BaKlimON initiative unites excellent molecular expertise in Hannover
BaKlimON - Bacterial Climate Resilience in One Health is a unique research network bringing together microbiologists from Leibniz University Hannover (LUH), Hannover Medical School (MHH), and the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo). Coordinated by Prof. Dr. Natalia Tschowri from the Institute of Microbiology at LUH, the consortium aims to uncover how climate change affects bacteria and what consequences this has for the health of humans, animals, and plants. The BaKlimON initiative is funded by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) and the Volkswagen Foundation.
Bacteria as invisible climate engineers and climate change victims
Whether in soil, water, animals, plants, or humans – bacteria are omnipresent and form an essential life-support system for our planet through their diverse activities. They are indispensable for nutrient cycles and our health but also responsible for infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance. As temperature, humidity, and soil conditions shift due to climate change, bacterial living conditions change as well. The BaKlimON consortium aims to clarify how bacteria react to these changes and to determine whether new risks or potential benefits may arise as a consequence. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified climate change as the greatest threat to human health. It is becoming increasingly clear that climate change affects not only humans, animals, and plants, but also the microorganisms that surround them. Yet, surprisingly little is known about this “microbial dimension of climate change” — and this is precisely where BaKlimON comes in.
A One Health Approach for a Connected World
BaKlimON follows the international One Health principle, which recognizes human, animal, and environmental health as inseparably linked. Through close collaboration among the three universities, these areas are being systematically studied together for the first time. Researchers investigate how bacteria adapt to different habitats such as soil, water, animals, and the human body. The focus centres on the climate stressors of temperature and water (drought and flooding), which have a particularly strong impact on microbial communities and bacterial adaptation mechanisms. Scientists at LUH, are analysing how soil and plant bacteria react to drought or flooding. At TiHo, the focus is on animal pathogens whose pathogenicity could be influenced by climate factors. At MHH, researchers are working on the effects of temperature changes on bacterial infection mechanisms and antibiotic resistance.
A dynamic research network in Hannover’s science hub
BaKlimON unites thirteen project leaders from microbiology, biochemistry, and plant sciences. The network brings together the outstanding molecular biology expertise of Hannover’s three major universities and creates a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration that is expected to be integrated into the Center for Climate Research in Lower Saxony (ZKfN). By linking human, animal, and environmental microbiology, the consortium addresses questions that have never before been explored in such breadth and depth. Moreover, this initiative sustainably strengthens Lower Saxony’s research landscape. Alongside cutting-edge research, the initiative places strong emphasis on supporting early-career researchers and promoting gender equality. Young scientists will receive training through a structured program designed to prepare them for international research careers. Regular workshops, symposia, and active exchanges with graduate schools will further foster collaboration across disciplines and institutions.
Speakers of BaKlimON:
- Prof. Dr. Natalia Tschowri, Institute of Microbiology (IFMB), Leibniz University, Coordinator
- Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schlüter, Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hospital Epidemiology, Hannover Medical School
- Prof. Dr. Ralph Goethe, Institute of Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
- Press note MWK: Digitale Medizin und bakterielle Klimaresilienz: zukunft.niedersachsen stärkt Gesundheitsforschung [German content]
- Press release ZKfN: Working together for climate research – perspectives on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration
