Locations of the Helmholtz Centre

Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI)

The HIRI was established in May 2017 as a partnership between the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Julius-Maximilian-University of Würzburg (JMU). HIRI is the first research institution worldwide bridging the fields of RNA biology and infectious disease.

RNA research to combat infections

Rising antimicrobial resistance, chronic infections, and (re-) emerging pathogens are among the major challenges facing humanity. RNA is increasingly understood to contribute to key regulatory and sensory processes in the cell, but the role of RNA in infection biology remains understudied.

HIRI will combine interdisciplinary expertise with cutting-edge research infrastructure to exploit the vast potential of RNA as a diagnostic molecule, target, and drug to combat infectious diseases.

"Until recently, the significance of RNA molecules in infection processes has been greatly underestimated. Today, we know that RNAs interact with a diverse array of molecules of the host cell and the pathogen. To exploit these opportunities, HIRI will pioneer an integrated concept using cutting-edge technologies."

Prof Jörg Vogel 

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