News
DFG EXIT Programme: A Successful Conclusion
4 Sept 2026
The DFG EXIT Priority Programme concludes after six productive years of research, collaboration and exciting discoveries.
The DFG Priority Programme SPP 2225 “EXIT Strategies of Intracellular Pathogens” has come to an end with its final symposium, marking the conclusion of six years of collaborative research into how intracellular pathogens leave their host cells.
Our Chair participated in the programme through the work of Prof. Markus Meissner, Dr Elena Jimenez-Ruiz and Dr. Peipei Qin, investigating the molecular mechanisms controlling egress, motility and cytoskeletal dynamics in Toxoplasma gondii.
The programme provided a fantastic framework for scientific exchange and collaboration and supported research that resulted in multiple publications, including major studies in Nature Microbiology and Nature Communications. Among these, our splitCas9 phenotypic screen identified proteins involved in host-cell egress and invasion, while our latest work revealed how two apical methyltransferases regulate the initiation of parasite motility.
A wonderful conclusion to a highly productive programme and a great opportunity to meet colleagues once again, discuss the discoveries made along the way and look towards the next questions.
Many thanks to the DFG, the SPP 2225 coordinators and all members of the EXIT community for six years of exciting science, collaboration and exchange!