
