New Research Center for Infection Research Under Construction in Penzberg

A new center dedicated to immunology, infection, and pandemic research is under construction in Penzberg, Bavaria. The facility will house the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (ITMP), focusing on developing countermeasures against future pandemics and infectious diseases.

The COVID-19 pandemic provided the impetus for the project. The Bavarian branch of Fraunhofer ITMP was initially established in 2022 within rented laboratory space at the Roche biotechnology center in Penzberg. Its objective is to identify and characterize pandemic pathogens, develop new diagnostics and therapies, and investigate the immune system's role in infectious diseases.

Experts from LMU and its University Hospital are significantly involved in the new facility's operations. Michael Hoelscher, Professor of Global Health and Infectious Diseases at LMU, describes the collaboration as an ideal "innovation circle." LMU's laboratories create foundational techniques, Fraunhofer specialists develop diagnostic and therapeutic products in conjunction with industry, and LMU University Hospital evaluates and implements these in clinical trials.

The collaboration also includes the Technical University of Munich, Helmholtz Munich, and the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology. The partnership is expected to accelerate the development of new vaccines and treatments, for instance against avian influenza, along with corresponding diagnostic tools. LMU University Hospital also serves as a European vaccine hub and is one of Europe's largest units for international clinical trials.