The Center for Innovation Competence Septomics will be actively managed, providing excellent research facilities for two internationally competitive, BMBF-funded research groups. One will focus on host-pathogen interaction (Host Septomics) and the other on pathogen-related mechanisms (Fungal Septomics). Utilization of a system biological approach including methods such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics will allow to identify and prove pivotal mechanisms of severe infection which have the potential to be used for the development of new diagnostic biomarkers and ultimately novel anti-microbial targets.

The Center will strengthen the existing Sepsis and Infection Cluster in Jena which has long-standing expertise in clinical and pre-clinical sepsis research and infection biology. This Cluster maintains several sample biobanks and has spawned a number of BioTech spin-offs. The Center will co-operate closely with the departments of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine and Medical Microbiology of the University of Jena and the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology. International experts from intensive care, microbiology, infection biology and infectiology as well as the diagnostic industry will act as advisors. Synergies are expected from collaboration with other research networks such as SepNet (BMBF funded German Competence Network Sepsis). Collaboration is planned with national and international Biotech firms.

This close-meshed medical and biotechnological environment will make it possible to evaluate promising compounds in pre-clinical and clinical settings as well as to further develop the respective products to the point of market readiness.