Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP
Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP

New Approaches in Anti-Infective Research

We offer a broad spectrum of computer-assisted and experimental methods for the identification and characterization of bioactive [WB1] substances. These include various compound libraries (fragments, synthetic compounds), a wide panel of high-throughput screening methods, as well as orthogonal and counter-screens for hit validation (biochemical, biophysical). In addition, we provide virtual screening methods (e.g., molecular docking) on a Fraunhofer-owned cloud computing system. Through close cooperation with the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), we have privileged access to beamlines for structural analysis.

 

Core Expertise:

  • Assay development (biochemical, cell-based, biophysical)
  • Hit validation using various methods
  • Protein–ligand interaction studies using various techniques
  • Microbiology
     

Objectives/Services:

  • Development of biochemical and cell-based assays in 96- and 384-well formats
  • Various screening technologies for identifying bioactive substances
  • Computer-based methods for in silico screening
  • Comprehensive techniques for hit validation and characterization
  • Microbiological investigations using a broad panel of bacterial strains (S1 & S2)
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AVITHRAPID

In this Fraunhofer ITMP-coordinated project, we intend, starting from an existing panel of bioactive substances, to develop antiviral agents with broad activity against various viruses.

Weiterführende Informationen

NONEGON

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection transmitted by the Gram-negative bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In NONEGON, Fraunhofer ITMP collaborated with partners from Turkey and Thailand on the development of new inhibitors of the enzyme DXR (DXP-reductoisomerase), which catalyzes the second step in an essential biosynthetic metabolic pathway in bacteria.

RESET-ME

Efflux pumps are a key intrinsic resistance mechanism in bacteria. Therefore, inhibiting efflux pumps with inhibitors represents a promising approach to restore or improve the efficacy of existing antibiotics. In RESET-ME, ITMP collaborated with European partners on the development of innovative efflux pump inhibitors.

Weiterführende Informationen

Gurke R, Bendes A, Bowes J, Koehm M, Twyman RM, Barton A, Elewaut D, Goodyear C, Hahnefeld L, Hillenbrand R, Hunter E, Ibberson M, Ioannidis V, Kugler S, Lories RJ, Resch E, Rüping S, Scholich K, Schwenk JM, Waddington JC, Whitfield P, Geisslinger G, FitzGerald O, Behrens F, Pennington SR; HIPPOCRATES Consortium; Omics and Multi-Omics Analysis for the Early Identification and Improved Outcome of Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis.
Biomedicines 2022 Sep 24;10(10):2387
doi: 10.3390/biomedicines10102387

 

Koehm M, Behrens F; Association between biological immunotherapy for psoriasis and time to incident inflammatory arthritis: limitations and opportunities. 
RMD Open. 2023 Sep;9(3):e003166
doi: 10.1136/rmdopen-2023-003166

 

Witte T, Minopoulou I, Drzeniek NM, Torgutalp M, Sabat R, Casteleyn V, Albach F, Fagni F, Schett G, Zabotti A, Krönke G, McGonagle D, Köhm M, Behrens F, Kleyer A, Simon D. Advances in precision medicine in imaging and therapeutic strategies for psoriatic disease.
Autoimmun Rev. 2025 Jul 31;24(8):103839.
doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2025.103839.

 

Minopoulou I, Kleyer A, Yalcin-Mutlu M, Fagni F, Kemenes S, Schmidkonz C, Atzinger A, Pachowsky M, Engel K, Folle L, Roemer F, Waldner M, D'Agostino MA, Schett G, Simon D. Imaging in inflammatory arthritis: progress towards precision medicine.
Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2023 Oct;19(10):650-665.
doi: 10.1038/s41584-023-01016-1.

 

FitzGerald O, Behrens F, Barton A, Bertheussen H, Boutouyrie-Dumont B, Coates L, Davies O, de Wit M, Fagni F, Goodyear CS, Gurke R, Hahnefeld L, Huppertz C, Ioannidis V, Ibberson M, Katz A, Klippstein M, Koehm M, Korish S, Mackay S, Martin DA, O'Sullivan D, Patel K, Rueping S, Schett G, Scholich K, Schwenk JM, Siebert S, Simon D, Vivekanantham A, Pennington SR. Application of clinical and molecular profiling data to improve patient outcomes in psoriatic arthritis.
Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2023 Sep 8;15:1759720X231192315.
doi: 10.1177/1759720X231192315.