Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU) is the German Research Center for Environmental Health and belongs to Germany’s largest research organisation: the Helmholtz Association. At centre stage are chronic diseases such as diabetes, pulmonary diseases, allergies, cancers, cardio-vascular diseases and viral infection disease, which are caused to a considerable extent by personal, genetic risk factors, lifestyles and environmental conditions. At HMGU, the Institute of Virology (VIRO) investigates the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind the persistence and propagation of viruses that cause chronic infections and the potential of these viruses to cause diseases in humans. In close interaction with our partner institute at Technische Universität München, VIRO has established molecular diagnostics, imaging and immune monitoring of viral infections at the highest international standards and actively contribute to method development in the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF). Considerable expertise is hosted especially in the application of infection models, mouse models and assay system.
The HMGU offers cutting-edge technology in its core facilities for genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic analyses. It has large capacities for animal housing and phenotyping. The German Mouse Clinic is located on the HMGU campus. The organisational infrastructure and experience of HMGU enables the capacity and resources for an adequate implementation of this project.