LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR VIROLOGIE

Their core work

The Leibniz Institute for Virology (LIV) in Hamburg is a dedicated virology research centre that combines classical virus biology with advanced structural and analytical methods. They develop mass spectrometry techniques to image intact viruses and protein complexes, study immune regulation (particularly NK cells and HLA interactions), and contribute to vaccine platforms against HIV and Ebola. Their distinctive strength lies in bridging physical measurement science — free-electron lasers, native ion mobility MS, optomechanics — with fundamental questions in infection biology.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2016–2018), LIV focused on classical virology — vaccine development for HIV and Ebola, viral pathophysiology studies, and optomechanical virus detection. From 2018 onward, the institute shifted strongly toward advanced physical methods: native mass spectrometry for structural proteomics, free-electron laser imaging, and breath-based diagnostics using MS. In parallel, a new immunology direction emerged with the RegNK project (2020), their largest single grant, signaling growing investment in NK cell biology and immune regulation beyond traditional virology.

LIV is moving from being a virology-only institute toward becoming a centre where advanced physical measurement techniques (mass spectrometry, free-electron lasers) meet infection biology and immunology — expect future proposals at this intersection.

How they like to work

LIV operates as both a project leader and a specialist contributor. They coordinated their three most methodologically ambitious projects (SPOCkS MS, MS SPIDOC, RegNK) while joining large vaccine consortia (EHVA, PEVIA) as a virology partner. With 70 unique partners across 18 countries, they maintain a broad European network rather than relying on a fixed set of collaborators, making them accessible to new consortium partners.

LIV has worked with 70 distinct partners across 18 countries, indicating a well-connected European network. As a Hamburg-based Leibniz institute, they are deeply embedded in the German research landscape while maintaining strong pan-European ties, particularly in vaccine consortia and structural biology collaborations.

What sets them apart

LIV occupies a rare niche at the intersection of virology and advanced mass spectrometry — few institutes combine deep virus biology expertise with the ability to develop and apply physical measurement techniques like native MS and free-electron laser imaging. Their dual capability means they can both generate biological questions about viruses and immune responses AND build the analytical tools to answer them. For consortium builders, this makes them a two-in-one partner: domain expertise in infection biology plus instrumentation and methods development.

Highlights from their portfolio

• RegNK
  Their largest grant (EUR 2.5M) as coordinator, representing a strategic expansion into NK cell immunology with direct relevance to hepatitis B and transplant medicine.
• SPOCkS MS
  EUR 2M ERC-funded project where LIV leads development of native top-down mass spectrometry for protein complex analysis — their flagship methods project.
• EHVA
  Major EU vaccine alliance where LIV contributed virology and immunology platforms, demonstrating their ability to operate within large-scale translational consortia.