Martin Hölzer
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martinhoelzer.bsky.social
Martin Hölzer
@martinhoelzer.bsky.social
Bioinformatics and translational research. Team lead at the Genome Competence Center at RKI, Berlin, Germany.
https://hoelzer.github.io
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
🦠 Wie hat sich #SARS-CoV-2 in 🇩🇪 von 2020-2023 entwickelt?

In einem großen Review von RKI-Forschenden werden virologische Grundlagen, Variantenentwicklung, klinische Aspekte und die Rolle der Genomüberwachung beleuchtet.

Fazit: Auf die Interdisziplinarität kommt es an! 🤝

➡️ doi.org/10.1038/s438...
A public health perspective of SARS-CoV-2 evolution and surveillance strategies in Germany from 2020 to 2023 - Communications Medicine
Oh, Hölzer et al., discuss the multidisciplinary approach used for monitoring the genomic and virological evolution of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications on public health in ...
doi.org
December 17, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
RKI-Team entwickelt #KI-Test, der Antikörper aus einer #Mpox-Infektion zuverlässig von der einer Impfung unterscheiden kann.

Die Unterscheidung zwischen beiden Antikörpertypen ist für die Überwachung & das Verständnis des Virus entscheidend, war bisher kaum möglich.
➡️ www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Machine learning-supported framework for the classification of mpox infection and MVA immunization from multiplexed serology data - Nature Communications
The 2022 global mpox outbreak underscored the challenge of distinguishing between monkeypox virus infection and vaccination-induced immunity due to cross-reactive antibodies. Here, the authors develop...
www.nature.com
December 10, 2025 at 2:04 PM
New paper + dataset out in Scientific Data! 🎉

We’re releasing a large multicenter Nanopore raw-signal resource for bacterial WGS genotyping & methylation analysis.

79 isolates | 6 species | ~1.4 TB raw data.

Open for reanalysis now and future basecallers.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A whole-genome sequencing dataset of nanopore raw signals for bacterial genotyping and methylation analysis - Scientific Data
Scientific Data - A whole-genome sequencing dataset of nanopore raw signals for bacterial genotyping and methylation analysis
www.nature.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
I am hiring! - looking for a Staff Scientist to co-run my research group with me. Staff Scientist is a senior professional scientist role at EMBL. Please forward to people you might know who could be interested! embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/EMBL/j...
Staff Scientist
About EMBL-EBI EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute is a data powerhouse, utilised on a global scale to advance scientific discovery through bioinformatics and solutions to some of the world’s mos...
embl.wd103.myworkdayjobs.com
October 10, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
Update zum EHEC-/HUS-Ausbruch mit Schwerpunkt in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Bis 16.9. wurden 107 dem Ausbruch zugeordnete Fälle gemeldet, viele bei Kindern.
Die Untersuchungen der zuständigen Landes- und Bundesbehörden zur Infektionsquelle laufen weiter.

Mehr im #EpidBull
👉 www.rki.de/DE/Aktuelles...
September 18, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
🦟🕷️ Helft mit, Mücken & Zecken in Deutschland zu überwachen!

Beim Citizen-Science-Projekt #ZEMEKI zählt jede Beobachtung. Foto hochladen via App oder Website – in nur wenigen Sekunden.

👉 de.observation.org/species/ZEME...

#ZKIPH #RKI #CitizenScience #Zecken #Mücken #Klimawandel #ObsIdentify
September 10, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
Seit Ende August 2025 wird über einen EHEC-/HUS-Ausbruch in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern berichtet. Das Nationale Referenzzentrum (NRZ) für Salmonellen und andere bakterielle Enteritis­erreger am RKI hat den Ausbruchsstamm nun identifiziert.
Erregersteckbrief und Informationen zu #EHEC:
🔗 www.rki.de/ehec
September 5, 2025 at 2:06 PM
🧬 Just released: a new update of our ONT methylation Nextflow pipeline!

Developed by Valentina, PhD student at RKI’s Genome Competence Center.

🛠️ Changes:

- Modkit envs updated
- Thresholds now optional (auto 10th percentile)
- Cleaner README

🔗 github.com/rki-mf1/ont-...

#Nextflow #Nanopore
GitHub - rki-mf1/ont-methylation
Contribute to rki-mf1/ont-methylation development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
September 4, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Just published! 🧬

My student Valentina & I contributed to an FLI-led study on assembling ONT from pathogenic bacteria. 6.5% of ONT errors were methylation-related and could be reduced with the use of the right models.

Thanks for the great collaboration, Jena folk!

🔗 doi.org/10.1186/s128...
Accurately assembling nanopore sequencing data of highly pathogenic bacteria - BMC Genomics
Background Bacterial genome exploration and outbreak analysis rely heavily on robust whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Widely-used genomic methods, such as genotyping and detection…
doi.org
September 1, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
Virologische Surveillance akuter Atemwegserkrankungen (ARE)

Das RKI analysiert die ARE-Saison 2024/25. Die Publikationen im #EpidBull bündeln Ergebnisse zu Influenzaviren, RSV, Rhinoviren und SARS-CoV-2.

🔗 www.rki.de/DE/Aktuelles...
August 28, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
Dank RSV-Prophylaxe sind die Fälle bei Säuglingen stark zurückgegangen:
👶 Im Winter 2024/25 lag die Inzidenz 54 % niedriger als im Vorjahr
🏥 Hospitalisierungen sanken um 55 %

Mehr dazu in der Publikation im Ärzteblatt:
👉 www.aerzteblatt.de/search/resul...
August 22, 2025 at 8:10 AM
🌍🧬 We’re hiring a Scientist (Bioinformatics) to work at the intersection of PH & genomics. The role bridges our Center for International Health Protection & Genome Competence Center in the “Health Security Partnership for Africa” project.

🔗 Apply 31 Aug www.interamt.de/koop/app/ste...
August 14, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
CoVerage detects and characterizes SARS CoV 2 variants of interest by real-time lineage tracking and antigenic alteration scoring. 
#GenomicSurveillance #COVID19 #VariantPrediction
👤EVBC: Martin Hölzer, Alice McHardy
🔗
In silico genomic surveillance by CoVerage predicts and characterizes SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest - Nature Communications
In this study, the authors report the CoVerage tool ( www.sarscoverage.org ) for viral genomic surveillance and show that it predicted SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern, of Interest and under Monitoring together with their antigenic and evolutionary alterations almost three months prior to their WHO designation.
doi.org
August 13, 2025 at 1:13 PM
📢 New paper: Targeted decontamination of sequencing data with CLEAN

We introduce CLEAN, a reproducible pipeline for removing spike-ins, host DNA, and rRNA from short & long sequences.

💡 Fast, reproducible, scalable.

Read the paper: doi.org/10.1093/narg...
Code & docs: github.com/rki-mf1/clean
August 4, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Happy that the LaTeX template I created for DFG proposals is being used! 🎉

Just heard from someone in data engineering who got funded using it (🎯 content matters most, but hey, layout helps too 😄)

See: github.com/hoelzer/dfg

Also loving the community input via PRs & issues! 💙
GitHub - hoelzer/dfg: A LaTeX template for a basic DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, German Research Foundation) grant proposal.
A LaTeX template for a basic DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, German Research Foundation) grant proposal. - hoelzer/dfg
github.com
July 31, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Proud to share our latest paper on next-gen sequencing in Greek PAD patients. This project began when Achilleas joined my lab through Erasmus — now I'm honored to serve on his PhD committee!

Continued Greek-German collaboration at its best 🇬🇷🇩🇪

www.mdpi.com/2673-5601/5/...

#Genetics #Immunology
www.mdpi.com
July 28, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
📢New job posting!📢
Are you excited by the idea of building global infrastructure to make pathogen sequencing more accessible, interpretable, and equitable? 🧑🏻‍💻🧬

My group at @swisstph.ch has an opening working with ARTIC2, @pathoplexus.org, & Loculus - read on!

1/5
July 25, 2025 at 10:44 AM
🚨 New in Nature Communications!

CoVerage (sarscoverage.org) enables early in silico detection of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Led by Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, driving innovation in genomic surveillance.

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#GenomicSurveillance
CoVerage: SARS-CoV-2 lineage, S-protein mutation, antigenic variation dynamics
Impressum (DE) / Imprint (EN) Datenschutz (DE) / Data protection (EN)
sarscoverage.org
July 24, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
Recently I learnt that EMBL-EBI has a free online course about AlphaFold — how it works, strengths and limitations, how to use it — and it's very good!

There are also little quizzes and interactives.
www.ebi.ac.uk/training/onl...
AlphaFold - A practical guide
AlphaFold - A practical guide
www.ebi.ac.uk
July 21, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
Some great new features and updates from the awesome Pathoplexus project. This is a new open pathogen genome database that can provide access to your sequences under a use-restricted license but also feed directly in to INSDC (EBI, Genbank etc) when you are ready. pathoplexus.org/news/2025-07...
Pathoplexus | Pathoplexus July Update
Pathoplexus is a new, open-source database dedicated to the efficient sharing of human viral pathogen genomic data, fostering global collaboration and public health response.
pathoplexus.org
July 15, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Reposted by Martin Hölzer
In den vergangenen Wochen wurden in Abwasserproben erneut #Polioviren nachgewiesen, die vom Schluckimpfstoff abgeleitet sind.

☑️ Wo Viren nachgewiesen wurden
☑️ Wer erkranken kann
☑️ Warum #Impfschutz wichtig ist
☑️ Was Ärztinnen, Ärzte und Eltern wissen sollten

Details im #EpidBull
🔗 rki.de/epidbull
July 3, 2025 at 12:15 PM
🚀 We've updated RNAflow – our pipeline for differential gene expression analysis – to include the latest SortMeRNA for improved rRNA removal!

This also resolves recent bugs reported by users.

🔬 Looking for a reproducible & comprehensive transcriptome analysis pipeline?
👉 github.com/hoelzer-lab/...
July 3, 2025 at 5:21 AM
🚨 Preprint!

We've adapted SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surv to track the 2022 #mpox outbreak in Germany using a novel NGS panel 🧪

✅ Up to 90% MPXV genome coverage
🧬 Lineage B.1 + APOBEC-type mutations
📍 Wastewater = stigma-free surveillance

Led by ‪@tuda.bsky.social‬ - check it out:
🔗 shorturl.at/aMv97
Going beyond SARS-CoV-2: genomic surveillance of monkeypox in German wastewater
Fear of stigma poses a challenge in tracking the 2022-outbreak of monkeypox virus (MPXV) infection. Patients shed MPXV via skin lesions, gastrointestinal route, and seminal fluids into the…
www.researchsquare.com
June 30, 2025 at 7:02 AM
🚨 New Perspective in Nature Water 🚰💻

"Augmenting wastewater epidemiology with machine learning" 🧠🌍

A huge interdisciplinary collab w/ amazing colleagues @rki.de & beyond! 🙌

Special thx to lead author PhD student Eva & shared last Christopher for this effort!

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s44...
Augmentation of wastewater-based epidemiology with machine learning to support global health surveillance - Nature Water
Wastewater-based epidemiology has already proven to be a powerful tool to monitor the spread of a number of diseases. This Perspective discusses the integration with machine learning, highlighting its...
www.nature.com
June 24, 2025 at 5:18 PM