Boost for innovative infection research
Alexander Gräwe receives Klaus Tschira Boost Fund to develop safe therapeutic microbes
| Kerstin Breuer
Programming microorganisms to combat infectious diseases in the human body while meeting stringent safety requirements for new therapeutics – with this research idea, Dr. Alexander Gräwe successfully secured funding from the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund (KTBF). This is a remarkable achievement, as less than five percent of applications are approved, making the program highly competitive for early-career researchers.
Infectious diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms claim millions of lives worldwide every year. At the same time, countless beneficial microbes live in and on our bodies, playing essential roles in maintaining our health. What if these “good” bacteria could be harnessed as therapeutic agents against infections, safely and in a controlled manner? This is the focus of the Carl Zeiss Foundation-funded consortium SynThera (Synthetic therapeutic microbes for tailored antimicrobial therapies), which brings together researchers from the Leibniz-HKI and the University of Jena. As a postdoctoral researcher in the working group of Axel Brakhage at Leibniz-HKI and a member of SynThera, Alexander Gräwe is pursuing his own complementary research project, “TheraSafe.” His work specifically addresses the safety of therapeutic microbes.
“For therapeutic microbes to be used in the future, they must not only be effective but, above all, safe and controllable,” says Gräwe. This includes ensuring that the microbes do not develop undesirable traits such as antibiotic resistance. To achieve this, Gräwe uses synthetic biology to integrate innovative biosafety mechanisms into TheraSafe microbes. With this approach, he convinced the selection committee of the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund. The funding will enable him to support a PhD candidate over the next two years and further develop his independent research focus.
“The funding allows me to take on leadership responsibility and develop towards leading an independent research group.”, Gräwe explains. He also highlights the value of the KTBF network, which brings together researchers from a wide range of disciplines.
For Gräwe, working as a team towards a shared goal has always been a personal source of motivation. The Boost Fund now provides the foundation to build his own sub-team within SynThera. The TheraSafe team will address key questions of biosafety and contribute to SynThera’s overarching goal: developing therapeutic microbes that can be used in a targeted way against multidrug-resistant bacterial and fungal pathogens. In this way, the funded project strengthens research at Leibniz-HKI on innovative strategies to combat infectious diseases and develop new antiinfectives.
About the Klaus Tschira Boost Fund
The KTBF is a joint program by the GSO (Guidance, Skills, and Opportunities Organization) and Klaus Tschira Stiftung designed to support researchers. It is made possible through financing from the foundation of the same name. Founded by SAP co-founder Klaus Tschira, the foundation supports research, education, and science communication in the natural sciences, mathematics, and computer science. The KTBF provides flexible, independent funding for high-risk, interdisciplinary projects and promotes researchers’ personal development as well as the expansion of international networks through targeted mentoring and support.
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