News Archive

As part of the "AquaLas" project, our Institute for Antifouling and Biocorrosion on Norderney will be responsible for developing a simulated field test to evaluate fouling coverage and reduction on movable nets and angled structures in aquaculture.

The aim of the "AquaLas" project is to develop an innovative laser process that can be used to protect aquaculture nets underwater from biofouling. As it is used underwater, the laser process can be applied during regular operation without the need to relocate the fish. The laser radiation will cause lethal damage to the fouling and the pathogens it contains, resulting in a cleaning and disinfecting effect. The selection of suitable process parameters ensures that the laser radiation does not damage the surface of the farming systems or the net material, which significantly extends their service life and reduces the release of microplastics into the environment.

Dr. Brill + Partner Institute for Antifouling and Biocorrosion is developing the test strategy for investigating marine/coastal aquaculture. Our institute is preparing appropriate sample modules with nets and plate material that can become fouled on both sides under realistic conditions in the port of Norderney. Dr. Brill + Partner Institute for Antifouling and Biocorrosion coordinates the design of the sample modules with the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. so that laser irradiation can be carried out with the demonstrator. In addition, coordination with the Fraunhofer-Einrichtung für Individualisierte und Zellbasierte Medizintechnik IMTE is to take place to ensure the comparability of the results. The tests will be carried out in the port of Norderney, so the appropriate infrastructure must be prepared.

An essential aspect is the development, establishment, and validation of different measurement methods in order to be able to assess the success of the laser irradiation. Macro fouling will be evaluated and recorded before and after laser irradiation using the scientific method ASTM 6990-20. In this way, it will be possible to record how the fouling coverage changes under the influence of laser radiation. This method, which is designed for solid surfaces (ship hulls, test plates), must be adapted for nets.

With regard to biofilm, the microbial biofilms grown on parallel test plates are examined and evaluated after statistical analysis of the measurement results. The tested, pre-qualified methods for biofilm quantification and thus for assessing cleaning by laser use are verified and validated for practical application.

These sum parameters provide clear information about whether and to what extent the biofilm is reduced by laser treatment. This also allows a reduction in pathogens to be inferred. These methods must also be tested in practice.

These sum parameters provide clear information on whether and to what extent the biofilm is reduced by laser treatment. This also allows a reduction in pathogens to be inferred. These methods must also be adapted to the specific conditions for nets.

Further project partners:

• Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V., Hanover (lead coordinator) - www.lzh.de/en
• Fraunhofer-Einrichtung für Individualisierte und Zellbasierte Medizintechnik IMTE (IMTE), Büsum - www.imte.fraunhofer.de/en
• WATER - proved GmbH Wassermesstechnik & Aquakultur, Fürth - www.water-proved.de/en

Time frame of the project: 01 September 2025 - 31 October 2028

In mid-September, around 50 experts gathered in Norderney to participate in this year's edition of the Antifouling Conference, which included a biofouling excursion. The technical presentations were met with keen interest from participants representing industry, research, associations, and government agencies.

In his introductory presentation, Bernd Daehne from Dr. Brill + Partner Institute for Antifouling and Biocorrosion highlighted the current problem that improved climate protection through toxic coatings and cleaning leads to poorer marine protection. The experts on Norderney addressed precisely this current global development. Biocides alone are no longer sufficient to achieve the goal of climate neutrality for shipping by 2050. As a result, underwater coatings are increasingly being cleaned, releasing more biocides and microplastics into the oceans.

However, there were also many promising solutions: Dr. Gunnar Kleist and Heike Schimmelpfennig from Dr. Brill Regulatory Services explained that four of the ten currently approved antifouling biocides will soon no longer be permitted because no extension has been applied for. Three manufacturers presented non-toxic hard coatings that must and may be cleaned, provided that approval has been obtained from the local authorities. At present, this is still often a stumbling block in both the recreational boating and commercial shipping sectors. The BSH and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) as federal authorities, and the Bremen Environment Senate as a state authority, must and want to create framework conditions for the local authorities on site. Research is also being conducted on cleaning systems. A mobile cleaning robot for merchant ships during voyages and a car wash for recreational boats from Switzerland were presented.

Dr. Brill + Partner Institute for Antifouling and Biocorrosion is conducting valuable research in this area. Soyla Kraus and Elena Perabo from Hydrotox presented the BioSHIP project, in which new coatings are being developed in collaboration with partners Fraunhofer IFAM, Momentive Performance Materials, and Hydrotox that contain more biodegradable substances and thus release fewer biocides and microplastics. Technical Director Lukas Kuhn presented a new laboratory method that can be used to predict the abrasion of coatings through underwater cleaning more accurately. This is also an important factor for the service life of the coatings and thus for the necessary shipyard intervals.

The conference was once again organized jointly by Dr. Brill + Partner Institute for Antifouling and Biocorrosion, the Maritime Cluster Northern Germany (MCN), the GreenShipping Lower Saxony initiative, and the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH). This year's second edition of the conference also saw the German Sailing Association (DSV) and the German Motor Yacht Association (DMYV) come on board.

The venue was appropriately the FRISIA X, a ferry operated by AG Reederei Norden-Frisia, which first participated in trials of environmentally friendly ship coatings before the turn of the millennium. A varied supporting program and plenty of time for networking made the event even more attractive.

Organizers and participants alike praised the successful event, which is to be repeated in 2026. To stay informed, sign up for our DR. BRILL INSTITUTE newsletter, as the number of participants is always limited and the conference was quickly booked up.

All further information on this year's Antifouling Conference on Norderney, including the biofouling excursion, can be found HERE.

The program for our 11th Conference of Applied Hygiene, Microbiology and Virology 2025 has just been released, and registration is now open!

After last year's big anniversary of our successful annual CAHMV, we have again several program highlights for you this year: For the first time since 2019, the CAHMV 2025 begins with a workshop. This workshop entitled "Efficacy testing of antimicrobial products" will include video insights from our testing labs - an absolute premiere you should not miss!

Keynote speakers of the CAHMV 2025 are Professor Dr. Martin Exner with a lecture on the impact of water quality on infection prevention and control in health care systems, and Professor Dr. Andreas Voss with his lecture on current developments with influence on infection prevention from AI to Environmental Protection. Dr. Florian H. H. Brill starts the second conference day with his legendary presentation on the latest developments in the efficacy evaluation of antimicrobial products.

Professor Dr. Eike Steinmann and Professor Dr. Jörg Steinmann are chairs of the extensive Session "Hot topics Infection Prevention & Control" with a large number of also exciting presentations. Regarding BPR, you can look forward to a session entitled "Current Regulatory Developments BPR" and to a lively panel discussion "Assessment for antimicrobial products - Are we valuing the importance of biocidal products sufficiently with the current BPR?". The program will be completed by Dr. Dirk Bockmühl's sessions on "Hygiene in Households".

Take the chance to participate in this year's edition of our CAHMV with us: Several colleagues from our Institutes will also be present and are already looking forward to meeting you in person during one of the breakes. Therefore, on 27 + 28 November 2025, we welcome you again at the AMERON Hamburg Hotel Speicherstadt, as well as for a nice pre-Christmas evening program and dinner. Online participation is also possible (not for the BPR session on Friday!). The form for your registration and the content-rich full lecture program is available on our website www.cahmv.com.

Under the leadership of our laboratory manager (convenor) Dr. Britta Brands, the development of the IEC 63331 standard was successfully completed in the TC 59/SC 59A/WG 3 committee. We are now offering the appropriate services for the qualification of dishwashing processes. IEC 63331 describes the use of bioindicators with Micrococcus luteus – a BSL-1 organism that is safe and easy to handle. This standard is an important step towards hygienically safe and standard-compliant dishwashers. Benefit from our expertise in applied hygiene and ensure hygienically flawless washing results in accordance with current standards. Further details on the services can be found HERE.

It is our pleasure to invite you to the 1. Hamburger Hygiene Symposium (1st Hamburg Hygiene Symposium), which will take place in German on 11 September 2025, as part of the HIHeal (Hygiene, Infection & Health) next level innovation network at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). Our institute will be represented by Dr. Florian H. H. Brill in a pro-and-con debate on the topic: "To brush or not to brush?" - Flush-Brush-Flush. Discover this and other current topics, innovative solutions, and controversial perspectives - all in one day, in an interdisciplinary and practical format. We look forward to your participation. The symposium is free of charge, but places are limited. Further information can be found on our event website.

For the WG3 sector the two virucidal norms EN 17914 and 17915 have recently come into force (issue date 2025-08). If your laundry or surface disinfection products are used in the food, industrial, household or public facilities sectors, we can provide you with comprehensive advice on possible virucidal claims and required tests. As reported earlier this year, our institute was actively involved in the development of both standards. So take advantage of our expertise! We will be happy to discuss these new standards with you or to answer your specific queries, e.g. by email to scientificservice@brillhygiene.com.

Surely you have already noticed: With “Clinical Study Services” we have recently launched a new website section - here: LINK. In this section, we have clearly summarized our services on this topic for you. Clinical studies at GCP level is of course the main focus. Please read our detailed news from April again, here: "In vivo study center integrated into our new facilities - Clinical studies at GCP level".

We look forward to receiving your inquiries, which will be dealt with personally by Dr. Florian H. H. Brill and his team.

On 22-23 September 2025 you have the opportunity to participate online in a qtec academy seminar in German, which will be led by our deputy laboratory manager Dr. Andreas Kampe. Topic: "Validation of the reprocessing processes of medical devices (Validierung der Aufbereitungsprozesse von Medizinprodukten) - FDA, DGSV, DGKH, ISO 17664-1 and -2, ISO 15883ff: What now and how now? How do I efficiently achieve a data set that makes one happy?"

The aim of the seminar is to sharpen your understanding of the procedure and requirements for the validation of reprocessing processes and to familiarize you with the regulatory principles. The workshop will also teach you how to approach validation and how to work efficiently with the testing laboratory. We would of course be delighted to welcome you as participant. Further information about the event can be found HERE on our event website.

Microbiological stress test for the evaporators of car air conditioning systems: With the testing of evaporator units according to the method developed by Dr. Reinhold Hilpert, we offer you already since 2018 an exclusive service for the targeted testing and evaluation of the odor development of evaporators in car air conditioning systems. Microorganisms can quickly colonize the evaporator in the vehicle due to moisture and dirt, which can lead to unpleasant odours. This method, adopted by Dr. Hilpert, makes it possible to record the microbiological load on the evaporator under realistic conditions and to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of the design and/or surface coating. This provides you with a reliable basis for ensuring sustainable air quality in the vehicle interior. All further information on this procedure can be found on our website "Biofilm Services" - HERE.

We provide you with an independent and comprehensive market overview, constantly updated by our experts, of environmentally and climate-friendly biofouling management in professional shipping, on pleasure craft, in aquaculture and for pipe systems at a fair price. This gives you an overview of which antifouling products are available. In combination with our free eLearning course (LINK), you will be fully informed. You can order the market overview for € 1,290 plus VAT. Simply send an email to: info@brillhygiene.com. The table of contents of the market overview can be downloaded here:

At our 11^th Conference of Applied Hygiene, Microbiology and Virology (CAHMV) we welcome Professor Dr. Andreas Voss as one of the Keynote Speakers 2025. The title of his presentation: "Current developments with influence on infection prevention: from AI to Environmental Protection". As a further highlight this year, we are offering you a very special workshop on "Efficacy testing of antimicrobial products" - let us surprise you! To kick off the second day of CAHMV, Dr. Florian Brill's legendary presentation "Overview of development of efficacy testing of disinfectants, antiseptics, wound dressings, and antimicrobial surfaces 2030" will bring you up to date on the latest status in this field. As always, further sessions and keynote lectures round off the program of the 11^th CAHMV - we will keep you up to date on all new details. You can look forward to top-class presentations, exciting discussions, lively networking in a warm maritime atmosphere and a pre-Christmas evening program.

You are welcome to make a note already now of your participation in CAHMV 2025, e.g. by sending an email to claudia.steinfath@brillhygiene.com. We would be very pleased to welcome you as a participant at the CAHMV in Hamburg on 27-28 November 2025. Online participation will also be possible again.

As part of the free Online Update Hygiene and Infection Prevention #18 on "Gendermedizin in der Infektiologie" (Gender Medicine in Infectiology) on 08.07.2025, one of the speakers will be Dr. Saskia Borregaard, who will give a presentation - in German - entitled "Genderaspekte in der klinischen Forschung: Relevanz, Herausforderungen und Perspektiven" (Gender Aspects in Clinical Research: Relevance, Challenges and Perspectives). Use the Online Update #18 to find out about important questions on the topic of "Gender medicine in infectiology" and to exchange ideas with experts from clinics, research, politics and industry. All information, including on the two other presentations, as well as for your registration can be found under the following link: OUHIP #18 - Gendermedizin in der Infektiologie

As a cooperation event within the framework of HIHeal, this second edition of the Online Update Hygiene and Infection Prevention in 2025 will also be jointly organized by Life Science Nord, the Department of Hospital Hygiene at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and DR. BRILL INSTITUTES.