Isle of Riems

The institute on the Isle of Riems was founded by Friedrich Loeffler in 1910 as the worldwide first virological research institution. In 1898, based on an assignment of the Prussian Ministry of Culture, Friedrich Loeffler (1852-1915), professor of hygiene at the University of Greifswald, had described the causative agent of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) as a filterable, but corpuscular, replicating agent.

Based on this discovery he is regarded as one of the founders of virology. In the course of his extensive animal experiments repeated FMD outbreaks caused by the introduction of virus occurred in the surroundings of Greifswald. Therefore, the state ultimately urged him to look for a different location for his studies. Friedrich Loeffler decided to continue his investigations on the Isle of Riems. As soon as the first laboratory buildings and animal houses had been established, he informed the Prussian Minister of Agriculture on Oct. 10, 1910, that he had taken up his work on the island. In 1913, Friedrich Loeffler was appointed Director of the Robert-Koch-Institute in Berlin, which caused a reduction of his research activities on Riems. During the First World War work came to a complete standstill.

In 1919, after the end of the war, the veterinarian Otto Waldmann was charged with the task to continue Loeffler's research work on the Isle of Riems. Work still focussed on FMD and on the production of a hyperimmune serum.

In the mid-1920s Karl Trautwein identified the FMD subtype C. The following years until the beginning of the Second World War were dedicated to the development of a vaccine against FMD. In 1938, Waldmann and Köbe presented an FMD vaccine inactivated by formalin and heat and adsorbed to aluminium hydroxide, which came to use during the FMD epidemic of the years 1938-1940. In 1943, the "Staatlichen Forschungsanstalten Insel Riems" (Public Research Institutions Isle of Riems) came into the property of the Reich and from this moment on were named "Reichsforschungsanstalt Insel Riems" (Imperial Research Institution Isle of Riems). In 1945, the major part of the equipment and furniture was removed as reparations.

As a reaction to the repeated FMD outbreaks in Europe work on Riems was already taken up again in 1946. In 1948, Heinz Röhrer was appointed head of the "Forschungsanstalt für Tierseuchen Insel Riems" (Research Institute for Animal Diseases, Isle of Riems), which after the foundation of the GDR became a member of the German Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

At the occasion of Friedrich Loeffler's 100th birthday in 1952 the institute was named after its founder (Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut Insel Riems). Over the following years and decades the activities of the institute focussed on FMD, on research into Classical Swine Fever which had been started in the 1930s, on avian pathogens (Classical and Atypical Fowl Plague, Marek's Disease) and on other virus diseases of farmed animals. Thus, Riems became more and more important as production site for FMD vaccines and as research institution.
After the German reunification, the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institutes on the Isle of Riems were refounded as part of the Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals (BFAV)". The Institutes of Molecular Biology, Diagnostic Virology and Infectology were established. In 2001, in the course of the BSE crisis a fourth institute - the Institute of novel and emerging diseases - was added. In 1997, the Isle of Riems became the headquarter of the research institution, which in 2004 was renamed "Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute". At present, approximately 240 persons, among them approximately 50 scientists, are employed on the island.

Until 2010, new laboratories and animal houses of the safety levels L1 to L4 will be established on the Isle of Riems with a total investment of 150 million Euro. Thus, the most modern research institution for animal diseases in Europe will be established at a historic site. Simultaneously, the institutes in Tübingen and Wusterhausen will be transferred to the Isle of Riems.

Tübingen

The decision to establish the Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals (BFAV) in Tübingen was taken in 1952, when as a consequence of the separation of Germany after the Second World War the research institution on the Isle of Riems was no longer available to the Federal Republic of Gemany. The decision was prompted by the unusually severe FMD epidemic of 1950-52, which had caused considerable losses in agriculture. Erich Traub, who had previously worked on the Isle of Riems and at that time was employed in the USA, was assigned with the establishment and management of the institution. The tasks of the institute were not limited to FMD research, but also included other virus diseases of animals. An important reason why Tübingen was chosen as site for the new research institution, was that the Max-Planck-Institute of Virus Research was already located in this city.

Construction work started in October 1953. Prof. Traub first set up a small provisional laboratory in a few rooms rented from a bakery in Tübingen-Lustnau, where he started his research work with a small number of staff members and directed the establishment of the institution. The first buildings established were the building for small animal breeding and the animal houses which after their finalization were used as laboratories. Thus, the investigational work was started in spring 1955 and, when all technical requirements were fulfilled, work with the FMD virus was taken up in 1956. The laboratory building with the administrative wing was finished in 1959.

During the first few years the institute mainly dealt with practical issues with respect to diagnostics and epidemiology. Provisional successors of Erich Traub were Anton Mayr in 1959 and Gerhard Eißner in 1963. In 1963, Karl Richard Störiko was appointed president of the BFAV. In 1967 Manfred Mussgay, who had been the first to isolate the infectious nucleic acid of the FMD virus and who had done research on arboviruses in Venezuela, became president of the BFAV. Günther Wittmann developed a DEAE dextrane vaccine against FMD, which was tested successfully in Spain and which - in contrast to the usually applied aluminium hydroxide vaccines - was also suitable for pigs. Karl Strohmeier contributed significantly to research on the structure of the FMD virus and on the structures responsible for the immune response. Studies on the epidemiology and diagnostics of enzootic bovine leucosis, which had mainly been carried out by Otto C. Straub and Manfred Mussgay, formed the basis for the control of this animal disease by means of serological methods. The new administrative building was finished in 1976.

After the death of Manfred Mussgay, Günther Wittmann was head of the BFAV from 1982 to 1991. By means of a live-vaccine against rabies developed by Lothar Schneider and his working group rabies in foxes could largely be eradicated in Germany. The plaque reduction test established by Reinhard Ahl permitted a serological batch control of the FMD vaccine strains used in Germany until 1991. As a consequence, test infections in animals could be avoided.

From 1991 to 1993 Heinz-Jürgen Thiel and from 1993 to 1995 Volker Moennig was head of the BFAV. They were succeeded by Thomas C. Mettenleiter on the Isle of Riems who was appointed president of the institution in 1995. In 1997, the Isle of Riems became the headquarter of the federal research centre. At present, the Institute of Immunology in Tübingen still has 75 employees, among them approx. eight scientists.

Wusterhausen

Between 1960 and 1962 a regional animal clinic was established at the present site of the FLI in Wusterhausen. Such institutions existed in all districts of the former GDR. Their main function was the treatment of diseases in farmed and breeding animals of the regional agricultural enterprises. In addition, the clinic to a lesser extent also was responsible for the treatment of small animals and pets.

In 1971, the animal clinic, whose spectrum of tasks meanwhile had increased significantly, became a regional veterinary institute (BIV). Several additional departments had been founded, which were responsible for the diagnosis of certain diseases (e.g. leucosis, brucellosis, metabolic diseases). There also was a large examination office for food stuffs and a department for herd management (cattle).

In 1975, the BIV Wusterhausen was merged with the BIV Potsdam.

The idea to establish an institution for epidemiological research in the GDR first came up in 1978. During the evaluation of the FMD situation in Northern Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania the GDR Council of Ministers decided on Sept. 9, 1982 to establish the Public Institute of Epizootiology and Animal Disease Control (SIFET) as an affiliation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Production.

Between 1983 and 1985 the preparations for the foundation of the SIFET were finished. This mainly included the transfer of former tasks (animal clinic, diagnostics, veterinary services, examination office for food stuffs etc.) to other institutions.

On January 1st, 1985 the SIFET took up its work with a total of 79 employees, among them 12 scientists. When the institution became part of the BFAV, it had approx. 120 employees, among them 35 scientists. At present, the Institute of Epidemiology still has 50 employees, among them approx. 15 scientists.

Jena

The institution in Jena has conducted research on bacterial animal diseases for more than 50 years. On July 1st, 1954, the Research Institute for Bacterial Animal Diseases (ITSF) belonging to the GDR Academy of Agriculture was founded by Prof. Victor Goerttler. The first director of the institute also was professor and dean of the Agricultural Faculty of the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena and director of the veterinary examination office of the state of Thuringia.
As intensive research on the infectious diseases occurring in farmed animals at that time was only possible by increasing the capacities of the institution, i.e. by enlarging the research facility and by increasing the manpower, Goerttler pushed the planning and construction of a new complex of buildings for the ITSF in Jena-Zwätzen, which as a consequence, were initiated in the late 1950s. In 1961/62 the employees moved into the new buildings at the present site of the FLI which offered a generous amount of space and - based on the standards in those years - well-equipped laboratories and modern animal houses.

The structure of the institution was repeatedly adjusted to the increasing requirements dictated by the scientific progress and by the necessities of veterinary practice. In addition to basic research departments with their respective methodology, such as bacteriology and serology, virology, mycology, pathology and histology (including electron microscopy), pathophysiology, immunology and biochemistry, the institution also had departments such as radiochemistry, molecular biology/genetic engineering, cell and tissue culture production and biostatistics, whose initial task was to introduce special test methods. Sometimes the foundation of special departments was also prompted by newly arising major research subjects, such as tuberculosis, reproductive disorders, mycoplasma infections, food and milk hygiene. The aim always was to dispose of a broad methodological spectrum which would permit a combined effort in case of newly arising problems. The strength of the ITSF always was the ability to bring together representants of the various disciplines (veterinarians, chemists, physicists, biologists, farmers) to elaborate complex solutions.

The political turnround and the reunification of Germany also meant a significant change for the Jena institute. As all scientific institutions of the former GDR, the ITSF Jena was evaluated by the Scientific Council on May 29, 1991. The Council recommended to maintain the ITSF as a Federal Research Centre for Bacterial Animal Diseases and Zoonoses affiliated with the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG). As a consequence, the institution became part of the Institute of Veterinary Medicine (Robert von Ostertag-Institute) of the Bundesgesundheitsamt (BGA, Federal Health Authority) as Department of Bacterial Animal Diseases and Zoonosis Control. When in 1994 the BGA was liquidated, the entire staff was taken over by the newly founded Federal Institute of Consumer Health Protection and Veterinary Medicine (BgVV) (July 1st, 1994 to Oct. 31st, 2002). Head of the department/institute were Horst Meyer (1990 to 1997) and Dietrich Schimmel (1997 to 2002).

After the integration of the institute into the Federal Research Centre for Virus Diseases of Animals (BFAV) in November 2002 significant sections of its traditional working areas remained in the responsibility of the institute. In addition, an increasing number of research projects dealing with newly arising problems is being integrated into the work programme. Meanwhile a number of important zoonoses, such as salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, tuberculosis and chlamydioses, count among the institute's main research subjects.

The central task of the two institutes in Jena (the Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses and the Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis) still is research on the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnostic and epidemiology of bacterial infectious animal diseases. To fulfil these tasks modern laboratory methods still are combined with a solid basis of animal studies. The research results help to control these diseases with the aim to obtain healthy animal holdings which form the basis for the production of safe and high-quality foodstuffs.

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