Health Effects from Heat, Cold & Air Pollution

Several findings concerned the health effects of heat and air pollution. Research presented at the conference estimated that heat was associated with around 145,000 work-related injuries per year across the countries studied, while cold was associated with around 82,000. The analysis used data collected up to 2023 and was particularly relevant in the context of the heatwaves experienced in Europe in 2026.

A study based on data from the German National Cohort, NAKO, reported around 30% more cardiometabolic multimorbidity among people living in highly polluted urban environments compared with those living in areas with low exposure. The study by Helmholtz Munich PhD researcher Asmaa Alselwi received one of the conference’s awards for students and early-career researchers.

Plastics and Cardiovascular Health

Plastics formed another focus of the conference. Researchers discussed possible direct health effects of micro- and nanoplastics as well as indirect effects, such as discarded plastic providing breeding sites for insects that transmit disease.

A systematic review by Dr. Fiona Niedermayer of Helmholtz Munich identified 31 studies on associations between endocrine-disrupting chemicals and cardiovascular disease. Across these studies, phthalate exposure was consistently associated with cardiovascular mortality.

The Environmental Footprint of Artificial Intelligence

The conference also examined the environmental footprint of digital technologies. Prof. Francesca Dominici of Harvard University presented research on the potential use of artificial intelligence to assess local climate and health risks.
Her presentation also included estimates of the environmental footprint of large data centers in the United States, including annual electricity use of 68 to 99 terawatt-hours, around 45 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions and approximately 300 billion liters of water use. These findings raised questions about how the environmental and health effects of AI infrastructure can be assessed.

Press Conference at the Deutsches Museum

On 3 September, researchers discussed selected conference findings with journalists at a press conference at the Deutsches Museum, held in connection with its Planetary Health exhibition. Participants from ISEE, Helmholtz Munich, universities and the World Health Organization covered topics including air pollution and respiratory infections in children, pesticides and Parkinson’s disease, and the use of scientific evidence in public health policy.

A nationwide study of more than one million children in Denmark, for example, reported an association between higher air pollution exposure and serious respiratory infections from infancy through adolescence, even at comparatively low pollution levels.

From Research to Public Health Guidance

The WHO contribution described how scientific evidence informs public health guidance. The WHO Air Quality Guidelines, which draw on systematic reviews of around 500 scientific papers, served as a reference for the revision of the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive adopted in 2024.

The conference and press briefing provided an overview of current environmental health research and its relevance for prevention and evidence-informed policy development.

Watch the Full Press Conference

A recording of the full press conference is available here: ISEE2026 Press Conference - Environmental Epidemiology in a Changing World.

Now, an international team led by Prof. Markus Ege from the Institute of Asthma and Allergy Prevention at Helmholtz Munich and the Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital at LMU University Hospital has answered this question. The researchers have shown for the first time which specific bacteria in barn air trigger the farm effect, which substances within those bacteria mediate the protection, and which receptors in the body they bind to. Their findings have been published in The New England Journal of Medicine – Evidence.

For years we have been hearing about the hygiene hypothesis, which was first proposed in 1989. This came after three decades of dramatic increases in allergies, asthma, and hay fever among children in Western industrialized countries. These are all conditions in which the immune system mounts an exaggerated inflammatory response and mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. According to the hygiene hypothesis, this happens because of under-stimulation in early childhood. The immune systems of children who encounter too few environmental microbes and common cold viruses are more likely to malfunction. “Girls and boys who grow up on farms and are exposed to a wider variety of microbes have the problem far less often,” says Ege. As their immune systems constantly contend with bacterial ‘sparring partners’ from barn air, they are trained to avoid excessive inflammatory responses.

However, the hygiene hypothesis has not been definitively proven, as it is largely based on observational studies. “This kind of research can only show more or less convincing correlations,” says epidemiologist Ege. “But with our new study, we can make a much stronger case, because we can identify the individual links in the proposed causal chain: the bacteria, the relevant microbial metabolic products, and the human receptors.”

The Approach

The researchers analyzed data from more than 1,000 children participating in European studies in rural areas. For all the children, girls and boys, two types of samples had been collected: nasal swabs and mattress dust. In addition, dust samples were taken from cowsheds for 47 farm children. The team examined which bacteria and fungi were present in these samples, how the different microorganisms were related, and whether specific microbial groups protected the children against asthma.

To this end, the epidemiologists and bioinformaticians employed state-of-the-art genetic and metabolic analyses and developed computer models. Through a process of elimination, they eventually identified the key microorganisms. They also investigated whether the children’s own genes influenced this protective effect. To validate their findings, the researchers additionally used data from France and Finland.

The Results

We identified a small number of bacteria, which we can now pinpoint down to the species level,” explains Giulia Pagani, first author of the study and bioinformatician at the Institute of Asthma and Allergy Prevention at Helmholtz Munich, “such as Romboutsia timonensis and Glutamicibacter arilaitensis. These gram-positive bacteria together mediate two-thirds of the entire farm effect for asthma protection and half of the effect for hay fever and atopic eczema.” The bacteria originate in the cow’s digestive tract, where they produce or metabolize substances like kynurenine, xanthine, alpha-linolenic acid, and stearidonic acid. These compounds are easily inhaled and recognized by two receptors on human airway cells – AhR and PPARγ. “These receptors,” Ege continues, “have multiple functions, including in the immune system, where they appear to prevent excessive inflammatory responses.” Their role in the farm effect was previously unknown. For the first time, therefore, the complete biological chain is visible: cow → barn air → bacteria → metabolic products → human receptors → protection against asthma.

The new findings can now be used by laboratory researchers to decipher the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the farm effect. This opens up the prospect of developing a drug that mimics the farm effect – without the need for children to spend time in barns.

Original Publication

Pagani et al., 2026: Gram-Positive Bacteria and the Inverse Association between Farm Exposure and Childhood Asthma. NEJM Evidence. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/EVIDoa2500271

The scientific foundation of the program is the work of Yildirim’s group, which decoded a key molecular pathway driving lung destruction in COPD. In mouse models, engaging this pathway regenerated lung tissue even under continued exposure to cigarette smoke. The biological route to an innovative curative COPD therapy is therefore established.

Helmholtz Munich and Khumbu will now join forces to co‑develop drug candidates that effectively target this pathway. Khumbu takes over the full molecular design, developing novel drug candidates from scratch with its World Model for Molecular Biology. Yildirim’s lab evaluates the selected compounds in its advanced disease models, closing a tight loop between computational design and biological validation.

T‑cell activation has long been seen as a relatively late step in antiviral defense. While the innate immune system reacts immediately, CD8 T cells are part of the adaptive response and usually act only after several days, targeting infected cells.
Researchers at the Institute of Lung Health and Immunity (LHI, Helmholtz Munich) and the Research Center Borstel (Leibniz Lung Center) now show that these cells can respond much earlier. They react to viral components far sooner than expected.

Live Imaging Tracks CD8 T-Cell Mobilization

The discovery was made possible by high-resolution intravital microscopy. This technique - available at only a few sites worldwide - allows biological processes to be observed directly in living organisms, in real time.
The team tracked how immune cells behave in the first hours after contact with viral components and what happens in the lung. The focus was on the SARS‑CoV‑2 envelope (E) protein, a structural component of the viral shell.
Within four hours of exposure to this protein, CD8 T cells were activated. They migrated into the lung, remained there for an extended time, and formed local clusters.

Innate Signaling Triggers Rapid Activation

The mechanism behind this rapid response was unexpected. The activation of CD8 T cells did not follow the known pathways of adaptive immunity. Instead, the innate immune system detects the E protein via the receptor TLR2 and triggers signals that activate T cells within hours.

Such rapid activation is typical for innate immune cells but had not been described for T cells in this way. The study therefore identifies a new mechanism by which viral structural proteins can induce a fast, innate-like T‑cell response.

“High-resolution intravital microscopy allows us to directly observe immune cell behavior in the lung and better understand how pulmonary immune responses unfold,” says Markus Rehberg, group leader at LHI and researcher in the German Center for Lung Research (DZL). 

“Our results suggest that innate and adaptive immunity work hand in hand much earlier than previously thought,” adds Silke Meiners, head of the Immunology and Cell Biology group at the Research Center Borstel.

Outlook: What Does This Mean?

In short, viral proteins can shape immune responses in the lung at a very early stage. Here, the SARS‑CoV‑2 envelope protein activates CD8 T cells before the immune system has fully recognized the virus. This opens up several perspectives:

• monitoring immune responses at the earliest stage of infection
• assessing disease risk more precisely
• targeting the interaction between innate and adaptive immunity in therapy

Original Publication

Shaalan et al., 2026: SARS-CoV-2 (E)-protein induces rapid TLR2-mediated T cell activation in mouse lungs revealed by intravital lung microscopy. ERS Publications. DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01064-2025

Heat is considered the greatest climate-related health risk in Germany. Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting. At the same time, there is still a need to raise awareness of the health impacts of extreme heat and of effective protective measures. Heat Action Day brings together stakeholders from politics, science, healthcare, local authorities, and civil society to further advance heat-related health protection.

New WHO Guidance Presented

On the occasion of Heat Action Day, the WHO Regional Office for Europe in Berlin is presenting the new guidance for heat action plans to protect health. The publication updates and expands the previous WHO guidance from 2008. It is based on new scientific evidence on the health effects of heat, practical experience from heat action planning, and an analysis of previous recommendations.

The new guidance introduces an updated framework for health-related heat action plans with eight core components. It also provides concrete measures, decision-support tools, and practical recommendations for planning, coordinating, and implementing heat protection strategies. The goal is to support decision-makers and health professionals in developing evidence-based strategies to protect populations from extreme heat.

Contribution by Helmholtz Munich

The update of the guidance was coordinated by the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health in Bonn and developed with the involvement of numerous international experts. Dr. Franziska Matthies-Wiesler from the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Munich contributed as a co-author to the conceptual development of the guidance and to the drafting of individual chapters.

“Through this combination of scientific evidence and many years of international practical experience in heat action planning, the updated WHO guidance is a valuable support for decision-makers and public health professionals in climate adaptation and provides a timely complement to existing recommendations for planning and implementation, including in Germany,” says Franziska Matthies-Wiesler.

For Dr. Alexandra Schneider, Deputy Director of the Institute of Epidemiology and Head of the “Environmental Risks” Research Group at Helmholtz Munich, the publication sends an important signal: “Every heatwave costs preventable lives and places a burden on health systems worldwide. With the new guidance on heat action planning, the WHO sends a strong message: protection from heat must be an integral part of public health strategies.”

Information and Materials

The focus of Heat Action Day 2026 is joint preparedness for extreme heat. Across Germany, information events, expert forums, networking activities, and other initiatives will take place. Organizations, municipalities, and individuals are invited to participate with their own activities and help raise the visibility of heat-related health protection.

Further information on Heat Action Day and materials on heat protection are available at hitzeaktionstag.de and hitze.info.

To help address these challenges, researchers from Helmholtz Munich, Hopsteiner and Carlsberg Research Laboratory have created the most comprehensive genetic map of hops to date. The study provides new insight into the crop’s genetic complexity and lays the groundwork for breeding hop varieties that are more resilient to climate stress while improving brewing quality, aroma and flavour.

“Challenges like climate change are bigger than any one company,” said Birgitte Skadhauge, Vice President and Head of the Carlsberg Research Laboratory. “By sharing our hop genome research in Nature Communications, we are giving scientists and breeders everywhere tools to protect crops, to innovate, and to help secure the future of beer.”

Decoding the Complex Genetics of Hops

Hops are genetically more complex than their delicate flowers might suggest. The hop genome is large – comparable in size to the human genome – and highly repetitive. Its complexity is further increased by an uncommon reproductive system among flowering plants: male and female flowers grow on separate plants, but only the female plants produce the cones prized by brewers.

In the current study, the researchers generated a high-resolution, chromosome-level of a commercially important hop variety. Like humans, hops carry two versions of each chromosome in every cell, one inherited from each parent. The new reference genome captures both versions in detail, enabling scientists to distinguish between different genetic lineages within the same plant.

This is particularly important because modern hop breeding often combines European and North American genetic backgrounds to improve brewing performance. The new genomic map makes it possible to see how these lineages are organized in the DNA and how they contribute to traits relevant for cultivation, resilience and flavour. 

Put simply, the team has created a detailed “DNA roadmap” of hops, showing where important traits are located in the genome and how they are inherited across generations.

“Hops are genetically far more complex than most people realize, and that complexity has limited how quickly we can improve them,” said Ilka Braumann, Head of Hop Development at the Carlsberg Research Laboratory. “By separating the European and North American lineages in the genome, we can now see how different traits come together, giving us a much clearer path to developing better, more resilient hop varieties.”

New Perspectives for Hop Research and Cultivation

The publication of a high‑quality hop genome has implications far beyond a single research group. With these data now available, breeding and research efforts can move from trial‑and‑error approaches to more targeted, knowledge‑based strategies.

That opens the door to:

• Climate-resilient hops: Improved tolerance to heat, drought and changing environmental conditions, helping stabilise yields and protect farmers’ livelihoods.
• New flavours and aromas: A deeper understanding of the genetic basis of flavour‑relevant compounds could enable the development of entirely new sensory profiles.
• Faster innovation: Genomic insight can significantly shorten breeding timelines that previously took more than a decade.
• More sustainable agriculture: Hop varieties that perform reliably with fewer inputs, supporting environmentally responsible production systems.

Together, these advances provide a roadmap for the future of hop breeding – supporting both the long‑term availability of beer and the diversity of flavours enjoyed by consumers.

Original Publication

Kale et al., 2026: Extensive variation between chromosomes of North American andEuropean hop. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-72379-8

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by the immune-mediated destruction of insulin-producing beta cells. Although traditionally regarded as a childhood-onset condition, it is now increasingly recognized that type 1 diabetes can also manifest during adolescence and adulthood. Helmholtz Munich researchers have investigated the prevalence of early-stage type 1 diabetes in young adults, addressing an underexplored phase of the disease. The study was conducted through close collaboration between the Institute of Epidemiology (EPI) and the Institute of Diabetes Research (IDF), combining expertise in population-based epidemiology and the pathophysiology of diabetes.

The analysis included 1,377 participants from the long-running LISA and GINIplus birth cohorts, which follow individuals prospectively from birth into young adulthood, with assessments conducted up to 25 years of age. Blood samples were screened for islet autoantibodies using the methodology established in the Fr1da Study, including confirmatory testing to ensure high analytical specificity. 

Islet Autoantibodies Can Develop During Adolescence and Early Adulthood

The results show that approximately 1.2 percent of previously undiagnosed young adults tested positive for islet autoantibodies, including 0.2 percent of participants who met the criteria for early-stage type 1 diabetes – prevalence rates comparable to those observed in children – and an additional 1.0 percent who had a single autoantibody. Longitudinal analyses indicated that, while the majority  of the autoantibody-positive individuals had these markers by age 15 years, new development of islet autoantibodies occurred after this age. This underscores that early immunological signs of type 1 diabetes can emerge during adolescence and young adulthood.

The findings provide new evidence that early-stage type 1 diabetes occurs in the general adult population, highlighting the potential value of extending screening strategies currently focusing on children to include young adults, particularly in those who have not been previously tested in adolescence.

Original Publication

Standl et al., Prevalence of early-stage type 1 diabetes in young adults: a population-based cohort study. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. DOI: 10.1016/ S2213-8587(26)00034-3

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is increasing worldwide, with more than half of all new cases diagnosed in adults. A key biomarker of early-stage T1D is the presence of multiple islet autoantibodies, which signal the development of T1D long before clinical symptoms appear. While early detection screening has been more widely understood and implemented in children over the last decade, it remains unclear whether the same biomarkers apply to adults. With support from Breakthrough T1D, the researcher team will investigate which autoantibodies and diagnostic criteria are best suited to identify early stages and development of T1D in adults. 

“Based on our experience in studies with children, we know that early detection of islet autoantibodies and monitoring affected individuals can minimize the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis at clinical onset of type 1 diabetes, a potentially life-threatening medical emergency that can occur when symptoms remain undetected. We believe that similar benefits can be transferred to adults and that the findings from our study may help guide future screening programs,” says Prof. Peter Achenbach, Deputy Director of the Institute of Diabetes Research and lead scientist of the project.

Finding Answers in the German National Cohort

The researchers will analyze data and blood samples from over 75,000 participants of the German National Cohort (NAKO; www.nako.de) to determine the frequency and diagnostic value of islet autoantibodies in the general adult population. To complement these findings, the team will draw on long-term data from the Babydiab/Babydiet study, which includes over 2,000 first-degree relatives of individuals with T1D who have been followed from birth up to over 30 years of age. This combined dataset enables the researchers to study the development and persistence of islet autoantibodies across different stages of life.

“The German National Cohort is a population-based prospective cohort study. Using its extensive data, we aim to identify risk factors and improve early detection and prevention of diseases such as type 1 diabetes. With the support from Breakthrough T1D, we hope to generate important insights into the frequency and significance of islet autoantibodies in relation to the development of type 1 diabetes in adults. These insights could open new opportunities for earlier diagnosis and treatment,” explains Prof. Annette Peters, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology and Chair of the NAKO Board of Directors, who is co-leading the project. 

Now, in a comprehensive mechanistic follow-up study, Erika von Mutius and Önder Yildirim (Director of the Institute of Lung Health and Immunity, LHI and Institute of Experimental Pneumology, IEP, Klinikum LMU) together with their teams have uncovered the molecular mechanism behind this protection. Their findings reveal how beneficial environmental exposure reshapes the immune system at the epigenetic level, effectively “training” it to resist allergic inflammation. 

Training the Immune System Before It Overreacts

Using a well-established experimental model of allergic asthma, the researchers exposed human and mice immune cells to farm dust extract triggering an allergic reaction. Compared to untreated controls, farm dust exposed showed:

• Significantly reduced lung inflammation
• Less mucus production, a hallmark of asthma
• A strongly dampened inflammatory immune response in the lungs

At the center of this shift were immune cells called macrophages, that normally help activate allergic responses. Instead of promoting inflammation, farm dust reprogrammed these macrophages. The cells reduced production of CCL8, a chemokine that attracts inflammatory eosinophils, and downregulated MHC class II molecules, thereby limiting antigen presentation to T cells, a crucial step in launching allergic immune responses.

How Does Farm Dust Reprogram Immunity?

The secret lies in how farm dust reshapes immune cells in the lungs. Normally, allergic asthma is driven by cells that present allergens to the immune system, triggering a chain reaction that leads to inflammation and breathing problems. Farm dust seems to interrupt this process. It reprograms macrophages through activation of PPARγ signaling and increased HDAC activity, chromatin accessibility at key inflammatory genes, so they stop sending strong allergy signals. This happens through epigenetic changes, meaning the dust influences which genes are active without altering the DNA itself. 

Önder Yildirim explains: “Our work shows that not all environmental exposures are harmful. We are deciphering how beneficial environmental signals can protect human health and actively strengthen immune resilience. What we learn from asthma may reshape prevention strategies across chronic lung diseases, including COPD and lung fibrosis.”

What Comes Next? From Barns to Better Prevention

Asthma and allergies affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide and remain a major public health challenge. Current treatments focus largely on managing symptoms after the disease has already developed. This research points to a different future: prevention.

The next challenge is to identify the exact components in farm dust that drive these protective effects. Could specific microbial molecules be isolated? Could they be safely delivered as inhaled treatments, nasal sprays, or early-life interventions?

While no one is suggesting that all children need to grow up in barns, the long-term vision is clear: identify the beneficial environmental components that promote immune tolerance and translate them into preventive strategies.

As von Mutius adds: “If we understand how the environment builds immune strength, we can move from treating chronic disease to preventing it. The future of medicine may lie not only in targeting pathology, but in harnessing the biology of resilience.”

Read full publication here!

Linking Photorespiration to DNA Methylation

Using the model Arabidopsis, the researchers examined growth under elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂) conditions, which suppress photorespiration. They observed genome-wide changes in DNA methylation under these conditions.

These findings indicate that C1 supply via photorespiratory formate contributes to the stable maintenance of DNA methylation patterns. “Our findings establish a direct metabolic link between photorespiration and epigenome stability,” says Dr. Valentin Hankofer, first author of the study.

Implications for Climate and Crop Biology

As atmospheric CO₂ levels rise globally, understanding how this affects plant metabolism and epigenetic regulation is important for both basic biology and agricultural applications. The results provide a new perspective on how environmental changes may alter plant epigenomes and, ultimately, development and adaptation through metabolic interactions.

“Our work highlights that what was once considered a wasteful process is deeply rooted in the cellular regulatory network,” adds Dr. Martin Groth, corresponding author of the study. “This expands how we think about the integration of metabolism and gene regulation in plants.”

Original Publication

Hankofer et al., 2026: Photorespiration is linked to DNA methylation by formate as a one-carbon source. Nature Plants. DOI: 10.1038/s41477-026-02222-x

Self-Rated Health: Trend Reversal by 2022

Another remarkable finding was the trend in self-perceived health on a 5-point scale from bad to excellent: at the beginning of the pandemic, many people rated their health as slightly better than before. The proportion of those with “very good” health initially rose from 36.5 percent before the pandemic to 44.4 percent in 2020. By 2022, however, this trend had reversed: only 30.5 percent reported “very good” health, and reports of “less good” health were about twice as common as before the pandemic.

Younger Adults and Women Particularly Affected

NAKO analysis found that younger adults under the age of 40 and women were particularly affected, with more frequent decreases in both perceived health and psychological symptoms than older people and men. Middle and older age, on the other hand, tended to have a protective effect: stable or even improved outcomes were more common in these groups. “The results indicate that certain population groups – especially younger people, and women – were more severely affected by mental consequences of the pandemic,” explains Yanding Wang, first author of the publication and PhD-student at Helmholtz Munich.

Sustained Prevention Efforts Needed

The results show that the mental burden caused by the pandemic was a long-lasting change that persisted even after many protective measures were lifted, the research team concludes. “We therefore need permanent, low-threshold services to promote mental health,” says Annette Peters. “This is an important way to prevent the long-term mental consequences of the pandemic from becoming an additional, avoidable burden of disease in the population.”

The German National Cohort (NAKO), the largest population study in Germany, collected comprehensive health data before and at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It thus provides unique insights into the long-term effects of the pandemic on the health of the German population. Ongoing examinations of participants will also show how the observed changes develop over time.

Original Publication

Wang et al., 2026: Changes in Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Data from the German National Cohort (NAKO) for the Years 2014–2022. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International. DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2025.0218

The goal? To pinpoint which specific cell types and molecular pathways kickstart inflammation after nano materials enter the lungs. To capture these very first cellular responses, the scientists analyzed mouse lungs just 12 hours after exposure.

Key Findings: Structure Matters More Than Chemistry

The results reveal that chemically similar but structurally different nano materials trigger distinct inflammatory pathways:

• Spherical Carbon Particles (CNP)

These activate alveolar epithelial cells, which release pro-inflammatory signaling molecules (cytokines). This recruits neutrophils (a type of immune cell) without causing significant cell damage.

• Fibrous Nano-tubes (CNT)

In contrast, tubular carbon nano tubes damage both epithelial and immune cells, leading to the release of alarm signals like IL-1α and IL-33. This triggers a strong, sometimes chronic inflammatory response.

An additional surprise: Mesenchymal cells, particularly lipofibroblasts near alveolar Type II cells, play a central role in shaping the intensity and nature of the inflammatory reaction.

A New Tool for Safer Nano materials: Introducing ToxAtlas

To make these findings widely accessible, the team developed ToxAtlas - an interactive online platform that maps cell-type-specific gene expression patterns and signaling pathways for different nano materials. Researchers can now connect material properties with biological effects, accelerating the development of safer, animal-free testing methods.

This research not only deepens our understanding of nano material toxicity but also offers a powerful tool for safer nano material development, reducing reliance on animal testing. ToxAtlas could improve the way we assess and mitigate the risks of emerging nano materials in medicine, industry, and environmental safety.

International Collaboration & Publication

The study, "Toward a ToxAtlas of Carbon-Based Nano materials: Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Initiating Cell Circuits in Pulmonary Inflammation," was published in ACS Nano and involved researchers from Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, and the UK.

Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41183169/ 

Voss C, Han L, Ansari M, Strunz M, Haefner V, Angelidis I, Mayr CH, Berthing T, Zhou Q, Guenther EM, Huzain O, Schmid O, Vogel U, Gote-Schniering J, Gaedcke S, Theis FJ, Schiller HB, Stoeger T. Toward a ToxAtlas of Carbon-Based Nanomaterials: Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Initiating Cell Circuits in Pulmonary Inflammation. ACS Nano. 2025 Nov 18;19(45):39139-39156. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.5c12054. Epub 2025 Nov 3. PMID: 41183169; PMCID: PMC12632174.

Each year, pollution claims and affects hundreds of thousands of lives across Europe. Even as air pollution levels continue to decline, it is still expected to cause around 200,000 premature deaths every year across the EU in the coming decade. Europe’s freshwater and soils are also under significant pressure from pollution and climate change, presenting current and future challenges to water security and ecosystems’ resilience with direct effects on human health. Furthermore, over 30% of Europe’s population lives in areas where noise levels are harmful to health.

Exposure to pollution is higher in urban areas, and the impacts on human health are more severe. City administrations often need to balance multiple and uncertain effects of pollution management amid limited resources.

PUREPOLIS: Supporting Evidence-Based Urban Decisions

The Horizon Europe project PUREPOLIS supports policymakers by providing data and citizen-based insights to inform the development of cleaner and healthier cities. With a total budget of € 4.9 million, the project will launch in January 2026 and will bring together 19 partners from across Europe. Over a three-year period, the consortium will develop strategies for the management of urban air, water soil, and noise pollution. 

“With PUREPOLIS, we aim to equip cities with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed, science-based decisions for cleaner and healthier urban environments,” says Dr. Alexandra Schneider, Deputy Director of the Institute of Epidemiology and Head of the Research Group Environmental Risks at Helmholtz Munich, who leads the PUREPOLIS project. “By connecting data, innovation, and citizens’ perspectives, we can make pollution management more effective, inclusive, and equitable across Europe.”

Developing Dynamic Abatement Strategies

Funded under the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, PUREPOLIS aims to develop Dynamic Abatement Strategies (DAS) specifically designed to empower city administrations to make informed decisions for managing urban pollution. These strategies will be transferable, scalable and replicable across European cities, building on existing city networks.

In addition to core cities of Nantes (France) and Valencia (Spain), the project involves three follower cities – Berlin, Rybnik, and Augsburg – which will assess the transferability of the project’s results. By integrating science, digital innovation, and citizen engagement, PUREPOLIS seeks to advance pollution management and strengthen urban resilience across Europe.

PUREPOLIS will:

• Improve methods for assessing exposure to air, water, soil, and noise pollution, especially for vulnerable groups
• Accelerate adoption of smart, zero-emission solutions by local and regional authorities
• Expand urban greening, renaturing, green/blue infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and ecosystem-based approaches to support climate mitigation and adaptation

About the Consortium

PUREPOLIS is coordinated by Helmholtz Munich and brings together a diverse consortium of 19 partners, including: 

• Academic and scientific partners: University of Twente (the Netherlands); UMIT Tirol (Austria); LUT University (Finland); University of Augsburg (Germany); Universidade de Vigo (Spain) 
• Technological partners: Leitat (Spain); UNINOVA (Portugal); Tree Technology (Spain); Substitute ApS (Denmark); UrbanThink (France); Euroquality (France) 
• Public authorities: Nantes Métropole (France); Valencia Innovation Capital (Spain); Rybnik (Poland) 
• Civil society organisations: the European Public Health Alliance (Belgium); Healthy Cities (Spain) 
• Environmental and monitoring agencies: Air Pays de la Loire (France); Acoucité  (France)

“NAKO is the only Germany-wide population study that collected health data directly before and at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It thus provides valuable insights into understanding how the pandemic is affecting the long-term health of people in Germany,” explains Prof. Dr. Annette Peters, Chair of the Board of Directors NAKO e.V. and Director of the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Munich.

EpiPAIS Research Project: Molecular Mechanisms of Long COVID

One key project is EpiPAIS – Epigenetic Patterns in the Pathogenesis of Long COVID, coordinated by Prof. Dr. Annette Peters. In EpiPAIS, around 9,000 blood samples are being examined for so-called epigenetic changes that could contribute to the development of Long COVID or similar syndromes. Epigenetic changes are like switches and regulators that determine which genes in a cell are active, when and how.

“The EpiPAIS project combines molecular research and population-wide health data. This enables us to better understand how and which biological processes influence long-term health after infections,” says Prof. Dr. André Karch, Head of Clinical Epidemiology at the Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine at the University of Münster. Modern statistical methods and machine learning will be used to analyse individual disease progression and risk profiles. In addition to Helmholtz Munich, the universities of Halle and Münster are also involved in the project.

Nationwide Participant Survey Planned

“To kick off EpiPAIS, a comprehensive survey of NAKO participants is planned for early 2026, led by Halle University Hospital. The survey will collect information on symptoms, infection progression and long-term effects,” reports Prof. Dr. Rafael Mikolajczyk, Director of the Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics at University Medicine Halle.

This survey complements the ongoing third study (10-year follow-up) and enables an assessment of the frequency and severity of post-infectious diseases in the population – including Long COVID. The data obtained in this way provides a valuable basis for better understanding health risks after infections and improving long-term care strategies.

Genome Sequencing: New Perspectives on the Development of Disease

The Helmholtz Centres participating in NAKO are currently conducting extensive genome sequencing of 35,000 biosamples in 2025 and 2026. “The genome sequencing data and valuable biosamples from NAKO provide an important basis for a more precise understanding of the genetic and molecular factors that lead to post-infectious diseases. We expect that this will reveal new pathophysiological mechanisms and enable the development of targeted therapies,” says Prof. Annette Peters. The genetic analyses are being coordinated by Helmholtz Munich and carried out in collaboration with the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), the Max Delbrück Centre (MDC) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI).

National Decade of Post-Infectious Diseases

The National Decade of Post-Infectious Diseases, funded with a total of €500 million, will start in 2026. The initiative of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMFTR), headed by Minister Dorothee Bär, brings together scientific expertise to conduct long-term research into the medical and social consequences of infections and to develop new approaches to prevention and treatment.

German National Cohort (NAKO)

The German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie) is the largest long-term population study in Germany. Since 2014, over 205,000 randomly selected people have been medically examined and asked about their lifestyle habits in 18 study centres. At the beginning of the study, the participants were aged between 20 and 69.

The German National Cohort (NAKO) is a prospective epidemiological cohort study. The researchers observe a large group, a so-called cohort, of healthy, ill or formerly ill people over a long period of time. The aim is to use scientific analyses of the participants’ data to investigate the frequency and causes of common diseases such as cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, to identify risk factors and to show ways of effective prevention and early detection.

The research project is supported by 26 organisations. Scientists from universities, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association and other research institutes in Germany are working together in a nationwide network. The study is being carried out by the NAKO e.V. association. It is financed by public funds from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the Helmholtz Association and the participating federal states. 

In medicine, insufficient blood flow to tissue is known as ischemia. To prevent cell death, blood flow must be restored as quickly as possible (a process called reperfusion). Unfortunately, reperfusion itself can also damage tissue through the formation of oxygen radicals. Each year, millions of people in Europe suffer the consequences of ischemia-reperfusion injury. This common complication after stroke, heart attack, or organ transplantation can lead to tissue damage, cell death, and inflammation. Currently, there is no effective treatment. The FERROPath consortium aims to change that by exploring new therapeutic strategies.

Ferroptosis as a Key Mechanism

During the first funding period, the research team identified ferroptosis-specific lipid signatures that arise when blood flow is restored after reduced perfusion. In particular, biomarkers were detected in the brain and blood of stroke patients and confirmed in patient samples – pointing to the central role of ferroptosis in the disease mechanism. This specific form of iron-dependent cell death is triggered by oxidative stress and can be detected early through measurable proteins, opening new avenues for diagnosis and therapy.

New Phase for Diagnosis and Prevention

In the second funding period, the consortium will assess the stability and reproducibility of the lipid signatures to develop a standardized diagnostic tool. This will help identify the optimal time window for novel ferroptosis inhibitors and enable more individualized treatment: a key step toward precise, personalized stroke therapy.

The team led by Prof. Marcus Conrad and Dr. Bettina Proneth at the Institute of Metabolism and Cell Death is focusing on validating lipid biomarker signatures in preclinical models and testing new ferroptosis inhibitors. Conrad explains: “Our goal is to understand precisely when and how ferroptosis occurs during blood flow disturbances. By reliably identifying these characteristic lipid patterns, we could detect early on when tissue is at risk and intervene therapeutically before irreversible damage occurs.”

Prof. Önder Yildirim and Dr. Aicha Jeridi from the Institute for Lung Health and Immunity see significant potential for clinical applications. Their subproject focuses on validating a ferroptosis-specific biomarker panel for ischemia-reperfusion-induced lung injury. Yildirim explains: “Following transplants or acute blood flow disturbances, the lungs often sustain severe tissue damage, and currently there is no effective therapy.” Jeridi adds: “By deepening our understanding of ferroptosis, we aim to identify new ways to detect lung damage early and prevent it effectively.”

Learn more about FERROPath
 

One Key Insight: COPD Starts Early

A key message from the meeting was that COPD begins early in life. Factors such as prematurity and early-life infections can have long-term effects on lung development and function. As Mareike Lehmann emphasized in her opening remarks: “We need to understand these early origins of disease to not only cure but prevent COPD”.

Several talks explored why some individuals can recover from early life injuries and how this “catch-up” process can be decoded at the molecular level. Participants agreed that there is a critical window of opportunity to understand and potentially harness this regenerative capacity for therapy. 

Towards Better Markers of Disease Activity 

Standard diagnostic metrics such as FEV1 and GOLD stages are not sufficient to fully capture disease activity and progression. Advances in molecular imaging and biomarker discovery are therefore key. Spatial molecular profiling and cell-specific targeting could help determine when and where to intervene.

Prof. Stijn Verleden (Belgium) presented imaging tools to track lung regeneration, while Prof. Daniel Weiss (US) discussed the potential of gene- and cell-based therapies to promote tissue repair. 

Breakout sessions focused on translational research tools, including human organoids, lung-on-chip systems incorporating immune cells, and AI-based platforms such as digital twins – all contributing to a deeper understanding of COPD mechanisms and potential treatments.

Patient Perspectives and Recognitions

Patient advocate Michael Drohan shared his personal experience, illustrating the complex nature of COPD and the possibilities for recovery through rehabilitation.

The seminar also recognized outstanding early-career researchers with poster awards:

• Dr. Maria Camila Melo Narvaez (LHI, Helmholtz Munich/Institute for Lung Research, Marburg University)
• Hanne Voet (University Antwerpen, visited with an ERS Fellowship of LHI, Helmholtz Munich)
• Ayu Hitami Syarif (Medical University Graz)

Collaboration as the Key to Progress 

The meeting concluded with a clear call for continued international collaboration through networks such as COPD-iNET. As Prof. Önder Yildirim, Director of the Institute of Lung Health and Immunity at Helmholtz Munich, summarized:

“Only together we can prevent and cure COPD. The two days here in Prague once again demonstrated how important this network is in addressing this serious disease.”

About COPD-iNET:

The international network, co-founded by Önder Yildirim, Mareike Lehmann, Thomas Conlon, Theo Kapellos, Roxana Wasnick (all LHI, Helmholtz Munich) and international colleagues, continues to foster collaboration across disciplines and countries. The network’s primary focus is the advancement of translational COPD research by discussing ongoing projects, cutting edge human in vitro models, state-of-the art systems biology approaches and clinical cohorts. 

Learn more: copd-inet.com

Learn more: 

About the Institute of Lung Health and Immunity at Helmholtz Munich.

To the Lung Information Service at Helmholtz Munich.

Worldwide, COPD is the third leading cause of death, with more than three million people affected in Germany alone. A major challenge in managing the disease is that lung damage often develops long before diagnosis. Early warning signs such as persistent coughing or shortness of breath are frequently overlooked or underestimated.

The World COPD Day 2025 aims to raise global awareness of the disease and emphasize the importance of early detection, as COPD is often diagnosed only when it has already progressed significantly.

Research at Helmholtz Munich

At Helmholtz Munich, researchers are working to transform the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COPD. Their goal is to uncover the biological mechanisms underlying the disease and to identify new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches that enable earlier and more effective intervention.

The research focuses on understanding the immunological foundations of COPD and exploring how nutrition, environmental exposures, and immune responses interact during the onset and progression of the disease. By integrating these insights, Helmholtz Munich scientists aim to develop personalized strategies to prevent or slow disease progression and ultimately improve quality of life for those affected.

Learn more about the COPD research of Helmholtz Munich and partners

The Lung Information Service is a health information portal provided by Helmholtz Munich in cooperation with the German Center for Lung Research (DZL). It offers up-to-date, neutral, and scientifically validated information on acute and chronic lung diseases.

Information on COPD from the Lungeninformationsdienst (in German only)

For more information, see the press release from the BMFTR (German only):

Nationale Dekade gegen Postinfektiöse Erkrankungen: Insgesamt eine halbe Milliarde Euro für weitergehende Forschung

Airborne fine particles and nanoparticles are closely linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Researchers led by Prof. Markus Rehberg and Dr. Qiongliang Liu from the LHI at Helmholtz Munich have now shown that inhaled nanoparticles do not spread evenly through the lungs but accumulate in specific hotspots deep in the alveoli. At these sites, alveolar macrophages quickly migrate toward the particles, engulf them, and release chemical signals that recruit neutrophils, another type of immune cell, to the same location.

Macrophages Drive Inflammation

The researchers found that macrophage mobility and phagocytosis are essential for triggering inflammation. When macrophage movement was blocked – or when receptors needed for particle uptake were inhibited – neutrophil recruitment was almost completely prevented. Likewise, using “stealth” nanoparticles that evade recognition blunted the immune response.

These findings show that macrophages act as key conductors of the lung’s first immune reaction: without their movement or uptake of nanoparticles, inflammation does not begin.

A Rapid, Pre-Loaded Defense

Rather than activating new genes, macrophages rely on pre-stored inflammatory molecules such as TNF-alpha and CXCL chemokines. This enables an ultra-fast, localized response, much like deploying a pre-packed emergency kit. Inhibiting this release with the drug cromolyn blocked neutrophil recruitment.

A Localized and Efficient Response

Alveolar macrophages are not passive cleaners but active sentinels that sense and shape immune reactions in the lungs. Their mobility, phagocytic activity, and communication with epithelial cells determine where and when inflammation occurs. Because the reaction remains confined to nanoparticle deposition sites, it represents a highly targeted defense mechanism.

Implication for Health and Research

These insights reveal how air pollutants and engineered nanoparticles provoke lung inflammation. Understanding these processes could help develop strategies to modulate macrophage activity, reducing harmful inflammation while maintaining essential immune protection.

Original publication

Liu et al., 2025: Alveolar macrophages initiate the spatially targeted recruitment of neutrophils after nanoparticle inhalation. Science Advances. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adx8586

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, TUM, and the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), together with international partners, have now decoded the pan-genome of 33 oat lines. A pan-genome represents the total genetic diversity across the lines studied - it includes not only genes found in all plants but also those present in only some. The team’s findings were published in Nature.

Understanding and Using Genetic Diversity

The team sequenced and analyzed genomes from oat lines originating in many regions around the world. According to the researchers, the pan-genome thus captures a large share of global oat genetic diversity. “Our results lay a foundation that will help us identify which genes are important for yield, climate adaptation, and plant health,” says Nadia Kamal, a former Helmholtz Munich researcher and now Professor of Computational Plant Biology at TUM.

They examined 26 cultivated varieties - including landraces and old breeding lines - as well as several wild lines. Including landraces and wild lines was crucial because modern breeding has focused primarily on yield - sometimes at the expense of other traits that could prove advantageous going forward. Such traits may have persisted in older and wild germplasm, potentially making plants more tolerant to drought or disease.

A Directory of Gene Activity

The research team investigated how thousands of genes are active across different oat tissues and lines, revealing oats’ notable capacity for adaptation and resilience. Differences in gene-expression patterns often mirrored the geographic origins of the lines - an indication that oat populations have adapted to distinct environments through fine-tuned gene regulation. Building on this, the researchers created a pan-transcriptome for 23 of the lines included in the pan-genome - effectively a directory of gene activity. “The combination of the pangenome and pantranscriptome opens up new possibilities for breeding oat lines that are both high-yielding and adapted to different climatic conditions,” says Prof. Manuel Spannagl from Helmholtz Munich, a co-leader of the study.

“Although oats make up a smaller share of the market than wheat, rice, or corn, it’s important not to overlook them in discussions of climate-resilient grains,” Kamal adds. “A broad range of foods benefits our health - and it also helps buffer against potential crop failures in other species.”
 

Original Publication

Avni et al., 2025: A pangenome and pantranscriptome of hexaploid oat. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09676-7

Wheat is the most widely cultivated crop in the world, with over 215 million hectares grown annually. To meet the demands of a growing global population, plant breeders face the challenge of increasing wheat production by an estimated 60 per cent within the next 40 years.

The wheat pan-transcriptome offers a powerful tool to help meet this challenge. It will enable plant breeders to accelerate yield improvements and develop more resilient wheat varieties – better equipped to cope with rising temperatures, water shortages, and poor soil quality. Importantly, this can be done without increasing reliance on fertilisers, which are linked to biodiversity loss and pollution.

“We’ve revealed layers of hidden diversity spanning our modern wheat variations. This diversity is likely to underpin the success of wheat over such a wide range of global environments,” said Dr. Rachel Rusholme-Pilcher, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher at the Earlham Institute and co-first author. “We discovered how groups of genes work together as regulatory networks to control gene expression. Our research allowed us to look at how these network connections differ between wheat varieties revealing new sources of genetic diversity that could be critical in boosting the resilience of wheat.”

Furthermore, this work has created an important resource for the worldwide wheat research community – a clear example of how national and international collaboration and new technologies can lead to scientific breakthroughs in global food security.

Much of the untapped genetic diversity may stem from how wheat has adapted to different environments over time, shaped by over 100 years of modern breeding and more than 10,000 years of cultivation.

“The new expression atlas allowed us to independently predict and compare the gene content of the wheat cultivars. We used those gene predictions together with the pan-transcriptome data to identify pronounced variation in the prolamin superfamily and immune-reactive proteins across cultivars,” said Dr. Manuel Spannagl, Deputy Group Leader in the Plant Genome and Systems Biology Group at Helmholtz Munich

Transcript isoform sequencing and de novo annotation was carried out by the Technical Genomics and Core Bioinformatics Groups at the Earlham Institute through the BBSRC-funded National Bioscience Research Infrastructure in Transformative Genomics. 

“This work demonstrates the power of technology to reveal novel biology, in this case hidden functional diversity which had not been documented before. Wheat pangenomics resources are growing rapidly with more diversity yet to be discovered,” said Dr. Karim Gharbi, Head of Technical Genomics at the Earlham Institute.

Original Publication

White et al., 2025: De Novo Annotation Reveals Transcriptomic Complexity Across the Hexaploid Wheat Pan-Genome. Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64046-1

Funding acknowledgement

The study was supported by the BBSRC-funded Decoding Biodiversity research programme and National Bioscience Research Infrastructure in Transformative Genomics at the Earlham Institute, as well as the BBSRC cross-institute Delivering Sustainable Wheat programme. 

The study was conducted as part of the International 10+ Wheat Genome Project, and involved a global collaboration of scientists from countries including Australia, Japan, France, Germany, Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and Canada.

Original Publication

Bhattacharyya et al., 2025: Skin Lipid–Microbe Interplay Links Staphylococcus hominis to Barrier Control in Adult Atopic Dermatitis. Allergy. DOI: 10.1111/all.70028

A Digitally Sovereign Solution

The Neckarsulm-based company Honic has developed its research data platform exclusively with European technology in close cooperation with data protection authorities and patient organisations. Based on the requirements of NAKO, a digitally sovereign TRE was designed that fully complies with the high German and European data protection and data security requirements. This means that the data is protected in the best possible way and always remains within the European legal framework. At the same time, Honic’s experience with comparable research projects enables efficient  utilization. “NAKO e.V. has always focused on the protection of participant data. With the TRE developed for NAKO, we ensure the strictest data protection requirements while fulfilling the scientific and social purpose of NAKO, to enable the most extensive research with this data. The data provided via the TRE remains within the environment and only the results can be exported by the researchers,” explains Dr. Henrik Matthies, CEO of Honic.

Applications for Data Use and Access

Research companies who would like to analyze NAKO data as part of the TRE pilot project can submit their use and access applications via the application portal ‘TransferHub’. In line with NAKO’s aims, the research projects should serve the health-related public interest. In addition to the study design, the methods used and the project objectives, the application must provide a clear justification for the selected variables. The Use & Access Committee and Board of Directors of NAKO e.V. will review the content of the applications received and recommend revisions if necessary.

There are costs associated with using the TRE, which are communicated at the time of application and charged to the research companies. The usage fee enables secure access to sensitive data within the responsible and contract-based cooperation between NAKO e.V. and the applicant companies. The number of applications for use during the pilot phase is limited. It is therefore recommended to submit applications as soon as possible. Participating companies have the unique opportunity to provide early input on the further development of the TRE and individual feedback to develop the platform for future use.

To NAKO TransferHub

www.nako.de/transferhub

About the German National Cohort (NAKO Gesundheitsstudie)

The German National Cohort (NAKO is the largest long-term population study in Germany. Since 2014, over 205,000 randomly selected people have been medically examined and asked about their lifestyle habits in 18 study centres. At the beginning of the study, the participants were aged between 20 and 69. The German National Cohort (NAKO) is a prospective epidemiological cohort study. The researchers observe a large group, a so-called cohort, of healthy, ill or formerly ill people over a long period of time. The aim is to use scientific analyses of the participants’ data to investigate the frequency and causes of common diseases such as cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, to identify risk factors and to show ways of effective prevention and early detection. The research project is supported by 26 organisations. Scientists from universities, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association and other research institutes in Germany are working together in a nationwide network. The study is being carried out by the NAKO e.V. association. It is financed by public funds from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), the Helmholtz Association and the participating federal states.www.nako.de/en

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, short IPF, leads to scarring of lung tissue, resulting in a loss in lung function that affects patients’ ability to perform daily activities and can even be life-threatening. While current antifibrotic treatments can slow disease progression, there is a high remaining patient need with no treatments capable of stopping or reversing the disease available to date. This collaboration aims to help close this gap by developing a more physiologically relevant platform for drug discovery, using human lung tissue combined with single-cell transcriptomic analysis and AI models.

At Helmholtz Munich, two research groups are leading the collaboration: the Research Unit for Precision Regenerative Medicine headed by lung expert Prof. Herbert Schiller, and the Institute for Computational Biology, led by biomedical AI specialist Prof. Fabian Theis.

The Schiller Lab has developed advanced methods to analyze drug effects at single-cell resolution in precision-cut human lung slices (hPCLS). This approach will now support pre-clinical testing of new anti-fibrotic candidates. “By working directly with human lung tissue and integrating advanced computational models, we hope to gain a detailed understanding of the cellular circuits driving fibrosis and identify novel ways to target them,” says Schiller.

Meanwhile, the Theis Lab contributes its expertise in machine learning and biomedical AI. The team develops models that analyze and predict the effects of drug candidates at single-cell resolution. “This collaboration allows us to combine experimental biology and data science to better predict how potential drugs, and their combinations might behave in complex human tissues,” Theis explains.

Boehringer Ingelheim has leading expertise in the research, development and provision of medicines for fibrotic lung diseases such as IPF, with one treatment launched and a next generation treatment currently submitted for approval. Besides contributing funding, the company provides a selection of compounds from its pipeline for testing. “We are excited to work with the scientists at Helmholtz Munich to explore novel technologies in our quest to develop future treatment options to further improve patient outcomes in IPF,” says Matthew Thomas, Head of Immunology & Respiratory Research, Germany at Boehringer Ingelheim.

When plants detect potentially harmful microbes at a local site, they can initiate immune responses in distant, uninfected tissues – a process known as systemic immunity. In leaves, NHP is already recognized as a key signaling molecule in this response. While similar systemic defenses have been observed following root-microbe interactions, the molecular signal involved had remained unidentified.

The research team has now shown that NHP also acts as a root-derived signal, transmitting immune cues from root to shoot – via a regulatory mechanism distinct from its role in leaves.

A Standby Circuit in Roots

The researchers showed that the same genetic components responsible for NHP signaling in leaves are active in roots, but under different control. In contrast to the inducible production seen in leaves, NHP biosynthesis in roots operates continuously at a basal level. To prevent premature activation, the molecule is typically inactivated through glucose conjugation – forming what the researchers describe as a “standby mode.”

Microbial Triggers Release the Signal

When certain microbes interact with the root system, this standby circuit becomes active: the inactivation via glucose conjugation is suppressed and/or NHP biosynthesis is upregulated. This leads to the release of free NHP, which is then transported to the shoot. There, it modulates plant immunity and growth in a dose-dependent manner, linking microbial perception in the root zone with whole-plant physiological responses.

Implications for Crop Research

“Our findings provide a molecular explanation for previously observed root-to-shoot immune communication,” says Dr. Ping Xu, first author of the study. “This knowledge may be useful in future breeding strategies aimed at enhancing disease resistance without compromising growth.”

Dr. Anton Schäffner, leader of the Helmholtz Munich research team, adds: “Understanding how root signals like NHP coordinate immunity and growth across the entire plant helps us uncover fundamental principles of plant resilience. This could be highly relevant for developing crops that are both productive and robust under stress.”

This research deepens the understanding of plant-microbe interactions and systemic signaling and could inform ongoing efforts to improve crop resilience and sustainable agricultural practices.

“Climate change is already shaping our health reality – from allergies to infectious diseases – we have the knowledge and tools to build resilience and protect lives,” says Prof. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, Director of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Helmholtz Munich and co-author of the opinion piece.

Beyond Climate Change: A Holistic Health Perspective 

Human activity affects the planet in ways that extend far beyond climate change. Earth system scientists first developed the Planetary Boundaries framework in 2009 for measuring and tracking the resilience and stability of the Earth system as humanity moves deeper into the Anthropocene. It identifies boundaries for nine critical global processes – climate change being one of them – that must be respected to stay in the “safe operating space” that conveys a high likelihood of keeping Earth’s functions in a state similar to the conditions within which human societies have flourished over the past 10,000 years. A 2023 assessment indicates six of nine Planetary Boundaries are currently transgressed, which means increasing risk of destabilizing Earth’s life-support systems. 

Ample evidence now shows that Earth system change poses significant challenges to human health – from impacts on air quality and water supply to food production, infectious disease exposure, and community habitability. Changes to the Earth system already affect all dimensions of health and are expected to account for a large share of the global burden of disease in the coming decades. These concerns gave rise to Planetary Health, which is focused on analyzing and addressing the impacts of human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems on human health and identifying solutions that stabilize the Earth system while ensuring health, equity, and justice for all. 

“Ten years ago, the Planetary Health community coalesced around the understanding that we cannot have healthy people on an ailing planet,” co-author Sam Myers, MD, says. “Today, this collaboration with Planetary Boundaries researchers represents a further maturation of our field, a coming together of the Earth science and public health communities in recognition that the Earth crisis has become a global health crisis and that safeguarding a livable future for humanity requires stabilizing the Earth system. We now have the scientific framework to systematically connect Earth system stability with human health." 

“Human health depends on a stable Earth system. By acting now, we can turn this planetary health emergency into an opportunity for prevention, justice, and well-being for all,” Traidl-Hoffmann explains.

Four Cornerstones for Action 

The commentary highlights the importance of integrated monitoring, policies centered on equity, and communication strategies that extend beyond the scientific community. It identifies four key areas considered essential by both researchers and practitioners:

• Earth system and human health monitoring: Systematic investigation of health impacts from Earth system changes, with continually updated evidence to assess threats and inform decision-making.   
• Justice-centered policy: Ensuring universal access to essential resources for everyone while simultaneously addressing the disproportionate impact of Earth system changes on future generations, Indigenous peoples and marginalized communities, who are least responsible for destabilizing the Earth system.  
• True cost and benefit accounting: Revealing the hidden health costs of environmental destruction and the true benefits of safeguarding nature’s contributions to people to identify efficient changes – for example, transforming the global food system would cost substantially less than current hidden costs. 
• Integrated communication: Building understanding that environmental problems threaten everyone's health, security, and prosperity, while providing pathways for collective action. 

“As physician, I see the symptoms – heat stress, respiratory diseases, allergy epidemic – but science gives us the prescription: systemic change for a healthier planet and healthier people,“ notes Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann.

This year, the Doctoral Researcher Awards were presented to Florencia Merino and Ruyu Ma. Both early-career scientists were recognized for the outstanding quality of their research during their doctoral studies.

Florencia Merino investigates the origins of periventricular heterotopia, a brain malformation traditionally attributed to defects in neuronal migration during development. Her research challenges this long-held view by revealing early dysfunction in neural stem cells – the precursors of neurons –as the primary cause of the disorder. By shifting the focus from late-stage neuronal migration to early stem cell defects, her work opens new avenues for early-stage therapeutic interventions.

Ruyu Ma developed a new generation of bioluminescent imaging systems that combine custom optical design with an ultra-sensitive camera, enabling real-time visualization of molecular and cellular events without the need for an external light source. This innovation significantly reduces phototoxicity and allows for long-term imaging in living cells. Her interdisciplinary work bridges optical engineering and biology, inspiring multiple collaborative projects across different scientific fields.

Supporting the Next Generation of Scientists

Helmholtz Munich is deeply committed to nurturing young scientific talent. The Helmholtz Munich Graduate School (HELENA) offers a dynamic research environment that places strong emphasis on personal and professional development. The goal is to prepare doctoral researchers for successful careers both within and beyond academia.

Exemplary Mentorship by Otmar Schmid

The Best Supervisor Award was presented for the first time this year to Dr. Otmar Schmid, head of the “Pulmonary Aerosol Delivery” research group at the Institute of Lung Health and Immunity. The award recognizes his longstanding dedication to mentoring doctoral researchers. He was especially praised for his open and supportive communication style, constructive feedback, and strong commitment to career development.

“Throughout my professional career, I have been passionate about science and the pursuit of a deeper understanding of the world around us. However, inspiring the next generation of scientists and sharing this passion with them is even more rewarding to me than science itself,” said Otmar Schmid.

Schmid’s research focuses on novel approaches to inhalation therapies for lung diseases. Particular attention is being paid to the development of models that realistically simulate lung processes during inhalation therapy. His team aims to deliver medications as efficiently and precisely as possible to targeted areas of the lungs. To achieve this, they are developing patient-friendly inhalation systems and advanced imaging techniques that visualize the precise distribution of drugs in the respiratory system.

In Partnership with Local Institutions

The awards were jointly presented by the Helmholtz Munich Graduate School (HELENA), the Association of Friends and Supporters (VdFF), and the AtemWeg Foundation. The collaboration highlights a shared dedication to building a future-focused research ecosystem where talent can thrive and scientific innovation can flourish.

Single-cell genomics allows scientists to analyze individual cells at unprecedented resolution, revealing how they function, interact, and contribute to health and disease. But as the field has grown, so has the number of computational tools – now numbering in the thousands – designed to process and interpret this complex data. This rapid growth presents a major challenge: how can researchers identify the most suitable tool, or determine the best combination of processing steps to achieve a specific analytical goal?  Many tools are specialized, and evaluating their performance is challenging due to the limited availability of datasets with known, accurate outcomes (so-called ground truth). As a result, researchers often turn to large-scale benchmarking studies. However, these studies can be inconsistent, quickly become outdated, and often make comparisons difficult to interpret – making it challenging to identify the best method for a given task.

 “We need a common language to measure what works – and what doesn’t – that can stand the test of time,” says Prof. Fabian Theis, Director of the Computational Health Center at Helmholtz Munich and Professor at the Technical University of Munich. “With Open Problems, we’re introducing a reproducible, living, and transparent framework to guide tool development and evaluation – one that the community can actively shape and use.”

Transparent, Reproducible, and Community-Driven

Open Problems currently includes 81 public datasets and tests 171 methods across 12 core tasks in single-cell analysis. Each method is evaluated using a suite of metrics – quantitative measures that show how well a method performs on a specific task. These metrics include accuracy, scalability, and robustness, among others, and are chosen based on the goals of each task. In total, 37 different metrics are used across the platform, with each task using the most relevant ones.

All evaluations run automatically in the cloud and follow standardized procedures to ensure the results are fully reproducible. Researchers can see how each method performs, explore the underlying code, and suggest improvements.  To remain relevant and impactful over the long term, the platform is designed to be open to contributions: scientists can propose new tasks, add their own methods, join regular community calls, and take part in collaborative hackathons to help shape the future of the project.

Real-World Benefits

By comparing tools side by side, Open Problems helps researchers identify the most effective methods for their specific scientific questions and often challenges established assumptions in the process. As Dr. Smita Krishnaswamy, Associate Professor of Genetics and of Computer Science at the Yale School of Medicine, explains: “We found that looking at overall patterns of gene activity gives more accurate results than focusing on individual genes when studying how cells communicate. And for some tasks, like identifying cell types across different datasets, a simple statistical model can actually outperform complex AI methods, making the analysis both faster and more efficient for many researchers.”

The platform also powers major machine learning competitions, including the NeurIPS multimodal integration challenges. These global contests bring together experts in biology and artificial intelligence to solve real-world problems using common datasets and evaluation standards.

“Open Problems lowers the barrier for AI researchers outside biology to contribute to genomics,” says Dr. Malte Lücken, who co-led the project. “It’s a blueprint for interdisciplinary innovation.”

All code and results are openly available under a CC-BY licence at github.com/openproblems-bio/openproblems.

As part of the EVH, Helmholtz Munich contributes its expertise through the Institute of Virology (VIRO), and the Unit Global Health (UGH). 

The VIRO institute, particularly its Immune Monitoring group, brings extensive experience in monitoring emerging infections such as SARS-CoV-2, as well as in the development of human monoclonal antibodies against mpox. Its high-containment biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories enable live-virus neutralization assays critical for evaluating vaccine efficacy against high-risk pathogens. 

Complementing these efforts, the Unit Global Health (UGH), led by Prof. Michael Hoelscher, researches global health challenges in low- and middle-income countries, focusing on lung health and respiratory infections, and pioneers AI use in biomarker discovery, digital health, and population prediction tools.

“The European Vaccines Hub represents an important step forward in strengthening Europe’s ability to respond to future pandemics,” said Michael Hoelscher. “Our combined expertise in immunomonitoring and AI-driven global health research helps ensure that vaccine candidates can be rapidly and reliably evaluated.” 

The EVH is coordinated by the Sclavo Vaccines Association and is organized around four core pillars – discovery,  preclinical studies, clinical trials, and manufacturing – covering the entire vaccine development pipeline.