The worldwide increase of multidrug-resistant pathogens and new human pathogens presents significant challenges to modern medicine, and combatting pathogens alone is not always effective. Thus, there is a need to rethink treatment options and focus on optimizing the host response to infectious diseases.

The DECIDE Collaborative Research Centre aims to identify molecular mechanisms that control the course of infectious diseases within the host, with a focus on key decisions that determine the clinical severity and outcome of infections:
(1) containment versus active infection after initial contact,
(2) active/acute versus persistant/chronic infection,
(3) localized infection versus systemic spreading.

DECIDE researchers use a unique multi-layered systems approach to study the interactions between pathogens, host barriers, the immune system, and microbiota, with the goal of identifying molecular decision points that can lead to new prevention and treatment approaches for infectious diseases. The CRC DECIDE comprises 17 collaborative projects led by 26 project leaders that are recognized in their specific field, ranging from microbiologists to bioinformaticians and infection biologists. In total, the CRC focuses on 15 different pathogens and their infection mechanisms in different tissues, including the genital tract, skin, gastrointestinal tract, and the respiratory tract.