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Greifswald's research in focus: 13 million euros for key enzymes!
The PRO graduate school in Greifswald will receive over 13 million euros in funding until 2030 for cutting-edge research on proteases.
Greifswald's research in focus: 13 million euros for key enzymes!
What’s new from the University of Greifswald? Good news is the extension of the PRO graduate school, which deals with the exciting topics surrounding proteases and their role in inflammatory processes and infections. The German Research Foundation (DFG) announced on November 27, 2025 that the college will be funded with more than 13 million euros until 2030. This supports ongoing research over a total period of nine years, which underlines the importance of this facility. Loud News The topic of the seminar is “Proteases in pathogens and hosts: their importance in inflammation and infection”.
A total of 44 doctoral students from the life sciences are being supported as part of a structured research and qualification program. Thanks to the collaboration between the University Medical Center Greifswald (UMG), the University of Greifswald (UG) and the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), the young scientists can gain valuable experience in an interdisciplinary environment. The graduate college is headed by Prof. Dr. Barbara Bröker.
Research with high relevance
An important aspect of the college's work is the focus on proteases, the enzymes that are crucial for many cellular processes and also play a role in the interaction between pathogens and their hosts. The research carried out in Greifswald is not only limited to local issues, but also sheds light on pathogens with global relevance that are on the World Health Organization's (WHO) priority list for antibiotic-resistant germs. These include, among othersStaphylococcus aureus,Streptococcus pneumoniaeandMycobacterium tuberculosis.
In addition to basic research, the therapeutic relevance of inhibitors that can influence proteases is also being intensively investigated. Doctoral students have the opportunity to work at the interface between the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine, which further strengthens the interdisciplinary character of the program.
The DFG and its support
The DFG funds a total of 209 research training colleges, of which PRO is one of ten whose funding period was recently extended. The DFG pursues the goal of providing targeted support to doctoral students in early career phases. As can be read on the DFG website, the funded projects should have high scientific quality and originality. The college projects are not only designed for innovative research approaches, but also offer advanced training programs for visiting scientists in order to promote the internationality of the training. More information about funding opportunities can be found at DFG.
Most recently, the DFG announced the establishment of 18 new graduate colleges, which will be funded with around 130 million euros over five years. These new initiatives show how dynamic the research landscape in Germany is and how important it is to promote young talent. (You can find details on this at Medical Journal.)