Research Report 2010 2011 - Helmholtz-Zentrum für ...

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SCIENTIFIC REPORTS | The Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)
The Helmholtz-Institute
for Pharmceutical Research
Saarland (HIPS)
MANAGING DIRECTOR | Prof. Dr. Rolf Müller | Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)
within Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) |
Campus Saarland University, Building C2 3
, 66123 Saarbrücken | Germany | rom@helmholtz-hzi.de
STAFF | Dr. Markus Ehses | David Hofmann | Birgitta Lelarge | Natja Mellendorf | Claudia Thiele
The Helmholtz-Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) was founded in August 2009 jointly by the Helmholtz Centre
for Infection Research (HZI) and Saarland University (UdS). It is established as branch of HZI on the campus of UdS with the aim
to accelerate the identifi cation of new drug candidates for antiinfective research, their optimization by methods of molecular
biology and medicinal chemistry and the improvement of the transport to the site of action. It is especially the emerging of new
and often multi-resistant pathogens that requires an effi cient approach to the development of antiinfectiva. The founding of HIPS
is the result of an initiative by the Helmholtz Association to complement translational research within the research fi eld “health”.
The combination of the internationally renowned high quality of infection research at HZI and of pharmaceutical sciences at UdS
creates a signifi cant added value. Close cooperations with regional partner institutes allow covering the wide range of drug development
starting from early drug candidate identifi cation to clinical studies all within one research centre. The implementation of
the complete development pipeline will considerably speed up the use of natural products in clinical studies.
The range of scientific activities at HIPS comprises genetic
and genome-analytic methods for optimizing natural product
producers and lead compounds as well as methodologies
to improve the transportation of pharmaceutical agents to
their target. The combination of the expertise in infectious
diseases and in pharmaceutical research at HZI and HIPS
takes a unique position in Germany and Europe, especially
regarding the development of antiinfectives. The three
departments of HIPS, “Microbial Natural Products” (MINS,
Prof. R. Müller), “Drug Design and Development” (DDOP,
Prof. R.W. Hartmann), and “Drug Delivery” (DDEL, Prof.
C.-M. Lehr), originate each from a pharmaceutical research
group at UdS, with approximately 140 employees in total, of
which at the end of 2010 30 were financed by HIPS. Finally,
100 collaborators will move to the new building, which
should be constructed within three to four years on the
campus of UdS.
Another mission of HIPS is the promotion of young scientists.
Currently, a structured doctoral programme is developed,
which besides courses in soft and professional skills
will feature an optional one-year-stay abroad. Furthermore,
three young researcher groups will be established. The
Helmholtz Young Investigators Group “Metabolic Engineering
of Actinomycetes” (AMEG), headed by Andriy Luzhetskyy,
moved to HIPS in January 2011. By the follow-up
appointments to the three vacant university chairs and
further new junior professor positions at UdS, the number
of groups with pharmaceutical focus at Saarbrücken will
raise from currently five full professors and two young researcher
groups to a total of 15 groups in the mid-term. The
The founding heads of departments of HIPS (from left to right):
Claus-Michael Lehr (DDEL), Rolf Müller (MINS) and
Rolf W. Hartmann (DDOP) Photo: HZI
research approaches, methods and apparatus in this pool of
pharmaceutical competence will work together synergistically
under the roof of the intended “Centre for Pharmaceutical
Sciences Saarland”.
The close linking of HIPS to HZI is promoted with high
priority and is being realized by initiation of research collaborations
and implementation of compatible administrative
workflows and infrastructure for controlling, administration
of personnel, IT and public relations. For these
measures an administrative manager, a scientific assistant
as well as an administrative assistant support the director
of the institute.