Bundesministerium der Verteidigung

The Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology (IMB) is the scientific centre of competence for biological medical defence of the Bundeswehr and represents the German Armed Forces in research, teaching and training. It provides state-of-the-art procedures for investigations of unusual outbreaks of infectious diseases and for the identification and verification of a suspected use of biological agents. It also conducts specialized training courses for medical personnel and participates in the development of national and international concepts and strategies.

IMB’s scientific focus is on research and development as well as studies on the pathogenesis, recognition, treatment and prevention of health disorders which may be caused by exposure to biological agents. The institute works in close cooperation with Germany’s public health organisations, civil defence and emergency services. To fulfil its tasks even beyond Germany’s borders, the IMB developed modular, rapidly deployable, mobile field laboratories which are adapted to be operated abroad in low resource settings.

Within the EVIDENT project the IMB will provide diagnostic testing for infectious disease agents that are considered as either differential diagnostics or possible co-infections in patients with a suspected Ebola virus infection. Serological and molecular testing will be conducted on patient samples collected in the consortium’s biobank of the 2014 Ebola outbreak.