Bernhard-Nocht-Institut für Tropenmedizin

The Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNI) is Germany’s largest institution for research, services and training in the field of tropical diseases and emerging infections. Research topics include clinical studies, epidemiology and disease control as well as the biology of the respective pathogens, their reservoirs and vectors. The current scientific focus is on malaria, haemorraghic fever viruses, tuberculosis and tissue nematodes. To study highly pathogenic organisms such as Lassa and Ebola viruses, the institute is equipped with laboratories of the highest biosafety level (BSL-4). Outstanding scientific achievements in the recent past include the identification of the SARS coronavirus and the discovery of a previously unknown developmental stage of malaria parasites in humans.

Research of the Department of Virology is dedicated to applied and basic aspects of arenavirus biology, in particular the investigation of the virus life cycle, pathogenesis and immunology by the use of reverse genetics and structural biology techniques. Major focus of clinical virology is molecular epidemiology of arenaviruses and the development of novel diagnostic tools for the detection of known and unknown arenaviruses.

Within the EVIDENT project, Prof. Dr. Stephan Günther, Head of Virus Diagnostics at BNI will coordinate the scientific parts of the project and will lead the BNI scientific team.