Questions and AnswersProf. Dr. Ernst Th. Rietschel

How or why did you become involved in infection research, what fascinates you about this subject?
Three books stipulated my early interest in infectious diseases: Dr. med. Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis, La Peste by Albert Camus and Mikrobenjäger by Paul de Kreuf. After my studies of chemistry I was lucky to join the group of Otto Lüderitz at the Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology headed by Otto Westphal. The “two Ottos” were pioneers in the chemical and biological analysis of endotoxins which were considered major bacterial factors of severe microbial infections, in particular of blood poisoning (Sepsis). I was fascinated by this idea and worked through all my scientific life on questions of quantitative structure-activity-relationships of endotoxins and the development of clinically applicable strategies how to neutralize this bacterial poison in order to treat sepsis. Sepsis is still an urgent clinical problem associated with high morbidity and mortality. Only recently we came to understand the role of endotoxin in stimulating the innate immune system and – under physiological conditions – thereby rather preventing than initiating the onset of bacterial infections. This bifacial biology of endotoxin remains to be understood in molecular terms.

What are you working on at the moment?
At present I am President of the Leibniz-Association and work on the implementation of its strategic plan. Furthermore I work on the evaluation report of the international expert panel of the 6^th European Framework Program of which I am the panel chairman.

What was a single most important moment of your career?
I met Otto Westphal on a Sunday morning in 1968 in his Institute in Freiburg and he offered to do a dissertation on bacterial endotoxins under his supervision. This was the most important moment of my career as here I started my scientific career and here I met my wife Mireille (also a biochemist).

What was your most important scientific discovery?
It was the primary goal of our work to elucidate the chemical structure of the bioactive principle of endotoxin, termed lipid A. In 1983, together with Japanese colleagues, we were successful in identifying the complex chemical structure of lipid A of Escherichia coli. This was a breakthrough and an extremely joyful time in which the door for the chemical synthesis of lipid A was opened. Another highlight of our research (together with Helmut Brade) was the worldwide first successful production of an anti-endotoxin cross-reactive and cross-protective monoclonal antibody.

What drives and carries you on? What do you love about your work?
In earlier years I was, of course, driven by sheer curiosity and the hope to apply my results to medically important problems. Later I was inspired by the intellectual impact of my wonderful colleagues at the Research Center Borstel. Thus, I mutated from a scientist to a science manager being daily motivated by how to best organize an optimal financial, structural, and political framework, i.e. “free-of-worries” environment which allows the development of ideas and people and, thus, good research (and by sometimes seeing that I was successful).

What influenced and impressed you and your life and therefore science? Idols?
I was very much influenced by my parents, my mother being an excellent organist and my father being a medical doctor with great interest in science. In addition, my teachers Hartmut Bärnighausen (X-Ray Christallography), Otto Lüderitz, Otto Westphal and Dennis Watson (USA) helped me in finding a pathway in the international world of science.

I have many heroes. Three of them are the chemist Emil Fischer, the composer Arnold Schönberg and the painter Wassily Kandinsky. Fischer created a new chemical world not thought before, Schönberg a new music not heard before and Kandinsky a colourful world not seen before. They all were scientists in the sense that they were always curious and guided by experimentation – thereby crossing the border between the known and the unknown.

What would you recommend to someone starting out in science? What would be your advice for young scientists?

• Follow your natural gifts and interests.
• Look for an excellent mentor in an excellent institution.
• Adopt as many methods as possible.
• Change your scientific topic after your dissertation.
• Choose an important (big) subject.
• Create networks
• Hold contact to colleagues outside your scientific field.

 
What would have been your alternative plan (plan B) if science had not worked out?
When leaving school, I wanted to become either a concert pianist or a pediatrician. But my father – being himself a medical doctor – told me to first do something “reasonable”. Thus, I studied chemistry. Later, I lost much of my piano skills because of not practicing enough (and by handicaps due to ski accidents) and did not have the energy to study medicine in addition. But I was always happy with chemistry as it enabled me to look at problems of infectiology and its molecules from a structural point of view (which often proved to be very fruitful).

What are your dreams for the future?
That the Leibniz-Association develops its profile as a European Science Organization faster than anticipated in its strategic plan. In addition, I dream of visiting the Galapagos Islands together with my wife and finding the time to be with my granddaughter Alma and show her the beauty of science and music and, finally, understanding why I perceive music as wonderful and an essence of life.

What do you think is important and should be worked on in the future?
In Infectiology: to understand the mechanism of innate immunity in molecular terms in order to be able to down- or upregulate it in a controlled manner.

In General: to really create and live an European Research Area which merits its name and to make European Society aware of the absolutely vital importance of knowledge generation, i.e. the basic importance of science for peace, freedom, culture and economy.

What do you do when you are not working?
I read about the life and work of composers and try to understand their musical masterpieces. I write and lecture about the often deadly infectious diseases of famous composers. This is a lot of work!

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