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

“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.

The awarded project, "Nanopore Sequencing: Application Potential in Atopic Dermatitis Research", by Matthias Reiger, focuses on the skin microbiome and its potential for diagnostic and therapeutic use in atopic dermatitis. During the award ceremony, Reiger presented the project to an expert audience and the founding couple of the foundation.

The Kanert Award, endowed with €20,000, has been presented since the 1990s. It specifically supports newly planned projects that build on current scientific findings. Over the years, numerous research groups from the German-speaking scientific community have received the award for work on topics such as mast cell research, contact allergies, and anaphylaxis.

Twenty years ago, the award was also granted to Prof. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, who now heads the the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Helmholtz Munich.

"We are pleased to once again support innovative research projects this year that make a significant contribution to the field of allergy research," said Prof. Uta Jappe, member of the foundation’s board of trustees, during the award ceremony. She emphasized that “the submitted projects demonstrate the great dedication and creativity of researchers in this important field.”

The joint initiative of the German Medical Association, the German Alliance on Climate Change and Health (KLUG), AWO Federal Association, German Hospital Federation, German Nursing Council, National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds, and the Climate Alliance Germany has been joined by 87 institutions and associations (https://hitzeaktionstag.de/partner/). Helmholtz Munich also supports the initiative, aiming to use scientific insights to better understand the health impacts of heat and to help develop evidence-based measures to protect the population. 

Awareness of the health consequences of heat and effective protective measures, especially for particularly vulnerable groups, is still limited in parts of the population and various sectors of society. Heat Action Day aims to increase public awareness and promote preventive action.

“It’s a great honor and responsibility for me to continue contributing to the WBGU and to actively shape the scientific discourse surrounding environmental and health policy,” states Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann. “Especially in times of increasing environmental pollution and climate change, it is essential to further investigate the impact of environmental factors on human health and to develop practical recommendations for policymakers.”

Focus on Environmental Medicine

Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, director of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Helmholtz Munich and Chair of Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg, is a leading expert in environmental medicine, focusing her research on the interactions between environmental factors and human health. Central to her work is the investigation of how environmental stressors, such as air pollution, climate change, and allergens, affect the immune system and may lead to health issues like allergic and inflammatory diseases. Her interdisciplinary studies integrate medicine, environmental science, and public health to develop preventive approaches and strategies that sustainably protect and enhance human health.

A key recommendation of this year’s German policy brief is to intensify efforts to protect public health from heat. The report highlights that particularly vulnerable groups – including older adults, pregnant women, children, and the socially disadvantaged – face heightened risks from heat exposure. While heat adaptation measures, such as national heat awareness days and regional action plans, are already in place, major challenges persist. Social factors like financial disadvantage and limited health literacy increase individual heat risks, especially in urban “heat hotspots.” The impact is also significant in the workforce: employees in physically demanding roles, particularly in construction, experienced substantial work-hour losses in 2023 due to heat.

Scientific Recommendations

Experts in Germany recommend cross-sectoral adjustments to legal frameworks, targeted prevention measures that consider social factors, and efforts to enhance “heat resilience” among both the general public and professionals in affected sectors. Here’s what scientists at Helmholtz Munich say:

“The implementation of early warning systems for extreme weather events and the promotion of green infrastructure in urban areas are particularly important to minimize the health risks caused by high temperatures. It is not just about responding to emergencies, but taking preventative measures to protect the population from the foreseeable consequences of climate change. Human lives are at stake. Recent studies on health impacts to heat exposure underline that further political action is essential.”

Prof. Annette Peters, Director at the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Munich

“Incorporating the role of air pollution on high-temperature days or during heat waves is essential for effective climate adaptation. This is particularly crucial for health-focused heat action plans aimed at protecting vulnerable populations and areas that are heavily impacted by heat.”

Dr. Alexandra Schneider, Deputy Director at the Institute of Epidemiology and Head of the Environmental Risks Research Group at Helmholtz Munich

“Heat disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, and its impacts differ based on social context. To mitigate these inequalities, targeted measures are necessary that take into account both specific heat-related stresses and individual living conditions. Such strategies can help reduce heat-related deaths and illnesses, while also relieving pressure on the healthcare system.”

Dr. Franziska Matthies-Wiesler, Scientist at the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Munich and the Centre for Planetary Health Policy (CPHC)

Training makes pollen meter more efficient

Another exciting feature lies in the researchers' ability to actively train the device. They are training the system by feeding specific particles into it to create particle-specific libraries, in order to be able to effectively optimize its artificial intelligence and data analysis algorithms. This process demands significant effort, but the team is optimistic about eventually sharing this valuable data with the public in Augsburg.

Moreover, this cutting-edge device gathers and provides data in much less time, offering a more detailed picture of pollen levels throughout the day and a finer understanding of how weather conditions affect pollen intensity. Weighing only 26 kilograms, the 'Poleno' is portable and adaptable. This makes it suitable for outdoor experiments, indoor air quality assessments, or focused short-term lab investigations.

By using three distinct devices to measure pollen concentration together with an air quality station, researchers will not only compare the accuracy of different methods, but they will also identify strengths and weaknesses, ultimately driving further the optimization of the automated devices. It is known that pollen reduces the local immune response of the mucous membranes, therefore, it is also important in the context of pandemic prevention to know how much pollen is in the air in the event of an infection with airborne pathogens. Helmholtz Munich acquired the device with funding from the EU, supported by the State of Bavaria to improve research infrastructure for pandemic management under the PerForM-REACT project. It is being used in cooperation with the University Hospital Augsburg.

Data on 11,000 strokes from 15 years

In their study, the researchers analyzed data from Augsburg University Hospital. Its Department of Neurology has collected data on around 11,000 strokes over 15 years. The analysis shows that extreme heat at night increases the risk of stroke by seven percent. “Elderly people and women are particularly at risk, and it is mainly strokes with mild symptoms that are diagnosed in clinics after hot nights,” says the study's lead author, Dr. Cheng He: “Our results make it clear that adjustments in urban planning and the healthcare system are extremely important to reduce the risks posed by rising night-time temperatures.” This is all the more true as “we were able to show that the risk of stroke associated with high night-time temperatures increased significantly in the period 2013 to 2020 compared to the period 2006 to 2012,” as Prof. Michael Ertl, head of the Stroke Unit and the neurovascular working group at Augsburg University Hospital, emphasizes. From 2006 to 2012, hot nights resulted in two additional strokes per year in the study area; from 2013 to 2020, there were 33 additional cases per year.

Recommendations for adaptation strategies and urban planning

The researchers plan to make their findings applicable in practical settings. To this end, they are working on recommendations for public adaptation strategies and urban planning, such as reducing the intensity of urban heat islands. The aim is to better protect the population from the effects of night-time heat. The study will also serve as a basis for further research to develop targeted preventive measures against stroke-promoting factors. "The earlier these preventive measures are implemented, the better," says Alexandra Schneider. The results of the study are also of great importance for hospitals. They will be able to better adapt to the frequency of strokes in the future: If the weather forecast predicts a hot night, it can be expected that more cases will come to the clinics. This allows clinics to provide more staff to care for patients as a precaution, explains Prof. Markus Naumann, Director of the Neurological University Hospital in Augsburg.

Background: What are tropical nights?

“Tropical nights” are defined using the so-called “Hot Night Excess Index” (HNE). It measures how much temperatures rise above a certain threshold value at night. The threshold value is the temperature that is only exceeded on the five percent warmest nights during the entire study period. In this study, this value is 14.6 °C. If temperatures rise above this value at night, this is categorized as a tropical night. The HNE index adds up how many degrees the temperatures are above this threshold during the night hours to determine the intensity of the heat.

Original publication

Cheng He et al., 2024: Enhanced risk of all and ischemic stroke associated with nighttime heat exposure. European Heart Journal. DOI:Nocturnal heat exposure and stroke risk | European Heart Journal | Oxford Academic

About the researchers

Dr. Alexandra Schneider, Head of the working group Environmental Risks at Helmholtz Munich

Dr. Cheng He, Postdoc and first author of the study at Helmholtz Munich

Prof. Michael Ertl, Head of the Stroke Unit and the neurovascular working group at Augsburg University Hospital

Prof. Markus Naumann, Director of the Neurological University Hospital in Augsburg

The new study now sheds some light on this, with the skin flora of the breast decisive in determining whether radiodermatitis occurs during the course of treatment. “Skin flora consists of hundreds of different kinds of microorganisms,” explains Dr. Claudia Hülpüsch, Group Leader for Functional Microbiomics at Helmholtz Munich and head of functional microbiomics at the Chair for Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg. “Some of them, the so-called commensal bacteria, are present in healthy people in a relative higher number and are part of the skin barrier. They act as natural protection, preventing the proliferation of harmful bacteria or fungi, for example.”

Skin Flora as a Marker for Increased Risk of Dermatitis

Together with her project partner Dr. Kai J. Borm from the University Hospital rechts der Isar at TUM, Hülpüsch examined 20 women with breast cancer. All patients received radiotherapy for a period of seven weeks. Before the first appointment and then each week thereafter the researchers took a skin swab from each patient – one from the breast treated with radiotherapy and one from the untreated breast. From the swabs, they were able to determine the number and composition of microorganisms.

“Through the analysis we determined that before beginning the radiotherapy four women had unusual skin microbiome,” explains Prof. Dr Avidan Neumann from the Chair for Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg and researcher at Helmholtz Munich, who also participated in the study. “With these women, commensal bacteria were underrepresented. This was the case for the healthy as well as for the diseased breast. Interestingly, each of these four patients developed severe radiodermatitis during the course of radiotherapy.” By contrast, the other 16 patients only developed mild or moderate skin damage during radiotherapy. In the first few weeks of therapy in the four patients with underrepresented commensal bacteria, the number of bacteria developed significantly before the development of visibly severe symptoms and then decreased again near the end of therapy. With the other patients, the bacteria remained largely unchanged. This leads to the suggestion that the bacteria play a causal role in the development of radiodermatitis.

Skin Disinfection Reduces the Likelihood of Dermatitis

“The composition of skin bacteria before radiotherapy appears to indicate which women have a particularly high risk of developing radiodermatitis,” says Borm. “This helps in understanding this side-effect, enabling us to take targeted preventative measures to make radiotherapy more tolerable for patients in future.” Initial studies show that a thorough disinfection of the skin surface reduces the likelihood of subsequent inflammation. “We are also curious to find out if our results can be transferred to patients with other cancer types, such as those in the throat, nose, and ear, or with sarcomas, as these patients have a particularly high risk of severe radiodermatitis.”

Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, a dermatologist and director of the Helmholtz Munich Institute for Environmental Medicine, sees great potential in the results and is already thinking about next steps. “We will now carry out larger studies with more patients with other tumours in order to verify the results. The goal is to be able to predict and prevent dermatitis, and this study has paved the way for this.”

About the scientists

Prof. Dr. med. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann,  Director at the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Helmholtz Munich and Director of the Chair for Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg

Dr. Claudia Hülpüsch, Group Leader for Functional Microbiomics at Helmholtz Munich and head of functional microbiomics at the Chair for Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg

_{Prof. Annette Peters, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology}

Prof. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann: “Health implications of escalating temperatures have become a global concern. It's not just the increasing number of heat-related deaths that alarms public health experts; the broader spectrum of health issues stemming from excessive heat is a growing crisis. Even countries with milder climates like Germany are witnessing the health impacts of heat waves. The root of this escalating heat crisis can be traced back to climate change, significantly driven by the burning of fossil fuels. The continued reliance on these energy sources is a paradox; while they power economies, they also contribute to a deteriorating global health scenario. We need rules and alternative energy sources in order to maintain and improve people's health in our country in the long term and prevent social inequalities from worsening. Without significant and immediate action to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and invest in sustainable alternatives, research efforts can only mitigate, not solve, the broader health crisis."

_{Prof. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, Director of the Institute of Environmental Medicine}

To the flagship report

In it, the nine-member expert panel drafted a vision of what a healthy life on a healthy Earth could look like and makes proposals on how food, mobility and housing could be redesigned. With numerous suggestions for politics to act.

The official WBGU press release:

Prosperous but not healthy? 

‘Healthy living on a healthy planet’ – this is the title and vision of the WBGU’s new flagship report, which will be presented today to Steffi Lemke, Germany’s Federal Environment Minister, and Judith Pirscher, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

In this report the nine-member expert panel recommends nothing less than a fun- damental rethinking of the way in which we deal with health. It is the only way the considerable improvements in health care that have been made in the past can be continued into the future. The COVID-19 pandemic, the massive increase in lifestyle diseases and the ever-more-apparent effects of climate change highlight the vulnerability of our societies – and our way of life is one of the causes of this vulnerability. Civilizational development has driven biodiversity loss, had a neg- ative effect on the health of ecosystems, and is now jeopardizing human health. We are well on our way to destroying the preconditions for a healthy life for species and humanity and breaching planetary guard rails. This development can only be reversed by showing courage and taking action at all levels, from international forums to individual lifestyles. “Science is increasingly focusing on the interconnections between health and the state of our natural environment, which shows how important this issue is for the future of humanity and how urgent it is to take political action,” says Karen Pittel.

Sustainability policy is also health policy

The consequences of climate change for human health worldwide cannot be ignored. In this sense, sustainability policy is also health policy. The WBGU specifically recommends extending existing monitoring and reporting obligations relating to health and health-risk factors to include environment-related, non-communicable diseases and the corresponding risk factors – for example within the framework of the European Health Union. Only in this way can appropriate preventive measures be developed. In this context it is imperative to also measure and assess the ecological impacts of health systems. “The health sector has a considerable footprint worldwide, and more attention should definitely be paid to the role played by health systems in sustainability policy. Doctors and nursing staff enjoy people’s trust. They are influencers, in the best sense, for
establishing a sustainable, resilient health system – on the one hand by championing such systems and showing how the climate targets can be implemented in the health sector; on the other hand through direct contact with patients, making them more aware of the new health hazards and motivating them to adopt health-promoting and environmentally aware behaviour,” explains Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann. It is time to reverse the current health-policy trend of primarily reacting to diseases rather than promoting prevention and people’s resilience and development potential. What is needed is a form of preventive healthcare that is focused on people’s environment and is also reflected in the financing of health systems.

Establish global ‘urgency governance’ for environmental and health protection

“As a matter of urgency we must agree on a long-term form of joint governance for environmental and health protection beyond 2030. The Pandemic Treaty currently being negotiated within the WHO opens a window of opportunity for stronger substantive and institutional interactions with UNEP, FAO and WOAH, the World Organization for Animal Health,” says Sabine Schlacke. In its report, the WBGU formulates clear starting points for establishing such a form of urgency governance. One of the key elements is to establish the 2030 Agenda both nationally and inter- nationally as a mandate for action in order to realize the vision of ‘healthy living on a healthy
planet’. The overall threat was deemed so urgent that the authors recommend the implementation of the ‘Health in All Policies’ approach and its continuous evaluation. This approach proposes inte- grating health concerns into the policies of all ministries and at all political levels, thus ensuring cooperation to sustain the natural life-support systems. The right to a healthy environment should be included as a human right in national constitutions and human-rights catalogues, especially in Germany’s Basic Law and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. These elements of urgency gov- ernance should guide the German government’s actions, so that it advocates a leadership-focused, interlinked and implementation-oriented health and environmental policy in forums of the UN, the EU, the G7 and the G20, as well as vis-à-vis business and civil society.

Improve frameworks for healthy diets, physical activity and healthy living globally

Health requires targeted policies on what we eat, how we move and where we live. Using three concrete examples – nutrition, physical exercise and housing – the WBGU outlines the framework conditions that should be targeted in order to also realize the goal of ‘healthy living on a healthy planet’ in the living environments of all people. The elemental areas of human life should be designed in such a way that the trend of rising lifestyle diseases is reversed and, at the same time, climate- and environment-compatible lifestyles are made attractive.
Nutrition: a more plant-based diet for all could prevent eleven million premature deaths world- wide every year and greatly reduce the food system’s impact on the climate. Taxing and labelling unhealthy and unsustainable foods are essential measures in this context.
Physical activity: active mobility means that people get more physical exercise in everyday life; it also reduces car traffic – and with it the consumption of energy, resources and space, as well as air pollution, climate damage and noise. This requires more ways of promoting physical activity and a true mobility turnaround.
Housing: about a billion people still live in slums with often health-threatening living condi- tions, and new settlement areas will have to be built for around 2.5 billion people by the middle of the century. Urban planning that is compatible with both health and environmental needs
also requires reserving a relevant proportion of urban space for common-good-oriented uses.

Sustainability policy is also science policy

World society’s possibilities for jointly tackling global challenges are directly dependent on the scientific, innovative and educational capacities of the countries themselves and their interacting communication processes. However, financial resources, knowledge production and education levels still differ massively between high-income, middle-income and low-income countries. The joint ability to speak and act in a multilaterally common language is in urgent need of improvement.

Using the Summit of the Future and the Climate Conference as forums

Germany’s Federal Government should champion the implementation of the above-mentioned points, also in the international debate: “At the United Nations Summit of the Future in September 2024, the theme of ‘healthy living on a healthy planet’ should play a key role in strengthening societal resilience in the context of environmental change,” says Anna-Katharina Hornidge. The same applies to the COP28 of the Framework Convention on Climate Change in November 2023, where health issues will be a major point on the agenda for the first time.

Press Contact

Dr. Benno Pilardeaux
Head of Media and Public Relations

bpilardeaux@wbgu.de

Telefon: +49 (0)30 26 39 48 12

Bavaria's Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Roland Weigert emphasized: „The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us of the importance of outstanding basic research. Strategies for pandemic response and prevention, as well as for infection research, are of central importance to all of us. This includes the development and expansion of uniquely equipped high-security laboratories to gain a deeper understanding of pathogens that can trigger pandemics. The investment in new laboratory infrastructure supports Helmholtz Munich in its leading position as a highly innovative and globally renowned location for cutting-edge research.”

Research Projects at Helmholtz Munich

With its focus on lung diseases, metabolic diseases and drug discovery, scientists at Helmholtz Munich have developed a number of preventative and therapeutic approaches for the treatment of COVID-19. With the help of the new equipment for a biosafety level 3 (BSL3) laboratory, they will be able to further develop these approaches and gain insights for combating future pandemics.

Learning From the Pandemic

Prof Ulrike Protzer, director at the Institute of Virology at Helmholtz Munich and at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), is convinced, that we can learn from the current pandemic for further, emerging infectious diseases and therefore be more prepared: “New pathogens such as coronaviruses or influenza viruses that are transmitted via the respiratory tract trigger lung diseases in humans similar to what we experienced with SARS-CoV-2. We therefore need to better understand why emerging viruses always affect us in a similar way and let us fall ill. Knowledge of the processes that make us sick, but also of how we can detect and eliminate airborne pathogens, will help us to develop broadly effective therapeutic approaches quicker,” the leading virologist at Helmholtz Munich says. In the new laboratory it is now also possible to use state-of-the-art microscopic, molecular and structural biology detection methods for respiratory infections and even to set up preclinical models for airborne pathogens for drug development.

Next to the new laboratory equipment, Helmholtz Munich offers an excellent research network to contribute to pandemic preparedness: “The past years showed us how much we at Helmholtz Munich are able to contribute, because people, who know how to handle viruses safely, and a close collaboration with allergy and lung research, as well as other disciplines, are very much needed. This interaction has allowed us to study how the virus behaves and how the severe lung and tissue damage caused by corona occurs," explains the virologist.

Cross-Site, Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Laboratory capacities at the Augsburg site are also currently being expanded as part of "PerForM-REACT". With the focus on allergies and translational research scientists at the Institute of Environmental Medicine (IEM) at Helmholtz Munich are discovering the relationship between environmental influences (especially aerosols) and diseases and the determination of COVID-19 biomarkers for early detection of disease progression. With the help of the new equipment, they can now further develop these approaches and gain insights for future pandemics. Especially the measurement and quantification of virus particles in aerosols in patient rooms and public spaces will enable highly sensitive early warning systems.

In the future, the units in Munich and Augsburg will interlock for a fully comprehensive look at an infectious event. The project thus spans the spectrum from basic research, which generally helps to better understand the molecular processes in infections with the aid of the latest technologies, to the possibility of developing concrete strategies that can be quickly applied to research and pandemic control. Prof Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, Director of the IEM and professor for Environmental Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Augsburg sees a great potential: “The pandemic has shown us how cooperation among scientists has made detection and control of the virus possible in a very short time."

Research in the High-Security Laboratory

To be able to conduct safe research on highly infectious pathogens, such as novel coronaviruses, laboratories must comply with strict regulations. In Germany, a European directive regulates the requirements for laboratories with four biosafety levels. Biosafety level 3 is required for research on airborne diseases such as COVID-19. The equipment of a BSL3 laboratory includes strict air isolation from the environment, rooms with negative pressure, special work benches, highly efficient ventilation and filter systems, a system for heat inactivation, and a sophisticated safety concept to safely prevent the escape or discharge of a pathogen. Depending on the research work, special technical equipment with measuring and analysis devices as well as special microscopes is required in the sealed-off BSL3 area. Highly qualified personnel for BSL3 laboratories also need special protective clothing and respiratory masks.

About the EU funding:

The EU funds used come from the reconstruction fund ("Next Generation EU") concluded at the end of 2020. An important instrument of the Recovery Fund is the "Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe" (REACT-EU) under the EU Structural Funds. Its purpose is to support member states in combating the economic and social consequences of the corona pandemic and in the transition to future-oriented and sustainable economic structures. "PerFormM-REACT" is funded with up to 18.5 million euros from REACT-EU funds.

Holetschek adds: "With Prof. Dr. Traidl-Hoffmann, we have been able to recruit a recognized expert for the position of the special representative for Climate Resilience and Prevention. Due to her outstanding expertise in the field of climate change and health, she is very well suited to serve as special representative for Climate Resilience and Prevention."

Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann is Director of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Helmholtz Munich, Chair of Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg and Deputy Director of the Center for Climate Resilience at the University of Augsburg. The scientist has extensive and long-standing experience in the field of environmental medicine. With her work, Traidl-Hoffmann aims to understand which environmental factors make us sick and which protective factors from the environment keep us healthy. Her focus is on diseases that occur more frequently or show more severe symptoms due to the effects of climate change. Her clinical focus is on chronic inflammatory diseases, such as allergies and atopic dermatitis. The overarching goal of her work is the prevention and treatment of environmental diseases and climate resilience of the health care system. "No one can escape the health consequences of climate change. That's why it's hugely important that we prepare and adapt. The health sector in particular must be able to meet its care responsibilities in the event of extreme events such as extreme heat. Prevention and resilience are the two key areas where we can and must start," explains Traidl-Hoffmann. And she adds: "I am delighted to be able to promote both in this new role. Early warning systems, heat adaptations, personalized prevention, and improving the health conditions of our population through more sustainable lifestyles can go a long way. We just have to do it!"

The aim of the appointment of the special representatives and the establishment of the "Competence Center Health Protection in Climate Change" at the LGL is to network and coordinate projects in the field of climate change and health. According to LGL President Prof. Dr. Christian Weidner, the new competence center will bundle the various interdisciplinary activities and create synergies to address climate-related challenges in the health sector.

“The support and suggestions we received during the certification process greatly assisted us in making sustainability changes to our daily lab routines, accelerating their implementation enormously,” says Vivien Leier-Wirtz, laboratory assistant at the Chair of Environmental Medicine. Together with Amedeo De Tomassi, she guided the environmental medicine team through the certification process, which began in February 2022 with a survey of staff members. Since then, the six-member green lab team, which also includes Aline Metz, Melanie Pawlitzki, Claudia Hülpüsch, and Franziska Neitzel, have met to discuss how they can make energy savings and sustainability improvements to the research process and how to successfully implement them. Leier-Wirtz says, “The changes are sometimes small, sometimes big, but they are all important. Sustainability is an attitude that must be lived.”

Less waste, more recycling

The US-based “My Green Lab” initiative has been recognised by the United Nations “Race to Zero” campaign as a key player in helping pharmaceutical and medical technology companies achieve the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The certification is considered the gold standard for sustainability best practice for laboratories. The initiative specifies areas where practices could be improved and where changes would be particularly effective and provides extensive material to assist labs in making changes. In addition to lab-specific issues such as water and electricity consumption, carbon emissions released as a result of how one travels to work are also considered, for example.

Lab waste is not commonplace waste. At the Augsburg lab for environmental medicine, waste is now more even more strictly separated or avoided altogether, Leier-Wirtz explains. This starts with simple measures, such as installing several containers at convenient locations, making it easier for staff to separate waste and recycle relevant materials without having to walk extra distances. Another point is the avoidance of waste, including infectious waste. The targeted replacement of hazardous chemicals with more harmless ones is also immensely important. “We have been able to find ways to do this without interfering with research processes. The effort is worth it. After all, there is no replacement planet. There is no planet B,” says Aline Metz. “We recycle a lot more, use a refill system for pipette tips, send back cardboard and Styrofoam boxes, the same goes for cell culture bottles,” says Leier-Wirtz. There are now signs everywhere informing staff about sustainable work practices. In this context, training staff about sustainability within the context of the lab is also very important.

The university lab saves 180 kWh per day

The sustainability team, which includes employees from all areas of the lab, also won the so-called Freezer Challenge in the category “Academic/Large Size Lab.” This international competition, in which more than 1,200 labs from all over the world took part this year, is also organised by the US-based green lab initiative and aims to reduce the energy consumption of refrigeration equipment. “Ultra-low temperature freezers are a big energy guzzler in labs,” explains research technician Amedeo De Tomassi. The university lab now saves 180 kWh a day through many small but effective measures, he says.

Becoming a role model

In Germany, the international “My Green Lab” initiative is not yet very well known. Only ten labs in Germany have so far taken part in the certification process, including the lab at the University of Augsburg. Prof. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann, the initiator of the project, says, “We want our commitment to become infectious so that we become a role model for other labs. Awareness of sustainability issues is high among scientists.” This is shown by a request from the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg, which invited the Augsburg green lab team to share its expertise in a lecture.

The expansion of the Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) laboratory at the Helmholtz site in Munich-Neuherberg makes experiments and analyses with active airborne pathogens possible. Transmission pathways and virus concentrations in the air can be studied, as can the effect of substances that could be considered as medication. For this purpose, the latest imaging techniques will be used, some of which will allow automated high-resolution imaging of living cells. An aerosol unit will investigate infectious aerosols and help to find out how they can be rendered harmless.

At Augsburg, the expansion of the laboratory is focused on capacities for analyzing environmental and patient samples and for experiments that do not work directly with the living pathogen. For example, blood samples from patients can be analyzed to identify biomarkers that could be useful for both early warning systems and predicting disease progression. Some of the new devices rely on AI in this regard, which makes analysis procedures and also research processes faster and - for employees in an emergency - also much safer.  In addition, long-term plans call for an exposure chamber that will enable targeted investigation of external factors, such as environmental factors, on infection events. Equipment for high-throughput sample processing is coming to Augsburg, as is associated capacity to store samples and to process and analyze very large amounts of data.

PerForM-REACT, however, wants much more. The planned units in Munich and Augsburg interlock to provide the most comprehensive view possible of an infection event. The project spans the spectrum from basic research, which generally helps to better understand the molecular processes in infections with the help of the latest technologies, to the development of concrete strategies that can be quickly applied to research and pandemic control in the event of an emergency.

On December 12, 2022, Matthias Tschöp, CEO of Helmholtz Munich, visited the laboratory facilities in Augsburg and those devices that have already gone into operation. They are already available for research and analysis work, because: after the pandemic is before the pandemic – according to the forecasts of scientists. The research capacities being created in Augsburg and Munich ensure that the best possible pandemic prevention starts now.

Professor Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann represents the field of medicine on the committee. She holds the Chair of Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg and is Director of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Helmholtz Munich. With her work, Traidl-Hoffmann wants to understand which environmental factors make us sick and which protective factors from the environment keep us healthy. Here, a major focus is on climate change-induced environmental changes. The clinical focus is on chronic inflammatory diseases, such as allergy and neurodermatitis. The overall goal of her work is the prevention of environmental diseases and climate resilience of the health care system.

Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann succeeds Sabine Gabrysch, who left the WBGU for health reasons. Sabine Gabrysch: "I have very much enjoyed working in this wonderfully interdisciplinary group of experts and I am incredibly sorry that I can no longer do so. Regrettably, even before the completion of our expert report on Planetary Health, which is very close to my heart. But I'm glad that WBGU has been able to attract a strong successor who can bring health expertise with a planetary perspective." Gabrysch, a physician, had been a member of the Advisory Council since November 2020, and during her time was instrumental in shaping the content and concept of the current main report on "Environment and Health."

more information on the WBGU

press release

Climate change is a huge threat to human health. It promotes allergies, makes vulnerable people suffer even more from heat and promotes the emission of pollutants, including harmful fungal spores.

Allergies will increase, because pollen will fly more and longer and will form even more aggressive proteins, which will then sometimes trigger allergies in previously healthy people. In addition, CO₂ as a growth factor increases the amount of pollen emitted. The rising temperatures change the distribution areas of plants and bring new allergens to us: ragweed, for example, which can trigger severe asthma attacks.

Pollen also affects the health of people who do not suffer from allergies: Pollen blocks the immune system of the mucous membranes, infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract are the result. In the wake of the Corona pandemic, scientists found that the higher the pollen concentration in the air, the higher the infection rate with SARS CoV-2 (Damialis et al. PNAS).

In her presentation at the UN Climate Change Conference, Prof. Traidl-Hofmann emphasized the importance of early warning systems for heat, pollutants and pollen - combined and coordinated. In addition, she said, people need to be made aware of these multiple environmental hazards. Policymakers need to develop and implement heat and emergency response plans, both for hospitals and more generally in cities and communities, she said. France has been leading the way with its heat protection plan since the heatwave of 2003, and Germany urgently needs to follow suit.

You can watch Prof. Traidl-Hoffmann's presentation at the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference here (approx. 3 h 36 min):

Watch on YouTube

Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann was also appointed as a member of the “Environmental Public Health” commission of the RKI. The term of office is four years. The task of the commission is to advise the RKI and the Federal Environment Agency on current issues in the field of environment and health as well as environmental medicine. The commission consists of a multidisciplinary team of seventeen recognized experts from the field of public health science, environmental epidemiology and environmental medicine.

Medical scientist Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann is Director of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Helmholtz Munich and holds the Chair of Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg. With her work, Traidl-Hoffmann seeks to understand which environmental factors make us ill and which protective factors from the environment keep us healthy. Her focus is on diseases that occur more frequently or show more severe symptoms due to the effects of climate change. The clinical focus is on chronic inflammatory diseases, such as allergies and atopic dermatitis. The overall goal of her work is the prevention and therapy of environmental diseases and the climate resilience of the healthcare system.

This year’s report points out that the impacts of climate change on human health are worsening. The effects of co-existing crises are magnifying this effect, leading to increased risk to global food security, transmission of infectious and heat-related diseases, and increased deaths from air pollution. Governments and corporations continue to prioritize fossil fuels, putting a livable future at risk. But there is hope: both public engagement and awareness of health issues and climate change among leading politicians are at an all-time high. Now, however, these efforts must be translated into action: Because only with an immediate, health-oriented response our future can be secured.

The significance for Germany

On November 3rd 2022, KLUG – Deutsche Allianz Klimawandel und Gesundheit e.V. – organized a launch event together with the Helmholtz Climate Initiative to highlight the fundamental importance of the report for Germany. In addition to Helmholtz Munich, cooperation partners include the Lancet Countdown, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Centre for Planetary Health Policy (CPHP), the German Medical Association and the German Nursing Council. At the launch event, experts from the health and climate fields explain and discuss the key findings of the report and their significance for Germany. Participants included epidemiologist Prof. Annette Peters, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Munich and Chair of Epidemiology at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, and environmental researcher Prof Traidl-Hoffmann, Director of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Helmholtz Munich and Chair of Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg. “We as scientists urgently appeal to politicians to push the phase-out of fossil fuels even faster to curb global warming and to improve air quality according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization”, says Prof. Annette Peters. And Prof. Traidl-Hoffmann emphasizes: “We as physicians can and must help initiate change, social tipping points. Through our voice, which clearly says: Climate change makes sick!”

Further information:

Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change: Health at the mercy of fossil fuels: www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01540-9/fulltext

News release on the Lancet Countdown Policy Brief for Germany 2021:
https://www.helmholtz-munich.de/en/newsroom/news-all/artikel/new-lancet-countdown-policy-brief-for-germany-continues-to-show-considerable-need-for-action

Story about Climate and Health:
https://www.helmholtz-munich.de/en/newsroom/research-highlights/climate-and-health

Recording of the German launch event on 3.11.2022:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Xo95Gv6x8

Launch of the Lancet Countdown in Europe 2022:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Xo95Gv6x8

Recording of the Global Launch Event:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EbZH4wdOys

Image: © PhotoGranary - stock.adobe.com

Health effects of climate change

This year’s report points out that the impacts of climate change on human health are worsening. The effects of co-existing crises are magnifying this effect, leading to increased risk to global food security, transmission of infectious and heat-related diseases, and increased deaths from air pollution. Governments and corporations continue to prioritize fossil fuels, putting a livable future at risk. But there is hope: both public engagement and awareness of health issues and climate change among leading politicians are at an all-time high. Now, however, these efforts must be translated into action: Because only with an immediate, health-oriented response our future can be secured.

The significance for Germany

On November 3^rd 2022, KLUG – Deutsche Allianz Klimawandel und Gesundheit e.V. – organized a launch event together with the Helmholtz Climate Initiative to highlight the fundamental importance of the report for Germany. In addition to Helmholtz Munich, cooperation partners include the Lancet Countdown, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Centre for Planetary Health Policy (CPHP), the German Medical Association and the German Nursing Council. At the launch event, experts from the health and climate fields explain and discuss the key findings of the report and their significance for Germany. Participants included epidemiologist Prof Annette Peters, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Munich and Chair of Epidemiology at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, and environmental researcher Prof Traidl-Hoffmann, Director of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Helmholtz Munich and Chair of Environmental Medicine at the University of Augsburg. “We scientists urgently appeal to the politicians to push the phase-out of fossil fuels even faster to curb global warming and to improve air quality according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization”, says Prof. Annette Peters. And Prof. Traidl-Hoffmann emphasizes: “We as physicians can and must help initiate change, social tipping points. Through our voice, which clearly says: Climate change makes sick!”

Further information:

Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change: Health at the mercy of fossil fuels: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01540-9/fulltext

News release on the Lancet Countdown Policy Brief for Germany 2021:
https://www.helmholtz-munich.de/en/newsroom/news-all/artikel/new-lancet-countdown-policy-brief-for-germany-continues-to-show-considerable-need-for-action

Story about Climate and Health:
https://www.helmholtz-munich.de/en/newsroom/research-highlights/climate-and-health

Recording of the German launch event on 3.11.2022:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-Xo95Gv6x8

Image: © PhotoGranary - stock.adobe.com