Infectious diseases remain amongst the top major killers. Nearly one third of the cases of death caused by infectious diseases are attributable to "the big three", namely AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
In addition, new infectious diseases are arising and proving themselves to have major effects on society, such as Helicobacter pylori, the etiologic agent of infectious gastritis, or Chlamydia, the causative agents of various infections.
Efficacious vaccines against most infectious agents are not available up to date, at the same time, the potential of available vaccines has been exhausted. The development and widespread use of antibiotics and other medications have contributed to the rise and spread of resistant strains. Multidisciplinary research into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of infection is not only basic science, but also applied research essential for the development of novel preventative and therapeutic measures against infections, directly affecting the health and social problems of the present and future.
The Institute employs multi-disciplinary approaches to infection biology, comprising concepts and methodologies of molecular genetics, immunology, cell biology, epidemiology, clinical research and protein chemistry. The Institute promotes the applications of its research towards paving the way for the design of rational measures of control of infectious diseases.
