Welcome to the Insitute for Molecular Virology and Tumorvirology (MVTV)

The Institute of Molecular Virology and Tumorvirology at the Center for Diagnostics of the University Medical Centers Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) was founded in January 2025 under the leadership of Director Nicole Fischer.

The main scientific goal of the institute is to investigate viral chronic infections, how viruses establish long-term persistence, and how they contribute to pathogenesis. Research focuses in particular on DNA viruses, clinically relevant human polyomaviruses with a special focus on the human tumor virus Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) and its role in tumor development ( DFG Research Unit FOR5200 ) as well as BKPyV and the development of intervention options, such as antivirals ( DZIF TTU IICH ).

The institute collaborates with the research unit Virus Genomics of the Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV) and focuses on the development and implementation of high-throughput sequencing methods (incl. whole genome sequencing, targeted sequencing and metagenomics) for the detection of known and novel viral pathogens in acute and chronic diseases.

MVTV is part of the C3i (Center for Inflammation, Infection and Immunity) network and therefore aims to better understand inflammatory and infectious processes, and to develop new options for the diagnosis and therapy of patients.