German Center for Research and Innovation News Feed

GCRI recommends: Hamburg International Conference of Logistics 2012

Designing the Future Supply Chain - Reliable, Robust, Secure - The HICL will provide a multidisciplinary network and forum for scientists and practitioners involved in logistics and supply chain management to interact with each other and exchange ideas and information on the latest issues in this field.

GCRI recommends: Scientific Methods in Cultural Heritage Research

This conference seeks to foster the dialogue between those pushing the boundaries on methods and instrumentation and researchers in cultural heritage. The event will take place July 29 – August 3, 2012 in West Dover, Vermont.

Advertising in Communication & Media Research - ECREA Symposium

This symposium will bring together scientists from various research areas, such as advertising, media and communications, to address the challenges of advertising and its research in the 21st century.

GCRI recommends: Nanofair 2012 - 9th International Nanotechnology Symposium

Nanofair is the most established conference on nanotechnology in Europe and among the premier events worldwide.

GCRI recommends: CENIDE Nano Summer Program

The CENIDE Nano Summer Program is a seven-week international academic program focusing on the exciting and emerging field of nanotechnology. It is designed for outstanding students from all over the world in their third to fifth academic year with a major in science or engineering.

The deadline for applications was January 15, 2012.

GCRI recommends: European Opportunities for Researcher Mobility and Transatlantic Research Cooperation

The European Commission has been substantially increasing funding for research, with special attention in researcher mobility and transatlantic research cooperation. The current European Commission’s Framework Program for Research (7th Framework Program, FP7) and the forthcoming Program Horizon 2020 will be presented at this event.

GCRI recommends: OPTATEC 2012

The latest developments and current trends in optical technologies will be presented at the 11th OPTATEC international trade fair in Frankfurt am Main, May 22-25, 2012.

Germany's Energy Transition: One Year Later

The German Center for Research and Innovation and the American Council on Germany cordially invite you to a lunchtime discussion feat. Professor Miranda Schreurs, Director, Environmental Policy Research Center, Professor of Comparative Politics, Freie Universität Berlin.

Biogas – a promising source of renewable energy?

In addition to sunlight, water and wind, biogas is a regenerative source of energy that contributes to saving fossil resources. Germany is home to around 7,100 biogas plants, including 796 (as of 2011) in Baden-Württemberg. In 2010, these facilities produced 11 per cent of the electricity ...

FANCM gene plays key role in inheritance

Scientists of KIT and the University of Birmingham have identified relevant new functions of a gene that plays a crucial role in Fanconi anemia, a life-threatening disease. The FANCM gene is known to be important for the stability of the genome. Now, the researchers found that FANCM also plays a ...

Manufacturing Made in Germany – Can This Model Be Imported to the U.S.?

Watch live and join the conversation on Twitter @AspenInstitute and @gcri_ny (#mfgUSGermany) this Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. (EST), when leading representatives from government, industry, and academia discuss manufacturing as an engine of growth and job creation in the U.S. and ...

HZI opens study centre in Hannover

Long term medical studies of chronic diseases planned 02.05.12 - The new premises of the HZI study center in Hannover have been opened with an official ceremony today. In the future, long-term population studies with voluntary probands will be conducted in the new centre. The results are ...

Direct access to desired genes

tudy of natural compounds made simpler: Bacterial researchers develop improved DNA technique Targeted exchange of DNA segments instead of tedious search: German and Chinese scientists have developed a technique for the direct isolation of genetic information from complex mixtures of different ...

An incisive design solution: the spider’s venomous fang

Among the factors that make spiders successful predators is the ingeniously composed and structured material of their fangs. Although their armour consists of the same material as their predator’s fangs, flies, grasshoppers and other insects that are the usual prey of spiders have little to ...

Fighting Ecological Invaders Efficiently

Siemens is using a special water-treatment technique to make ship traffic more environmentally friendly. By disinfecting the ballast water in ships, a system named Sicure protects marine environments from damage due to the introduction of alien plant and animal species. In addition, Sicure can ...

Power Storage Buffers Fluctuating Solar Power

Siemens has developed an energy-storage system that can act as a buffer in electrical power grids. The aim is to provide a buffer against short-term fluctuations in output from renewable energy sources. Such fluctuations can last for seconds or several minutes long. The modular designed ...

Obesity and the biological clock

Urgent appointments, tight work timetables and hectic social schedules structure modern life, and they very often clash with our intrinsic biological rhythms. The discrepancy results in so-called social jetlag, which can damage one’s health. Among other effects, it can contribute to the ...

Turning on genes by a circuitous route

In order to reactivate silenced genes, a cell needs to remove certain "off" markers called methyl groups from the DNA. Scientists working with Frank Lyko and Achim Breiling of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) in Heidelberg have shown that this process ...

Commitment to the Development of Young Scientists: New Research School of Radiation Sciences at Helmholtz Zentrum München

Neuherberg, May 3, 2012. In a joint endeavor with the two elite universities in Munich, Helmholtz Zentrum München is establishing the Helmholtz Research School of Radiation Sciences. The Helmholtz Association has allocated EUR 300 000 in funds over a six-year period for the graduate school, ...

Messe Husum and Deutsche Messe announce Windallianz Award – a Technology Prize for Innovative Wind-Energy Companies

Husum / Hanover, 11 May 2012. Innovative companies from the wind-energy sector can apply for the Windallianz Award starting immediately. This technology prize will be offered by Messe Husum and the Deutsche Messe for the first time. It is directed at national and international companies that ...

A new chapter in optics

They can be bent after all: In defiance of a decades-old assumption, gamma-rays can be focused with lenses. The discovery opens up a range of potential applications – from monitoring of nuclear waste to new cancer therapies. Gamma-rays are extremely powerful electromagnetic waves that are far ...

Research on Art Trade in the National Socialist Era

International cooperation project republishes auction catalogues from the time between 1930 and 1945 For the first time, all auction catalogues published in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland between 1930 and 1945 are being recorded bibliographically, digitised and published online. The project ...

Take-Off for PEGASOS Jülich scientists conduct research on climate in Europe using Zeppelin NT

Jülich scientists conduct research on climate in Europe using Zeppelin NT Jülich/Friedrichshafen, 4 May 2012 - The longest deployment of the Zeppelin NT for climate research so far was officially launched today in a campaign coordinated by scientists from Jülich. For a total of twenty weeks, the ...

Spin Spirals for Computers of the Future Researchers from Jülich, Hamburg and Kiel propose new approach for nanoscale information transport

Researchers from Jülich, Hamburg and Kiel propose new approach for nanoscale information transport Jülich, 7 May 2012. How can computer data be reliably stored and read out in future when computers are getting smaller and smaller? Scientists from Jülich, Hamburg and Kiel propose to make use of ...

Why there is a crossing in the brain

In a new publication scientists explain the origins of the crossing of nerve tracts in the forebrain. Münster (upm), Do, 10 Mai 2012 Strange world: in vertebrates, i.e. in humans too, the left half of the brain controls the right side of the body, and the right half controls the left side. The ...

What do marine snails and insulin have in common?

Scientists at Kiel University are following a new approach to treat diabetes The cone snails are predators of the sea. They capture fish by injecting a venom into the prey that consists of a cocktail of different substances. The single components of the snails´ venom, so-called conopeptides, are ...

SOFIA: Molecules and star formation in the Milky Way

GREAT results of the early science flights with SOFIA, the airborne observatory The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has completed its first series of science flights using the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT). The scientific results are now ...

Climate scientists discover new weak point of the Antarctic ice sheet

Bremerhaven, 9 May 2012. The Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf fringing the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, may start to melt rapidly in this century and no longer act as a barrier for ice streams draining the Antarctic Ice Sheet. These predictions are made by climate researchers of the Alfred Wegener Institute ...

Performance boost for microchips

The semiconductor industry is faced with the challenge of supplying ever faster and more powerful chips. The Next-Generation Lithography with EUV radiation will help meeting that challenge. Fraunhofer researchers have developed key components. Flat computers, powerful cell phones and tablets – ...

Ultra-short laser pulses for science and industry

The shorter the pulse duration, the more precisely the laser tool operates. Ultra-short laser pulses of outstanding high average püower are opening the doors to new applications in high throughput materials processing. Thanks to the short pulse duration, thermal damage of the material being ...

League of European Research Universities celebrates its first 10 years

The League of European Research Universities (LERU), of which LMU Munich is a founding member, celebrates its first 10 years of activity this year. The association was set up in 2002, and currently represents 21 research-intensive European universities. The aim of the network is to contribute to ...

Everything under Control?

Psychologists have discovered that the perception of having everything under control depends on a person's age and their level of education. Münster (upm), Mi, 09 Mai 2012 The conviction of having every aspect of their life under control is pronounced in various degrees, depending on the ...

Tons of equipment for nanograms of science

On Wednesday, 9th May 2012, a special truck with air suspension will load a 1 ton heavy secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences which will then transport it to the Helmholtz Centre Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR). This event marks the beginning of a ...

DFG Establishes Ten New Priority Programmes

Topics from Ultrafast Data Transfer to Climate Engineering to Novel Materials / All Programmes Interdisciplinary What is the role of phosphorus resources for trees and forests – and what do they mean for the nutrition and balance of a forest ecosystem? How can ultrafast wireless transmission ...

World Forum on "Fuel, Food and the Environment: The Bioenergy Challenge"

The 20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition will take place in Milan, Italy, from 18 to 22 June 2012. This annual event constitutes one of the world’s leading science-to-science, business-to-business and science-to-industry fora for the biomass sector. One of the highlights of the 2012 ...

Geosciences: Forged in flames, but not always fireproof

Volcanic tuff has long been a popular building material, and is found not only in the many buildings in Rome, Naples and environs, but also in Cologne Cathedral. LMU researchers have now shown that, although formed in volcanic eruptions, some tuffs actually become unstable at high temperatures. ...

The electronic „Pavlovs Dog“

Nanotechnology scientists and memory researchers at the Kiel University redesigned a mental learning process using electronic circuits The bell rings and the dog starts drooling. Such a reaction was part of studies performed by Ivan Pavlov, a famous Russian psychologist and physiologist and ...

The Elbe – a European river in global climate change

05/07/2012 - The flooding of the Elbe river ten years ago or the contrasting dry summer just one year later: extreme events like these display the vulnerability of our society. The recently published “Elbe-Atlas des globalen Wandels” (Elbe-Atlas of Global Change) demonstrates possible shifts ...

Wastewater is not just boring old waste

In view of the changing climate and the finiteness of fossil resources, research into renewable energies is gaining in importance. One of the things that researchers have been looking into for quite some time is different possibilities to use organic wastewater compounds as sustainable energy ...

Climatic effects of a solar minimum

An abrupt cooling in Europe together with an increase in humidity and particularly in windiness coincided with a sustained reduction in solar activity 2800 years ago. Scientists from the German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ in collaboration with Swedish and Dutch colleagues provide ...

Max Delbrück Center Wins EUR 1.8 Million Grant by the Helmholtz Association for a German-Israeli Research School

The Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch has long standing collaborative relations with two top Israeli universities: Technion - Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI). Now the MDC and its Israeli partners have succeeded in ...

The molecular teamwork in biomembranes

For chemists, cellular biomembranes are hard nuts to crack. It is difficult to analyze proteins that are firmly anchored in biomembranes using standard biochemical methods; and it is even more difficult to investigate their three-dimensional structure and interaction with other proteins. A group ...

From Urban Climate Research to the Treatment of Incontinence

DFG to Establish Seven New Research Units / Over 16 Million Euros in Total for the First Funding Period The establishment of six new Research Units and one Clinical Research Unit has been decided by the Joint Committee of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation). ...

Infection of Epstein Barr Virus shown to be more complex

Neuherberg, 04.05.2012. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) not only causes various infectious diseases in man, it can also induce certain types of cancer. Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München and the LMU have now identified the molecular components that allow EBV to efficiently establish its genome in ...

International Research on Plant Nutrition Takes Off

Formal opening of the premises of the IAPN (pug) A new joint institute of the University of Göttingen and K+S KALI GmbH is dedicated to practice-oriented research in the field of plant nutrition. The Institute of Applied Plant Nutrition (IAPN) will investigate topical, practical questions ...

Nutrient supply after algal bloom determines the succession of the bacterial population

Joint Press Release with the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen Bremen, 4 May 2012. To most people, algal blooms are an annoyance, which interferes with their summer days by the sea. In the coastal zone of temperate regions a spring algal bloom is not a sign of excessive ...

First seeding at FLASH

There is a worldwide search of methods for initiating the process of producing laser light in free-electron lasers (FEL) with a well-defined radiation pulse, generated by an external laser source and superimposed to the electron bunch at the undulator entrance ("seeding"). Seeding promises an ...

Of Mice and Men

Malfunctioning single proteins can cause disruptions in neuronal junctions leading to autistic forms of behavior. A current study, published in the scientific journal Nature, comes to this conclusion after examining genetically altered mice. The study, in which scientists from Charité – ...

Green Talents Competition 2012

APPLY NOW to take part in this year's prestigious Green Talents Programme. Exchange views with peers from all over the world and German sustainability experts. Wanted: Bright Minds with Green Ideas Apply now for the German Federal Government’s 4th Green Talents CompetitionOne pressing issue of ...

New Therapy Standard for Adrenal Gland Cancer

Adrenocortical carcinoma is a malignant tumor that is difficult to control at an advanced stage. An international study now shows for the first time which chemotherapy is best suited to treat this tumor. The study was coordinated at the University Hospital of Würzburg. Adrenocortical carcinoma ...

Helmholtz Association funds PIER Graduate School

The Helmholtz Association will fund the PIER Graduate School with a total of 2.4 million euros in the coming six years. This was announced today by the Helmholtz Association in Berlin. The PIER Graduate School offers an excellent training for doctoral students in a unique environment, thus ...

Earth history and evolution

In classical mythology, the cypress tree is associated with death, the underworld and eternity. Indeed, the family to which cypresses belong, is an ancient lineage of conifers, and a new study of their evolution affords a unique insight into a turbulent era in the Earth’s history. During the ...

Producing Ultra-pure Water at Lower Costs

Power utilities and operators of industrial facilities are lowering their production costs for ultra-pure water with a new water-treatment module from Siemens. The ultra-pure water in question contains virtually no ions, very limited qualities of salts or minerals, in other words. It is often ...

Green Polymer Made of CO2 from Exhaust Gases

In cooperation with various project partners, Siemens researchers have developed a new recipe for plastic made primarily of renewable resources and CO2. The new material is an alternative to standard polystyrene-based acrylonitrite-butadiene-styrene (ABS) polymer. The new polymer is much ...

microRNA controls malignancy and resistance of breast cancer cells

Resistances to drugs are the main reason why breast cancer cannot effectively be fought in many patients. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have now succeeded in restoring the sensitivity of resistant breast cancer cells to tamoxifen using ...

New DFG Research Centre on Biodiversity: Decision for Leipzig/Jena/Halle-Wittenberg

Joint Committee Selects Joint Proposal from Three States / Exploration and Protection of the Natural Foundations of Life / 33 Million Euros Initially through 2016 / Based in Leipzig The decision on the establishment of the new Research Centre of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German ...

Electric mass mobility for urban environments

Electric vehicles powered by electricity from renewable energy sources are an attractive option for mobility within the urban area and beyond. However, previous approaches lead to vehicles that either are too heavy and too expensive or do not meet mass-market safety requirements. Within the ...

Gene Mutation Leads to Impairment of Two Senses: Touch and Hearing

People with good hearing also have a keen sense of touch; people with impaired hearing generally have an impaired sense of touch. Extensive data supporting this hypothesis was presented by Dr. Henning Frenzel and Professor Gary R. Lewin of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) ...

Electric mass mobility for urban environments

Paleontology - Dinosaurs indecline long before mass extinction?

Despite years of intensive research about the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs about 65.5 million years ago, a fundamental question remains: were dinosaurs already undergoing a long-term decline before an asteroid hit at the end of the Cretaceous? A study led by scientists at the American ...

Migratory locusts in a wind tunnel

Insects are capable of masterful feats of flying; whenever they witness locusts flying long distances or moths hovering over flowers, aerodynamicists can only marvel. This is why researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) are working on a new ...

DAAD Welcomes ‘Right of Residence’ Improvements

Greater freedom of choice for foreign students, graduates, scientists and researchers Bonn, 30 April 2012. On 27 April 2012, the Bundestag (lower house of Germany’s federal parliament) passed the Act Implementing the EU Directive on Entry and Residence of Highly Qualified Workers. The scope of ...

What Social Networks Know about Non-members

Heidelberg researchers study automatic generation of so-called shadow profiles What can social networks on the internet know about persons who are friends of members, but have no user profile of their own? Researchers from the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing of Heidelberg ...

3D insights into the molecular teamwork in biomembranes

How is phytochrome B translocated into the cell nucleus?

Plants cannot see, but they can perceive the quantity and quality of light. As they have evolved, plants have developed numerous molecular photodetectors such as phytochromes. Phytochromes can detect changes in the light situation. The undergrowth of forests thus manages to grow towards the few ...

Assembly errors quickly identified

If errors creep in during the assembly of components, costly post-processing is often the consequence. Automatic testing is difficult, especially where individual products are concerned. Now there is a new testing system that is flexible and economical, even for smaller production runs. ...

"Lab Driving License" from the Heidelberg Life Science Lab

The "Thinking and Experimental Laboratory" will be officially opened on May 2, 2012 as a new offering of the Heidelberg Life Science Lab. The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) provides a fully equipped laboratory room with twelve workplaces for this venture. The new experimental lab is open ...

Incorporating "Green" Power from Small Sources

While Siemens has already put its first virtual power plants into operation, the company's global research department Corporate Technology is also forging ahead with the development of a decentralized communications unit. This powerbridge will enable operators of solar or wind power facilities ...

Mini cargo transporters on a rat run

Kinesins assume a vital function in our cells: The tiny cargo transporters move important substances along lengthy protein fibers and ensure an effective transportation infrastructure. Biophysicists of the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) and the Ludwig Maximillians Universitaet Muenchen ...

Nano materials for medical measuring devices

New magnetoelectric sensors for deep brain stimulation Up to now, the brain´s magnetic field is measurable only under technical laboratory conditions. This technique is therefore not feasible in terms of the broader medical use, although it would be significant for diagnosing numerous conditions ...

Surviving the conditions on Mars

Alpine and polar lichens could also survive on Mars. Planetary researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) simulated the conditions on Mars for 34 days and exposed various microorganisms to this environment. "During this period, the lichens and ...

Seeing inside the nose of an aircraft

Radio signals reach pilots on board an aircraft through the “radar dome“, the rounded nose of the aircraft. But if errors occur during the production of this “nose“, – tiny foreign particles, drops of water or air bubbles – this can impede radio traffic. In the future, a non-destructive testing ...

Virtual Power Plants for Renewable Energies

Siemens recently put two virtual power plants into operation. Virtual power plants are networks of several small power stations that are run like a single system. One of the new virtual power plants enables the Munich municipal utility company to run six of its cogeneration modules, five ...

Effective light amplifiers

Physicists from Münster and Beijing develop new type of composite polymer / Cover story in "Advanced Materials" journal Münster (upm), Do, 26 Apr 2012 Physicists from Münster University (WWU) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing have jointly developed a new type of composite polymer ...

How probiotic bacteria protect against inflammatory bowel diseases

Some lactic acid bacteria can alleviate inflammation and therefore prevent intestinal disorders. Scientists have now decoded the biochemical mechanism that lies behind the protective effect of the bacteria. In experiments with mice, the researchers succeeded in demonstrating that lactocepin – an ...

Rapid tsunami warning by means of GPS

For submarine earthquakes that can generate tsunamis, the warning time for nearby coastal areas is very short. Using high-precision analysis of GPS data from the Fukushima earthquake of 11 March 2011, scientists at the German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ showed that, in principle, the ...

Global Atlas for Solar and Wind Energy launched

Global database set to accelerate the transition to renewable energies - energy ministers attending international forum on low-carbon energy The International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA, and the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) presented the first ...

Research – Planning – Expulsion: DFG Presents Exhibition on 'The National Socialists’ General Plan East' in Poland

Impetus for Coming to Terms with a Particularly Difficult Chapter in German-Polish Relations/Close Cooperation with Academy of Sciences and National Institute of Remembrance A special exhibition is set to tour Poland in the coming months. Under the title “Wissenschaft – Planung – ...

Genetic Markers for Tracking Species

At the supermarket checkout, hardly anybody enters pricesmanually anymore. Using scanners that can read the barcodes is much faster. Biologists now want to use a similar procedure for identifying domestic animal and plant species more efficiently. German Barcode of Life (GBOL) is the name of an ...

An Unexpected Virus Reservoir

International researchers under the aegis of the University of Bonn have discovered the probable cause of not just one, but several infectious agents at the same time. Paramyxoviruses originate from ubiquitous bats, from where the pathogens have spread to humans and other mammals. In total, this ...

Pod corn develops leaves in the inflorescences

A leaf gene active in the maize cob causes leaves to grow in the male and female inflorescences 20.04.2012 In a variant of maize known as pod corn, or tunicate maize, the maize kernels on the cob are not 'naked' but covered by long membranous husks known as glumes. According to scientists from ...

Doubts about gamma ray bursts as the source of cosmic radiation

Our Earth is incessantly bombarded by high-energy particles, so-called cosmic rays. These comprise especially protons, neutrons, electrons and muons, but also heavier atomic nuclei. Even though they were first discovered exactly 100 years ago, to this day the source of cosmic rays remains one of ...

How the Ecological Risks of Extended Bioenergy Production can be Reduced

Researchers present a modelling too lFor years experts have discussed the ecological impact of the extended cultivation of energy crops. Scientists have now developed a computer model that allows assessing the impacts and comparing the effectiveness of strategies for the reduction of risks for ...

Xenotransplantation as a therapy for type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is caused by autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells. Over 250,000 patients suffer from type 1 diabetes in Germany who are treated with daily insulin injections to maintain glucose metabolism. Replacement of the destroyed beta cells by transplantation of either ...

A matter of priorities

Bacteria evolved way to safeguard crucial genetic material Just as banks store away only the most valuable possessions in the most secure safes, cells prioritise which genes they guard most closely, researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute ...

New Alexander von Humboldt professors selected Germany’s highest valued international research award goes to five researchers from abroad.

Germany’s highest valued international research award goes to five researchers from abroad. Two philosophers, a physicist, a medical scientist and a classicist are the new Alexander von Humboldt professors. The international award for research in Germany, worth up to five million EUR, is granted ...

Single-neuron observations mark steps in Alzheimer's disease

Studying a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, neuroscientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen have observed correlations between increases in both soluble and plaque-forming beta-amyloid – a protein implicated in the disease process – and dysfunctional developments on several levels: ...

LMU nominee among new Humboldt Professors: Philosopher Stephan Hartmann receives coveted award

LMU Munich has notched up another success in the latest round of applications for Alexander von Humboldt Professorships. Stephan Hartmann, currently Professor of Epistemology and Philosophy of Science at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, who was nominated by LMU, is among those recently ...

Still in Good Shape? The Role of the Humanities in Higher Education and Society

In today’s uncertain economic climate, both students and educators are pondering the importance of the humanities for higher education and society as a whole. Higher education and research institutions in both Europe and North America are facing tighter budgets and shifting sources of funding as ...

Turbo boost for solar cells

Low cost solar cells suitable for rooftop panels could reach a record-breaking 40% efficiency following an early stage breakthrough by a University of Sydney researcher and his German partners. With Australian Solar Institute support, Professor Tim Schmidt from the University's School of ...

A world´s first: quicksilver-free energy-saving bulb

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Holger Heuermann of the University of Applied Sciences Aachen a scientific consortium developed an energy-saving bulb free of electrodes and quicksilver. From September 2016 on it will be impossible for consumers to buy any traditional bulbs. They need to switch ...

Making It Home: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Recognition and Displacement in America

International Conference at the Graduate School of North American Studies On May 11th and 12th, 2012, Freie Universität Berlin’s Graduate School of North American Studies will host an international conference about North America’s understanding of Home as both a national and domestic space of ...

Shakespeare Illustration Archive Oppel-Hammerschmidt at the Mainz University Library goes online

Users worldwide have now full digital access to thousands of Shakespearean illustrations 19.04.2012 On April 23, the day William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and died in 1616, the new digital Shakespeare Illustration Archive Oppel-Hammerschmidt at the University Library of Johannes Gutenberg ...

Alfred Wegener Institute, PlanktonTech and imare for the first time with their own stand at Hannover Messe, the world’s most important technology event

Bremerhaven, 17 April 2012. A five times six metre pavilion along with models of a 3.6 metre high offshore wind turbine and lightweight sailing boat are the visual attractions at the stand of the Bremerhaven researchers at this year’s Hanover Fair in Hall 6. From 23 to 27 April 2012 the plankton ...

Lunar Symposium in Berlin – Interview with DLR planetary scientist Ralf Jaumann

On 19 and 20 April, 170 international experts met to discuss present and future lunar research The Moon continues to be a fascinating research objective for scientists from around the world. The DLR Institute of Planetary Research collaborated with NASA's Lunar Science Institute to hold a ...

Germany Still Leading the Green Revolution

Berlin/Hanover - Solar electricity generation in Germany increased by 40 percent in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the previous year, according to the German industry association BSW. This is yet another indicator of Germany’s lead in the green energy revolution, also a key topic of this ...

Cosmic superaccelerators surprise scientists at South Pole telescope

Observations put theory of the origin of cosmic radiation to the test The most powerful particle accelerators are found in space: some subatomic particles that rain down from space on earth´s atmosphere have energies up to one hundred million times higher than those created in the Large Hadron ...

DNA origami puts a smart lid on solid-state nanopore sensors

The latest advance in solid-state nanopore sensors – devices that are made with standard tools of the semiconductor industry yet can offer single-molecule sensitivity for label-free protein screening – expands their bag of tricks through bionanotechnology. Researchers at the Technische ...

Germany Still Leading the Green Revolution

Germany Trade & Invest showcases the latest business opportunities at Hannover Messe 2012, the world’s leading industrial technology trade fair Berlin/Hanover – Solar electricity generation in Germany increased by 40 percent in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the previous year, according ...

Deadly Jellyfish Weapons

Heidelberg researchers analyse proteins of stinging cells in the Hydra freshwater polyp Heidelberg researchers have succeeded in unravelling the defence mechanisms of jellyfish. Scientists working with Prof. Dr. Thomas Holstein and Dr. Suat Özbek from the Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) of ...

Mechanical tests for SHEFEX

DLR space vehicle undergoes final tests prior to launch The SHEFEX II (SHarp Edge Flight EXperiment) spacecraft successfully withstood vibration on a shaker and spinning at two rotations per second. These tests represented the final simulation of the conditions that the space vehicle will be ...

Use less water, producing energy and fertilizer at the same time

Water is a valuable resource. New technologies are making it easier to handle drinking water responsibly, purify wastewater effectively and even recover biogas and fertilizer. Fraunhofer researchers will be showing how this is done at the Hannover Fair (23 - 27 April) in the House of ...

Second round of ideas competition on international alumni work begins German universities again invited to compete for three 130,000 EUR awards

German universities again invited to compete for three 130,000 EUR awards After its successful first round in 2011, which was won by RWTH Aachen and the Universities of Bayreuth and Heidelberg, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is again inviting universities to take part in its ideas ...

Nanotechnology - Improved Batteries with Carbon Nanoparticles

From smartphones to e-bikes, the number of mobile electronic devices is steadily growing around the world. As a result, there is an increased need for batteries that are small and light, yet powerful. As the potential for the further improvement of lithium-ion batteries is nearly exhausted, ...

BMBF Global Change Research Projects at HANNOVER MESSE 2012

Global Change research projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will be presenting themselves at HANNOVER MESSE from 23rd to 27th of April, 2012. Discover how future megacities and small and medium-sized enterprises fight climate change through research and ...

Honorary Doctorate for Prof Rudolph for successful implementation of water research in Vietnam

On 28 March 2012, the Vietnam National University (VNU) held a ceremony to confer the honorary doctorate to Prof Rudolph from Witten, Germany. This honour was granted in acknowledgement of the "outstanding success in implementation of technology-based solutions, researched and developed under ...

Liquorice root found to contain anti-diabetic substance

Researchers discover promising anti-diabetic substance in the amorfrutin class of natural substances It provides the raw material for liquorice candy, calms the stomach and alleviates diseases of the airways: liquorice root. Chosen as the "Medicinal plant 2012", the root has been treasured in ...

When Physicists Get Involved in Piano Tuning

A Würzburg physics professor publishes an article. Some English media take up the topic with snappy headlines, causing agitation in music circles: The story of a misunderstanding. Haye Hinrichsen is a professor at the Institute of Physics of the University of Würzburg. And he is a family man. ...

Smartphone Supports Safe Dialysis at Home

Siemens is collaborating with partners to examine how the dialysis of kidney-impaired patients can be gently and safely performed at home. In an unparalleled field test, selected dialysis patients in Berlin will soon be equipped with a telemedical support system that will enable them to ...

Global Standard to Help LEDs Market Breakthrough

At the Light+Building fair in Frankfurt (until April 20) Osram will present its first LED light source which meets the international Zhaga standard. The Siemens subsidiary will display the Prevaled Core Z2 spotlight, whose electrical output of 108 lumens per watt make it ten times more efficient ...

A vehicle for rethinking mobility rolls into Hannover Messe

The public and press can see the latest progress in a unique, ongoing electromobility research project during the international trade fair MobiliTec, which takes place April 23-27 at the Hannover Messe. Embodied in a sleek, Colani-designed tractor-trailer that looks more like a spaceship than a ...

A toxic menu

Marine worm feeds on carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulphide with the help of symbiotic bacteria In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen and Greifswald University, together with ...

Thin film solar panels for bulk production

Scientists from TU Chemnitz developed procedures to produce silicon based thin film solar panels. The first results will be presented at Hannover Fair 2012. Together with Saxon companies chemists and physicists from University Chemnitz plan the technical revolution in photovoltaic. They want to ...

The sea as a rubbish tip: biologists prepare guidelines for a more precise investigation into marine pollution from microplastic particles

Bremerhaven, 16 April 2012. Large quantities of globally produced plastics end up in the oceans where they represent a growing risk. Above all very small objects, so-called microplastic particles, are endangering the lives of the many sea creatures. An estimate of how greatly the oceans are ...

From the Satellite to the Model

Geesthacht coastal researchers are actively involved in the European forecasting service for the world’s oceans and European regional seas. Whether measuring marine pollutants or monitoring changes in currents, the European project “My Ocean” has the oceans of the world in its focus. In the ...

Copernicus Award 2012 for German-Polish Collaboration in Business Information Systems

Joint Award by DFG and FNP Goes to Researchers from Siegen and Poznan Experts in business information systems Professor Erwin Pesch from Siegen and Professor Jacek Błażewicz from Poznan have been awarded the Copernicus Award by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research ...

High expectations for ACHEMA 2012

Two months before the start of ACHEMA 2012, the outlook on the global flagship event for chemical engineering and biotechnology is exceedingly positive. The organizers expect a slight growth compared to the last event in 2009 when 3,767 exhibitors and more than 173,000 participants were counted. ...

On the safe side: contact-free analysis of chemical substances

Is it drugs, medicines or explosives? At the Analytica trade fair, Fraunhofer researchers, joined by the Hübner Company, are presenting a terahertz spectrometer that provides reliable, contact-free identification of substances. December 2011: Security forces intercept a letter bomb addressed to ...

The sea as a rubbish tip: biologists prepare guidelines for a more precise investigation into marine pollution from microplastic particles

Pollen levels are rising across Europe

From Reykjavik to Thessaloniki, pollen levels are on the increase. A team of researchers headed by Prof. Annette Menzel at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen reports that pollen counts have already risen across Europe in recent years. Their findings are based on an analysis of pollen time ...

People, population and diseases in the Middle Ages

Interreg-Project "Bones4Culture": the first analyses of 700 skeletons from the city of Schleswig The Interreg-project "Bones4Cultures" has just been started. Its aim is to analyze population, life, health and culture of the people that lived in the German-Danish border land during the Middle ...

From the Satellite to the Model

Decision-making can and must be learned – new test measures risk intelligence

www.riskliteracy.org provides information about how well individuals can assess risks Tests exist for evaluating personality, intelligence and memory. However, up to now, it was not easily possible to find out how good someone is at making decisions in risky situations. "Yet this is an important ...

Sulfur in Every Pore

Improved Batteries with Carbon Nanoparticles From smartphones to e-bikes, the number of mobile electronic devices is steadily growing around the world. As a result, there is an increased need for batteries that are small and light, yet powerful. As the potential for the further improvement of ...

DERri Network grants Free Access to Research Infrastructure for Scientists

Milan, 12 April 2012. The Distributed Energy Resources Research Infrastructure (DERri) is calling scientists from industry and research organisations to apply for the free access to the laboratories. The selected user teams will have the chance to access and use the research facilities, ...

Africa: mitigating the effects of climate change

Higher temperatures, less rainfall, more erratic weather conditions: farmers are already noticing changes in the global climate. In Africa, in particular, the survival of large numbers of people is directly dependent on farming. How must land use there be organized in order to cushion the impact ...

Direct transfer of plant genes from chloroplasts into the cell nucleus

Gene function preserved despite structural differences in the DNA Chloroplasts, the plant cell’s green solar power generators, were once living beings in their own right. This changed about one billion years ago, when they were swallowed up but not digested by larger cells. Since then, they have ...

Design Award: OPMI PENTERO 900 Surgical Microscope from Carl Zeiss Receives Prestigious red dot Award

Carl Zeiss Meditec to showcase award-winning microscope at the 2012 American Association of Neurological DUBLIN/California/USA, JENA/Germany, 13.04.2012. Medical technology provider Carl Zeiss Meditec announced that its OPMI PENTERO® 900 surgical microscope has won the highly-coveted red dot ...

DESY cooperates with CAN

The research centre DESY became a member of the nanotechnology sponsors´ association which is the holder of theCenter for Applied Nanotechnology (CAN). CAN is a Hamburg based nanotechnology enterprise providing nanotechnology products applicable for example in medicine and food industry, and ...

Majority-biased learning

The transmission of knowledge to the next generation is a key feature of human evolution. In particular, humans tend to copy behaviour that is demonstrated by many other individuals. Chimpanzees and orangutans, two of our closest living relatives, also socially pass on traditional behaviour and ...

Ripe for biomedical applications

There was much excitement surrounding cell reprogramming with the breakthrough of Shinya Yamanaka. In 2006, the Japanese scientist was able to reprogram skin cells for the first time with the aid of a few control factors into so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) – “multipurpose” ...

RWTH Aachen Named Germany's Best University

In the latest university rankings list published in April 2012 by the German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche, human resources managers of the largest German corporations again ranked RWTH Aachen as the best German university. Asked about their preferred university for the recruitment of ...

New cost-effective upscaling technique for antireflective foils

Researchers from Saarbruecken developed an upscaling technique for the application of anti-reflective coatings on plastic foils of several meters using a wet-chemical process. It is a cost-effective solution for large-size foils to be fitted with a pre-selected refractive index, and it is ...

Federal Minister Schavan meets DAAD and Humboldt Foundation Alumni in South Africa

Alumni meeting and Opening of the German-South African Year of Science in Cape Town From 13 to 15 April an Alumni meeting of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in partnership with the University of Cape Town will be held in Cape Town under the ...

Nanotechnology - Improved Batteries with Carbon Nanoparticles

The green light gives the game away

The immune system is a vital part of our defenses against pathogens, but it can also attack host tissues, resulting in autoimmune disease. The antigens that induce destructive immune reactions can now be identified directly – without any prior knowledge of their possible structure. Molecules ...

Simulation software optimizes networks

By the year 2020, thousands of kilometers of new grids will be operating in Germany to permit even more extensive use of power from renewable sources. However, these new “smart grids” also come with increased complexity, costs and vulnerability. Fraunhofer researchers developed new software that ...

How to make customers happy

Economists present a study about the evaluation of call centers Are you having trouble with the dishwasher' Or with a computer, that doesn't work as it should do' Or with an incomprehensible instruction manual for the new book shelf' No problem - there is a service hotline for cases like these ...

International student survey: Göttingen has the best university in Germany

The "International Student Barometer 2011", an international student survey service, has given Göttingen University the top place among German Universities. In the global rankings, the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen placed 5th. The renowned International Graduate Insight Group (i-graduate) ...

Looking for clues in the cosmic network

Observing the galaxy distribution when the universe was half its current age The distribution of galaxies in the early universe provides us with insights into the history of our cosmos. Astronomers have now announced the most accurate measurement yet of this "pattern", looking back into an era ...

Best marketing for renewable energies

Transmission system operators must assess precisely the supply of electricity from renewable energies for the next day in order to market this electricity on the European Power Exchange (EPEX) as effectively as possible. The sharply fluctuating supply of solar and wind energy makes reliable ...

Cone snail venom controls pain

Components of the venom from marine cone snails can block the transmission of signals between nerve cells in minute quantities. This makes them potentially suitable for use as a novel analgesic. Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Jena, the Technical University of Darmstadt and the ...

Low friction coating and corrosion protection - nanocomposite material with double effect

Materials researchers from Saarbruecken developed a low friction coating combining two properties: It shows lubrication properties similar to grease and oil and it protects from corrosion. The new material is suitable for the coating of metals and metal alloys, such as steel, aluminium or ...

Leave the navigation to the grid cells

Teams at LMU and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin report that temporal patterns in the neuronal activity can be used for spatial navigation. Their data show that the firing patterns of so-called grid cells have the potential to affect the behavior of rats, and imply that rat brains have more ...

Solar Research for the Renewable Energy Revolution

The Free State of Bavaria is investing several million euros in the exploration of innovative concepts for the conversion of solar energy into electricity and non-fossil fuels. The funds flow into a joint project of five Bavarian universities. With the supplementary budget of 2011, the Free ...

Death cap mushroom poison to arrest pancreatic cancer in mice

Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center have coupled the fungal toxin amanitin to an antibody which recognizes a cancer-typical target molecule. Like a guided missile, the antibody carries its poisonous load to target cancer cells. The poison-loaded antibody arrested the growth of ...

New immune defence enzyme discovered

A previously unknown serine protease forms part of the antibacterial defence arsenal of neutrophil granulocytes Neutrophil granulocytes comprise important defences for the immune system. When pathogenic bacteria penetrate the body, they are the first on the scene to mobilise other immune cells ...

New Max Planck Princeton Partnership in fusion research

The Max Planck Society is strengthening its commitment to the development of a sustainable energy supply and has joined forces with internationally renowned Princeton University to establish the Max Planck Princeton Research Centre for Plasma Physics. Shirley M. Tilghman, the President of ...

CO2 was hidden in the ocean during the Ice Age

Why did the atmosphere contain so little carbon dioxide (CO2) during the last Ice Age 20,000 years ago? Why did it rise when the Earth’s climate became warmer? Processes in the ocean are responsible for this, says a new study based on newly developed isotope measurements. This study has now been ...

520,000 EUR for new endowed chair and mathematics centre in Senegal Contribution to African mathematics network of excellence

Contribution to African mathematics network of excellence The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has created a new endowed chair for application-related mathematics with the intention of promoting mathematical teaching and research in Africa. The internationally advertised professorship will ...

Greenland ice sheet may melt completely with 1.6 degrees global warming

The Greenland ice sheet is likely to be more vulnerable to global warming than previously thought. The temperature threshold for melting the ice sheet completely is in the range of 0.8 to 3.2 degrees Celsius global warming, with a best estimate of 1.6 degrees above pre-industrial levels, shows a ...

Universities and Their Impact on the Economy and Society

Both the small German university town of Heidelberg and the metropolis of New York City prioritize academics, research and development as a means of fostering growth and maintaining economic competitiveness in the 21st century and beyond. On February 29, 2012, Prof. Peter Meusburger (Universität ...

Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Competence Center for a Sustainable University (Universität Hamburg)

The Postdoctoral Research Forum (PRF) “Sustainable Future” at the newly established Competence Center for a Sustainable University at the Universität Hamburg will be launched in April 2012 and aims at attracting excellent junior researchers with a clear potential to develop and realize their ...

Still in Good Shape? The Role of the Humanities in Higher Education and Society

A panel discussion on the challenges, contributions, and progress in humanities education and research featuring German, U.S., and Canadian experts at the German Center for Research and Innovation on April 3, 2012. NEW YORK (March 29, 2012) – In today’s uncertain economic climate, both graduates ...

Artificial thymus tissue enables maturation of immune cells

Four signalling substances control the transformation of T cells The thymus plays a key role in the body’s immune response. It is here where the T lymphocytes or T cells, a major type of immune defence cells, mature. Different types of T cells, designated to perform specific tasks, arise from ...

New 'room' for the ISS - ATV-3 now docked

Rendezvousing at 28,000 kilometres per hour at an altitude of about 380 kilometres is hardly routine – even for experienced spaceflight engineers and astronauts, which is why applause broke out in the European Space Agency (ESA) Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Control Centre in Toulouse when ...

Culprit behind unchecked angiogenesis identified

Max Planck researchers discover how drug resistance in tumours may be prevented Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, is a complex process during which different signalling proteins interact with each other in a highly coordinated fashion. The growth factor VEGF and the Notch signalling ...

Fossil planets

Astronomers discover a solar system from the early days of our universe The newly discovered planetary system consists of the star HIP 11952 and two planets, which have orbital periods of 290 and 7 days, respectively. In itself, this would not be particularly remarkable since the discovery of ...

Chemical microgradients accelerate coral death at the Great Barrier Reef

Researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology along with Australian colleagues, have examined corals from the Great Barrier Reef affected by the Black Band Disease and identified the critical parameters that allow this prevalent disease to cause wide mortality of corals around ...

Photochemical Turbo Power for Solar Cells

How organic molecules make yellow light from red. Modern silicon solar cells achieve a maximum efficiency of around 25 percent. Researchers around the world are running a race to increase this efficiency even further. However, a natural limit exists at around 30 percent because the laws of ...

Searching for exotics in the shrimp nets: shrimp fishermen help biologist to monitor rare fish species

So far the shrimp fisherman Uwe Abken has had little interest in the bycatch in his nets. But recently the fisherman from the East Friesian town of Neuharlingersiel has been taking a closer look. The fisherman and his deck hand have been recording which North Sea exotics and rare migratory fish ...

Research while on the move

The Max Planck Society’s new iPhone app provides the latest research news and films, as well as directions to all Max Planck institutes, ensuring that you are always well informed even when on the move. The Max Planck Society’s MaxPlanckApp provides an additional information channel that ...

Hamburg and Dresden accelerator physicists cooperate

22.03.2012 - The research centres Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) will closely cooperate in the future in a series of research fields, including accelerator physics and technology, detector technologies and systems, the use of synchrotron ...

LMU extends formal cooperation with the University of California at Berkeley for a further five years

Meeting in San Francisco, the President of LMU Munich Professor Bernd Huber and Professor Robert J. Birgeneau, the Chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley, have agreed to extend the existing cooperation arrangement between the two institutions, which has been in operation for the ...

Seeing movement: Why the world in our head stays still when we move our eyes

Scientists from Tübingen discovered new functions of brain regions that are responsible for seeing movement When observing a fly buzzing around the room, we should have the impression that it is not the fly, but rather the space that lies behind it that is moving. After all, the fly is always ...

Young infant imitation not guided by rational thinking

Rationality of infants has been overstated In a widely noticed study, developmental psychologists reported that 14-month-old infants imitate an unusual action if it was chosen deliberately by the person they observed, but not if it could be attributed to external constraints. This selective ...

Somatic stem cells obtained from skin cells for first time ever

Skipping pluripotency 'detour,' Max Planck researcher Prof. Schöler again takes lead in stem cell research Breaking new ground, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster, Germany, have succeeded in obtaining somatic stem cells from fully differentiated somatic ...

Highly flexible despite hard-wiring – even slight stimuli change the information flow in the brain

Neural networks of the brain can easily influence each other One cup or two faces? What we believe we see in one of the most famous optical illusions changes in a split second; and so does the path that the information takes in the brain. In a new theoretical study, scientists of the Max Planck ...

Virtual Compilation of Lorsch Monastic Library

Ministers from Hesse and Baden-Württemberg present the unique project The unique holdings of the medieval monastic library of Lorsch, currently scattered over 68 libraries worldwide, are being re-compiled into a virtual library. In cooperation with the Administration of State Houses and Gardens ...

A new short cut for stem cell programming

Researchers at the University of Bonn artificially derive brain stem cells directly from the connective tissue of mice Scientists at the Life & Brain Research Center at the University of Bonn, Germany, have succeeded in directly generating brain stem cells from the connective tissue cells of ...

Weather records due to climate change: a game with loaded dice

03/25/2012 - The past decade has been one of unprecedented weather extremes. Scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany argue that the high incidence of extremes is not merely accidental. From the many single events a pattern emerges. At least for extreme ...

Launch of the Country Campaign Russia in Moscow

Under the brand “Research in Germany - Land of Ideas”, the BMBF, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is hosting issue- and country-specific campaigns abroad for the Centre of Research and Innovation Germany. Now also in Russia, under the slogan “Russia and Germany - ...

Launch of the Country Campaign Russia in Moscow

Successful launch of ATV-3 'Edoardo Amaldi'

It is a freighter, storage facility and propulsion system all in one – and an important link between the astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) and their base on Earth. The third European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) space transporter was launched on 23 March 2012 at 05:34 ...

Siemens is European patent champion - Lead in European patent applications increased

Siemens is again the uncontested leader in patent applications in Europe. According to the 2011 Patent Applicant Ranking of the European Patent Office (EPO), the company submitted 2,235 patent applications (excluding Osram: 1,994) to the EPO in calendar year 2011 to capture first place in the ...

Microlenses from a test tube

Max Planck researchers develop new method for the production of microlenses Inspired from Mother Nature: The body of the brittlestar Ophiocoma wendtii is studded with tiny crystalline lenses made of calcium carbonate. Microlenses like these are of great interest technologically, yet they have ...

When Our Skin Fails to Protect Us

A conversation about disorders affecting skin and hair featuring Prof. Thomas Krieg (University of Cologne), Dr. Angela Christiano (Columbia University Medical Center), and Dr. David Bickers (Columbia University Medical Center) at the German Center for Research and Innovation on March 26, 2012. ...

Construction Site Monitoring with 3D Models

Siemens researchers are developing a system for monitoring construction sites that uses optimized planning and logistics to save time, money, and energy. It regularly generates and updates a three-dimensional model of the construction site, documents the progress, and detects irregularities. The ...

Researchers demonstrate versatility of solid-state protein sensor

A novel type of sensor, based on nanometer-scale pores in a semiconductor membrane, is a step closer to practical use in applications such as analyzing the protein contents of a single cell. Researchers pioneering single-molecule nanopore sensor technology at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen ...

New Strategic Partnerships between Canadian and German Universities

On March 8, representatives of Canadian universities and their German partners concluded four cooperation agreements, paving the way for even closer collaboration between German and Canadian partners.

HRK map of main German university research areas is now online

For the first time ever, university research in Germany has been mapped. Launched today, the new online research map by the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) shows the particular areas of research that German universities are working on. “The scope and diversity of research activity at our ...

Germany Writes Big Check for Renewable Heating

At this year’s Ecobuild, Germany Trade & Invest presents opportunities in Europe’s largest market With the 20 percent renewable electricity mark already achieved, Germany is now targeting sustainable heating. EUR 500 million were provided in 2011 towards Germany’s renewable heating goal - 14 ...

Gravity is climate

How much ice is Greenland really losing? - Movement in the Earth's mantle? - Enough water for all? For the first time, the melting of glaciers in Greenland could now be measured with high accuracy from space. Just in time for the tenth anniversary of the twin satellites GRACE (Gravity Recovery ...

Times Higher Education World Reputation Ranking 2012

In the latest edition of the World Reputation Ranking compiled by the Times Higher Education magazine, which is published today, LMU has once again come out very well, improving its position by no less than six places in comparison with last year's showing. Now ranked in 42nd position, LMU is ...

Need for speed

Molecular ticket determines RNA’s destination and speed inside egg cell Like any law-abiding train passenger, a molecule called oskar RNA carries a stamped ticket detailing its destination and form of transport, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, ...

Public-spirited bacteria

The mathematics of microbial cooperation A superficial interpretation of Darwin’s theory of evolution would not lead one to believe that natural selection could give rise to cooperative behavior. After all, although socially responsible behavior may benefit communities, it imposes costs on ...

Fine-tuning of Protein Production in Plant Cells

Scientists at Heidelberg University study fine-tuning of protein production Throughout their life, plants form leaves and side roots. These two types of organs have something in common: their development is finely tuned by small regulatory RNA molecules, the trans-acting short interfering RNAs ...

Great International Interest in the Value of Nature

Leading environmental economists meet at the UFZ in advance of the Rio sustainability summit Leipzig. More than 250 scientists and experts from around the world will meet next week in Leipzig to discuss the economic value of biodiversity. The international conference with the title "TEEB ...

Driverless Metro from the Louvre to Arc de Triomphe

The Paris transport authority (RATP) is currently switching the Metro's Line 1 to fully automatic operation - which also means driverless. Siemens is responsible for the modernization of the automation technology. The new system is more energy-efficient in operation and makes it possible to ...

New material for greater energy efficiency

Almost every electrical device has them, whether computer network componentry, solar modules or electric cars. Power converters convert ac to dc and vice versa and make sure that the voltage from the grid is just right for each consumer. The heart of these electrical circuits takes the form of ...

Biokerosene proven in flight operations

DLR exhaust gas measurements during first operational Lufthansa flight using biosynthetic kerosene Lufthansa AG has conducted a long-term test of biokerosene on 1187 scheduled flights. This involved one of the engines of an Airbus A321 being powered by a fuel mixture containing 50 percent ...

Treatment for Wastewater in Open-pit Mines

Together with the Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg Siemens has developed plants for the treatment of wastewater in open-pit mines, which make the ore extraction process more environmentally friendly. As the operators can reuse the treated water, the mine requires less water. The ...

A new theory on the formation of the oldest continents

Geologists at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne have come up with a new idea as to how the earliest continents were formed Geologists from the Universities of Bonn and Cologne have demonstrated new scientific results in the April issue of the scholarly journal Geology, which provide a new ...

Snapshots of Firework in Nanoparticles: Beyond Conventional Ultrafast Spectroscopy

A Holy Grail of ultrafast science and technology is to image the changing structure of matter at the nanoscale during the interaction with light. An international collaboration including DESY photon scientists led by Thomas Möller of the Technical University Berlin and Christoph Bostedt of SLAC ...

Merck and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg cooperate in the field of new hybrid materials for more energy-efficient processes

Merck and the Cluster of Excellence Engineering of Advanced Materials (EAM) at Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) have today announced their cooperation in the field of new hybrid materials for more energy-efficient processes. This new strategic cooperation centers on ...

Validation of Landauer's principle

Results of an experiment that validates an important principle for information theory and computer science are published in Nature this week. NIM member Eric Lutz and his colleagues show that erasing information produces heat, as predicted by Rolf Landauer fifty years ago, and demonstrates the ...

obsAIRve - air quality forecasts now online

"How clean is my air?" People, businesses and public authorities across Europe can now find this out online – the new 'obsAIRve' service portal provides rolling three-day forecasts and current observations of air quality for places and regions across Europe. All information is presented in a ...

Orientation of ants: every cue counts

Foraging desert ants always find their way back to the nest, even when it is only marked by a magnetic cue, vibration, or carbon dioxide. Desert ants have adapted to a life in a barren environment which only provides very few landmarks for orientation. Apart from visual cues and odours the ants ...

Climate risks of bioenergy underestimated

Joint press release by Technische Universität Berlin and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Energy from biomass presents underappreciated risks, new research published in Nature Climate Change shows. “A precautionary approach is needed,” says Ottmar Edenhofer, chief economist of the ...

The German-Japanese Riken Max Planck Joint Research Centre for Systems Chemical Biology is taking shape

Kick-off symposium at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology in Dortmund from 5th to 7th March March 08, 2012 In April 2011, both the Presidents of the Max Planck Society and Riken signed the establishing agreement. Less than a year later, a Japanese delegation of 35 scientists ...

The dance of the chaperones

Max Planck scientists identify key player of protein folding Proteins are the molecular building blocks and machinery of cells and involved in practically all biological processes. To fulfil their tasks, they need to be folded into a complicated three-dimensional structure. Scientists from the ...

The smallest radio stations in the world

Individual photons, transmitted from one molecule to another, could be used to carry quantum information Radio communication is now possible on the most elementary level: scientists at the ETH Zurich and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen have used two molecules as ...

Cell movement patterns

A method that enables scientists to grow cells on easily generated fine structures provides new insights into cell migration Whereas a cut knee often reduces children to tears, adults are more likely to be distressed by the fear of cancer. In both cases, that is wound healing and the growth and ...

Healthy ageing begins in womb

Neurologists investigate stress in pregnancy on brain ageing 08.03.2012 Maternal stress during pregnancy influences brain ageing and age-associated diseases such as dementia and stroke. In this 3 million Euro EU-funded project, neurologists at the Jena University Hospital (Germany), ...

Wellness for dairy cows

Center of Integrated Dairy Research to allow balanced milk production Does butter taste better when the cows are happy? How much is too muchfor a liter of milk? What will dairy cows of the future look like? Whatdoes a glass of milk have to do with environmental protection? Willcows be pastured ...

The immune response to viral infections

T cells are crucial for protective immunity Many modern vaccines use genetically altered viruses to induce protective immune responses to pathogenic viral strains. A recently published study throws new light on the elements that determine the immunogenic efficacy of antiviral vaccines. The ...

An OFF switch for pain

The notion of a pain switch is an alluring idea, but is it realistic? Well, chemists at LMU Munich, in collaboration with colleagues in Berkeley and Bordeaux, have now shown in laboratory experiments that it is possible to inhibit the activity of pain-sensitive neurons using an agent that acts ...

Back-side solar cell including silicon hetero contacts from HZB and ISFH reaches record efficiency

Independent test laboratory confirms 20,2 percentage A new type of solar cells called “Back Contact Hetero Transition Solar Cell” achieved an enormous progress concerning the efficiency of solar cells. The results that were published until 2011 hit only 15 to 16 per cent. The new type of solcar ...

A foot in the door to genetic information

In the cell nucleus, DNA wraps around what are called histone proteins, forming regularly spaced spherical bodies called nucleosomes. Thus, large portions of the genetic material are inaccessible to the gene reading machinery. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches ...

Poor impulse control keeps children from sharing

Late development of the prefrontal cortex explains why children find it hard to suppress selfish impulses When children fail to share fairly with each other, it may not be due to poor understanding of what constitutes right and wrong; after all, they grasp early on that fairness and generosity ...

Sperm can do calculus!

The speed at which the calcium concentration in the cell changes controls the swimming behaviour of sperm. They can calculate the calcium dynamics and react accordingly. Sperm have only one aim: to find the egg. The egg supports sperm in their quest by emitting attractants that induce changes in ...

Internet-based therapy relieves persistent tinnitus

A German-Swedish study shows that internet-based self-help training for tinnitus is as successful as group therapy 07.03.2012 Those suffering from nagging tinnitus can benefit from internet-based therapy just as much as patients who take part in group therapy sessions. These are the findings of ...

Electrons catch a wave

Physicists use ultrashort laser pulses to drive and accelerate electrons out of nanotips (pug) In 1905 Albert Einstein transformed physics with his explanation of the famous photoelectric effect. In his Nobel-Prize-winning work, Einstein abandoned classical principles and introduced the concept ...

Crush hour in the test-tube

Overcrowding spoils the law of mass action The rate at which two chemical species react with one another is partly determined by the probability that they will collide. The so-called law of mass action explicitly takes account of this fact, stating that the reaction rate is dependent on the ...

'We need energy storage for the energy transition'

Interview with Ulrich Wagner, Executive Board Member for Energy and Transport at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Until now, energy storage has mainly been used in devices such as mobile phones or notebook computers. Energy experts say this is going to change. As the use of renewable energy ...

alpha ventus 2011 Annual Review - Encouraging Offshore Power Yields

The alpha ventus consortium DOTI, formed by the companies of EWE, E.ON and Vattenfall, can look back with satisfaction on a successful 2011: the twelve wind power turbines of Germany's first offshore wind farm have fed over 267 gigawatt hours of electricity into the German power grid over the ...

Charging up qubits in diamonds

A method for manipulating the charge of nitrogen vacancy-centres in diamond - which are thought to be important areas in the creation of qubits in quantum computers - is reported in Nature Communications this week. The approach, which relies on the use of electrolytes similar to those used in ...

Introducing plug-and-play nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS)

The measurement of very low concentrations of various agents plays an important role in medicine, pharmacology and food technology. So-called "nanomechanical resonators" - vibrating nanostrings - represent promising candidates for suitable detectors, because their oscillating motion is extremely ...

Researchers discover possible approach to the treatment of aggressive breast cancer

Blocking of receptor protein prevents the development of breast cancer metastases in mice In particularly aggressive forms of breast cancer, cancer cells can settle in other organs and form metastases there. Once such metastases form, complete recovery is rare. Consequently, it is enormously ...

Cebit 2012: 3D animations for everyone

3D movies like "Toy Story" or "Transformers" are based on everyday objects that are able to move like humans. Such 3D characters are created by skilled experts in time-consuming manual work. Computer scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics have now developed two computer programs ...

Photovoltaics with Record Efficiency

The photovoltaics manufacturer Semprius has achieved a record efficiency rating of 33.9 percent for its high-performance concentrator photovoltaic (PV) modules. Siemens has a 16-percent stake in the U.S. start-up and wants to develop the technology further. Production of the modules is scheduled ...

Software Architecture for the Car of the Future

The global Siemens research department Corporate Technology is working with partners to develop new information and communications technology (ICT) for future electric cars. In vehicles built with this new technology, the driver assistance, safety, and infotainment features will mostly be ...

Observations refute widely held view on causal mechanism in ALS

In science, refuting a hypothesis can be as significant as proving one, all the more so in research aimed at elucidating how diseases proceed with a view toward preventing, treating, or curing them. Such a discovery can save scientists from spending precious years of effort exploring a dead end. ...

Don´t blame it on the traffic!

Several million euros in funding for systems biologists at DKFZ

In February and March of this year, three new research consortia have started work at DKFZ. They are funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of its program "Systems Biology in Cancer Research - CancerSys" and will receive funds amounting to nine million euros over ...

New approach to stroke therapy

LMU researchers developed a new strategy for the treatment of stroke, which could help to improve blood flow to ischemic brain. Strokes are due to a localized reduction in the blood supply to the brain, mainly due to the blockage of a vessel by a blood clot. This can lead to the death and ...

German Research and Academic Institutions Sign Cooperation Agreement with Russia's Skolkovo Foundation

TU Berlin, Science and Technology Park Berlin Adlershof and Campus Berlin-Buch sign letters of intentNew chapter in long-lasting academic relations between both countriesScientific network of the Skolkovo Foundation continues to grow Today marked a new milestone in cooperation between Russian ...

Aimed shot on single molecules

Nowadays, large laser systems provide ultra-short light pulses of very high intensity, which – in principle – allow the imaging of matter and its dynamics on atomic scales, down to a single molecule or a virus. However, current methods fall short in efficiency to overlap a target molecule in a ...

Swarming and transporting

Research News Mar 01, 2012 - On its own, an ant is not particularly clever. But in a community, the insects can solve complicated tasks. Researchers intend to put this „swarm intelligence“ to use in the logistics field. Lots of autonomous transport shuttles would provide an alternative to ...

Helmet mounted display for safer helicopter flight

Helicopter flights and landings in poor visibility conditions always present pilots with special challenges. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has now completed a series of tests with a new helmet mounted display and has brought it into use a flight ...

Science No spin: Nerves of silk fibres

Many people view spiders with fear or disgust. The eight-legged creatures are generally thought to be ugly, and tarnished with a poisonous image. This bad PR could well be set for a boost, however. Today, researchers are busy making spider’s silk suitable for application in medicine. ...

Nose spray for panic attacks?

Current study on mice documents the anxiety-reducing effect of intranasally administered neuropeptide S Max Planck researchers have succeeded in showing in experiments on mice that the anxiolytic substance neuropeptide S (NPS) can be absorbed through the nasal mucosa and unfold its effect in the ...

Accelerator tunnel for the European XFEL completed

Construction of the more than 2 kilometre long accelerator tunnel of the European XFEL facility has been completed. At the end of February, the construction company ARGE Tunnel XFEL officially handed over the tunnel to Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY). Currently ARGE Tunnel XFEL is ...

Cause of a Particular Malformation of the Skeleton Clarified

Missing Gene Causes the Development of TAR Syndrome Scientists at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin in collaboration with the Sanger Institute in Cambridge and other cooperation partners in Belgium, the Netherlands and France, were able to identify a genetic defect that is responsible for the ...

Research experience in Germany facilitates international careers The Humboldt Foundation evaluates its fellowship programme

The Humboldt Foundation evaluates its fellowship programme If you have been a Humboldt research fellow at an early age, you are likely to go on to have a successful career in academia. This is the message contained in the evaluation of the Fellowship Programme that has just been published: more ...

German Consulate General in Edinburgh welcomes German-Scottish literature project

Mainz University and the University of Edinburgh to work jointly on researching "The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border" by Sir Walter Scott 23.02.2012The German Consulate General in Edinburgh has welcomed the inception of a joint German-Scottish research project concerning the ballads published ...

Balloon flights – improving climate models with BHEA

The first sounding balloons are in the air, and by 30 April 2012, 90 of these atmospheric probes will have been launched in sequence to gather data. Starting at Oberpfaffenhofen, their purpose is to record wind velocities and temperatures, especially at elevations between 12 and 30 kilometres. ...

The Path to Personalized Breast Cancer Therapy

Adjusting breast cancer therapy to individual patients to avoid ineffective treatment: Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin and eleven partner institutions from six countries have set this as their goal. They have launched the EU research project RESPONSIFY. Prof. Carsten Denkert, project director ...

Research for Internet of the Future

Status Meeting on Future Internet Technology, February 14 and 15, 2012, at Freie Universität Berlin The exploration of new technologies for the Internet of the future is the focus of a conference to be held February 14 and 15 at Freie Universität Berlin. About 100 scientists from industry and ...

Flying high in Europe

Big science teams up with big business to kick‐start European cloud computing Today a consortium of leading IT providers and three of Europe’s biggest research centres (CERN, EMBL and ESA) announced a partnership to launch a European cloud computing platform. ‘Helix Nebula ‐ the Science Cloud’, ...

Simulator computes evacuation scenarios for major events

Predicting how large numbers of visitors to major events will behave is difficult, even using evidence based on past experience. To prevent disasters, however, the police, rescue services and event organizers have to be able to identify dangerous bottlenecks, hidden obstacles and unexpected ...

New Emmy Noether Junior Research Group

Heidelberg astronomers investigate how galaxies get their stars A newly established Emmy Noether Junior Research Group at the Centre for Astronomy of Heidelberg University (ZAH) will be inquiring into the way stars form in galaxies. The research team headed by Dr. Frank Bigiel engages with a ...

With nanometer precision

Protein transportation via "Cut & Paste" method Peptides and antibodies can be used as new handles and anchors for single-molecule cut and paste (SMC&P), as reported by Hermann Gaub and co-workers, University of Munich, Germany. According to the authors, their most recent results are an ...

Catalyser for clean rainforest air

Plant odour isoprene buffers atmospheric self-cleaning capacity The atmosphere’s robust capacity to clean itself is owed to the consistent recycling of its cleaning agent. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz have now clarified exactly how hydroxyl radicals, which ...

An electrical switch for magnetic current

A multiferroic tunnel junction provides storage media with increased data density A new mechanism will make it possible to switch data storage in the future. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle use a short electric pulse to change the magnetic transport ...

SCIAMACHY - 10 years monitoring climate in space

How has our ozone layer changed in the last 10 years? How do trace gases like nitrous oxides, carbon dioxide and methane influence our climate? How do environmental protection measures work? These were the questions that German researchers sought to address when, 10 years ago – on 28 February ...

The end of the 'Lily of the Valley phenomenon' in sperm research?

Sperm cannot detect smells. According to a 2003 study by German and American scientists, a component of the Lily of the Valley scent known as Bourgeonal alters the calcium balance of human sperm and attracts the sperm. The "Lily of the Valley phenomenon" - also the title of a book about smelling ...

Scientists Target Major Bottleneck in Structural Biology

X-ray free-electron lasers make membrane structure determination easier In terms of potential drug development, membrane proteins are of immense pharmaceutical interest. Studying their structures is an imperative step for successful drug design. Unfortunately, membrane protein structure ...

Making the most of what you have

Bacterium fine-tunes proteins for enhanced functionality The bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which causes atypical pneumonia, is helping scientists uncover how cells make the most of limited resources. By measuring all the proteins this bacterium produces, scientists at the European Molecular ...

Forestry scientists from Göttingen 'minders' of China's forests

International research project to develop utilisation concepts with 1.35 million Euros in funding (pug) Forestry scientists at Göttingen University are looking at new, long-term concepts for the utilisation and management of forests in China. Within the last 30 years, up to 50 million hectares ...

New defence mechanism against viruses and cancer identified

A team of scientists from the Charité and German Rheumatism Research Center Berlin and the University of Geneva has found a fundamentally new mechanism how our defense system is ramped up when facing a viral intruder. Exploitation of this mechanism in vaccines sparks new hope for better ...

Dangerous bacterium gets cold feet

Helmholtz scientists disarm plague pathogen's next of kin In medieval Europe, the Black Death once decimated large parts of the population. Although in Europe no longer a genuine cause for concern, in Africa, South America, and India the Bubonic plague still to this day poses a viable threat to ...

Storm surges: Only every second person feels endangered – sensitivity to climate change is decreasing.

How safe do people feel when living behind the dykes? Since 2008, the Institute of Coastal Research at the Helmholtz Centre Geesthacht has been conducting annual surveys of the population of Hamburg on the topic of climate change and its potential impact. One result: only every second person ...

Targeting the bacterial protective shield

Research consortium set on developing new drugs that target bacterial biofilms Slime-like and near impenetrable are biofilms built by a number of bacterial cells during the course of an infection. Typically, they are composed of long molecular strands called polymers. Many different species of ...

New distributed research infrastructure for structural biology

Instruct formally launched Breakthroughs in biomedical science are a step closer today, with the launch of a new distributed research infrastructure for the science of structural biology: Instruct. The launch of Instruct will give academic and commercial scientists across Europe access to a full ...

113 superconducting high-tech magnets for the accelerator facility FAIR

GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH in Darmstadt, Germany, has placed an order with Babcock Noell GmbH for the manufacture and supply of 113 superconducting high-tech magnets for the accelerator facility FAIR. The magnets, each of which weighs more than a ton, are required for the ...

Game Console Technology in the Operating Room

In the future, a surgeon will need only a hand movement to browse through a patient's x-ray images during an operation. Until now it has been much harder to operate the monitors because surgical team members are not allowed to touch any objects other than surgical instruments, due to the risk of ...

Ultralight vehicles: New cooperative venture strengthens magnesium research in Geesthacht

In the framework of the World Premier Materials (WPM) development programme, the South Korean government has provided more than 100 million dollars to fund research and development in the field of magnesium technology. The Magnesium-Innovations Center (MagIC) in Geesthacht will be an important ...

Unique in Germany: the DLR railway test laboratory

Sometimes the light goes out for a fraction of a second, and sometimes the high speed train is forced to stop at a border, making the journey time longer – anyone travelling in Europe as a rail passenger can sometimes experience the practical effects of using over 20 different train control and ...

Quick Roll-Changing in Steelstrip Production

Siemens simplifies the production of steel strips: A new technology is making the exchange of pinch rolls in hot strip mills faster and more efficient. The patented process reduces the time needed to replace pinch rolls in the down-coiling area by several hours, down to about ten minutes. ...

Core Facilities: Promoting Outstanding Research Infrastructure

While most of the programmes funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) focus on scientific projects, the DFG’s Gerätezentren – Core Facilities initiative was developed to improve research frameworks. Many German universities and research institutions have ...

CeBIT 2012

“Urban living” is the slogan of Fraunhofer’s appearance at this year’s CeBIT. Fraunhofer City at CeBIT offers visitors more than 40 points of interest.Press Releases CeBIT 2012 CeBIT 2012: A robot sketches portraits An industrial robot as artist? From March 6-10, 2012, researchers will be ...

Access to Hightech Infrastructure all over Europe

New Alliance “Instruct” connects cutting edge technologies across the borders Abbildung einer Protein Sample Production Facility Making the most advanced technologies available to researchers all over Europe is the goal of the initiative “Instruct”. Fifteen research institutes from eight ...

Customized vaccine in a nasal spray format

HZI scientists investigate new approach to targeted activation and inhibition of defender cells Scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, Germany, are currently investigating Alpha-GalCerPEG, a substance capable of activating target groups of cells that are ...

Top clusters are a model for Europe

International cluster conference in Berlin / Schavan: "Top clusters create the prosperity of tomorrow” / EU Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn: "High-tech strategy is exemplary” Outstanding achievements in research and innovation are frequently generated by high-tech clusters in cooperation with ...

Half a billion for climate innovation - EU Commissioners visiting Climate-KIC

02/23/2012 - Today two European Commissioners are in Berlin for talks with the European Climate Knowledge and Innovation Community (Climate-KIC). In only three years, Climate-KIC and its partners will invest around half a billion Euros in European climate innovation. Through this effort, science ...

New Representation in São Paulo

DFG Expands its Presence in Latin America / German House of Science and Innovation Opens With an expanded presence and in a new environment, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) aims to further strengthen research cooperation between Germany and Latin America ...

BASF launches white biotechnology research lab in the United States

Ludwigshafen, Germany/Florham Park, NJ - February 22, 2012 - BASF has opened a new white biotechnology and microbiology research center in Tarrytown, New York. In the laboratory, biologists and biotechnologists will work to develop more efficient biotechnological production processes and - ...

Universities and Their Impact on the Economy and Society

What do Germany’s oldest university and New York City’s highly visible Tech Campus competition have in common? Find out how the symbiotic relationship between universities and their surrounding areas can influence a region on February 29, 2012, at the German Center for Research and Innovation ...

No such thing as a typical criminal career

Freiburg study questions established criminological theories Is there such a thing as a typical criminal career? This was the question addressed by criminologist Volker Grundies from the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law in Freiburg. This study examined the data of ...

'Sauber+': More Than Just Clean Water

"Residue from medications are polluting waste water more and more," summarizes Professor Johannes Pinnekamp from the RWTH Institute of Environmental Engineering (ISA). It is expected that the use of pharmaceuticals, among other things, is increasing again due to demographic change. "Waste water ...

Observing Single Atoms during Relaxation toward Equilibrium

Results of a Quantum Simulation Published in Nature Physics Scientists from Freie Universität Berlin, the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich) have succeeded for the first time in simulating the dynamic behavior of strongly correlated ...

Bavarian research cooperation ForLayer develops worldwide hardest Nano diamond foil

Research work about innovative coating possibilities leads to three patent applications 20-times harder than hardened steel, twice as firm as common ceramic foils, thermally insulating and furthermore applicable where diamond coating was not possible until now: The patented multilayer Nano ...

Incidence of type 1 diabetes-associated autoantibodies is particularly high in early childhood

Neuherberg, 14.02.2012. The incidence of autoantibodies against antigens of the insulin-producing beta cells has a peak between the age of nine months and two years. In turn, children who develop autoantibodies at this early age have a very high risk of developing type 1 diabetes by the age of ...

Saving data in vortex structures

Faster, smaller and more energy-efficient – that is what computers of the future should be like. A new phenomenon stands to make a major contribution in this direction: It needs 100,000 times less current than existing technologies, and the number of atoms needed for a data bit could diminish ...

Eat and let die

Kiel biologist discovers new animal enzyme to use plant toxins for self-defence Certain insects, such as the African variegated grasshopper (Zonocerus variegatus) or the cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae), native in Europe and Asia, feed on toxic plants in order to protect themselves from ...

Black Arsenic: Fact or Fiction?

Phosphorus and arsenic are on top of each other in one group of the periodic table, so they have many similar properties. In addition to tubular forms, phosphorus is found in white, red, black, and purple structural forms. At room temperature, black phosphorus is the stable form; the others are ...

Trapped in a ring

Ring-like protein complex helps ensure accurate protein production In fairy tales, magic rings endow their owners with special abilities: the ring makes the wearer invisible, fulfils his wishes, or otherwise helps the hero on the path to his destiny. Similarly, a ring-like structure found in a ...

Enhanced zooming on maps

Road maps and city maps in the Internet could be even more attractive and user-friendly than today. This is what computer scientists of the University of Würzburg are currently working on. One of their objectives is to develop maps the scale of which changes gradually rather than abruptly when ...

Live from the thymus: T-cells on the move

For the first time, scientists follow the development of individual immune cells in a living zebrafish embryo T-cells are the immune system’s security force. They seek out pathogens and rogue cells in the body and put them out of action. Their precursors are formed in the bone marrow and migrate ...

10 years of risk assessment for nanomaterials - conclusions to date: no unusual risks

The intermediary report on "10 Years of Research: Risk Assessment, Human and Environmental Toxicology of Nanomaterials" by the joint DECHEMA/VCI Working Group "Responsible Production and Use of Nanomaterials" is now available in English. Experts from industry and research institutions have ...

DFG to Establish Four New Research Units

Topics Range from Digital Knowledge Representation to Ecological Networks The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has approved the establishment of four new Research Units. This decision was taken by the DFG’s Senate at its February meeting in Bonn. The purpose of ...

Determination of the immunoproteasome crystal structure

Like a shredder, the immunoproteasome cuts down proteins into peptides that are subsequently presented on the cellular surface. The immune system can distinguish between self and nonself peptides and selectively kills cells that due to a viral infection present non-self peptides at their ...

Rivaling the World's smallest Reptiles: New tiny Chameleons discovered in Madagascar

German and American scientists under the lead of Frank Glaw (Zoologische Staatssammlung München) report about newly discovered dwarf chameleons from Madagascar (published in PLoS One). The smallest of the four new species, Brookesia micra, reaches 24 mm in total length including tail and thus ...

A Salmon DNA- and Nanosilver-based Data Storage Device

A Novel Type of Biopolymer Film for Low-cost Ecological Encoding of Information A novel type of salmon DNA- and nanosilver-based biopolymer film allows low-cost environmentally friendly storage of information. The organic system has been developed through interdisciplinary international ...

Truck Scheduling in a Matter of Minutes

IT at KIT: Researchers Parallelizing Transport Planning Software on Multi-core Computers / Time Savings of a Factor of 18 Shipping companies optimize their truck transport schedules and, hence, their costs by means of special software. As a matter of fact, however, calculation of optimum routes ...

BASF to invest USD 33 million in R&D facilities in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Focus on plant biotechnology and crop protection research LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NORTH CAROLINA, February 15, 2012 - BASF today announced a USD 33 million investment to expand its facilities in Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina. Nearly 80,000 sq. ft. of ...

Siemens Awarded German Industry Innovation Prize

With its world-record gas turbine, Siemens has won this year's "Innovationspreis der deutschen Wirtschaft" (Innovation Award of German Industry) in the large companies category. Established under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the award was presented on February ...

Medico: Smarter Use of Medical Data

Medico, a computer-based assistance system, could help doctors perform diagnoses and identify the right treatment. That's an important step on the path to personalized medicine. Medico is one of six application scenarios of the research program Theseus of the German Federal Ministry of ...

The Helmholtz Association is offering 40 postdoc positions

The Helmholtz Association contributes to solving grand challenges which face society, science and industry by performing top-rate research in six research fields. With a total of 31,745 staff work in its 18 research centres the Helmholtz Association is Germany's largest scientific research ...

Scientists discover new mechanism for muscular elasticity

An international team of scientists discovered a new mechanism which provides elasticity to our muscles. Using X-ray light of DESY's accelerator DORIS, the team of Matthias Wilmanns from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory EMBL investigated a specific protein that links muscular filaments. ...

How globular star clusters survive collisions

Simulations shed new light onto the turbulent birth of objects approx. 13 billion years ago Our Milky Way galaxy is surrounded by some 200 compact groups of stars, which, viewed through small telescopes, look like snowballs. These globular clusters are 13 billion years old, which is almost as ...

Solar Power Stations Like Sunflowers are Optimal

RWTH researcher and mathematics professor Manuel Torrilhon and colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new way to lay out mirrors in solar power stations, which is both more compact and converts sunlight into energy more efficiently. Torrilhon ...

German House of Science and Innovation in Brazil begins operations

Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle inaugurates the DWIH São Paulo on 14 February 2012 Over 200 guests, including numerous DAAD alumni, attended the inauguration ceremony of the German House of Science and Innovation (DWIH) in São Paulo. For the Foreign Minister, the grand opening was the ...

Stress in cells activates hepatitis viruses

Substances which suppress the immune system while simultaneously keeping viral infections in check would be an ideal drug for organ transplant recipients. Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have now demonstrated that specific substances with ...

Cooperation in theoretical particle physics

DESY and Linz University prolong cooperation until 2017 Since 2007, DESY in Zeuthen and the RISC-Institute at Johannes-Kepler-University Linz (JKU) are working closely together in a cooperation for the development and use of computer algorithms. Until 2017, this cooperation will be prolonged and ...

The world’s strongest and purest neutron beam

The world’s strongest neutron beam is produced by a scientific instrument at the research neutron source FRM II (Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz) at the Technischen Universitaet Muenchen (TUM). But that is not all: During the long maintenance break in 2011, the instrument PGAA ...

Under cover of graphene

Researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin have developed a method to conserve electronic surface states using graphene. Scientists at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), together with colleagues from Dresden and Jülich, have succeeded in making the electronic surface-state of a metal extra-durable. To ...

Judder-free videos on the smartphone

Overloaded cellular networks can get annoying – especially when you want to watch a video on your smartphone. An optimised Radio Resource Manager will soon be able to help network operators accommodate heavy network traffic. Researchers will present their solution at the GSMA Mobile World ...

Jointly utilizing LTE networks

Data-intensive Internet applications on smartphones, tablets and laptops are more popular than ever before. The result: Traffic on the mobile network is increasing at a blinding speed. Intelligent technologies are intended to increase the data rates on the new LTE network. The solution is to use ...

Times are getting harder for thieves - biocoding equals security

People can now mark their possessions with artificial DNA, thus making it more likely for thieves and people who fence stolen goods to be caught red-handed. Each marker is as unique as a genetic fingerprint and can be easily visualized using UV light. The artificial DNA can also be used to prove ...

Art historian at Mainz University participates in a new project on the history of royal residential cities

The long-term cultural studies project will examine the interaction between the bourgeois civil society and courtiers in urban environments 10.02.2012 - The Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities has given the green light for a new long-term cultural studies research project for which ...

Six-Megawatt Direct-Drive Wind Turbine from Siemens

Siemens has launched a six-megawatt (MW) direct-drive wind turbine for use in offshore wind farms. Direct-drive wind turbines combine robust engineering with a low system weight. This not only reduces infrastructure, installation, and maintenance costs but also increases energy yields and ...

Ultra-high Voltage: 1.2-Megavolt Circuit Breaker

Siemens has developed the world's first circuit breaker capable of operating at 1.2 million volts. Ultra-high voltages increase the capacity of power cables, thereby making it possible to transport large amounts of electricity with a relatively small number of overhead lines. Circuit breakers ...

Space debris in the spotlight

DLR and the Laser Station in Graz provide Europe's first ever demonstration of laser location Every year, the number of small items of debris in space rises by tens of thousands. This number is currently based on estimates, as it has not been possible to track space debris accurately. ...

Science for Sustainability

8 Februrary 2012 - Ministers Schavan, Ramsauer and Röttgen open Science Year "Project Earth: Our Future" / Focus on local redevelopment Urban and rural communities play an important part in the development of sustainable lifestyles. They are therefore major players in the Science Year "Project ...

Young flies smell sweeter

Young fruit flies are sexually more attractive for the other sex / publication in "Journal of Experimental Biology" Münster (upm), Do, 09 Feb 2012 Old fruit flies are less sexually attractive than their younger counterparts. This is what an international team of researchers led by Prof. Scott ...

Ocean warming causes elephant seals to dive deeper

Bremerhaven, 8 February 2012, Global warming is having an effect on the dive behaviour and search for food of southern elephant seals. Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association cooperating in a joint study with biologists and ...

Molecular Chaperone for Membrane Proteins

Heidelberg biochemists decipher the "escort service" for biological solar collectors For photosynthesis, the chloroplasts of all green plants contain biological solar collectors known as light-harvesting proteins. Because these proteins are not manufactured in the plant cell where they are used, ...

Tiny galaxy with a huge appetite

For the first time, astronomers have caught a so-called dwarf galaxy in the process of swallowing another, even smaller galaxy. From small to large - this motto also applies in space. Tiny galaxies can merge into formidable Milky Way systems. But how do dwarf galaxies grow? Apparently, in a ...

Scientists make iron transparent

For the first time, an experiment shows that atomic nuclei can become transparent At the high-brilliance synchrotron light source PETRA III, a team of DESY scientists headed by Dr. Ralf Röhlsberger has succeeded in making atomic nuclei transparent with the help of X-ray light. At the same time ...

Environment Minister Röttgen meets Chinese colleague Zhou Shengxian

"China is an important partner for the German government. The range of environmental topics on which we cooperate bilaterally is impressive", said Federal Environment Minister Röttgen at a meeting with Chinese Environment Minister Zhou Shengxian in Berlin on 7 February 2012. The exchange on ...

BASF and COFCO Tunhe work together for sustainable tomato production in China

Develop integrated solutions to meet needs across the food value chainBASF sustainability expertise and newly established unit Functional Crop Care enrich cooperationInitial focus on AgCelence ® products LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY - February 8, 2012 - BASF and COFCO Tunhe, one of the world's largest ...

EAM destination of choice for Humboldt scholar

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) welcomes six new Humboldt scholars from different corners of the globe. One of them is working in the group of Andreas Hirsch. Prof. Dr. Sule Erten-Ela from Ege Üniversitesi in Izmir, Turkey has been a guest at the Chair for Organic ...

Zero Sum World? How Should the West Respond to the Growing Competition for Natural Resources?

An upcoming panel discussion at the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) will address how increased demand for diminishing natural resources will shape strategic international relationships in the 21st century. The event will take place on February 15, 2012. NEW YORK (February 8, ...

Excellent chemist does research on power supply using enzymes

Ceremony of first Clara Immerwahr Award on 10th February / Invitation to press conference with guided laboratory tour Dr. Kylie Vincent from Oxford University is the first winner of the Clara Immerwahr Award, conferred by the Berlin Cluster of Excellence UniCat. On 10th February 2012 the award ...

Professor Helmut Schwarz is awarded the Wilhelm Manchot Professorship

The Department of Chemistry of the Technische Universität München (TUM) and the Jürgen Manchot Foundation have awarded Professor Helmut Schwarz, a Chemist in the UniCat Cluster of Excellence and President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Manchot Research Professorship 2012. With ...

Increased crop yield through better insight in molecular networks

VIB and BASF Plant Science jointly develop TopYield TechnologyLargest collaboration VIB has entered in the field of plant biotechnologyCooperation supported by Flemish government agency IWT Ghent, Belgium and Ludwigshafen, Germany - February 7, 2012 - The VIB Department for Plant Systems Biology ...

Quantifying climate impacts: new comprehensive model comparison launched

02/07/2012 - Climate change has impacts on forests, fields, rivers – and thereby on humans that breathe, eat and drink. To assess these impacts more accurately, a comprehensive comparison of computer-based simulations from all over the world will start this week. For the first time, sectors ...

Bronze-Matryoshka: The metal in the metal in the metal

A doll in a doll, and then one more, enveloping them from the outside – this is how Thomas Faessler explains his molecule. He packs one atom in a cage within an atom framework. With their large surfaces these structures can serve as highly efficient catalysts. Just like in the Russian wooden ...

Mathematicians from Freie Universität Winners in Visualization Competition

Awarded by Prestigious Journal "Science Two mathematicians from Freie Universität Berlin are winners in the world’s leading visualization competition for science and engineering. Konstantin Poelke and Professor Konrad Polthier won honorable mention in the International Science & Engineering ...

Entire genome of extinct human decoded from fossil

The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, in Leipzig, Germany, has completed the genome sequence of a Denisovan, a representative of an Asian group of extinct humans related to Neandertals. In 2010, Svante Pääbo and his colleagues presented a draft version of the genome from a ...

Sharp images from the living mouse brain

Max Planck scientists in Göttingen have for the first time made finest details of nerve cells in the brain of a living mouse visible. To explore the most intricate structures of the brain in order to decipher how it functions - Stefan Hell’s team of researchers at the Max Planck Institute for ...

Colorectal cancer: Phase II results with cancer vaccine IMA910 are positive

immatics biotechnologies GmbH, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing advanced therapeutic vaccines that are active against cancer, announced positive results from its Phase II clinical trial with IMA910 in patients with advanced colorectal cell carcinoma (CRC) which were ...

Falcon – measurement flights in Malaysia

Project SHIVA reveals presence of ozone-depleting halogen compounds The coastal regions of Malaysia are major source areas of biogenic halogen compounds capable of damaging the ozone layer. This was the verdict reached by scientists from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- ...

Foreign Minister will inaugurate the German House of Science and Innovation São Paulo

The German Foreign Minister, Dr. Guido Westerwelle, will inaugurate the German House of Science and Innovation in São Paulo and will hereby start the operating phase. The German House of Science and Innovation Sao Paulo houses the following German institutions under one roof: Partners in the ...

CI3 immunotherapy cluster wins the Leading-Edge Cluster competition held by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research

More than €80 mio. in funding for the development of individualized forms of immunotherapy and diagnostics 06.02.2012The independent jury of the third round of the Leading-Edge Cluster competition organized by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research has selected the winners of this ...

Meteorological observatory becomes climate observation station – 30 years of temperature measurements at Neumayer Antarctic research station

Bremerhaven, 12 January 2012. The meteorological observatory at the Antarctic Neumayer Station III is now officially considered to be a climate observation station by virtue of the fact that meteorologists of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association ...

Project NEOShield: Asteroid defence systems

International cooperation under the leadership of DLR It is not entirely clear when exactly the last major asteroid impact on Earth occurred. But there are plenty of examples of impact craters, such as the Nördlinger Ries in Bavaria. That there will be other collisions in the future is something ...

OLYMPUS starts research programme

Detector at DORIS starts the first of two measuring periods In the past decades, the image of the proton has become ever more precise. Especially DESY's accelerator HERA has helped physicists to clearly understand the complexity of the particles they are currently smashing in the Large Hadron ...

79 international young researchers from 28 countries to meet in Kiel

Fellows’ meeting of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation at the University of Kiel from 8 to 10 February 79 young researchers from 28 countries will be guests at Christian Albrechts University in Kiel (CAU) from 8 to 10 February 2012 for the network meeting of the Alexander von Humboldt ...

Disturbed lipid balance in mitochondria can cause cardiomyopathy

Neuherberg, 27.01.12. Disturbances in the lipid balance of mitochondria* and the related functional impairment of the mitochondrial membrane proteins are possible causes of cardiomyopathy*. This has been demonstrated by a study currently being conducted by scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum ...

Award for Pioneering Work in Biomedical Basic Research

Dr. Anton Meinhart and Prof. Michael Platten receive the 2011 Chica and Heinz Schaller Research Awards The Heidelberg scientists Dr. Anton Meinhart and Prof. Michael Platten will receive the Chica and Heinz Schaller Research Award for their pioneering work in biomedical basic research. The ...

European Fashion Award – FASH 2012 By Stiftung der Deutschen Bekleidungsindustrie – SDBI

Victory and loss, pain or relief – sports invoke pure emotions and have seeped into almost all areas of life, even fashion. Yet performance sportswear does not play a very significant role in fashion design schools. The European Fashion Award FASH 2012, in cooperation with the Special Award Gore ...

Foreign Minister will inaugurate the German House of Science and Innovation São Paulo

Bayer CO2 project among best ideas for the future

Pilot plant in Leverkusen is one of the "Selected Landmarks 2012" / Innovative process for producing plastics with carbon dioxide Leverkusen, February 2, 2012 - A Bayer project for using the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as a component for plastics is among Germany's most promising ideas for the ...

How much energy does a machine tool require? METAV 2012 brings users' and manufacturers' skills together.

02.02.2012 - In times where the user is not running his machines at full load, there are several levers available for saving energy, says Professor Hermann. One option in concatenated production operations is to plan the process chain so skilfully that no waiting times occur. Sometimes ...

Genetic information migrates from plant to plant

Sexually incompatible species exchange chloroplast genomes at contact zones Plant scientists were confounded by the fact that the DNA extracted from the plants’ green chloroplasts sometimes showed the greatest similarities when related species grew in the same area. They tried to explain this ...

Millisecond pulsars: the discovery of deceleration

Stellar astrophysics helps to explain the behaviour of fast rotating neutron stars in binary systems Pulsars are among the most exotic celestial bodies known. They have diameters of about 20 kilometres, but at the same time roughly the mass of our sun. A sugar-cube sized piece of its ...

Human immune cells react sensitively to

Scientists at the University Medical Center in Mainz prove multiple DNA repair defect in monocytes 02.02.2012 Scientists working with Professor Bernd Kaina of the Institute of Toxicology at the Medical Center of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz have demonstrated for the first time that ...

Collective action

Occupied genetic switches hold clues to cells’ history If you wanted to draw your family tree, you could start by searching for people who share your surname. Cells, of course, don’t have surnames, but scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have ...

Positive outlook for ACHEMA 2012 - energy and resources in focus

In the run-up to ACHEMA one thing is already evident: the organizers and the exhibitors are unanimously optimistic about the world's biggest fair for chemical engineering, biotechnology and environmental protection, which will take place from 18-22 June 2012 in Frankfurt am Main. The figures ...

Electronic services for foreign research alumni

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation honours Göttingen University's concept (pug) In the ideas competition entitled "Research alumni of universities in Germany", the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation bestowed honourable mention upon the University of Göttingen, among others, for its research alumni ...

Open Access: Comprehensive Occupational Health and Safety Resource Now Available Online

DFG Provides No-Cost Access to MAK Collection / Milestone in Establishment of Free Access to Research Data / Transparent Policy Consultancy The DFG’s Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area has evaluated the state of research and provided ...

New study shows correlation between summer Arctic sea ice cover and winter weather in Central Europe

Potsdam/Bremerhaven, 26 January 2012. Even if the current weather situation may seem to speak against it, the probability of cold winters with much snow in Central Europe rises when the Arctic is covered by less sea ice in summer. Scientists of the Research Unit Potsdam of the Alfred Wegener ...

Halogenated Organic Molecules

Results from an international field measurement campaign coordinated by scientists from Heidelberg University's Institute of Environmental Physics Coastal waters of the tropical Western Pacific produce natural halogenated organic molecules involving chlorine, bromine and iodine atoms that may ...

Transgene insects: scientists call for more open data

Max Planck scientists analysing the release of genetically modified insects into the environment have found that the available scientific information can be misleading While genetically modified plants have already been introduced into the wild on a large scale in some parts of the world, the ...

Short-term memory is based on synchronized brain oscillations

Scientists have now discovered how different brain regions cooperate during short-term memory Holding information within one’s memory for a short while is a seemingly simple and everyday task. We use our short-term memory when remembering a new telephone number if there is nothing to write at ...

Anti-malaria drug synthesised with the help of oxygen and light

In future it should be possible to produce the best anti-malaria drug, artemisinin, more economically and in sufficient volumes for all patients The most effective anti-malaria drug can now be produced inexpensively and in large quantities. This means that it will be possible to provide ...

“One Month in India” – Presenting German Research Opportunities in India

In February and March 2012, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (AvH), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Research Foundation (DFG) and Fraunhofer join forces and organise events to present German innovation and research in India. The purpose of their joint effort "One ...

On the Origins of Our Solar System

Second funding period for DFG priority programme coordinated by Heidelberg scientists After positive evaluation by an international team of experts, the Priority Programme (SPP 1385) "The First Ten Million Years of the Solar System" supported by the German Research Council (DFG) has now embarked ...

Ultra-fast photodetector and terahertz generator

New applications for graphene Extremely thin, more stable than steel and widely applicable: the material graphene is full of interesting properties. As such, it is currently the shining star among the electric conductors. Photodetectors made with graphene can process and conduct light signals ...

Poisonous Morning Hygiene

Chemists reveal how algae delete unwanted 'competitors' Every morning when the sun comes up, the ocean ground is radically cleaned. As soon as the first rays of sunlight find their way into the water, the microalgae "Nitzschia cf pellucida" start their deadly 'morning hygiene'. The algae, the ...

Speed limit on the quantum highway

Propagation velocity of quantum signals A quantum computer based on quantum particles instead of classical bits can in principle outperform any classical computer. However, how fast and how efficient realistic quantum computers may actually be remains an open question. One critical parameter in ...

HIV Escapes Immune Response in Macrophages

HIV uses macrophages of the immune system as a hideout, where viral particles can persist without being attacked by antibodies. From these reservoirs, viruses can be directly transferred to non-infected cells. These are the results of a study carried out by scientists from Hamburg and München ...

Prejudices' Quite normal!

Psychologists analyse the development of prejudices within children Girls are not as good at playing football as boys, and they do not have a clue about cars. Instead they know better how to dance and do not get into mischief as often as boys. Prejudices like these are cultivated from early ...

Helicopters set to become more manoeuvrable - using humpback whales as the prototype

Modern helicopters could be significantly faster and more manoeuvrable - if aerodynamics did not impose limitations on them. Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) in Göttingen have now discovered and flight-tested a way to increase ...

Max Planck scientists very pleased about ERC grants

The Max-Planck-Gesellschaft has once again been successful in winning support from the European Research Council (ERC) January 30, 2012 With seven Advanced Grants, the MPG is Germany’s top recipient of EU funding. In response to its fourth call for applications, the ERC conferred a total of 294 ...

Hot molecule explains cold chemistry

Researchers shed light on the mystery surrounding energy-rich molecules in interstellar clouds Surprisingly, hydrogen cyanide and its far more energetic isomer, hydrogen isocyanide, are present in almost equal amounts in cold interstellar gas clouds. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for ...

The first atomic X-ray laser

A new perspective on the nanoworld: free-electron laser elicits extremely short and brilliant X-ray pulses from neon gas In future, scientists should be able to observe more closely how plants generate sugar from the energy in sunlight or how electricity is generated from solar cells. ...

Defects in the packaging of genetic material in malignant brain tumors

Glioblastomas are regarded as particularly aggressive brain tumors. In children with glioblastoma, Heidelberg scientists have now discovered genetic alterations that affect the function of DNA packaging proteins known as histones. In a cell, histones serve as coils around which the DNA wraps. At ...

Palusol achieves excellent sound attenuation levels

Fire protection doors constructed using Palusol SW successfully tested according to British Standard Palusol® SW fire resisting boards from BASF have achieved excellent sound attenuation levels inacoustic tests in accordance with the British Standard BS EN ISO 10140-2 at Chiltern International. ...

Scientists x-ray key enzyme for sleeping sickness

Free-electron lasers open new routes for structural biology An international team of scientists has for the first time crystallised a key enzyme of the pathogen for African sleeping sickness in a living cell and investigated it with the world’s strongest X-ray laser. This new method will open ...

Teck and BASF announce partnership to reduce zinc deficiency through micronutrient food solutions

Jointly developed solutions will reduce zinc deficiency among 100 million peoplePartnership aims to contribute to fulfill the UN Millennium Development Goals Davos, Switzerland, - January 27, 2012 - BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany, and Teck Resources Limited, Vancouver, Canada, announced at the ...

Technical Oscar for ARRI and Fraunhofer

The Munich-based producer of professional motion picture equipment ARRI and the Freiburg Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques have been awarded the “Academy Award of Merit” by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their jointly developed ARRILASER film recorder. ...

Heart of silk

Max Planck scientists use silk from the tasar silkworm as a scaffold for heart tissue Damaged human heart muscle cannot be regenerated. Scar tissue grows in place of the damaged muscle cells. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim are seeking to ...

Blood Test Instead of Biopsy Identifies Liver Damage

Siemens is marketing the first rapid, automated biomarker test for diagnosing and assessing liver fibrosis. The ELF test (Enhanced Liver Fibrosis test) takes approximately one hour to complete and requires only a blood sample. The process is therefore less invasive but just as reliable as the ...

Snapshots Make Power Grid More Efficient

Siemens wants to use “snapshots” of the power grid to help make it more stable. Power snapshots from smart meters by Siemens provide synchronous grid information with maximum precision from the low-voltage grid, data that can serve as a basis for analyzing these grids in cities and communities. ...

Software Development in High Performance Computing

The German Research Foundation (DFG) regards the redesign of software development in high performance computing as one of the main future challenges. Thus the DFG is first starting the priority program “Software for Exascale Computing (SPPEXA)” from the strategy fund. TUM informatics professor ...

The German Leading-Edge Cluster Competition has five new winners

The German Leading-Edge Cluster Competition in 2012 has now finished and five winners have been awarded. The Leading-Edge Cluster competition is intended to take Germany to the top of the league of technologically advanced nations. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research launched the ...

New mechanistic insights into adaptive learning

Associative learning leads to changes in the brains internal connectivity The brain is a fantastically complex and mysterious device, too large and with too many internal connections to be entirely programmable genetically. Its internal connectivity must therefore self-organize, based on the one ...

Physicists develop an innovative light source

Tiny components with the ability to emit single particles of light are important for various technological innovations. Physicists of the Universities of Würzburg, Stuttgart and Ulm have made significant progress in the fabrication of such structures. Why are researchers interested in light ...

Students develop internet portal enabling users to gain information on the results of DNA analyses

If people could look into the future they would discover which illnesses they will suffer from – as well as when they will die. Although no one is clairvoyant, today experts can already predict for a range of illnesses – for example Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and various types of cancer – how ...

Artguardian: Watchman for artworks

A publicly displayed object of art experiences a lot: dazzling light, unfavorable temperatures or too much moisture. With ‘Artguardian’ Fraunhofer researchers have developed a fully automated, intelligent monitoring system helping art lovers to optimally preserve their objects of art. Thanks to ...

The first atomic X-ray laser

A group of scientists headed by Nina Rohringer from the Hamburg Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL) realized the first X-ray laser based on atoms at the Californian research centre SLAC. Using neon atoms, they generated ultra-short X-ray bursts of unique colour purity. In many cases, ...

Speed limit on the quantum highway

A quantum computer based on quantum particles instead of classical bits can in principle outperform any classical computer. However, how fast and how efficient realistic quantum computers may actually be remains an open question. One critical parameter in this context is the velocity with which ...

Predicting your own illnesses

Students develop internet portal enabling users to gain information on the results of DNA analyses Münster (upm), Do, 26 Jan 2012 - If people could look into the future they would discover which illnesses they will suffer from - as well as when they will die. Although no one is clairvoyant, ...

DLR 2012 – Research is an important investment for the future

As one of Europe's leading research institutions, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) will continue to align its research work with key issues concerning environmental protection, mobility, energy supply and security in 2012. The focus is to link results ...

Biological nano-motor with hybrid drive discovered

Methane building members of the archaeae form a link in the evolution of cellular bio energetics Methane building archaeae can be counted to the most original forms of life on earth. In the deep oceans those microorganisms gain energy for their metabolism with the generation of methane out of ...

First solar thermal power plant in Southeast Asia is fully operational

New direct steam generation principle co-developed by DLR is used in a parabolic trough collector The solar thermal power plant fed its full output of five megawatts into the grid for the first time on 25 January 2012. This power plant went into operation at the end of last year, and is the ...

New insights into nanoscale electronics

Physicists from Hannover and Geneva investigate single electron transport through semiconductor nanostructure The basic building block in conventional electronics is the transistor; a computer, for example, contains more than a billion transistors and worldwide nearly 10 billion transistors are ...

Efficient Subway Train Almost Entirely Recyclable

The new Inspiro from Siemens is currently one of the lightest subway trains in the world. Engineers at Siemens Mobility relied on a lightweight design with aluminum profiles while developing the rail vehicle. As a result, a six-car train is around six tons (or more than three percent) lighter ...

Laser materials processing for medical device manufacturing

At Compamed 2011, ROFIN showcased the latest developments in laser material processing. The focus was on manual laser welding and high-precision cutting with ultra short pulse femto / fiber laser sources for medical device manufacturing. Within a few months, ROFIN's newly designed manual welding ...

Funding approved for a Franco-German project looking at the synthesis of non-conducting surfaces

Cooperation between Professor Dr. Angelika Kühnle of Mainz University and André Gourdon of CEMES-CNRS 23.01.2012 Since early January 2012, Angelika Kühnle, Professor of Physical Chemistry at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and André Gourdon, Director of the Materials Science Institute ...

Acidification provides the thrust

How diamond-bearing kimberlites reach the surface Kimberlites are magmatic rocks that form deep in the Earth’s interior and are brought to the surface by volcanic eruptions. On their turbulent journey upwards magmas assimilate other types of minerals, collectively referred to as xenoliths (Greek ...

Function of Signaling Pathways in Cells

DFG approves second funding stage for integrated research venture involving Heidelberg and Karlsruhe The integrated research venture "Mechanisms, Functions and Evolution of Wnt Signaling Pathways" involving 11 teams of scientists from Heidelberg and Karlsruhe will be receiving funding to the ...

Magnetic particles in fabric softeners and nanotubes in creams?

International Workshop Dispersion Analysis organized by LUM in Berlin from 1-2 March Nanoparticles and convenience goods, having nothing in common at first sight, are subject to the same physical principles with respect to the characterization of their separation behaviour during production, ...

Bonobos‘ unusual success story

Dominant males invest in friendly relationships with females Mate competition by males over females is common in many animal species. During mating season male testosterone levels rise, resulting in an increase in aggressive behavior and masculine features. Male bonobos, however, invest much ...

How cells dispose of their waste

Max Planck researchers reveal the structure of the cellular protein degradation machinery Defective proteins that are not disposed of by the body can cause diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) of Biochemistry recently succeeded in revealing ...

Antipsychotic Drugs Increase the Activity of Endogenous Retroviruses in Humans

Neuherberg, January 16, 2012. The activity of human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) in brain cells of patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorders may be increased by treatment with antipsychotic medication. Scientists of the Helmholtz Zentrum München show in the current issue of PLoS ONE ...

Which Way Did It Go? New Insights into the Organization and Development of Brain Circuits That Compute Motion Direction

On January 31, 2012, David Fitzpatrick (Max Planck Florida Institute) and Joshua Sanes (Harvard University) will discuss how identifying motion-sensitive neurons in the visual system aids in understanding brain function and development. The event will take place at the German Center for Research ...

How Immune Cells Destroy Cancer Cells - MDC Researchers Elucidate Mechanism

Dr. Kathleen Anders and Professor Thomas Blankenstein of the Max Delbrück Center (MDC) Berlin-Buch and researchers of the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, California, USA showed that drug-based cancer treatment and adoptive T cell therapy are both highly ...

Rigged to explode?

Inherited mutation links exploding chromosomes to cancer An inherited mutation in a gene known as the guardian of the genome is likely the link between exploding chromosomes and some particularly aggressive types of cancer, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the ...

Avalanche of reactions at the origin of life

The origin of life is seen as the formation of the first biomolecules which may be subject to multiplication and further development. Hitherto it was unclear, which reactions could have triggered the evolution of this ur-metabolism. Now scientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) ...

PIK ranked amongst top environmental think tanks

01/20/2012 – The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research again has been ranked amongst the top environmental think tanks worldwide. In the 2011 survey now published, it has been placed on the fourth rank – slightly improving from a fifth rank in the year before and a seventh rank in 2009. ...

Innovation 'made in Germany' honoured by IKU award 2011

Competition sends important signal For the third time, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Federation of German Industries (BD) have jointly awarded a prize for outstanding innovations in the field of climate and environmental ...

Fusion of Images: CT and Ultrasound Combined

The new ACUSON S3000* ultrasound system from Siemens will be able to display pictures from different imaging technologies at the same time. It includes advanced automated ultrasound fusion imaging. This feature provides radiologists additional clinical and spatial information in the analysis of ...

BASF and Philips first to develop OLED lighting for use as a transparent car roof

OLED lighting concept for car roofs is a solar-powered light source, transparent when switched off BASF and Philips have achieved a practical breakthrough in the development of OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology that allows it to be integrated in car roofs. The OLEDs are transparent ...

Pictures of food create feelings of hunger

Max Planck researchers have proven something scientifically for the first time that laypeople have always known: the mere sight of delicious food stimulates the appetite. A study on healthy young men has documented that the amount of the neurosecretory protein hormone ghrelin in the blood ...

The chemistry of exploding stars

Meteorite contains evidence of formation of sulfur molecules derived from the ejecta of a supernova explosion Fundamental chemical processes in predecessors of our solar system are now a bit better understood: An international team led by Peter Hoppe, researcher at the Max Planck Institute for ...

Dirk Jancke coordinates German-Israeli Cooperation

Dirk Jancke (Bernstein Group Bochum, Ruhr Universität Bochum) is German coordinator of the new German-Israeli project "Decoding visual content and perception from neuronal population activity in visual cortex: VSDI, fMRI and computational modelling" (January 2012). How does our brain construct a ...

Keeping chemokines apart

New approach helps to alleviate acute lung injury Acute lung injury results from bacterial infections, sepsis – commonly known as blood poisoning – or to the aspiration of gastric juice. Other noxious agents may also induce or contribute to acute lung injury, and in about 40% of cases the ...

New Role for Membrane Components

Heidelberg scientists discover unexpected precision in membrane component interaction With the help of a newly devised procedure, Heidelberg University biochemists have cast light on the hitherto largely unexplained functioning of membrane components. In conjunction with bioinformaticians at ...

Anti-malaria drug synthesised with the help of oxygen and light

The fermented cereal beverage of the Sumerians may not have been beer

4000-year-old cuneiform writings from Mesopotamia tell us little about the brewing techniques used at the time Archaeological finds from cuneiform tablets and remnants of different vessels from over 4,000 years ago show that even around the dawn of civilisation, fermented cereal juice was highly ...

Invitation to New Year’s reception and awards ceremony for the ideas competition "Research alumni of universities in Germany" Reception with over 300 international guests on 19 January in Berlin

Reception with over 300 international guests on 19 January in Berlin The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is again inviting numerous guests from academia, politics and business, among them Humboldtians from all five continents, to its annual New Year’s reception on 19 January 2012 in Berlin. ...

Tracking human evolutionary history

Foundation of the Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology in Rehovot/Israel A new element is being brought in to the already well-developed and multifaceted cooperation between the Max Planck Society and Israel's Weizmann Institute: on 11 January 2012, Max Planck ...

VDMA Technology Symposia at glasstec 2012

17.01.2011 - "Energy- and resource-efficient Technology in designing Glass Machinery" and "Innovative Production Technology for Solar Products and Applications" are the titles of two symposia that VDMA Forum Glass Technology organises at this year's glasstec. The glasstec exhibitors may join ...

World's best metronome enables slow-motion pictures of atoms and molecules

The world's most accurate metronome keeps stroke to an incredible 10 quintillionth of a second. The device enables slow-motion pictures from the world of molecules and atoms, scientists from the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL) in Hamburg, Germany, and the Massachusetts Institute of ...

Genetic fingerprint reveals new efficient maize cultivars

A computer model predicts the ability of different maize lines to produce high-yield offspring The parent’s performance has little to do with the child's success - at least in maize. Even weak parent plants can be crossed in a way in which they produce vigorous offspring. But not all plants by ...

A nanoear to listen into the silence

Gold nanoparticles detect tiny acoustic vibrations How noisy is a walking flea? What sorts of sound waves are caused by motile bacteria? Physicists at the Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM) have managed for the first time to detect sound waves at such minuscule length scales. Their nanoear is ...

A step closer to mapping the Earth in 3D

After a year in service, the German Earth observation satellite TanDEM-X, together with its twin satellite, TerraSAR-X, have completely mapped the entire land surface of Earth for the first time. The data is being used to create the world's first single-source, high-precision, 3D digital ...

Largest seabird alters their foraging due to climate change

Adapting to changing environmental conditions in the Southern Ocean Paris/ Leipzig. Wandering albatrosses have altered their foraging due to changes in wind fields in the southern hemisphere during the last decades. Since winds have increased in intensity and moved to the south, the flight speed ...

Birds and butterflies are unable to track climate change

European study reveals for the first time impacts on a large scale Montpellier / London/ Halle/Saale. Birds and butterflies are obviously unable to keep up with climate change. Temperatures have risen faster in the last two decades than both animal groups have been able to adapt. Their northward ...

Energy saving chaperone Hsp90

Large conformational changes without ATP consummation A special group of proteins, the so-called chaperones, helps other proteins to obtain their correct conformation. Until now scientists supposed that the chaperone Hsp90 needs energy from hydrolyzing ATP for its large conformational changes. ...

Light on Protein Synthesis

Research team from Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center lays foundations for investigation of molecular chaperones Heidelberg molecular biologists have achieved new insights into the synthesis of proteins with a newly developed innovative technique. A team of scientists headed ...

ERC Advanced Grant for Prof. Dr. Joachim Wittbrodt

Funding from European Research Council for Heidelberg developmental biologist Heidelberg developmental biologist Prof. Dr. Joachim Wittbrodt has been awarded a generously endowed ERC Advanced Grant by the European Research Council. Grants from this line of funding are accorded to leading ...

The world's smallest magnetic data storage unit

Scientists from IBM and the German Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL) have built the world's smallest magnetic data storage unit. It uses just twelve atoms per bit, the basic unit of information, and squeezes a whole byte (8 bit) into as few as 96 atoms. A modern hard drive, for ...

Ericsson, RWTH Aachen, and Rovi MainConcept Improve Video Conferencing

Ericsson, RWTH Aachen University, and the company Rovi MainConcept have started a collaborative research and development project called Connected Visual Reality (CoVR). The goal of the project is to substantially enhance the performance of audiovisual online communication and thus make it more ...

Energy saving chaperone Hsp90

A special group of proteins, the so-called chaperones, helps other proteins to obtain their correct conformation. Until now scientists supposed that hydrolyzing ATP provides the energy for the large conformational changes of chaperone Hsp90. Now a research team from the Nanosystems Initiative ...

Planet Population is Plentiful

Using gravitational microlensing, research team shows exoplanets are virtually everywhere This artists's cartoon view gives an impression of how common planets are around the stars in the Milky Way. The planets, their orbits and their host stars are all vastly magnified compared to their real ...

Algae for your fuel tank

The available amount of fossil fuels is limited and their combustion in vehicle motors increases atmospheric CO2 levels. The generation of fuels from biomass as an alternative is on the rise. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Johannes A. Lercher and his team at the Technische Universitaet ...

South Asia Institute Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Anniversary programme begins with a talk by mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner The celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of Heidelberg University's South Asia Institute (SAI) begin on 17 January 2012 with a talk by mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner about her climbing experiences in the ...

EU Millions to the development of »Plastic Antibodies« - Chemists of TU Dortmund University Coordinate Multinational Network

The EU initial training network PEPMIP or »Robust Affinity Materials for Applications in Proteomics and Diagnostics« will focus on the development of robust “antibodies” made of plastic and other tailor-made materials, for applications in bioanalysis. It is supported with roughly three million ...

New agents to combat the plague

The plague is believed to have been eradicated in Europe. But it continues to reappear in other parts of the world, such as Madagascar, the Congo, and Peru. Since the pathogens are becoming resistant to the usual antibiotics, new agents are urgently needed. Progress has now been made in this ...

Brain region can signal early-stage Alzheimer's and other dementias

Early changes to the inferior frontal junction observed in early dementias A key misplaced yet again? Unable to recall a name? Forgetfulness frequently leads to anxiety: is it just a sign of age, or are these the first symptoms of the onset of Alzheimer’s disease? It has never been easy to ...

13 posts for doctoral researchers

Giessen University's International Graduate Centre for the Study of Culture (GCSC), funded by the German federal government’s Excellence Initiative, offers a three-year structured PhD-programme in the study of culture. With its excellent research environment, a doctoral programme which is ...

Atlantic circulation remains stable for now

World’s first predictions of oceanic overturning circulation: Atlantic flows will not undergo significant change in the next four years One of the most important factors influencing Europe’s climate will not experience any significant change, at least in the near future. Atlantic circulation, ...

Light now in sight

Control of a “blind” neuroreceptor with an optical switch When nerve cells communicate with one another, specialized receptor molecules on their surfaces play a central role in relaying signals between them. A collaborative venture involving teams of chemists based at ...

Backing out of the nanotunnel

New method for nucleic acid analysis In the world of biomolecules such as proteins and the hereditary nucleic acids DNA and RNA, three-dimensional structure determines function. Analysis of the passage of such molecules through nanopores offers a relatively new, but highly promising, technique ...

Diseases and sex

The cocktail maintaining immune gene variation The great variation of a specific form of immune genes makes organ transplants so complicated. On the other hand, we need such a great variability in order to resist infectious diseases. This is why it also plays a major role in the selection of ...

Did our ancestors migrate through a green Sahara?

– Oceanographers from Kiel retrieve climate archives from the Gulf of Sirte– December 22, 2011/Kiel. How did modern man migrate from inner Africa to Europe and Asia more than 100,000 years ago? When answering this question the climatic history plays a decisive role. To study this question more ...

Bayer HealthCare to Share Lab Space with Start-Up Companies

Dedicated lab space-model at Bayer HealthCare U.S. Innovation Center to be called CoLaborator™ / Shared lab space will help promising life science companies get their start San Francisco, January 9, 2012 - One year after the opening of its U.S. Innovation Center, Bayer HealthCare is expanding ...

Can certain foods help treat cancer?

Researchers at the Centre for Nutritional Medicine (ZEM), a joint institution of the Universities of Hohenheim and Tübingen, are investigating whether and to what extent certain food components can support the treatment of cancer and are hoping to derive scientifically founded dietary ...

Standardisation of Cell-based Screens

EU-funded research project combines molecular biology with materials science An international consortium of academic and industrial partners including the BioQuant Centre at Heidelberg University will receive approx. EUR 4.4 million in funding from the European Union over a period of three years ...

The Copernicus of Geosciences: Alfred Wegener presented his revolutionary theory of continental drift 100 years ago

Bremerhaven, December 21, 2011. On 6 January, 1912, the annual meeting of the Geological Association in Frankfurt, Germany witnessed the spectacle of one man against the world. On this date, the meteorologist Alfred Wegener, then 31, gave his talk on the formation of oceans and continents, and ...

Dawn spacecraft now in its lowest orbit around Vesta

NASA's Dawn spacecraft has been in its lowest orbit around asteroid Vesta since mid-December 2011. During November the orbit was gradually lowered to an altitude of 210 kilometres above the asteroid's surface. The first images acquired by the German Framing Camera system at this altitude have ...

Tracking genes’ remote controls

New method for observing enhancer activity during development As an embryo develops, different genes are turned on in different cells, to form muscles, neurons and other bodily parts. Inside each cell’s nucleus, genetic sequences known as enhancers act like remote controls, switching genes on ...

First hint of the Higgs boson particle

Particle physicists at Mainz University are excited: 50 years after its prediction, the Higgs boson gradually takes shape 06.01.2012 - The answer to one of the most exciting questions in particle physics seems almost close enough to touch: Scientists at the Geneva research center CERN have ...

First ever direct measurement of the Earth’s rotation

A group with researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are the first to plot changes in the Earth’s axis through laboratory measurements. To do this, they constructed the world’s most stable ring laser in an underground lab and used it to determine changes in the Earth’s rotation. ...

Record reaction cascade yields cancer drug candidate

Researchers generate Centrocountins involved in cell division in twelve-step cascade synthesis process New active substances can be produced quickly and efficiently with the help of reaction cascades. Once set in motion, these processes lead to the desired end product via a series of ...

Nanocrystals Make Dentures Shine

Chemists develop novel glass ceramics for dentistry The hardest substance in the human body is moved by its strongest muscles: When we heartily bite into an apple or a schnitzel, enormous strengths are working on the surface of our teeth. "What the natural tooth enamel has to endure also goes ...

Fish oil during pregnancy does not protect against excessive adipose tissue development

Is obesity in infants “programmed” in the womb? Previously, researchers assumed that consumption of “bad” fats during pregnancy contribute to excessive infant adipose tissue growth and that “good” Omega 3 fatty acids prevent expansive adipose tissue development. An intervention study run by the ...

Flipped from head to toe: 100 years of continental drift theory

The modern plate tectonics and the image of the Earth Exactly 100 years ago, on 6 January 1912, Alfred Wegener presented his theory of continental drift to the public for the first time. At a meeting of the Geological Association in Frankfurt's Senckenberg Museum, he revealed his thoughts on the ...

Energy conversion in chaperones

Chaperone protein Hsp90 makes large conformational changes even without ATP Living cells continuously produce proteins. A special group, the so-called chaperone proteins, helps other proteins (clients) to obtain their correct conformation. Until now scientists supposed that the chaperone Hsp90 ...

500 years ago, the number of Native Americans plummets by half

For the first time, German and American researchers use genome analysis to demonstrate population bottlenecks (pug) Coincident with the arrival of Europeans in North and South America, there was a significant decline in the indigenous populations on both continents. This is what scientists ...

I know something you don’t know – and I will tell you!

Wild chimpanzees monitor the information available to other chimpanzees and inform their ignorant group members of danger Many animals produce alarm calls to predators, and do this more often when kin or mates are present than other audience members. So far, however, there has been no evidence ...

The art of molecular carpet-weaving

Two-dimensional networks from boronic acids Stable two-dimensional networks of organic molecules are important components in various nanotechnology processes. However, producing these networks, which are only one atom thick, in high quality and with the greatest possible stability currently ...

Great apes make sophisticated decisions

Research suggests that great apes are capable of calculating the odds before taking risks Chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and bonobos make more sophisticated decisions than was previously thought. Great apes weigh their chances of success, based on what they know and the likelihood to succeed ...

BASF participates in US American technology company Renmatix

BASF led a $50 million financing round BASF share of investment is $ 30 million Renmatix's patented PlantroseTM technology allows manufacture of sugar from wood biomass Philadelphia ( Pennsylvania ) and Ludwigshafen (Germany) - January 3, 2012 - BASF is participating with $ 30 million through ...

Sky light sky bright - in the office

Working under the open sky – it sounds enticing, but it’s seldom really a practical option. Now, a dynamic luminous ceiling brings the sky into office spaces by creating the effect of passing clouds. This kind of lighting generates a pleasant working environment. As the wind swiftly blows clouds ...

Treasure Hunt in the Bacterial Genome

EU funds research on Actinomycetes with 1.5 million Euro A research project aimed at finding new medical compounds in bacteria has now been granted financial support from Brussels. The European Research Council (ERC) will fund the work of Dr. Andriy Luzhetskyy, a junior scientist investigating ...

Film coatings made from whey

Convenience foods are growing in popularity, and the food they contain is usually protected by films based on petrochemicals. Now researchers have not only developed a biomaterial from whey protein, they have also come up with a commercially viable method of producing multifunctional films on an ...

Electronics made of plastic

The "Deutscher Zukunftspreis 2011" was won by a team comprising existing and former Fraunhofer researchers. Professor Karl Leo, Dr. Jan Blochwitz-Nimoth and Dr. Martin Pfeiffer were honored for their pioneering achievements in the field of organic electronics. When the concept was first ...

From the Baltic to the Tropical Atlantic

Pupils from northern Germany perform marine research in Cape Verd Shortly before Christmas, three pupils from Heikendorf near Kiel, Germany travelled to Cape Verde to study the ecosystem of the tropical Atlantic. The trip was part of the school projects of the Leibniz Institute of Marine ...

Scientists succeed in making the spinal cord transparent

In the event of the spinal cord injury, the long nerve cell filaments, the axons, may become severed. For quite some time now, scientists have been investigating whether these axons can be stimulated to regenerate. Such growth takes place on a scale of only a few millimetres. To date, changes ...

Spider Silk for Wound Healing

RWTH Researchers are Developing a Bandage from Spider Silk In relation to the diameter of its threads, a spider web is five times stronger than steel. To describe the thread's resilience, biochemist Artem Davidenko from DWI Interactive Materials Research at RWTH says, "A thread with a diameter ...

The art of molecular carpet-weaving

Stable two-dimensional networks of organic molecules are important components in various nanotechnology processes. However, producing these networks, which are only one atom thick, in high quality and with the greatest possible stability currently still poses a great challenge. Scientists from ...

German waste management sector set up the portal "German RETech Partnership"

From today, the Federal Environment Ministry's Export Initiative Recycling and Efficiency Technologies (RETech) is self-reliant (20 December 2011). Representatives of waste management companies and German higher education institutions have established the association "German RETech Partnership" ...

Positive feedback and tumorigenesis

Cancer cells are essentially immortal. The acquisition of an unlimited capacity to divide – the process of immortalization - is a central event in the genesis of tumors. Normally, cells are subject to stringent mechanisms which control their proliferation. Together these ensure that ...

Self-regulation of the immune system suppresses defense against cancer

Regulatory T cells (Tregs), which are part of the body´;s immune system, downregulate the activity of other immune cells, thus preventing the development of autoimmune diseases or allergies. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now found the activation steps that are ...

IMB starts international PhD program on

Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation funds a new program for 30 outstanding doctoral students from all over the world 21.12.2011 The Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) establishes a new international PhD program in the Life Sciences with the support of the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation. The ...

Describing Reactions in a Fuel Cell

International research team comes up with new microscopy technique â€" Heidelberg mathematician involved For the first time, physical chemistry reactions in a fuel cell can now be observed and described in detail on the nanoscale. This innovation is due to a new microscopy technique devised by ...

Excellence at PIK

12/22/2011 - The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) is one of the most important scientific institutions in this field of research worldwide; many international scientists are therefore drawn to Potsdam. A manifestation of the excellent work done at PIK is the growing number of ...

Mercury’s magnetic field – nipped in the bud

A new computer model takes account of the solar wind Mercury, the smallest of the eight planets with a diameter of 4900 kilometres and the closest to the Sun, looks more like the Moon than the Earth from the outside. It is the only rocky planet that has a global magnetic field like Earth. But ...

DFG to Establish Seven New Research Units

Topics Range from European Socialization Processes to the Optimisation of Hearing Aids The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has approved the establishment of seven new Research Units. This follows a decision by the Joint Committee of Germany's central research ...

Proposals for reducing emissions must balance with development needs

12/22/2011 – How to integrate developing countries into global CO2 reduction schemes is subject of an ongoing debate. An approach for balancing climate change mitigation and the need for development is now being presented by the North South Project of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact ...

Optogenetics – Combination switch turns neurons on and off

Max Planck scientists control neurons using two linked light channels Flies that display courtship behaviour at the press of a button, worms made to wriggle by remote control: since the dawn of optogenetics, scientists can turn nerve cells on and off using pulses of light. A research team at the ...

Fastest X-ray images of tiny biological crystals

Protein Nanocrystals Form a Time Switch for Diffraction An international research team headed by DESY scientists from the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL) in Hamburg, Germany, has recorded the shortest X-ray exposure of a protein crystal ever achieved. The incredible brief exposure ...

Tissue structure delays cancer development

Computer model reveals that spatial structure delays tumour formation Cancer growth normally follows a lengthy period of development. Over the course of time, genetic mutations often accumulate in cells, leading first to pre-cancerous conditions and ultimately to tumour growth. Using a ...

On the edge of friction

Precise insight into how two microscopic surfaces slide over one another could help in the manufacture of low-friction surfaces The problem exists on both a large and a small scale, and it even bothered the ancient Egyptians. However, although physicists have long had a good understanding of ...

Spiders for Wound Healing

Targeted immune stimulation based on DNA Nanotechnology

DNA is usually known as the genetic code for protein synthesis in all living organisms. The application of DNA as a molecular building block on the other hand, allows for the construction of sophisticated nanoscopic shapes that are built entirely from DNA. In particular the recent invention of ...

Air Compressor of Unrivaled Power for Plastics

Siemens is supplying compressor trains to China for the world's largest propylene plant. Each one can compress 700,000 cubic meters of air to 2.4 bar every hour, which is the highest flow rate of an axial-flow compressor in the world. The plant will start up in 2013 and produce propylene as the ...

German Future Prize for DFG-Funded Researchers

Future Technology for Solar Energy Recognised by German President's Award The research team working with Professor Karl Leo from the Dresden University of Technology was awarded the "German Future Prize - German President's Award for Technology and Innovation" (Zukunftspreis) on 14 December 2011 ...

Rapid rise in wildfires in large parts of Canada?

Ecologists show for the first time threshold values for natural wildfires Chicago/Leipzig. Large forest regions in Canada are apparently about to experience rapid change. Based on models, scientists can now show that there are threshold values for wildfires just like there are for epidemics. ...

ECJ ruling on embryos must not be interpreted to the detriment of research

Joint Press Release from the Alliance of German Science Organisations The Alliance of German Science Organisations has expressed concern about possible negative implications for research resulting from the ruling of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on the interpretation of the term “embryo". ...

Achieving good academic practice

Joint Press Release from the Alliance of German Science Organisations The objective is to create a “culture of openness and responsibility", which is ultimately intended to boost the quality of academic work. This involves intensive discussion and further development of the way good academic ...

“Chaire Blaise Pascal” awarded to Professor Mukhanov

Cosmologist Professor Viatcheslav Mukhanov, who is a member of the Faculty of Physics at LMU, has been chosen to receive one of the “Chaires internationales de recherche Blaise Pascal” sponsored by the French Republic and the regional government of the Île-de-France. Mukhanov’s research is ...

Germany supports Morocco's solar plan

Finance agreement for first large solar power station in Morocco signed The Federal Government will contribute to financing the first large solar power station in Morocco. A first agreement was signed yesterday (14.12.2011) between the KfW Entwicklungsbank and the Moroccan Agency for Solar ...

Tapping the brain orchestra

Jülich, Norge, 19 December 2011 - Researchers at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) and Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany have developed a new method for detailed analyses of electrical activity in the brain. The method, recently published in Neuron, can help doctors and ...

New research training group to investigate bacterial survival strategies

The University of Tübingen is to establish a new DFG-funded research training group in which doctoral students from twelve research groups will investigate bacterial survival strategies. The results will contribute to the development of new antimicrobial drugs and also be put to good use in the ...

Shutting the lid – core of Wendelstein 7-X complete

Last major component of the fusion device in place / thermal-insulation cryostat mounted The last major component of the Wendelstein fusion experiment, a section of the outer shell, is scheduled for installation on 21 December 2011. This completes the base machine: The research device, to be ...

How do Tsunamis off the coast of South Italy develop?

– Earth scientists from Kiel examine the continental margins in the Strait of Messina– Joint press release of the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) and the Kiel Cluster of Excellence “The Future Ocean” December 19, 2011/Kiel. From late December 2011 till Mid January 2012 earth ...

Following the crowd supports democracy

From shoals of fish to human society: social organisms need to make collective decisions. And it is not always the majority that prevails. In some cases, a small, resolute group may succeed in bending the whole community to their will. Using computer models and behavioural studies of fish, a ...

Exchange with Central Asia and the Caucasus region: applications until March 2012

More than 200 international scholarships available from Göttingen University - EU-funding of 5,3 million Euros (pug) In the coming years, the University of Göttingen is able to assign a total of 226 international scholarships to scientists, students, and staff of universities in Europe, Central ...

No brakes on breast cancer cells

Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have discovered a tiny RNA molecule, called miR-520, which at once blocks two important pathways in the development of cancer in cells. In estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer, the production of this microRNA is often reduced and this is ...

Microtechnology finds its way to Industrial Automation: IVAM breaks new ground at HANNOVER MESSE

In 2012 microtechnology will be part of the special area "Industrial Automation" at the HANNOVER MESSE. The main reasons for IVAM and Deutsche Messe to decide this relocation were the close proximity of the application markets and the demands of the exhibitors. "Together with Deutsche Messe we ...

Is Aachen better than New York?

What it is that motivates researchers to come to Germany 8. December - The latest edition of Humboldt Kosmos magazine is out today. Under the headline "Why is Aachen better than New York?" the new edition of Humboldt Kosmos magazine is being published today. International researchers and their ...

Insecticides an increasing problem in future for streams in Europe

Pollution growing particularly in the Baltic Sea region according to study Leipzig. Europe's streams will in future be more heavily polluted with insecticides than before. This is the conclusion of a study by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) for which scientists compared the ...

DAAD bids farewell to Professor Max Huber

Professor Joybrato Mukherjee succeeds him on 1 January Bonn, 15.12.2011. Professor Max G. Huber, Vice-President of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for 16 years and currently its Acting President, retires from his DAAD offices on 1 January 2012. Professor Margret Wintermantel, ...

Opportunities and Challenges of a Sustainable City in the 21st Century – A Comparison of Hamburg and New York

The Brazilian architect and urban planner Jamie Lerner once said “The city is not a problem. It is a solution.” On December 1, at the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) New York, representatives from government, commerce, and the media in Hamburg and New York City discussed the ...

High-tech for the finishing touches - METAV 2012 is a forum for grinding technology

15.12.2011 - The sheer diversity of the jobs involved is enormous: they range from forming, decorating glass, sharpening tool edges all the way through to fine-cutting processes for microscopic examinations. No wonder that the subject of grinding will be playing an important role at the METAV ...

Multisensory integration: when correlation implies causation

Researchers discover how the brain merges sights and sounds In order to get a better picture of our surroundings, the brain has to integrate information from different senses, but how does it know which signals to combine? New research involving scientists from the Max Planck Institute for ...

Prof. Burkhard Rauhut Receives DAAD Award for International and Intercultural Involvement

The former Rector of RWTH Aachen University, Professor Burkhard Rauhut, was awarded the first Theodor-Berchem Prize from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) on December 11, 2011. With the award, which is worth €10,000, the DAAD honors individuals who have been outstanding models for ...

Freie Universität Most Important German University for Chinese Scholarships

Cooperation with China Scholarship Council Extended for Three Years Freie Universität has recently extended its cooperation with the largest Chinese funding organization for students, the China Scholarship Council (CSC), for another three years. In Beijing both sides signed an agreement ...

Where will the scientist of tomorrow come from?

IMPRS – a 10-year success story December 12, 2011 For ten years International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) have been successfully tempting young talented students from all over the world to come to Germany. The IMPRS cooperate with their German partner universities to provide a structured ...

Innovative chemical substances from bacteria

Synthetic biology finds new ways to manufacture lantibiotics Roderich Süssmuth and Nediljko Budisa, both professors at the Ber-lin-based Cluster of Excellence “Unifying Concepts in Catalysis” (UniCat), have developed a new method for the artificial manufacture of lantibiotics. Lantibiotics are a ...

Getting the image - Decisions are made in the forebrain

For the first time it was clearly demonstrated that the forebrain is causally involved in human decision-making. Researchers at the Bernstein Center Berlin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Freie Universität Berlin have for the first time clearly demonstrated that the forebrain is ...

Stroke impairs learning in remote brain regions

A stroke can affect the learning ability even in remote brain areas. This holds true even if the regions have no known impact on each other. By use of anti-inflammatory drugs, the neuronal networks can regain some of their learning ability. Stroke patients often have difficulties with ...

A big meal coming up for galactic black hole

Astronomers discover a gas cloud which will soon be swallowed up by the object Saggitarius A* At the moment, the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way is going hungry. But its diet may soon be over: a gas cloud has ventured too close to the super massive black hole and will be devoured by it ...

Leibniz Prize 2012 to Honour Eleven Outstanding Researchers

Most Important Research Award Goes to Two Women and Nine Men / Fundamental Insights from Arabic Studies to Oceanography to Cellular Neuroscience Next year’s winners of the most important research award in Germany have been announced: The Joint Committee of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ...

Younicos to receive 'European Solar Prize 2011'

Recognition for developing world’s first renewable energy system for Azorean island of Graciosa Younicos is to receive the "European Solar Prize 2011" for the development of the world's first energy system based on up to 100 percent renewable energy for the Azorean island of Graciosa. In its ...

Follow your nose

Compared to Neanderthals, modern humans have a better sense of smel Differences in the temporal lobes and olfactory bulbs also suggest a combined use of brain functions related to cognition and olfaction. The increase of brain size is intimately linked to the evolution of humanity. Two different ...

ATLAS and CMS experiments present Higgs search status

In a seminar held at CERN today, the ATLAS and CMS experiments presented the status of their searches for the Standard Model Higgs boson. Their results are based on the analysis of considerably more data than those presented at the summer conferences, sufficient to make significant progress in ...

The search for the Higgs makes a significant step forward

Physicists at the worlds largest particle accelerator LHC made a significant step forward on the hunt for the sought-after Higgs particle. The teams of both large detectors ATLAS and CMS narrowed down further the last possible hideout of the hypothetical elementary particle. This is the result ...

Scars in the soul – scars in the brain

Münster researchers demonstrate long-term consequences of child abuse by means of magnetic resonance tomography Münster (upm), Mo, 12 Dez 2011 People who were abused as children mostly suffer their whole life long from the psychological consequences. As a result, adults who were exposed to ...

Zeolite synthesis made easy

Possible applications in chemistry and industry Zeolites are porous materials with perfectly regular pores and high surface area that can act as molecular sieves. This property has led to important applications including the purification of air or water such as the contaminated seawater around ...

Leibniz Prize awarded to Ulf Riebesell

-Marine Biologist from Kiel was honoured with Germany’s most highly endowed research award- 08.12.2011/Kiel. Prof. Dr. Ulf Riebesell from the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) was honoured with the Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation. For his research on the effects ...

Control by the matrix: RUB researchers decipher the role of proteins in the cell environment

How astrocytes, certain cells of the nervous system, are generated was largely unknown up to now. Bochum’s researchers have now investigated what influence the cell environment, known as the extracellular matrix, has on this process. They found out that the matrix protein tenascin C has to be ...

Humboldt Research Award for Top US Researcher Robert J. Cava of Princeton

Renowned materials scientist comes to Germany at the invitation of researchers at Mainz University and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology / Focus on superconductors US scientist Robert J. Cava of Princeton University is the recipient of a research prize of the Alexander von Humboldt ...

Minihelicopter Flies Autonomously

Siemens uses a minihelicopter equipped with onboard sensors to collect and interpret videos. Known as the quadrocopter, the aircraft uses the data to create a 3D digital model of its immediate surroundings. As reported in Pictures of the Future magazine, computer scientists working for Corporate ...

The world’s smallest steam engine

A heat engine measuring only a few micrometres works as well as its larger counterpart, although it splutters What would be a case for the repair shop for a car engine is completely normal for a micro engine. If it sputters, this is caused by the thermal motions of the smallest particles, which ...

The European Research Council supports quantum information and many particle physics research with 1.34 million Euros

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded one of the coveted ERC Starting Grants to a researcher at the Leibniz Universität Hannover. Prof. Tobias J. Osborne, professor of theoretical physics at the Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Cluster of Excellence QUEST (Centre for Quantum ...

High wind with low energy

The high winds of the upper atmosphere contain less renewable energy than previously assumed It seems that the energy mix of the future will have to differ from the current suggestions of some visionaries. This is because the jet streams that sweep the upper atmosphere with high winds would ...

DLR tests Australian spacecraft

Can new types of engine make spaceflight easier and more economical? This question is being investigated by researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) using one of Europe's leading hypersonic wind tunnels, located in Göttingen. The engine is being ...

Protection against gastrointestinal diseases

Freiburger research team isolates food molecules that improve the immune system A group of food molecules, the so called glucosinolates, play animportant role in the function and sustainment of the intestinal immunecells. The team around Prof. Dr. Andreas Diefenbach and Elina Kiss,Institute for ...

UniCat Cluster of Excellence and BASF establish joint lab on raw material change

On December 8, 2011, the Cluster of Excellence “Unifying Concepts in Catalysis” (UniCat) and the chemical company BASF SE signed a cooperation agreement establishing a new joint lab dedicated to the development of new catalytic processes for raw material change. The move promotes the search for ...

Novel nano-carbon platform shows potential for future bioelectronic implants

Biocompatible graphene transistor array reads cellular signals NIM researchers have demonstrated, for the first time, a graphene-based transistor array that is compatible with living biological cells and capable of recording the electrical signals they generate. This proof-of-concept platform ...

Two ERC grants go to the German Cancer Research Center

Two DKFZ researchers at a time are awarded a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant this year. One of the grants is awarded to a project of Prof. Michael Boutros, who endeavors to show, for the first time, the interaction of all genes in cells of a higher organism. Prof. ...

The future of Afghanistan lies in education

Ten years of DAAD support for Afghan higher education Bonn, 29.11.2011. Since 2002, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has been particularly involved in establishing and developing Afghan universities. In the context of the Stability Pact for Afghanistan, with Federal Foreign Office ...

Strengthening Universities, Enhancing Capacities

Higher Education Management: Ten Years of Cooperation with Developing Countries Bonn, 28.11.2011. What are the major challenges concerning the management of universities and technical institutes in Europe and other regions of the world? How can universities respond to these challenges, and what ...

New insights into how the brain reconstructs the third dimension

A new visual illusion has shed light on a long-standing mystery about how the brain works out the 3D shapes of objects As dizzying as it may sound, the impression that we are living in a 3D world is actually a continuous fabrication of our brains. When we look at things, the world gets projected ...

Forests as climate regulators: Complex topics future forestry scientists must face

Over the course of their lifetimes, trees absorb huge amounts of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) and store it for extended periods of time. That makes forests a natural and highly effective "climate regulator" that incurs comparatively little cost to operate. In order that future ...

Breakthrough in X-Ray Nanospectroscopy

HZB researchers achieve X-ray spectroscopy at nanoscale spatial resolution Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) have developed a new microscope for high spatial resolution X-ray spectroscopic studies. While conventional X-ray spectroscopy has so far fallen short of resolving single ...

Fraunhofer researchers receive the Franco-German Business Award 2011

Press Release Dec 06, 2011 - Fraunhofer researchers have teamed up with their French colleagues at the Carnot-Institut Laboratoire d‘électronique des technologies de l‘information CEA-LETI to develop reusable substrates for III-V multi-junction solar cells – and on December 5, 2011, were ...

Science and Policy: Dialogue in Durban

12/06/2011 - Leading policy-makers and researchers met today in Durban to urge climate negotiators to acknowledge scientific findings and address the sustainability challenge. Amongst the participants of this dialogue were Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa and Co-Chair of the UN Secretary ...

Natural gas instead of crude oil

UniCat Cluster of Excellence and BASF establish joint lab on raw material change at the TU Berlin On December 8, 2011, the Cluster of Excellence “Unifying Concepts in Catalysis” (UniCat) and chemical company BASF SE signed a cooperation agreement establishing a new joint lab dedicated to the ...

Maternal care influences brain chemistry into adulthood

The effect of the messenger substance neuropeptide Y depends on the behaviour of the mother during infancy Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is the most abundant peptide hormone of the central nervous system. It is involved in various processes including stress management, the development of anxiety ...

BASF and three top European universities team up on functional materials research

Goal: innovation in multi-materials and systems BASF expands international research network BASF SE has set up a research initiative called Joint Research Network on Advanced Materials and Systems (JONAS) in collaboration with the universities of Strasbourg, France; Freiburg, Germany, and ETH ...

Global warming 'not slowing down'

12/06/2011 - A new analysis of the five leading global temperature data sets provides further evidence for climate change. Despite some differences between the measurement curves they indicate an almost identical, steady global warming trend over the past 30 years. The researchers factored out ...

Glass that cleans itself

Thanks to its spherical nanostructure, fluorinated silica coating repels water and oil very effectively Eyeglasses need never again to be cleaned, and dirty windscreens are a thing of the past! Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz and the Technical University ...

The magnetic field pattern of the Milky Way

New all-sky map shows complex structure of magnetic fields in unprecedented detail Like all galaxies, our Milky Way is awash with magnetic fields. For the first time, scientists have now measured the complex structure of such fields in detail. Using a novel image reconstruction technique, they ...

Oxidative stress: Less harmful than suspected?

Oxidative stress is considered to be involved in a multitude of pathogenic processes and is also implicated in the proces of aging. For the first time, scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have been able to directly observe oxidative changes in ...

Climate dents in humankind´s family tree: new correlations discovered

12/05/2011 - Climate changes in Earth’s history have influenced the fate of modern man´s ancestors, but until now it has not been clear why some evolutionary variations developed or disappeared. Scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Potsdam University have now ...

Flexible Rack Systems Sort Molecules

Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have developed a flexible and efficient new process for the separation of enantiomers. Enantiomer separation is indispensable for the production of many pharmaceuticals. In their process, the scientists use ...

Asteroid Vesta in 3D - seemingly close enough to touch

No asteroid or rocky planet looks quite like the asteroid Vesta, which the US Dawn spacecraft has been orbiting since July 2011; countless craters, furrows and slopes define the landscape of this celestial body. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has ...

'Siemens Research Center' Starting at RWTH

Siemens and RWTH want to achieve the first worldwide external "Siemens Research Center" together. Siemens is providing a total of 6 million Euros for the ambitious undertaking, which is planned for four years. January 1, 2012 is the start of the project, and it is expected that at least nine ...

BioStruct-X - A New Structural Biology Platform

Kick-Off Meeting at EMBL/DESY High-profile structural biology research has just become more accessible. BioStruct-X, a new EU-funded project, will be holding its kick-off meeting at DESYs worldwide unique free electron laser FLASH today and tomorrow. Managed by the European Molecular Biology ...

Cellzome founder wins EU women innovators award

Cellzome announces today that Dr. Gitte Neubauer, one of the scientific founders of Cellzome, has received the highly esteemed EU Women Innovators Award. The award recognizes her outstanding contribution in translating academic research into a commercial venture through the foundation of ...

LMU speech scientist wins major ERC grant

LMU phonetician and speech scientist Professor Jonathan Harrington (Institute of Phonetics and Speech Processing) has been selected to receive one of the coveted Advanced Investigators Grants awarded by the European Research Council (ERC). Harrington is the only representative of the humanities ...

DFG to Fund Eight New Collaborative Research Centres

Topics Range from Sustainable Manufacturing to the Preservation of Tropical Rainforests The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) will establish eight Collaborative Research Centres (CRC) as of 1 January 2012. This was agreed by the responsible Grants Committee at its ...

Physicists score a hat trick at the end of the year

Group led by Prof. Cornelia Denz has three publications in the Year's Best list in "Optics and Photonics News" Münster (upm), Mo, 05 Dez 2011 - Physicists at the University of Münster have scored a hat trick. The prestigious journal "Optics and Photonics News" has included in its list of the 30 ...

Unusual flow patterns in Phlegra Montes

Phlegra Montes is a mountainous massif on Mars that extends for several hundreds of kilometres from the northeastern part of the Elysium volcanic region (between 30 and 50 degrees north) to deep into the northern lowlands. The mountain range consists of numerous rolling hills and ridges, the ...

EU-funded project manufactures plant-derived anti-HIV antibody safe for humans

Brussels, 1 December 2011The EU-funded project Pharma-Planta has succeeded in producing an anti-HIV antibody in plants and has tested it in humans, with a positive result. This antibody could one day become an inexpensive component used to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. The "Phase I" clinical ...

Plant seeds protect their genetic material against dehydration

When seeds from the thale cress Arabidopsis thaliana mature, their cell nuclei reduce in size and the chromatin condenses December 02, 2011 - Plant seeds represent a special biological system: They remain in a dormant state with a significantly reduced metabolism and are thus able to withstand ...

Mysterious cells of the immune system: Immunologists at the German Cancer Research Center question the role of mast cells in autoimmune diseases

Up to now, scientists have assumed that mast cells, a certain type of immune cells, play a central role in the development of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Current studies conducted at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, ...

'Look at that!' Ravens use gestures, too

Ravens gesture with their beaks to point out objects to each other Pointing and holding up objects in order to attract attention has so far only been observed in humans and our closest living relatives, the great apes. Simone Pika from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology and Thomas Bugnyar ...

Best Practice for Green City Planning

On December 1st, German and U.S. experts will discuss achievements and challenges in cities’ transitions towards sustainability at "Opportunities and Challenges of a Sustainable City in the 21st Century - A Comparative View of New York and Hamburg, 2011 European Green Capital” at the German ...

Prestigious Award for RWTH Environmental Researcher

Dr. Thomas Preuss of the Institute for Environmental Research at RWTH Aachen University has been awarded the 2011 Cefic LRI Innovative Science Award. The prize is awarded in varying fields every year by the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic). The prize, valued at €100,000, is awarded to ...

THEP group sets world record in one-loop computations

For the first time ever a physical observable depending on a one-loop eight-point function has been calculated 01.12.2011 -Professor Dr. Stefan Weinzierl of the Institute of Physics of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and his group recently published a numerical computation of jet rates ...

Bridging Science and Design for a Better Understanding of Spatial Cognition

The physical space in which humans live and work has far-reaching implications for the nature and quality of everyday life and experiences. As Winston Churchill once said, “we shape our buildings; thereafter our buildings shape us.” Understanding the space surrounding us has been a challenge for ...

Passport for an interloper

Ant colonies are very attractive targets for parasites and predators, as they offer the successful invader secure living quarters and an abundant source of food. To protect their nests from interlopers, ants use chemical odorants to distinguish nestmates from potential intruders. However, ...

Climate Research Project with Unmanned Drone

Optical spectrometer from Heidelberg University's Institute of Environmental Physics for NASA Global Hawk missions Physicists at Heidelberg University will be contributing an innovative optical spectrometer to the first-ever climatic and atmospheric research project to make use of an unmanned ...

€13 million for a new joint laboratory at the TU Berlin for raw-material change

Ceremonial signing of the contract on 8th December / Invitation to press conference with guided tour of a laboratory The Cluster of Excellence “Unifying Concepts in Catalysis” (UniCat) and the worldwide largest chemical company BASF SE launch a joint laboratory, the “UniCat-BASF Joint Lab”. A ...

'Poland and Germany in Modern Europe'

A new German-Polish doctoral program on “Poland and Germany in Modern Europe” will be officially inaugurated in Wrocław on 4 December. This is the first such international graduate program devoted to themes drawn from the areas of the humanities, cultural and social studies to be established ...

Language test as a smartphone app

The app enables scientists to collect large volumes of data on language processing in the brain Dok or dog - which of these is a real word, and which is not? Researchers use lexical decision tasks like this to find out what happens in the brain when people read words. Up to now, such experiments ...

DESY engages in Belle II

Cooperation agreement with KEK at new Super B-factory On 18 November, the laying of the foundation stone for the SuperKEKB accelerator took place at the Japanese accelerator laboratory KEK in Tsukuba. This accelerator with the corresponding particle detector Belle II will become a so-called ...

Second Round of German-USA Collaborations approved

Within the second round of the funding measure "German-USA Collaborations in Computational Neuroscience", six projects will receive a total funding of approximately 2.6 million € by BMBF, NSF and NIH (November 2011). In 2009, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research ...

Experts from German chemical societies: UN Climate Summit not without chemistry!

The UN Climate Conference that is scheduled to start on November 28 in Durban is under intense pressure to succeed; since the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, it is imperative to supersede it with an internationally binding follow-up agreement. The joint committee of German chemical societies ...

Stiftung Mercator and PIK initiate new institute with EUR 17m budget

11/28/2011 - Today Stiftung Mercator and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) announced the foundation of a joint institute for research and policy advice in Berlin. The Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) will address interdisciplinary ...

Water as a lubricant

Earthquake: Alternation between creep and quakes in the San Andreas Fault Geophysicists from Potsdam have established a mode of action that can explain the irregular distribution of strong earthquakes at the San Andreas Fault in California. As the science magazine "Nature" reports in its latest ...

From the banks of the Kiel Fjord all the way to Mars

NASA and DLR place their trust in technology developed in Kiel, Germany On Saturday, November 26 at 16:02, the mission to mars started. On this day, America´s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) on a high-thrust Atlas V rocket for a ...

A mystery solved – How cortisone operates within the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Despite its side-effects cortisone gets used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis since 1948. Researcher of the Leibniz Institute for Research Age in Jena discovered important details in the mechanism of action that are useful for the separation of the desired therapy and its side-effects. ...

The stars no longer twinkle

Adaptive optics technology at the Very Large Telescope has revolutionized the astronomical observation techniques Ten years ago today, NACO became operational: the first adaptive optics system of ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT). Adaptive Optics allows astronomers to remove the stars' ...

Scale Objective: Redesigned Scale Objective Lens from Carl Zeiss for Brain Research

Imaging to depth of 5.6 mm in brain tissue now possible JENA/Germany, 28.11.2011. - The completely redesigned plan-apochromatic 20x/1.0 VIS-IR objective lens from Carl Zeiss now makes it possible to acquire 3D images of nerve cells down to depths of 5.6 mm in intact tissue using a confocal laser ...

Wastewater treatment plants produce more than just clean water

Drinking water is essential for sustaining human life. However, only 0.0001 per cent of the 1.4 billion cubic kilometres of water on the earth is easy accessible for use as drinking water. It is therefore a precious commodity, and wastewater needs to be purified before it re-enters the water ...

Dogs – the latest way to detect lung cancer

Dogs can reliably sniff out lung cancer, according to a study carried out by a group of doctors from Stuttgart. The study shows that a dog can accurately detect cancer-specific components by sniffing human breath. The project was started on the initiative of Dr. Rainer Ehmann, a lung specialist ...

When inflexibility is counterproductive

Excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation of sunlight can result in skin damage and may even induce skin cancers. Irradiation with UV light causes mutations in the DNA, which can interfere with or even inhibit the read-out of genetic information and hence affect the cell function. The ...

Ants that can rest on their pants

Shrewd investments in the slave trade Protomognathus americanus has got it all “worked” out. This ant, just 3 mm long, lives in colonies made up of only a few conspecifics. Often, a whole colony fits in a hollow acorn. There’s not all that much housework to do, one might think. Nevertheless, ...

When errors improve performance

Model describes how experiences influence our perception During estimation processes we unconsciously make use of recent experiences. Scientists from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München and the Bernstein Center Munich asked test subjects to estimate distances in a virtual reality ...

New Projects Confirm Germany’s Role in Energy Storage Segment

International Renewable Energy Storage Conference 11/25/2011Berlin - Two new developments confirm Germany’s position as a top location to implement energy storage technology: Canadian fuel cell maker Ballard announced the opening of its new European headquarters in Germany this week. And last ...

Curiosity - a heavyweight Mars explorer

Researchers at DLR and Kiel University will conduct the first investigations about radiation levels on the Martian surfacen The US 'Curiosity' rover began its journey to Mars at 16:02 CET on 26 November on board an Atlas V 541 / Centaur launcher that lifted off from Launch Complex 41 at Cape ...

'A beacon in our scientific landscape'

The Minister-President of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, opens the Diabetes Research Department at the Helmholtz Zentrum München – Leading role in German diabetes research – Strategic alliance with Munich’s Technical University Neuherberg, 16.11.2010. The Minister-President of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, ...

Nobel Prize winner Roald Hoffmann is to give the fourth Gerhard Ertl Lecture

Address to be given on 8th December at the TU Berlin / Invitation The US chemist Prof. Roald Hoffmann, winner of the 1981 Nobel Prize, will give this year's Gerhard Ertl Lecture in recognition of his life's work. The subject of his lecture, entitled “The Chemical Imagination at Work in Very ...

Researchers decode a puzzling movement disorder

The team working with Prof. Oliver Brüstle extracts nerve cells from skin cells to study the cause of the disease Neurodegenerative diseases represent one of the greatest challenges of our aging society. However, investigation into these diseases is made particularly difficult due to the limited ...

Genetic defect disturbs salt handling and pushes up blood pressure levels

Scientists from Max Planck identify gene responsible for hypertension Hypertension is an endemic condition with far-reaching consequences. For instance, high blood pressure is the main cause of heart attacks and strokes. Other organs are also damaged by the chronic condition. Hypertension is ...

First Electrons light up at REGAE

One of DESY’s smallest scientific accelerators reached an important milestone: last week, REGAE (Relativistic Electron Gun for Atomic Exploration) accelerated its first electrons, thus starting operation officially. REGAE is a joint project of the CFEL partners Max Planck Society, University of ...

The ABCC9 of sleep

Legend has it that Napoleon never needed more than four hours of sleep at a stretch. Others only feel fully rested after 10 hours between the sheets. Clearly, individuals vary with respect to how much sleep they need. Indeed, sleep duration is influenced by many factors. Apart from seasonal and ...

Fighting Fat With Fat

Coordinated by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), a European research consortium is searching for ways to use brown fat tissue for combating widespread diseases such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Gross overweight or obesity is spreading like a pandemic. In 2006, WHO ...

Scheduling for Durban - and beyond

11/24/2011 – At the moment, hardly anyone expects a breakthrough of the climate summit in Durban. Even before the negotiators from around the world come together in South Africa at the end of November, some observers already turn away bored. Especially for this reason, scientists from the ...

Playing music alters the processing of multiple sensory stimuli in the brain

Piano practicing finetunes the brain circuitries that temporally bind signals from our senses Over the years pianists develop a particularly acute sense of the temporal correlation between the movements of the piano keys and the sound of the notes played. However, they are no better than ...

alpha ventus achieves positive interim results - offshore power yield higher than expected

Germany's first offshore wind farm alpha ventus is generating more power than expected.While the first half of 2011 was disappointing for onshore wind farms, the constant and strong winds on the open sea over the last nine months have produced more than 190 gigawatt hours of electricity. The ...

Enhanced treatment of brain tumors

Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University Hospitals have tested a combination of radiation treatment and a substance that blocks the transforming growth factor beta (TGF- β) for treating glioblastoma. In the mouse model, this combination therapy was found ...

Mapheus-3 – spherules, metals and microgravity

DLR scientists launch sounding rocket with material physics experiments First, it is launched into space at 5400 kilometres per hour, then come three and a half minutes of weightlessness, and finally it lands using a parachute. Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für ...

BASF creates new global business unit to advance battery activities for electromobility

New Battery Materials unit will integrate BASF's cathode materials, electrolytes and next-generation lithium battery initiatives Ralf Meixner will lead Battery Materials In recognition of the significant growth opportunity associated with the global battery marketplace, BASF is creating a new ...

Jenoptik opens up new application in laser material processing.

Jenoptik’s Lasers & Material Processing division has won its first orders for laser processing systems used in the manufacture of energy saving high-tech glass, so-called smart windows. Jenoptik will be supplying US-American plants with laser processing systems for high-tech glass. With these ...

New class of drugs for the reversible inhibition of proteasomes

As the “recycling plant” of the cell, the proteasome regulates vitally important functions. When it is inhibited, the cell chokes on its own waste. Cancer cells, in particular, are very sensitive because they need the proteasome for their uncontrolled growth. Biochemists at the Technische ...

150 international young researchers from 43 countries to meet in Hamburg Fellows’ meeting of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation at the University of Hamburg from 23 to 25 November

Fellows’ meeting of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation at the University of Hamburg from 23 to 25 November 150 young researchers from 43 countries will be guests in Hamburg from 23 to 25 November 2011 for the network meeting of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The fellows of the ...

EUR 250,000 award for researchers in the humanities and social sciences presented for the first time Anneliese Maier Research Award goes to seven researchers.

Anneliese Maier Research Award goes to seven researchers. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is awarding the very first Anneliese Maier Research Award to seven humanities scholars and social scientists. The new collaboration award is designed to promote the internationalisation of the ...

Heidelberg receives three ERC Starting Grants and six ERC Advanced Grants for outstanding investigators

In the framework of this year’s round of the European Research Council’s (ERC) competition for outstanding researchers, Heidelberg University has totted up a remarkable score. In the field of project-related research funding, three young researchers have been awarded one of the coveted Starting ...

A winning formula for climate change conferences?

The likelihood of damage caused by climate change in the medium term could bring poor and rich countries to effectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions A global agreement on effective climate change mitigation could be closer to realisation - if the findings of Max Planck scientists are ...

Center for Adaptive Robotics launched

Robots should become “more intelligent” and more adaptable so that they can be of even greater assistance to humans. To achieve this aim, the University of Würzburg has founded the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Adaptive Robotics. Whether in industrial manufacturing, tumor radiation ...

Three-Dimensional Characterization of Catalyst Nanoparticles

Catalysts will forever be a part of modern technology. They are crucial to industrial chemical processes, are fundamental to low-emission cars and will be essential for energy production inside next generation fuel cells. In a cooperative between Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and the Federal ...

CureVac, Sanofi Pasteur and In-Cell-Art collaborate on a $33.1 million project

15.11.11.- CureVac GmbH today announced the signing of several agreements with Sanofi Pasteur S.A., the vaccines division of Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY). Under these agreements, CureVac and Sanofi Pasteur will further develop and apply CureVac’s proprietary RNActive® technology platform ...

Are Natural Halogenated Hyrdocarbons Harmful to the Ozone Layer?

Over 20 years ago, the industrial production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) was prohibited in order to protect the ozone layer. However, research findings by environmental physicists from Heidelberg University suggest that the ozone layer may also be damaged by natural chlorinated, brominated and ...

The car's veins

Water-assisted injection molding of fluid-conveying tubes made from Ultramid at Teklas Teklas, a Turkish supplier to the automotive industry, has actively pushed the development of water-assisted injection molding technology (WIT) for manufacturing hollow plastic parts. The company has recently ...

Flying over the three-dimensional Moon

DLR Planetary researchers generate a new model of the Moon Although the Moon is so far the only celestial body other than Earth on which a human being has ever walked, the topography of its surface has not been studied comprehensively. This is why NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has ...

Regeneration after a stroke requires intact communication channels between the two halves of the brain

Recovery depends on the exchange of information between the brain hemispheres The structure of the corpus callosum, a thick band of nerve fibres that connects the two halves of the brain with each other and in this way enables the rapid exchange of information between the left and right ...

Mutants with heterozygote disadvantage can prevent spread of transgenic animals

Max Planck researchers simulate the conditions for the safest possible release of genetically modified organisms Genetically modified animals are designed to contain the spread of pathogens. One prerequisite for the release of such organisms into the environment is that the new gene variant does ...

Shenzhou-8: Safe touch-down with German SIMBOX experiments

Successful conclusion of the first German-Chinese project in manned space flight On 17 November at 19:38 local time (12:38 CET), the Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou-8, carrying the German SIMBOX experiment, landed on schedule in the Gobi desert in Inner Mongolia, completing a successful 17-day ...

Enzymatic synthesis of pyrrolysine, the mysterious 22nd amino acid

With few exceptions, all known proteins are using only twenty amino acids. 25 years ago scientists discovered a 21st amino acid, selenocysteine and ten years ago a 22nd, the pyrrolysine. However, how the cell produces the unusual building block remained a mystery. Now researchers at the ...

The Higgs particle is running out of places to hide

Largest hunt so far with the Large Hadron Collider LHC Scientists working at the world’s largest particle accelerator LHC near Geneva have presented the so far most extensive search for the Higgs particle, the last missing piece of the Standard Model of particle physics. It is the first combined ...

New excellence network launches in Africa Inaugural conference in Addis Ababa with researchers from Africa and Germany

Inaugural conference in Addis Ababa with researchers from Africa and Germany The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is launching the African-German Network of Excellence in Science (AGNES) in conjunction with researchers from various African countries. AGNES is designed to give more visibility to ...

Innovations from the world of research at Bayer

Personalized medicine against cancer / Creating new active crop protection ingredients with biotechnology / Electric mobility: materials for the cars of the future Leverkusen, November 2011 - The battle against cancer, safeguarding the food supply and enhanced energy efficiency in daily life are ...

Technology Parks and Centers in Germany

The German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) is proud to announce the launch of its new webpage, Technology Parks & Centers, on http://germaninnovation.org/research-and-innovation/technology-parks-and-centers The GCRI’s web presence is an information platform for North Americans who are ...

How the fly flies

Max Planck scientists discover gene switch responsible for flight muscle formation Flies are real flight artists, although they only have small wings compared to their body size. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried near Munich, Germany, recently identified the ...

2005 YU55 resembles a collection of rocks hurtling through space

The Herschel Space Observatory catches a glimpse of the minor planet during its rendezvous with Earth It is the closest, fastest and smallest object so far seen by Herschel. In fact, such observations were not even foreseen due to technical constraints. The asteroid 2005 YU55 is moving on the ...

RWTH Professor Receives NRW Innovation Award

This year's NRW Innovation Award in the category of "innovation" goes to the Director the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT) and RWTH Chair of Laser Technology, Professor Reinhart Poprawe, and his team of laser researchers. The team members include Dr. Andres Gasser, Dr. Ingomar ...

Zeppelin NT Flies for European Climate Research Jülich researchers measure air quality over Europe

Jülich researchers measure air quality over Europe Jülich/Friedrichshafen, 17 November 2011 - The test programme began in Friedrichshafen this week: Jülich climatologists are testing and optimizing the measuring equipment in preparation for the largest research application ever of a Zeppelin NT, ...

Research on the origin of life

Highly endowed award for Professor Dieter Braun LMU-biophysicist Professor Dieter Braun was awarded the Klung-Wilhelmy-Weberbank prize for the year 2011. Worth a total of 100.000 Euro, it is the highest endowed award for junior chemists and physicists in Germany. The foundation board awards the ...

ERC Grants for Four Top Researchers from the MDC

Four researchers of the Max Delbrück Center (MDC) Berlin-Buch will receive a total of eight million euros in research funding from the European Research Council (ERC) in Strasbourg. The two neurobiologists Professor Gary Lewin (MDC) and Professor Thomas Jentsch (MDC/Leibniz-Institut für ...

Global warming’s impact may be detected in genes

– Marine researchers from Kiel and Muenster publish study on the reaction of seagrasses to heat waves – 15.11.2011/Kiel. Climate change imposes stress on organisms. The global change is characterized by both the change in mean variables and the increase in extreme events and both are affecting ...

European Parliament: towards a low carbon economy

11/11/2011 - To support its discussions about pathways towards a competitive low carbon economy, the European Parliament (EP) recently organised a workshop in Brussels. Daniel Klingenfeld from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research contributed the scientific view. Other experts were ...

Business €288.5 million for the 2nd High-Tech Start-Up Fund

Till five years ago, scientists above all could find it very difficult to obtain funding to turn ideas into businesses. Today, the High-Tech Start-Up Fund (HTGF) initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Economics in 2005, has grown into an important contact point for those people with ideas ...

Stellar midwives

Magnetic fields play a key role in channeling matter to form denser clouds and produce new suns Stars and their planets are born when giant clouds of interstellar gas and dust collapse. What exactly happens in such cosmic delivery rooms? What are the processes that lead to this collapse? ...

Business BASF applies for approval for another biotech potato

Scientists from BASF Plant Science GmbH in Limburgerhof have bred a genetically modified (GM) potato that is resistant against the pest Phytophthora infestans. The fungus triggers the disease known as late blight or potato blight. It is hoped that the new potato could reduce harvest losses. At ...

Booster for Next-Generation Supercomputers Kick-off for the European exascale project DEEP

Kick-off for the European exascale project DEEP Jülich, 15 November 2011 - Today supercomputers are an indispensable tool in almost all fields of research. However, present concepts cannot be extended indefinitely without causing an unreasonable increase in effort and costs. For this reason, ...

Punishment of egoistic behaviour is not rewarded

People do not like to be observed when they cause harm to others The heated debate surrounding the German "state Trojan" software for the online monitoring of telecommunication between citizens shows that the concealed observation of our private decisions provokes public disapproval. However, as ...

Compostable, tear-resistant and waterproof: Ecovio bio-waste bags

Biodegradable plastic passes the test under real-world conditions Leftover lettuce, old bunches of flowers, potato peelings, coffee grounds: the average kitchen generates lots of organic waste. This can be turned into nutrient-rich compost in an industrial composting plant, but only if it is ...

An excavation is no camping trip

The Greeks were not always in such dire financial straits as today. But whether it is necessary to look as far back as these Bonn archeologists did in order to see a huge, flourishing Greek commercial area? They have just discovered a very large commercial area from the ancient Greek era during ...

New Helmholtz-Russia research group on the hunt for cosmic radiation

With innovative technologies, a German-Russian research group is in Siberia on the hunt for high enery cosmic gamma rays as well as for so-called cosmic rays. The latter are forming a continuous shower of high-energy atomic nuclei from outer space, its origin still being mysterious to a large ...

Perfect micro rings woven from muscle fibers

Supplied with sufficient energy, a freight train would ride the rails as far as they go. But nature also knows systems whose dynamics suddenly turn into a kind of endless loop. Like in a hamster wheel, a train caught up in such a system would continue running, but without moving forward. ...

Diseased hearts to heal themselves in future

Oncostatin M regulates the reversion of heart muscle cells into precursor cells and is vitally important for the self-healing powers of the heart Cellular reversion processes arise in diseases of the heart muscle, for example myocardial infarction and cardiomyopathy, which limit the fatal ...

Genetic testing may save breast cancer patients unnecessary chemotherapy

The Interdisciplinary Breast Center at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen’s Klinikum rechts der Isar is now offering its patients a new genetic test: it divides patients having hormone-sensitive breast cancer into high and low risk groups. Low risk means that the probability of metastasis ...

Tiny, Tailored Magnets - CeNIDE Researchers Publish in 'Nature Communications'

Nanomagnets are used in many places nowadays, from medicine to data storage. Sometimes they have to be strong and and sometimes they have to be weak. Researchers from the Center for Nanointegration (CeNIDE) at University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) have found out just how to produce these tiny ...

BASF to establish global headquarters for Dispersions & Pigments division in Hong Kong

Ludwigshafen , Germany November 14, 2010 BASF plans to establish the global headquarters of its Dispersions & Pigments division in Hong Kong. As of January 1, 2012, the division head and about 50 global positions, currently located in Ludwigshafen and Basel, will transition to Hong Kong. ...

Waste land in the 19th century

What connects apocalyptic poetry from the 19th century to the works of Quentin Tarantino? What does it have to do with films about the end of time, such as “I am Legend”? Professor of English Studies, Ralph Pordzik, from the University of Würzburg explains all in a new study. Man’s fears in ...

BASF is partner in the EU research project BIONEXGEN

17 project partners develop enzymes for industrial processesBASF participates in projects for the biocatalytic synthesis of amines and for the use of enzymes in the manufacturing of functional polymers BASF is participating in the EU-supported research project BIONEXGEN (Next Generation of ...

Good preparation is key – even for plant cells and symbiotic fungi

Laser capture microdissection provides an insight into the symbiotic programme of root cells Not only mineral oil and petroleum gas, also phosphorous is a scarce resource. According to well-respected scientists who gathered together for a conference in Cambridge this August, we will face ...

Renewable electricity: the cheapest energy source for Europe by 2050

On the basis of calculations for 36 countries in Europe and Northern Africa the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) concludes that a power supply completely based upon renewable sources by 2050 is achievable at average costs of 65 €/ Mwh. “Renewable electricity will become the ...

GammaProtect®: Cathodic corrosion protection for hot stamping

For long-lasting corrosion protection, manufacturers of automotive components use galvanized steel: A simple truth, but one that only applies to cold formed parts. In hot stamping, above all in the highly cost-effective direct or one-stage hot stamping process, the corrosion protection question ...

The Perfect Couple: Japanese Robots and German Autos

Berlin/Tokyo - Germany's automotive industry is driving sales of industrial robots to new highs. Robotic industry experts expect turnover to increase by over 40 percent in 2011 in some segments, breaking revenue records. Recent foreign investments, including Japan's Yaskawa Corporation, have ...

Beacons in space

Pulsars are fascinating celestial bodies with an interesting history November 03, 2011 Pulsars are among the most exotic objects in the universe. They resemble gigantic atomic nuclei and rotate around their own axis at an incredible speed. These cosmic beacons mark the end of massive suns. ...

Germany: Disconnecting Economic Growth from Resource Consumption

Berlin/Tel Aviv – Carbon dioxide emissions skyrocketed in 2010, according to new data. This is due largely to fossil fuel burning in developing countries. But Germany shows that economic growth and consumption of natural resources can also be uncoupled. Germany is a leading exporter of ...

Immune surveillance against cancer

Early stage tumor suppression through immune surveillance: HZI researchers describe a new mechanism Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) cell carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. In the majority of cases hepatocellular carcinoma develops after chronic liver damage due ...

IPP scientist wins Russian grant in the millions

Doing research in St. Petersburg with 3.5 million euros / Government grant from the Russian Federation In an open competition Professor Dr. Friedrich Wagner, Director (retd.) at Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Garching and Greifswald, has won, together with Russian colleagues from St. ...

CAU and DESY sign cooperation agreement

Joint laboratory is named after X-ray pioneer Ruprecht Haensel Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU) and DESY in Hamburg will cooperate more closely in the future. On Friday, 11 November, a cooperation agreement was signed in Hamburg on behalf of the University of Kiel (CAU) by President ...

Attention and awareness uncoupled

Brain imaging experiments uncouple two apparently intimately connected mental processes In everyday life, attention and awareness appear tightly interwoven. Attending to the scissors on the right side of your desk, you become aware of their attributes, for example the red handles. Vice versa, ...

Gene switch for odorant receptors

Tiny regulatory elements in the genome regulate the probability that olfactory sensory neurons choose a particular odorant receptor gene for expression The olfactory sensory neurons in the nasal mucosa perceive the myriad smells in the air with the aid of odorant receptors. Each sensory neuron ...

Protection against Epstein-Barr virus: new approach towards an effective vaccine

Neuherberg, 08.11.11. Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital in Munich have developed a vaccine against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). If the clinical trial of the vaccine proves successful, immuno-compromised patients at an increased risk of ...

Science Multimillion epigenetics genome project begins

First the genome, and now the human epigenome is being placed under the microscope. Researchers from all over the world working under the umbrella of the 2010-founded International Human Epigenome Consortium (IHEC) are investigating the small chemical markings on genetic material and surrounding ...

Are Natural Halogenated Hyrdocarbons Harmful to the Ozone Layer?

Field Measurement Campaign in Malaysia International field measurement campaign in Malaysia coordinated by Heidelberg University Over 20 years ago, the industrial production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) was prohibited in order to protect the ozone layer. However, research findings by ...

Glimpse under the Bonnet of Complex Molecules Individual atoms as contrast media for scanning tunnelling microscopes

Individual atoms as contrast media for scanning tunnelling microscopes Jülich, 5 October 2011 - Scanning tunnelling microscopes are among the most important and most widely used tools for visualizing structures at the atomic level. In the past, however, it was virtually impossible to use them to ...

Special funds for Egypt and Tunisia Humboldt Foundation to strengthen its network and support democratic change in Egypt and Tunisia with funds from the Federal Foreign Office

Humboldt Foundation to strengthen its network and support democratic change in Egypt and Tunisia with funds from the Federal Foreign Office The Humboldt Foundation wishes to support democratic change in Egypt and Tunisia, and to this end is aiming to strengthen and expand its network of ...

New approaches to the treatment of early-stage liver cancer

New approaches to the treatment of early-stage liver cancer Neuherberg, 10.11.2011. Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München have played a major role in two studies that could fundamentally change the medical treatment of liver cancer. Doctors are now able to determine the degree of ...

Scientific Collaboration between India and Germany Reaches New Dimension

Increasing Number of Research Collaborations with Outstanding Results / Study on Joint Publications: Germany in Second Place as Partner Country behind USA Research collaboration between India and Germany has intensified. This was highlighted by Professor Matthias Kleiner, President of the ...

Population explosion in dwarf galaxies

Unusually productive dwarf galaxies pose a riddle, but simultaneously appear to solve the riddle of the unusual distribution of Dark Matter In the early universe, small, young galaxies produced new stars at an extraordinary rate. For current models of galaxy formation, this high star production ...

Kiel’s world record in efficient data transmission

It can be a long way from theory to practice. A working group from Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU) has now reduced the gap between feasible data transmission rates and theoretically possible rate to a world record level. This forms the basis for fifth-generation mobile ...

Does the ocean affect the ozone layer?

– Marine Scientists and the research vessel SONNE from Kiel are part of an international measuring campaign in the South China Sea – November 4, 2011/Kiel. Despite the existence of international treaties on the protection of the ozone layer it is only slowly recovering. As the role of natural ...

Where does tomorrow’s energy come from? Researchers explore new pathways

11/09/2011 - In just a few weeks´ time the European Union will present its scenarios for tomorrow’s energy, the “Energy Roadmap 2050” – and already there is some excitement about the question of price increases. Behind such estimates, however, there are scientific models: computer simulations of ...

The first 44 networks of Kompetenznetze Deutschland were awarded with the BRONZE-label of the European Cluster Excellence Initiative

148 regional innovation networks from eight European countries, of which 44 networks belong to the Initiative Kompetenznetze Deutschland, have been benchmarked within the project “NPGExcellence – Cluster Excellence in the Nordic Countries, Germany and Poland”. For their participation and the ...

Understanding People, Spaces, and Spatial Cognition

A panel discussion on developing and implementing cross-disciplinary perspectives in architecture, cognitive sciences, and computational systems on November 17, 2011, at the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) New York. NEW YORK (November 10, 2011) – “We shape our buildings, ...

Exploring the Smallest Structures

RWTH Professor brings his research results with him from California to Aachen Thomas Taubner worked alongside Nobel Prize winners and other top researchers at Standford University in California. Thanks to a DAAD scholarship, the professor of metamaterials and nano-optics at the Department of ...

Europe invests in designing a new energy-efficient Exascalemachine

The Mont-Blanc project brings together a purely European consortium gathering industrial technology providers and supercomputing research centres Jülich / Garching / Barcelona, 26th October 2011. Energy efficiency is already a primary concern for the design of any computer system and it is ...

Russian spacecraft on its way to Phobos

Click here to watch the video On 8 November at 21:16 CET (02:16 on 9 November, local time) the Russian Phobos-Grunt (Phobos Soil) spacecraft began its journey to Mars on board a Zenit-2 rocket that lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The spacecraft is expected to land on the ...

Center for Wind Power Development Being Built

"Center for Wind Power Drives" being built RWTH's proposal for a research building "Center for Wind Power Drives (CWD) with a System Test Bench for On-Shore Wind Energy Plants" was approved by the Joint Science Conference of the federal and state governments (GWK). The cost of the building, ...

How do Geckos climb?

Fascinating Images Reveal Climbing Abilities of Geckos and Spiders Helium ion technology allows imaging of objects in their natural state JENA/Germany, PEABODY/Massachusetts/USA, 09.11.2011. Scientists from Lewis and Clark College, working collaboratively with the Joint School of Nanoscience and ...

Clear vision despite a heavy head

In one respect, handling a computer mouse is just like looking in the rearview mirror: well established movements help the brain to concentrate on the essentials. But just a simple gaze shift to a new target bears the possibility of an almost infinite number of combinations of eye and head ...

Quantum fishes

Besides the one in which we live, there may be many parallel universes out there. Indeed, in the context of string theory, this possibility arises quite naturally. Unlike the so-called Standard Model of Particle Physics, in which the basic building blocks of matter are assumed to be point-like ...

Using Viagra to Combat Malignant Melanoma

Many tumors cause chronic inflammations, which, in their turn, suppress specific attacks against the tumor by the immune system. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Medical Faculty Mannheim at Heidelberg University have now shown in mice with melanoma that sildenafil - the ...

Shoe strings and egg openers

Max Planck scientists discover photosynthesis helper protein in red algae Photosynthesis is one of the most important biological processes. However, it is less efficient in plants than it could be. Red algae, in contrast, use a slightly different mechanism and are thus more productive. ...

Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht intensifies cooperation with POSCO in South Korea

Economic lightweight materials for cars or aeroplanes, new technologies for regenerative energy systems – these are great challenges currently faced by industry and science. In order to better combine scientific research activities and practical experience, scientists of the Helmholtz-Zentrum ...

Economic Growth with Fewer Resources?

Berlin/Chicago – Carbon dioxide emissions skyrocketed in 2010, according to new data. This is due largely to fossil fuel burning in developing countries. But Germany shows that economic growth and consumption of natural resources can also be uncoupled. Germany is a leading exporter of ...

Individual CO2 emissions decline in old age

Ageing could influence climate change New demographic analysis reveals that the CO2 emissions of the average American increase until around the age of 65, and then start to decrease. For the United States this means that, although the ageing of the population will lead to a slight overall rise ...

Attention! End of traffic jam!

How a molecular traffic jam impacts cell division Interdisciplinary research between biology and physics aims to understand the cell and how it organizes internally. The mechanisms inside the cell are very complicated. NIM scientist Erwin Frey is working with his group on one particular issue ...

EU project launch: PAGE21 closes gap in our understanding of the climate system

Potsdam/Bremerhaven, 7 November 2011. Today researchers from eleven countries will meet in Potsdam to launch a new, four-year EU project. What happens when the vast amounts of carbon in Arctic soils are released to the atmosphere? This is the central question field-researchers, operators of long ...

Physicists discover a new kind of celestial bodies

Researchers at the University of Bonn discover exotic “dark clusters” in their calculations Theoretical physicists at the University of Bonn propose a new class of celestial bodies: “Dark Star Clusters”, consisting of many black holes and some stars orbiting around each other. So far, such a ...

Mask-bot: A robot with a human face

Robotics researchers in Munich have joined forces with Japanese scientists to develop an ingenious technical solution that gives robots a human face. By using a projector to beam the 3D image of a face onto the back of a plastic mask, and a computer to control voice and facial expressions, the ...

EASAC study on solar thermal power

Solar thermal power stations are a dependable solution for the energy turnaround – EASAC study submitted to German Science Minister Schavan As a dependable technology, solar thermal power stations can play an important role in transitioning the power grid to renewable energy sources. In contrast ...

Plasma in bags

Research News Nov 02, 2011 Using plasmas, sealed plastic bags can be modified at atmospheric pressure so that human cells can adhere to and reproduce on their walls. Cell culture bags of this kind are an important aid for research and clinical purposes and may eventually replace the Petri dishes ...

Structure of a microbial hydrogen engine

Molecular hydrogen is discussed as promising renewable energy source and attractive alternative to fossil fuels. Many microorganisms exploit the beneficial properties of hydrogen already since more than two billion years.

IMPRS Ultrafast Imaging & Structural Dynamics - Apply now!

IMPRS-UFAST is a structured PhD programme which offers exciting training opportunities in the field of ultrafast imaging with a view to exploring structural changes of atoms, molecules, condensed, biological, or warm dense matter on femtosecond time scales. The interdisciplinary School offers ...

Return from virtual flight to Mars

520 days without sunlight, fresh air or direct contact with the outside world - the six test subjects on the Mars500 mission have had to forego plenty of things while 'travelling' to Mars and back to Earth in their virtual spacecraft. After a year and a half of isolation, the sealed hatch of the ...

Millisecond pulsar in spin mode

The gamma radiation of a rapidly rotating neutron star casts doubt on the models of the origin of such objects Astronomers have tracked down the first gamma-ray pulsar in a globular cluster of stars. It is around 27,000 light years away and thus also holds the distance record in this class of ...

Nine new gamma pulsars

Discoveries in Fermi telescope data thanks to method used in gravitational wave astronomy Pulsars are the lighthouses of the universe. These compact and fast-rotating neutron stars flash many times per second in the radio or gamma-ray band. Pure gamma-ray pulsars are extremely difficult to find ...

The future of systematic lightweight construction – Multi material design

Multi material design concept gains importance – third cross-network forum in Landshut – innovation through cooperation Driven by the continuing discussions about availability of resources and sustainability in mobility, the multi material design concept becomes more and more important. “Using ...

Robot speeds up glass development

Model by model, the electronics in a car are being moved closer to the engine block. This is why the materials used for the electronics must resist increasing heat – so the glass solder being used as glue must be continually optimized. For the first time ever, a robot takes on the task of ...

International scientists from USA and India study bioinspired materials in Saarbruecken

Two well-respected guest scientists from India and USA are spending a research period in Saarbruecken. During their research stay at INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Animangsu Ghatak and Anand Jagota are investigating various aspects of bioinspired materials and structures. Their ...

High-tech spider for hazardous missions

Spiders are very agile, and some can even jump. They owe this capability to their hydraulically operated limbs. Researchers have now designed a mobile robot modeled on the same principle that moves spider legs. Created using a 3-D printing process, this lightweight can explore terrain that is ...

A World of Ubiquitous Computing and Embedded Systems

The tremendous success of smartphones and the multitude of software applications available trigger a number of interesting research questions about the use of embedded sensors, signal processing methodologies, and the security of personal and technical data. In a very engaging keynote speech, ...

625 Years of Heidelberg University

Commemorative close of anniversary year Ruperto Carola hosted Federal President Christian Wulff on 22 October as the featured speaker for the 2011 Jahresfeier, the traditional annual celebration. The festive event in the New University marked the close of the 625th anniversary year of Germany's ...

Research alumni promote Germany

About 60 alumni of seven German research organisations met in New York on 20 and 21 October. The first international research alumni meeting held as part of a joint research marketing campaign by German science organisations took place on 20 and 21 October in New York. Its aim was to create an ...

Novel Magnetic-Resonance Technology Gives More Accurate Insights into the Structure of Matter

With support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) three German universities are to obtain innovative DNP-NMR equipment for use in the life sciences and materials sciences. As part of an ongoing major instrumentation initiative, a sum of almost five million ...

Research alumni promote Germany

The Aging Brain

While Prof. Kandel presented his research regarding the nature and mechanical processes of learning and memory, Prof. Staudinger spoke about the interrelationship between humans’ biological make-up and the socio-cultural context of society. Both experts agreed that physical fitness is essential ...

On the Trail of Biomarkers and Signalling Substances with Major Instrumentation

In the life sciences, imaging methods such as microscopy play a central role. The technique of imaging mass spectrometry is a new and analytic method in this field that promises many benefits. This is the reason why in October 2011 the Joint Committee of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, ...

Polarstern launches 28th Antarctic season

On Friday, 28 October 2011 the research icebreaker Polarstern sets off on its 28th Antarctic expedition. Over 200 scientists and technicians from research institutions in 14 countries will take part in the five expedition legs. They will examine a wide variety of topics: oceanography and marine ...

Colder than space – first helium transfer line modules from Poland arrive at DESY

Many modern particle accelerators run at temperatures close to absolute zero. The accelerator of the European XFEL X-ray laser for example needs to be cooled down to minus 271 centigrade for revving up electrons to the speeds and energies needed. But before assembly, the main accelerator ...

Climate Change a core topic at the World Health Summit

What are the consequences of climate change for public health? The World Health Summit made this question, rather neglected in public debate, one of its core topics this week. This was a cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research ...

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe to fund young researchers

Computer scientists and mathematicians to work with ICAMS From January 1, 2012 ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG will be funding a group of young researchers from Ruhr University Bochum. The computer scientists and mathematicians will carry out research jointly with the Interdisciplinary Centre for ...

ProBioGen and Inhibrx Sign License Deal on GlymaxX® ADCC Technology for Therapeutic Antibodies Development

ProBioGen and Inhibrx signed a multi-program license deal on ADCC-enhanced therapeutic antibodies. ProBioGen's GlymaxX® ADCC enhancement technology and mammalian cell line development and manufacturing services will be used to advance therapeutic antibodies generated by Inhibrx's discovery ...

More heat waves: increase of extremes due to climate change

The Moscow heat wave last year was, with high probability, the result of climate change – contrary to what some have assumed. With a likelihood of 80 percent, it was not natural short-term climatic variability but the long-term warming trend that caused the temperature record in the region ...

Federal Cross of Merit Awarded to Prof. Dr. Dietmar Rothermund

Heidelberg scientist was honoured for the dissemination of knowledge on India in Germany Prof. Dr. Dietmar Rothermund has received the Federal Cross of Merit for his achievements at Heidelberg University's South Asia Institute (SAI), the dissemination of knowledge on India in Germany, and for ...

Gold surfaces repair themselves at room temperature

Scientists at the INM were able to show that on atomic scale gold surfaces smoothen out by themselves at room temperature. Micromechanical systems and electric switches are based on smallest sliding contacts. They only work without loss of energy or material, if the surfaces are very smooth and ...

Launch of first two Galileo IOV satellites

The successful launch of the first two Galileo In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites on 21 October 2011 marks the start of space segment construction for an independent European satellite navigation system. The Russian Soyuz launch vehicle with the two satellites on board lifted off from Europe's ...

Doctoral Scholarships of the Lüneburg Innovation Incubator - Sub-measure 1.4 of Leuphana Graduate School

As part of sub-measure 1.4 of the Lüneburg Innovation Incubator, Leuphana Graduate School will grant 10 doctoral scholarships to extraordinarily qualified candidates to promote young academics.

UniCat offers the Clara Immerwahr Award for the first time - Deadline for applications is November 15th 2011

The Cluster of Excellence “Unifying Concepts in Catalysis” (UniCat) is call-ing for applications for the Clara Immerwahr Award, which offers a prize found of 15.000 Euro for a research stay at UniCat.

Review: BIOTECHNICA 2011 was successful

28 exhibitors from the Baden-Württemberg biotechnology sector were present at the joint Baden-Württemberg booth at the recent BIOTECHNICA trade fair to present their products and services. The organizer, BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH, received positive feedback about the joint booth. “I am very ...

Konarka Technologies and Webasto begin their Cooperation for the Application of Organic Solar Cells in the Automobile Industry

Nuremberg/Stockdorf, Munich, 19 Oct. 2011. On the occasion of the eCarTech, the international trade fair for electric mobility, Konarka Technologies, the US manufacturer of organic solar cells, and the top 100 automobile supplier Webasto, officially announce their cooperation on integrating ...

Temporary use – magnesium implants biodegrade systematically

Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht coordinates new EU project In the course of the next four years, the first prototypes of biocompatible magnesium bone implants are to be tested and developed in the scope of the new EU project, “Tailored Biodegradable Magnesium Implant Materials”(MagnIM). This major ...

Russo-German exhibition about polar and marine research

–Thomas Rachel, Parliamentary State Secretary for the Federal Minister of Education and Research, opens touring exhibition in St. Petersburg Bremerhaven/Kiel/Skt.Petersburg, 14.October 2011. On the 14th of October Thomas Rachel, the German parliamentary State Secretary for the Federal Minister ...

New therapy for hepatitis B combats virus and stimulates immune system

Neuherberg, 11 October 2011. Scientists have developed a new treatment approach for chronic hepatitis-B infections that is set to improve the prospects of eliminating the infection and curing the disease. With the aid of modified short RNAs, researchers participating in a collaborative venture ...

New bacteria toxins against resistant insect pests

Scientists have developed Bt toxins for the management of Bt resistance in European corn borer and other crop pests. Toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria (Bt toxins) are used in organic and conventional farming to manage pest insects. Sprayed as pesticides or produced in genetically ...

Earnings Growth is the main Component of Mid-Market Private Equity Returns

The findings of a new study led by Professor Christoph Kaserer of the Technical University of Munich and released at the EVCA Mid-Market Forum in Budapest, show that by far the most significant factor in delivering returns from European mid-market buyouts is earnings growth, accounting for up to ...

Humboldt Professorship awarded to TU München for Diabetes Research

The TUM has succeeded again in garnering one of the coveted and top-endowed Alexander von Humboldt Professorships. With Professor Matthias Tschöp from Cincinnati, the University gains an internationally renowned expert in metabolic diseases who will carry out research on insulin resistance at ...

Galileo – keeping time with atomic clocks

An equation with four unknowns – at least, that is how satellite navigation is summarised by Walter Päffgen, Managing Director of the German Aerospace Center's (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt - DLR) Space Applications Company (Gesellschaft für Raumfahrtanwendungen; GfR) and Head of ...

Simple nerve cells regulate swimming depth of marine plankton

Ciliary beating of Platynereis gives insights into an ancestral state of nervous system evolution As planktonic organisms the larvae of the marine annelid Platynereis swim freely in the open water. They move by activity of their cilia, thousands of tiny hair-like structures forming a band along ...

Autoimmune Diseases Affect Cancer Risk

In a recently published study, scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have calculated the interrelations between autoimmune diseases and cancer of the digestive tract. They discovered that many autoimmune diseases increase the cancer risk, while ...

Trend reports for ACHEMA 2012 start out with single-use technologies

What are the current developments in packaging and labeling? What is the status of process analytics? What are food biotechnologists working on at the moment? Answers to these questions provide the trend reports of DECHEMA. Experts from academia and industry and international specialized ...

Elegant chains

Münster scientists solve difficult chemical problem by means of nanotechnology / Report in "Science" journal Münster (upm), Mo, 17 Okt 2011 - How can you make short chains of inert, linear ("spaghetti-shaped") hydrocarbon molecules form one single long chain? Chemists have been aware of this ...

New Alexander von Humboldt professors selected

Germany’s highest valued international research award goes to four researchers from abroad. A biophysicist, a communications engineer, a medical scientist and a mathematician are the new Alexander von Humboldt professors. The International Award for Research in Germany, worth up to five million ...

Network Combats Environmental Problems in Mediterranean Region

France and Germany initiate Euro-Mediterranean partnership Berlin/Jülich, 13 October 2011 - In the presence of the research ministers of France and Germany - Laurent Wauquiez and Annette Schavan - research centres from both countries signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday. In this ...

Pesticides pollute European waterbodies more than previously thought

List of chemicals to be monitored should be updated immediately Leipzig. Pesticides are a bigger problem than had long been assumed. This is the conclusion of a study in which scientists analysed data on 500 organic substances in the basins of four major European rivers. It was revealed that 38 ...

Researchers put new spin on world´s water cycle

10/13/2011 - The final report of the Water and Global Change programme (WATCH), an extensive analysis of the world’s water resources, is made available today, significantly expanding the understanding of climate change and land use impacts on the global hydrological cycle. A total of 25 ...

Einstein's 'spooky action' improves precision measurements

Entangled atoms for interferometry Atoms, the building blocks of nature, can be used as extremely precise measurement devices. Since the 1960s, for example, our daily time is defined by the inner oscillation frequency of the cesium atom, and realized by so called atomic clocks. This inner ...

Children prefer cooperation

Humans like to work together in solving tasks - chimps don't Recent studies have shown that chimpanzees possess many of the cognitive prerequisites necessary for humanlike collaboration. Cognitive abilities, however, might not be all that differs between chimpanzees and humans when it comes to ...

Germany's Economic Strength Continues to Attract Foreign Direct Investment

"This year's 'Economic Overview' affords the prospective investor a clear, concise insight into the German economy. The data show that the country's stable and reliable business environment has contributed to economic growth and prosperity, confirming Germany's position as a central destination ...

New Network for Climate Protection in Cities

Initial Meeting at Freie Universität Berlin At a conference in Berlin scientists from Freie Universität Berlin and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in Potsdam took the first steps in creating a network for research on climate protection in urban areas. Special emphasis ...

Dioxin-like Chemical Messenger Makes Brain Tumors More Aggressive

No. 53a | 06/10/2011 Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University Hospital have discovered a new metabolic pathway / Successful research alliance publishes results in Nature Joint Press Release of the German Cancer Research Center and Heidelberg University ...

SUNY and Seven German Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS7) Sign Agreement

Groundwork Laid for Transatlantic Teaching and Research Partnerships New York, NY (September 12, 2011) - UAS7, a strategic alliance of seven leading German universities of applied sciences, is pleased to announce a new agreement with The State University of New York (SUNY) signed on September ...

Intruder detected: raise the alarm!

How a molecular switch activates the anti-viral innate immune response When a thief breaks into a bank vault, sensors are activated and the alarm is raised. Cells have their own early-warning system for intruders, and scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Grenoble, ...

Violent games emotionally desensitizing

Researchers from the University of Bonn studied brain activity in heavy users After excessively violent events, shoot ‘em up games regularly come under scrutiny. In Norway, several first-person shooter games actually disappeared from the market for a while after the killings. Does intense ...

Germany’s Rising Share of Renewable Energy Sources Boosting Energy Storage Segment

Berlin, September 28, 2011 – Over 20 percent of Germany's total energy mix is from renewable sources and this share continues to rise, according to recent estimates. The growth in the energy supply calls for innovative storage technology which has spurred the development of battery and smart ...

Reaching 99.999999999997 percent safety: Saarland computer scientists present their concept for a wireless bicycle brake

Computer scientists at Saarland University developed a wireless bicycle brake and demonstrated its efficiency on a so-called cruiser bike. Furthermore, they confirmed the brake system’s reliability through mathematical calculations that are also used in control systems for aircraft or chemical ...

Visionary software combines different database systems

Whoever orders books on the Internet, withdraws money from a cash machine or uses a navigation system to arrive at a destination is (usually without realizing it) using companies’ very large databases. These are accessed and managed by computer programs which - depending on the type of ...

Intelligent cars alert each other to hazards

The largest field test for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication (car-to-X communication) worldwide is about to get under way. Scientists, auto makers and communication companies as well as public-sector institutions have teamed up to develop a system that allows cars to ...

DLR ROKVISS robotic arm returns from space

The ROKVISS (Robotik-Komponenten-Verifikation auf der ISS - Robotic Components Verification on the ISS) technology experiment developed by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has returned to Earth after six years in space. The DLR Institute of Robotics ...

Custom-made Artificial Lung

RWTH Mechanical Engineers Develop a New Strategy for Cardiopulmonary Support Custom made artificial lungs and a "seamless" exchange between a cardiopulmonary machine and a lung support system- this is the goal for three young RWTH Aachen biomedical engineers. The engineers, Jutta Arens, Peter ...

Göttingen University is No. 2 German university in world rankings

The Times Higher Education: Georgia Augusta places 69th among the Top 200 (pug) In their list of overall world rankings, the authoritative British magazine Times Higher Education (THE) has ranked Göttingen University 69th for 2011/12, placing Göttingen second-best among German institutions of ...

Sex Hormones Take Effect Promptly

"Time is brain" – that is the rule of conduct for a stroke. The faster the blood flow, and thus the oxygen supply in the brain, return to normal, the lesser the damages. According to German Stroke Foundation estimates, about 250,000 citizens are affected every year. In addition to partial ...

Research flights - DLR investigates the effect of contrails and volcanic emissions on the climate

What influence do contrails and volcanic emissions have on the climate? Scientists from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) tackled this question by conducting 12 research flights with the Falcon research aircraft as part of the Concert (Contrail and ...

Mars Express: Current flows and 'islands' in Ares Vallis

The Ares Vallis outflow channel meanders for more than 1700 kilometres across the southern highlands of Mars and ends in a 100-kilometre-wide delta-like region in the lowlands of Chryse Planitia. On 11 May 2011, parts ...

Expedition to the coral reefs of the Red Sea

October 10,2011/Kiel. The Saudi coast of the Red Sea covers more than 11° latitudes featuring decreasing nutrients, decreasing mean annual SST and increasing salinity from S to N making it an ideal setting to investigate naturally varying water parameters on coral reefs. During a 4 week ...

Europe and the global food crisis

Press release for World Food Day, 16 October 2011 Warszaw/Poland and Halle/Saale/Germany. In connection with the Polish Presidency of the EU a group of leading academics led by Prof Tim Benton, UK, met in the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, to make a consensus statement on Europe as a key ...

European scientific organisations establish alliance for climate research

Bremerhaven, 5 October 2011. A group of leading climate research organisations from eight European countries established the European Climate Research Alliance (ECRA) in the European Parliament yesterday. Prof. Dr. Karin Lochte, Director of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine ...

Two cellphones in one

More and more companies are providing their employees with smartphones. While companies seek the best security available for their data, employees would also like to install apps of their own. Security experts have now developed equipment software with two separate areas: the business area and ...

Bernstein Award 2011 for Henning Sprekeler

Henning Sprekeler, scientist at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, receives one of the world’s best endowed prizes for his research on learning and memory. The Bernstein Award 2011 goes to Dr. Henning Sprekeler, scientist at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU). He was able to convince an ...

ACHEMA 2012: Getting ready for the energy turnaround

"Innovative Energy Carriers and Storage" on display at ACHEMA's Special Show Renewable energy generation and mobile applications depend on innovative technologies for energy storage. The ACHEMA Special Show 2012 presents the latest technological trends and concepts. In combination with the ...

Röttgen inaugurates Innovation and Technology Centre for renewable energies

Berlin, 07.10.2011 - Today Federal Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen and the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Adnan Z. Amin inaugurated the IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre (IITC) in Bonn. The IITC is supported by the German government and aims to ...

Climate change: A risk for plants and animals worldwide

10/07/2011 - Climate change entails a risk for ecosystems on all continents. Scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) have now identified the scale of danger for animals and plants in a worldwide analysis. For that purpose, they developed a novel measure that for the ...

Crab pulsar radiates beams of unexpectedly high energy

Physical models of pulsars need revising For the first time, researchers have detected gamma-ray emission from a pulsar at unexpectedly high energies. The gamma rays emitted by the Crab pulsar at energies of more than 100 billion electronvolts (100 GeV) were measured using the VERITAS telescopes ...

Young and thin instead of old and bulky: Researchers report on changes in Arctic sea ice after return of research vessel Polarstern

Bremerhaven, 6 October 2011. In the central Arctic the proportion of old, thick sea ice has declined significantly. Instead, the ice cover now largely consists of thin, one-year-old floes. This is one of the results that scientists of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in ...

Study Shows Joint and Double Degree Programs Gaining Interest in Global Context

New Study by Institute of International Education and Freie Universität Berlin on Transnational Degree Programs Cross-border academic degree programs, known as joint or double degree programs, are gaining significance globally according to a study made by staff members of the Institute of ...

Closer to the sun

ESA chooses Solar Orbiter mission The powerful influence of the sun motivates ESA´s next science mission. Solar Orbiter was selected yesterday, October 4th, by ESA's Science Programme Committee for implementation, with launch planned for 2017. Scientists from Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu ...

Distribution Atlas of Butterflies in Europe

A baseline for the conservation of a core element of biodiversity Halle/Saale and Berlin. Scientists present the largest distribution data compilation ever on butterflies of an entire continent. The Germany based Society for the Conservation of Butterflies and Moths GfS ("Gesellschaft für ...

Did comets bring water to Earth?

Observations of Hartley 2 have revealed the first comet with water similar to that on our home planet Not only the impacts of asteroids, but also comets may have provided Earth with large parts of its water. This is a result of new measurements performed by ESA's space observatory Herschel that ...

Megacity emissions sensed from space

The emissions of nitrogen oxides can be determined from satellite measurements of the pollution levels by using a mathematical trick The amount of nitrogen oxides released into the air in densely populated areas can now be determined directly, independently from extrapolations and model ...

Doping for solar cells

A new technique optimizes the generation of charge carriers In organic solar cells, organic molecules are used to convert light into electric energy. Providing a renewable source of energy, organic solar cells are a promising eco-friendly future technology. However, their efficiency is still far ...

Technology funding makes climate protection cheaper

09/19/2011 - To cost-effectively protect the climate, not only an emissions trading scheme but also financial support for new technologies is needed. Economising on targeted funding, for example for renewable energies, makes climate protection more expensive – as scientists of the Potsdam ...

DAAD senior lecturer Prof Dr. Bernd Wünnemann wins China’s highest distinction

At this year’s Friendship Award ceremony on 29 September 2011, the Chinese government honoured several foreign experts for their outstanding contributions to China’s scientific, cultural and technological-economic development. The Friendship Award is the highest distinction that a foreigner can ...

Groundbreaking experimental Research on reactive Silicon Compounds

Prof. Dr. Matthias Driess of TU Berlin receives Wacker Silicone Award 2011 Dr. Matthias Driess, Professor of Organometallic and Inorganic Chemistry at the Technische Universität Berlin was honoured with the 2011 WACKER Silicone Award including 10,000 euros prize money on Oc-tober 5th in Munich. ...

All Off-Grid experts under one umbrella - 10 years’ company anniversary of Phaesun GmbH celebrated in the framework of first „Off-Grid Experts“ Event

Memmingen, 05.10.2011. Solar enterprise Phaesun GmbH situated in Memmingen celebrated their „10 years of Phaesun and more than 500 years of Off-Grid experience“ anniversary on September 30 and October 1 together with their customers and 13 international manufacturers of the solar trade. On this ...

Structure of a molecular copy machine

How mitochondrial genes are transcribed The mitochondria are the cell’s power stations. In animal cells, they supply energy in usable form by converting nutrients into the universal energy currency of the cell, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondria possess their own DNA, and are inherited ...

Meet German leading-edge clusters at BIOTECHNICA 2011

Four of the five clusters that have won the BMBF “BioIndustry 2021“ competition will be present at a joint booth at BIOTECHNICA, Europe’s leading trade fair for biotechnology and the life sciences to be held in Hanover, Germany from 11th to 13th October. They will be presenting insights into ...

How did the first Arctic ozone hole form in spring 2011?

Current publication in journal Nature sees connection with climate change Bremerhaven/Potsdam, 4 October 2011. An international team of scientists has unravelled how the first ozone hole over the Arctic formed last spring. A comprehensive analysis of the unusually high ozone depletion in ...

Nobel Prize for Medicine goes to three Humboldtians

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is pleased to learn that Bruce Beutler from the United States, Jules Hoffman from Luxembourg and Canadian Ralph Steinman have won the Nobel Prize for Medicine 2011. It is with great sadness that the Foundation has received news of the death of Ralph ...

Bacteria forge nitrogen from nitric oxide

Max Planck scientists unravel key pathway in the nitrogen cycle The anaerobic oxidation of ammonia (anammox) is an important pathway in the nitrogen cycle that was only discovered in the 1980s. Currently, scientists estimate that about 50 percent of the nitrogen in the atmosphere is forged by ...

A 'carbonizing dragon'

Cell cultures from a machine

Cell cultures form the basis of day-to-day research work in applications that range from the development of drugs and vaccines to the decoding of functions of individual genes. Up until now, cell cultures have been sown, tended, observed and transferred to vessels – all by hand. A new device ...

Microlenses for 3-D endoscopes

Modern endoscopic techniques enable doctors to perform surgery without major incisions. Certain interventions require instruments with special 3-D optics. Researchers have developed an image sensor that transmits perfect 3-D images from inside the human body thanks to the use of microlenses. The ...

Vitamin D could lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes

Neuherberg, 30.09. 2011. Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München have shown that people with a good vitamin D supply are at lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The study, which was conducted in cooperation with the German Diabetes Center and the University of Ulm, will be ...

International Study Reveals the Genetic Basis of Lung Function

Neuherberg, September 26, 2011. Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in understanding lung function and lung health – a first step toward new preventive and therapeutic approaches. The SpiroMeta and CHARGE consortia, in which scientists from Helmholtz Zentrum München are also involved, have ...

European Doctoral College in Fusion Science starting

IPP is one of the partners of the International Doctoral College in Fusion Science and Engineering Max Planck Institute of Plasma Physics (IPP) at Garching and Greifswald is one of eight partners of the new International Doctoral College in Fusion Science and Engineering (Fusion DC), which has ...

Freie Universität Berlin Partners with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Cooperation Enables Aristotle University of Thessaloniki to Access the USC Shoah Foundation Institute’s Visual History Archive, One of the Largest of its Kind in the World Freie Universität Berlin has signed a cooperation with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. The partnership ...

20th Aachen Colloquium Automobile and Engine Technology

From 10 to 12 October 2011, the 20th Aachen Colloquium "Automobile and Engine Technology" will take place at Eurogress Aachen. At this major international conference the joint organisers, the Institute of Automotive Engineering Aachen (ika) and the Institute for Combustion Engines (vka), will be ...

The Aging Brain

An evening with Eric Kandel and Ursula Staudinger about the nature of learning, brain plasticity, age-related memory loss, and the impact on cognition of biology and culture, on Thursday, October 13, 2011, at the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) New York. NEW YORK (September 29, ...

Coherence matters

Scientists publish first direct measurements of the coherence properties of LCLS Free-electron lasers open a fascinating new insight into the structure, ultra fast dynamics and function of matter. With their ultra-short X-ray pulses of only a few femtoseconds and their unprecedented brightness, ...

Cosmic weight watching reveals black hole galaxy history

Using state-of-the-art technology and sophisticated data analysis tools, a team of astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy has developed a new and powerful technique to directly determine the mass of an active galaxy at a distance of nearly 9 billion light-years from Earth. This ...

Productivity of land plants may be greater than previously thought

Researchers recommend the reworking of global carbon models in NATURE London. The global uptake of carbon by land plants may be up to 45 per cent more than previously thought. This is the conclusion of an international team of scientists, based on the variability of heavy oxygen atoms in the ...

Chosen: Scientists of the Alfred Wegener Institute receive new research funds from Helmholtz Association

Bremerhaven, 27 September 2011. In a stringent selection procedure the Helmholtz Association has chosen 20 junior scientists, who can now set up their own research group at one of the 17 Helmholtz centres. Three of the approved applications came from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and ...

Laser polishes components to a high-gloss finish

At present, components used in areas such as tool and die making generally have to be painstakingly polished by hand – but a recently developed automated process could soon offer a much faster solution. From November 29 to December 2 at the 2011 EuroMold exhibition in Frankfurt (Hall 11, Booth ...

BASF showcases expertise at CPhI worldwide in Frankfurt

BASF will present its extensive expertise across the entire pharmaceutical value chain at the Convention on Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Intermediates CPhI worldwide from October 25 through 27, 2011 in Frankfurt, Germany. As a strategic partner to the pharmaceutical industry, BASF provides ...

Speeding up the understanding of human diseases: International project will investigate all gene functions

Neuherberg, 29 September 2011. Today marks the launch of an international research project to develop one of the hitherto largest encyclopaedias of mammalian gene function. The Helmholtz Zentrum München is the German partner in the international consortium, which is setting out to understand how ...

Business Cancer specialist Sividon: Predicting treatment success

The breast cancer test from Cologne-based company Sividon is set to make future treatment more efficient. The Enopredict test uses a tissue sample to predict which patients will respond well to a particular therapy. The company, which used to belong to the Siemens Group, will be marketing the ...

Science Pluripotent stem cells put to the test

The artificially production of pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) has given an enormous boost to biomedical research. Despite the many advances of recent years, however, there is a long way to go before reprogrammed stem cells can be applied on humans. This was one conclusion of the ...

Solutions for an ageing society Japanese and German researchers discuss the consequences of demographic change in Kyoto.

Japanese and German researchers discuss the consequences of demographic change in Kyoto. With their ageing societies, Japan and Germany find themselves facing similar social and medical challenges. At the Humboldt Colloquium in Kyoto on 16 to 18 September, potential solutions offered by science ...

Winners of the ideas competition ‘Research alumni of universities in Germany’ Aachen, Bayreuth and Heidelberg impress with innovative concepts.

Aachen, Bayreuth and Heidelberg impress with innovative concepts. RWTH Aachen and the universities of Bayreuth and Heidelberg are the award winners of the ideas competition ’Research alumni of universities in Germany’ organised by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The universities of ...

'Research in Germany' Activities at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience 2011November 12, 2011

Participate in the workshop “International Funding Opportunities” at the SfN-Meeting. Presenting will be Research in Germany, the European Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Water management: 'China is open for advice'

09/26/2011 - More than 140 million people live there, and businesses are booming: water is getting scarce in the Haihe river basin in northern China. High-ranking representatives of the local Water Conservancy Commission now came to the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) to ...

Transdisciplinary Research and Higher Education

International Conference on Transdisciplinary Research to Be Held October 10 at Freie Universität A one-day conference dealing with the perspectives and the organization of interdisciplinary research projects at universities will be held on October 10 at Freie Universität Berlin. The conference ...

Electromobility: New Components Going for a Test Run

The future belongs to electrical cars – that’s what most experts think. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of problems that have not been solved. This is the reason why researchers at 33 Fraunhofer institutes put their heads together in the Fraunhofer System Research for Electromobility ...

Cell Phone Signals Help Manage Traffic

In a pilot project in Texas, Siemens is developing intelligent transportation technology for the fast and orderly evacuation of citizens. In this project, traffic light timing systems register traffic flow and adjust the phases of red and green light accordingly. The traffic density data ...

Silent Nozzle Extinguisher Does Not Harm Hard Disks

Siemens has developed a very quiet nozzle for gas extinguishing systems. The system is especially suitable for use in computer centers that store sensitive data. That’s because loud noise can cause hard disk drives to fail. However, the noise created by the Sinorix Silent Nozzle remains below ...

How anti-mosquito repellents disorient insects

Chemical agent scrambles insects' odour receptor apparatus For decades DEET has been successfully used to repel biting insects. Scientists from Rockefeller University, New York, in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, have now clarified DEET’s ...

Better Living Through Science: Biotech, Food and the Future

On September 13, 2011, at the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) Prof. Karl-Heinz Kogel and Dr. Rina Singh discussed the current state of biotechnology, challenges to the field, and its role in the 21st century. The event was hosted in conjunction with the German State of Hessen U.S. Office for Economic Development. Dr. Nathan Tinker, Executive Director, New York Biotechnology Association (NYBA), moderated.

Water management: 'China is open for advice'

Mapping the future: new pathways for greenhouse gas concentrations

09/26/2011 - Behind grand projections of global warming’s impacts and recommendations for mitigation, there is huge not-so-glamourous research. Four new benchmark scenarios for future climate change are being presented now, ranging from – for the first time – a low emission scenario assuming ...

Migration: many roads lead to Asia

Contrary to what was previously assumed, modern humans may have populated Asia in more than one migration wave The discovery by Russian archaeologists of the remains of an extinct prehistoric human during the excavation of Denisova Cave in Southern Siberia in 2008 was nothing short of a ...

Nursery for Deep Sea Sharks Discovered

Tube worms and limestone landscapes at methane seeps serve as breeding places for deep sea predators - September 22, 2011/Kiel. Natural methane seeps in the deep sea were known up to now as the habitat of only a few, very specialized survival artists. Now scientists at the Kiel Leibniz Institute ...

Fraunhofer Project Centre for Composites Research at The University of Western Ontario

In July 2011, the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT began a long-term collaboration with The University of Western Ontario (Western) in London, Ontario. German and Canadian researchers will work together on the process and material development of composite materials for the ...

Dieter Haidt wins Enrico Fermi Prize

The Italian Physical Society awarded DESY physicist Dieter Haidt with the Enrico Fermi Prize 2011. Haidt and Antonino Pullia from the University of Milano share the renowned research prize for their contributions to the discovery of weak neutral currents in the Gargamelle neutrino experiment at ...

From BASF to Sony: experts of the supply industry present latest trends at the Forum „High-tech for Medical Devices“

This year again, the forum "High-tech for Medical Devices" takes place within the COMPAMED trade show in Düsseldorf. It presents pioneering trends in the medical supplying industry on each of the three days in Hall 8a. On Wednesday, November 16, international experts, among speakers of BASF, ...

On your mark, get the diggers set, go!

Construction start for FLASH II For years, the free-electron laser (FEL) FLASH has been generating X-ray laser light for an ever increasing user community. This week, construction started for the next expansion stage FLASH II, with the aim to serve more users and at the same time apply the most ...

Monogenic defects responsible for intellectual disability and related disorders

Researchers discover 50 new genetic causes of intellectual disability in children For over 15 years, genome research has focussed - largely unsuccessfully - on the quest for common genetic risk factors for widespread diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, schizophrenia ...

Science Personalised medicine: Dampen those high expectations

No human is the same as another. Today, we know that our individuality is more than skin deep, from the composition of the bacteria in our bodies to the type of receptors present on tumour cells. In the field of medicine, this individuality is now being better taken into account, with ...

Business Plant-powered jet-setting

Since the introduction of E10, most people know that at least a portion of the fuel in our cars is produced from renewable resources. The aviation industry, however, is clinging a little tighter to pure fossil fuels, as only this form has the required energy density. However, there are moves ...

Germany Dedicates Billions to Healthcare Research

"Germany is already known as an established player in the pharmaceutical industry. A wealth of innovative small and medium enterprises and excellent opportunities for research partnerships are helping the country maintain its edge," stated Gabriel Flemming, medical biotechnology expert at ...

Bayer and TU Dortmund University open the INVITE research center

Managing Director Dr. Thomas Bieringer presents new concept for production of active ingredients Leverkusen, September 21, 2011 - Bayer Technology Services (BTS) and TU Dortmund University have opened the INVITE research center at Chempark Leverkusen. INVITE stands for INnovations, VIsions and ...

High-performance plastic Ultrason used in interior reflector

High-performance plastic Ultrason used in interior reflector For the reflector used in an automotive interior lighting application, the international automotive supplier Delphi has recently started to employ a high-performance plastic from BASF. After being injection molded, the complex and ...

International research into molluscan phylogeny reveals deep animal relationship of snails and mussels

Scientists from the United States, Norway, and Germany create a unique data set for the reconstruction of the phylogeny of molluscs 21.09.2011 Snails, mussels, squids – as different as they may look, they do have something in common: they all belong to the phylum Mollusca, also called molluscs. ...

Greenhouses need sun protection too

The light stabilizer Tinuvin â XT 200 from BASF prolongs the service life of films in agriculture A greenhouse offers plants optimal growing conditions: it protects them against wind and weather while still admitting the light they need to grow. With ideal temperatures and targeted watering, ...

Epigenetic changes don’t last

First comprehensive inventory of epigenetic changes over several generations shows that these often do not last and therefore probably have limited effects on long-term evolution Jean-Baptiste Lamarck would have been delighted: geneticists no longer dismiss out of hand his belief that acquired ...

Spiral Constriction – How Dynamin Mediates Cellular Nutrient Uptake MDC Researchers Determine the Structure of the ‘Wire-Puller’ Dynamin

Dr. Katja Fälber and Professor Oliver Daumke, structural biologists at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, together with researchers from Freie Universität (FU) Berlin, have determined the molecular structure of dynamin, a 'wire-puller' that mediates nutrient uptake ...

Research Unit at Freie Universität Studies Intellectual History of Islamicate World

Prof. Dr. Peter-André Alt: Forward-looking Step in Times of Social Upheaval With a ceremony at the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin’s Pergamon Museum on Tuesday evening, a new center for research into the history of ideas in the world of Islam was officially opened. Founded at Freie Universität, ...

HCT launches UAE’s first German logistics college

September 13, 2011 - The United Arab Emirates’ first German-partnered college designed to meet the region’s growing needs for logistics experts was launched on September 11 at the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT). The German-UAE College of Logistics, which is a joint venture between HCT and a ...

Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz make visible the structure of the smallest crystals

Mainz method of electron microscopy in international demand / Structural analysis of zeolite published in Science 20.09.2011 A radical new way of making structures visible at the nano level has been developed at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). This new method makes it possible to ...

New imaging technique visualizes cancer during surgery

Neuherberg, 19.09.2011. Scientists from Technische Universitaet München, Helmholtz Zentrum München and University of Groningen have now deployed a new imaging technology using laser light to detect cancer based on molecular signatures, leading to the localization of even small cancer cell nests ...

Uwe Ludewig and the future of agricultural crops

Prof. Dr. Uwe Ludewig has been head of the Department of Nutritional Crop Physiology at the University of Hohenheim for around a year now. Physicist by training and specialist in electrophysiology, Prof. Ludewig now works mainly on transport processes in plants. He plans to use molecular ...

Brandenburg Gate Mission Accomplished

Researchers from Freie Universität Berlin traveled 80 km in total as passengers during a test drive of their autonomous car “MadeInGermany” over the weekend. The car is driven by computers – the safety driver behind the steering wheel only monitors the car’s behavior. The autonomous car is a ...

Chancellor Angela Merkel Presses Starts Button for New State-of-the-Art Sequencer at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin

Chancellor Angela Merkel pushed the start button for a new state-of-the-art DNA sequencer during her visit on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch. The BIMSB is the first ...

New imaging technique visualizes cancer during surgery

Scientists from Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen and University of Groningen have now deployed a new imaging technology using laser light to detect cancer based on molecular signatures, leading to the localization of even small cancer cell nests that surgeons might ...

MUTE, the efficient city car

With its electric vehicle MUTE, the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) presents the first publicly visible result of its research program TUM.Energy. MUTE will showcase the TUM’s answer to future challenges in personal mobility at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. MUTE is a ...

Most successful European university in the EU programme

Göttingen University receives € 3 million for international scholarships (pug) Göttingen University can offer scholarships to foreign scholars, researchers and students totalling more than € 3 million. The money is provided by "Action 2" of the EU's Erasmus Mundus programme. Within this ...

The Cause of Earth’s Largest Environmental Catastrophe

The eruption of giant masses of magma in Siberia 250 million years ago led to the Permo-Triassic mass extinction when more than 90 % of all species became extinct. An international team including geodynamic modelers from the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences together with geochemists ...

Flapless Laser Treatments with Femtosecond Laser from Carl Zeiss for the First Time

Carl Zeiss introduces a new, minimally invasive technique for the correction of refractive errors and sets another milestone in refractive corneal JENA/Germany, 16.09.2011. At the ESCRS starting tomorrow in Vienna, Carl Zeiss Meditec presents its ReLEx® smile correction technique, a minimally ...

Water in Central Asia’s fragile geo-system

On 16.09.2011 in Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic, German and Central Asian scientists officially launched the network of hydrometeorological monitoring stations in Kyrgyzstan (Baitik, Taragai, Kokemeren, Abramov glacier) which comprises low-maintenance, automated stations with ...

Powerful Mini-LEDs for Thin Touchscreens

Osram Opto Semiconductors has developed an infrared light-emitting diode (IRED) for use in very thin optical touchscreens. Called the SFH 4053, the small new lamps are housed in a frame surrounding a display. The lamps create a veritable web of light that overlays the display. If a user touches ...

On the way to becoming the world’s leading lipidomics centre

The new Indo-German Max Planck Center on Lipid Research On the way to becoming the world’s leading lipidomics centre The new Indo-German Max Planck Center on Lipid Research September 15, 2011 The second Max Planck Center in India will be opened on 23 September 2011: the Indo-German Max Planck ...

Research Award Is Dream Come True

Berlin Scientist Awarded ERC Starting Grant The physics professor Dr. Emad Flear Aziz, a scientist working at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and at Freie Universität Berlin, has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant by the European Research Council. With this grant of 1.5 million euros over a ...

50-million-year-old clam shells provide indications of future of El Niño phenomenon

Bremerhaven, 14 September 2011. Earth warming will presumably not lead to a permanent El Niño state in the South Pacific Ocean. This is the conclusion drawn by an international team of researchers after it investigated 50-million-year-old clam shells and wood from the Antarctic. The growth rings ...

BASF presents energy generating concept of the future

Esthetically appealing solution for solar power generationGate made of solar modules based on organic semiconductor materials from BASF A gate at the 64th International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany, takes visitors to the energy generating world of the future. This futuristic structure ...

A cut above the Eiffel Tower

Vladimir G. Shukhov was one of the most ingenious engineers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He developed a number of revolutionary construction techniques including the first suspended roof structure. The Russian engineer built lattice towers up to 150 meters high using rows of twisted, ...

TUM scientists record species decline at weirs

Dams and weirs have a stronger impact on the ecosystem of watercourses than was previously realized. Species diversity in the dammed area upstream of weirs shows a significant decline: the diversity of fish species is one-quarter lower on average, and species diversity among invertebrates is up ...

Science Artificial organs, printed in 3-D

Cell engineers have been working for a long time towards the breeding of artificial organs. There have been some first success for skin, cartilage, and bone, with some even making it to actual clinical application. The major organs, such as the heart and liver, however, pose more of a challenge: ...

Autonomous Wheelchair

Computer Scientists from Freie Universität Berlin Present Novelty at IFA Computer scientists from Freie Universität Berlin demonstrated a new type of wheelchair at IFA, an international trade fair for home electronics. The wheelchair, on loan from the Otto Bock company, makes it significantly ...

Evolution of a gene provides a possible explanation for the development of metastases and mental retardation

Evolution of a gene provides a possible explanation for the development of metastases and mental retardation Neuherberg, 13.09.2011 In the course of examining the Drosophila tumor suppressor gene (Dlg), scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München have succeeded in decoding a new mechanism that ...

The Exhausted Immune Defence

Scientists from HZI unravel why immune cells tolerate bacteria during a chronic infection. After an initial acute infection, Staphylococci can persist in our body for a long period of time leading to chronic disease. Scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (Helmholtz-Zentrum ...

Making one into two – first German genome comprehensively resolved at its molecular level

Max Planck researchers analyse the two chromosome sets in the human genome separately for the first time Errors in the copying and reading of genes can have very serious consequences. Fortunately human genetic material is available in duplicate as everyone inherits a complete genome from both ...

Jenoptik launches the worldwide most compact 1,550 nm Laser Rangefinder Module.

At the DSEi trade fair in London, Jenoptik’s Defense & Civil Systems division will showcase the new DLEM SR for the first time. It covers a measuring range of more than 1,500 meters with an accuracy of better than one meter and weighs less than 40 grams only. From September 13 to 16, 2011, ...

Heidelberg University Germany's Leading Contender

Ranking by faculty: life sciences/medicine in Heidelberg head the field in Germany Heidelberg University comes 53rd among the world's leading universities in the QS World University Ranking published on 5 September 2011. As was the case last year, this makes Heidelberg Germany's best university ...

16th European Career Fair, Boston USA

The European Career Fair, one of the largest transatlantic career fairs in the U.S., will take place at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on 21 – 23 January 2012. Now in its 16th year, the annual event matches candidates from America’s leading universities with the top echelon of ...

Claudia Stürmer: the growth and regeneration of nerve fibres

Axons are the long, slender projections of nerve cells whose growth is governed by the intrinsic properties of neurons as well as by growth-promoting and growth-inhibiting molecules present in the neurons’ environment. In fish, the injured axons of the central nervous systems are able to ...

What happens inside molecular light receptors?

Although plants do not have eyes, they are not “blind“. They possess specialized molecule complexes that enable them to accurately determine where light is coming from and in which wavelengths. These molecule complexes even enable plants to “see“ whether they are growing in the shade of other ...

New modular system for controlled synthesis of metal/metal oxide nanocomposite thin films

Concept is based on research at Bielefeld UniversitySemiconductor thin films with special electronic, magnetic or optical functions are widely demanded for technical applications in increasingly smaller and efficient devices - they are indispensable in high-efficiency solar cells, bright ...

Squeezed laser will bring gravitational waves to the light of day

A quantum phenomen on allows detectors which sense oscillations of space-time to measure with 50 percent more accuracy Measuring at the limits of the laws of nature - this is the challenge which researchers repeatedly take up in their search for gravitational waves. The interferometers they use ...

Call for Proposals: "Bernstein Award 2012"

Also for the year 2012, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF) has announced a call for applications for the "Bernstein Award for Computational Neuroscience". (September 2011) In 2012, BMBF will confer the seventh annual ...

Cooperation with the biggest university of the southern hemisphere

09/09/2011 - The biggest university of the southern hemisphere, the Universidade de Sao Paulo, takes part in a premiere: the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Berlin Humboldt University (HU) have founded the first ever German-Brazilian Graduate College – supported as ...

Strong Magnetic Fields Created after Big Bang

Astrophysicists demonstrate magnetic field amplification with three-dimensional computer simulations Strong magnetic fields in the Universe apparently date back to the period shortly after the Big Bang. This was recently demonstrated with the aid of three-dimensional computer simulations by an ...

Light flashes keep electrons in check

An international team of scientists in cooperation with CFEL has taken a major step closer towards the possibility to control electron movements in atoms. For the first time, they generated white laser pulses that are shorter than a complete light oscillation and precisely synthesised their ...

Intimate Binding to Intestinal Cells

Researchers from the HZI investigate the attachment of EHEC bacteria in detail. Every year infections with "entero-hemorrhagic Escherichia coli" bacteria (EHEC) keep researchers in industrialised countries busy. During an infection the bacteria colonize the intestinal mucosa and produce a toxin ...

Organic photovoltaics for steel construction elements

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe and Konarka Technologies planning joint development work ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe and Konarka Technologies are to work together to develop steel roof and facade elements with integrated organic photovoltaics. Konarka Technologies, a US company with a German branch in ...

Neutrinos: Ghostly Particles with Unstable Egos

So far it is unknown which rules neutrinos follow when they alter their identity. A study in which scientists of the Excellence Cluster Universe at the Technische Universität München participated has now revealed that even the last of the three parameters, which describe the oscillation of ...

Handier than Homo habilis?

The versatile hand of Australopithecus sediba makes a better candidate for an early tool-making hominin than the hand of Homo habilis Hand bones from a single individual with a clear taxonomic affiliation are scarce in the hominin fossil record, which has hampered understanding of the evolution ...

Cosmic crashes forging gold

Nuclear reactions in space do produce the heaviest elements in the correct abundances Collisions of neutron stars produce the heaviest elements such as gold or lead. The cosmic site where the heaviest chemical elements such as lead or gold are formed has most likely been identified: Ejected ...

Have we met before?

MPI researchers discover direct connections between the areas of the brain responsible for voice and face recognition Face and voice are the two main features by which we recognise other people. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences have now ...

Taming light

White laser pulses with precisely tailored waveform enable the control of electrons in the microcosm An expedition through the fast-paced microscopic world of atoms reveals electrons that spin around at enormous speeds and have gigantic forces are acting on them. Monitoring the ultrafast motion ...

Adherence to rough surfaces

Scientists will reproduce hierarchical structures in a new project granted recently by DFG. The little yellow self-adhesive notes are common companions in daily office life; but they stick only to smooth surfaces such as paper, windows, mirrors or screens. Geckos, insects and spiders do even ...

Call for nominations of outstanding catalysis researchers for the Otto Roelen Medal 2012

In 2012, the 7th Otto Roelen Medal will be awarded for outstanding achievements in catalysis research. DECHEMA invites researchers and scientists to propose international candidates who have made significant contributions in this field, especially with regard to application-oriented research. ...

Call for nominations for the Alwin Mittasch Prize for Catalysis Research

Nominations are requested for the Alwin Mittasch Prize 2012 which is awarded to international scientists who have made outstanding contributions towards extending the fundamentals of catalysis and its exemplary industrial application. The Prize is endowed with 10,000 Euro and sponsored by BASF ...

Adherence to rough surfaces

The little yellow self-adhesive notes are common companions in daily office life; but they stick only to smooth surfaces such as paper, windows, mirrors or screens. Geckos, insects and spiders do even better: They stick to walls and ceilings and move along them. Hair-like fibrils covering their ...

Control of fear in the brain decoded

Emotional balance is regulated by molecular factors behind stress response When healthy people are faced with threatening situations, they react with a suitable behavioural response and do not descend into a state of either panic or indifference, as is the case, for example, with patients who ...

The Lung in a Cell-Culture Model

New research project aims to help in replacing animal experiments Following infections of lung cells through various pathogens in the culture dish: this is the goal of a new joint project of two Helmholtz research groups. The scientists are attempting to reconstruct lung cells from mice in a ...

Cellular metabolism self-adapts to protect against free radicals

Feedback mechanism coordinates cellular respiration and the degradation of free oxygen radicals Oxygen-consuming organisms obtain energy through cellular respiration, which is the transformation of carbohydrates and oxygen into carbon dioxide and water. This process also produces toxic oxygen ...

Poor outlook for water quality in Germany

Good quality status of water bodies required in EU by 2015 unlikely to be attained, reveals study The good chemical and ecological status of water bodies as defined by the EU Water Framework Directive is unlikely to be attained in Germany by 2015. This is the conclusion of a study in which data ...

VDMA at ITMA: Energy efficiency combats cost pressure

05.09.2011 - In view of the cost pressure in the textile industry, the hot topic of ITMA 2011 in September in Barcelona will be: efficient production. Growing energy and raw material prices lead textile manufacturers around the world to optimize their cost structures and processes. Textile ...

Research-Oriented Standards in Gender Equality: Clear Advances in Implementation

Interim reports by DFG members and evaluations now published on the Internet The members of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) have made considerable progress in implementing their voluntary commitment to the organisation’s Research-Oriented Standards on Gender ...

1.6 Children per Woman

For the first time, the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research presents corrected birth rates that are considerably higher than the official figures. Researchers also anticipate a reversal in the trend in German childbearing behaviour. The official birthrate (the so-called "total ...

»Lean Production« in the world of bacteria

Insilico Biotechnology will use its models and simulations to improve bioproduction via bacteria by throwing unnecessary ballast overboard. Bacteria for industrial purposes can do without the survival and adaptation strategies needed in natural environments so these metabolic pathways and ...

DFG-Funded Research Team Nominated for 2011 Deutscher Zukunftspreis

New forms of energy generation: Researchers in Dresden focus on organic semiconductors A group of researchers funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is among the three research teams nominated for the Deutscher Zukunftspreis in 2011. Dresden-based ...

A chaperone for the “guardian of the genome”

The protein p53 plays an essential role in the prevention of cancer by initiating the controlled death of a cell with damaged genes which is in danger to transform into a cancerous cell. The heat shock protein Hsp90, in turn, activates and stabilizes p53. Now scientists of the Technische ...

Research for Digital Dialogue

DFG-Supported Alliance Brochure on “Communication” Published E-mail, blogging, Twitter, Skype… digital communication and information technologies have long been a part of our everyday lives. But what seems to function completely naturally in person-to-person, person-to-object, and even ...

A Cosmic Crash of Unexpected Proportions

An international research team investigates the distant galaxy cluster Abell 2744 The biggest known cosmic collision in the Universe took place in a distant galaxy cluster called Abell 2744. That is the conclusion of an international team of scientists investigating the debris of this massive ...

Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz is proven to be internationally outstanding in the field of physics

The Academic Ranking of World Universities has listed the Institute of Physics of Mainz University as one of the 75 best worldwide 31.08.2011 The Institute of Physics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany has been listed in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) ...

Crash-safe battery protection for electric cars

Everyone is talking about electric drives, and the scientists from Fraunhofer are also working on them. Engineers have replaced a battery box for lithium-ion batteries with a lightweight component. Not only does the housing save weight and sustain no damage in an accident – for the first time ...

Fraunhofer opens Center for Systems Biotechnology in Chile

On September 1, 2011 the Chilean Minister of the Economy, Mr Pablo Longueira and Professor Bullinger officially opened Fraunhofer´s first research center in South America. The new ´Fraunhofer Center for Systems Biotechnology´ has been established in Santiago de Chile to develop and optimize new ...

Acknowledgement and Incentive – Bernd Rendel Prizes 2011

DFG recognises young geoscientists for outstanding work / From deep-sea particle flows to earthquake modelling In 2011, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) will award the tenth annual Bernd Rendel Prizes to young researchers who, before having achieved their ...

Science Tour “Research in Germany” 2011

“Health Research in Germany” December 4 - 10, 2011 The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) invites scientists and administrators from medical schools, universities and research institutions to participate in a tour on medical research and graduate education in Germany. The dates are December ...

New Insights into the Etiology of Complex Common Diseases

Neuherberg, 01.09.2011. Scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München, in cooperation with Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and King’s College London (KCL), have identified the association between genetic variants and specific metabolic changes. The study, published today in Nature, provides new ...

smart forvision: A look at the future of electric mobility

smart has always been a pioneer in matters of urban mobility and with the smart fortwo electric drive the company is showing the direction of development in cities around the world. Together with BASF, the largest automotive supplier in the chemical industry, smart is demonstrating its leading ...

Study on the Little Ice Age: Low solar activity just marginally cools the climate

09/01/2011 - The weakening sun was not the determinant factor for the Little Ice Age. Strong volcanic eruptions in particular, but also a smaller amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere were important factors during this period of cooler climate in the 16th and 17th century, a new study ...

Two brain halves, one perception

Max Planck researchers show how communication between brain hemispheres determines individual’s subjective experience Our brain is divided into two hemispheres, which are linked through only a few connections. However, we do not seem to have a problem to create a coherent image of our ...

Insect gut microbe with a molecular iron reservoir

Max Planck researchers analyze the structure of an iron storage protein Iron plays an important role in almost every life form. Low iron can lead to deficiency symptoms and reduced growth, whereas too much iron may harm biomolecules like DNA. Max Planck researchers from Jena and Tuebingen have ...

co.don AG supports international congress for cartilage reconstruction surgery

More than 100 internationally renowned surgeons and researchers met from 25-27 August 2011 at the Rostock University Anatomical Institute. During the three-day practical course organised by the ICRS the latest therapeutic advances were demonstrated in lectures, live operations and workshops ...

Sensor chip for monitoring tumors

A chip implant may soon be capable of monitoring tumors that are difficult to operate on or growing slowly. Medical engineers at Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have developed an electronic sensor chip that can determine the oxygen content in a patient’s tissue fluid. This data can then ...

IBC 2011: Software as Cameraman

Press Release 30.08.2011 It’s not the camera that makes the picture, but the cameraman. Now, it can be creatively reworked after taking the picture with software by changing the depth of field and angle of view. Secondly the computer calculates the original quality from a reduced-resolution ...

The camera hears everything

BASF foam provides optimal speech intelligibility for television recordings At the TV studios of the Portuguese television station RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal) in Lisbon, sound absorbers made from Basotect® are now improving acoustic quality. Thanks to its outstanding sound-absorbing ...

Travelling epidemics

Human mobility patterns and their impact on the spread of epidemics In a globalised world, infectious diseases such as SARS, swine flu or seasonal influenza can be transmitted over the entire planet by travellers. To enable a more effective response to this threat, scientists are trying to ...

Language-related gene responsible for branching of neurons

Scientists decode mode of action of foxp2 Which genetic mutations enabled the evolution of language? The foxp2 gene plays an important role in language development. Simon E. Fisher at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and Sonja C. Vernes at Oxford ...

The ice opens the way – climate scientists take part in project on opportunities and risks of Arctic use

Bremerhaven, 31 August 2011. The extent of sea ice in the Arctic has substantially declined to a possibly record-breaking magnitude this summer so that both the Northeast Passage and the Northwest Passage are navigable. For climate scientists of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine ...

An Impossible Star

Astronomers observe a 13-billion-year-old star with an unusual chemical composition EMBARGO TIME: 31 August 2011, 7.00 pm (CEST) (1.00 pm US Eastern Time, 6.00 pm London Time) A team of European astronomers led by a scientist of Heidelberg University has discovered a star that according to ...

Energy from biomass pays even with forest protection in the long term

Forest protection – safeguarding woodland from being cleared and converted to fields for energy crops – reduces the global economic potential of bioenergy only in the short term. If less additional land is available for cultivation, this can be compensated by higher rates of yield-raising ...

An atlas of the Milky Way

Sino-German research group draws a new map at the Urumqi radio telescope and discovers two supernova remnants It may not be much use to hitchhikers through the galaxy, but it is extremely valuable to astronomers: the new radio atlas of the Milky Way. After almost ten years of work, researchers ...

Understanding Blood Clotting Better

Scientists from Forschungszentrum Jülich are part of a new research group on blood clotting established by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Together with scientists and medical researchers from Germany and Austria, the Jülich physicists are pursing the long-term goal of improving both the ...

Biotech, Food and the Future

Better Living Through Science: A discussion on plant biotechnology - how biotech crops could feed the world’s growing population and how the development of gluten-free wheat might bring hope to celiac disease sufferers – at the German Center for Research and Innovation on September 13, 2011. NEW ...

An atlas of the Milky Way

Understanding Blood Clotting Better

Biotech, Food and the Future

Both sides benefit: Chinese-German summer school

Together with climate scientists from Beijing, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) invited participants from Germany and China to take part in a summer school. The main focus is on water management in the light of climate change – a pressing issue in many Chinese river ...

KIT Researcher Win the Mimics Innovation Awards 2011

The contribution “A Preprocessing Approach for Innovative Patient-Specific Intranasal Flow Simulations” of Krause (EMCL), Gengenbach (EMCL), Mayer (SCC), Zimny (EMCL) and Heuveline (Head of EMCL) has won the Mimics Innovation Awards 2011 in the category 2 “Innovations in computer aided ...

Meet German universities and research institutions at the Naturejobs Career Expo!

Eighteen German universities, research institutions and funding organisations will come together as a “German Pavilion” to introduce themselves and their activities at the Naturejobs Career Expo on 22 September 2011 in London.

Webinar "Facets of Science" starts on 6 September - Join the group now!

New webinar on the Alumniportal Deutschland addressing the role of science and research in development and sustainability, business and technology.

German as a language of Science

German has long been a traditional language of science and scholarship - and plays a very important role in the history of science: key terms and theories were first coined in German, both in the humanities and in the natural sciences.

Both sides benefit: Chinese-German summer school

KIT Researcher Win the Mimics Innovation Awards 2011

Meet German universities and research institutions at the Naturejobs Career Expo!

Webinar "Facets of Science" starts on 6 September - Join the group now!

New webinar on the Alumniportal Deutschland addressing the role of science and research in development and sustainability, business and technology.

German as a language of Science

Fukushima nuclear accident: legal study of liability issues

With expected damage claims estimated as high as 90 billion Euros, the nuclear accident in Fukushima represents the largest liability case in Japanese history. Claims for compensation are expected from various categories of victims, including evacuated plant workers and citizens, impacted ...

VDMA - German industrial valve manufacturers record impressive half-yearly results

China, USA and Russia remain their key sales markets - Strong impetus from the chemical industry In the first half of 2011, German industrial valve manufacturers achieved nominal sales growth of 12% compared with the previous year, meaning that demand for "made in Germany" industrial valves ...

Brazil and Germany intensify co-operation

The two countries have been fostering academic and technological co-operation for 40 years. In April, the end of the German-Brazilian Year was marked by a celebration event. With the aim of giving new impetus to academic co-operation, on the occasion of 63rd Annual Meeting of the Brazilian ...

Fukushima nuclear accident: legal study of liability issues

VDMA - German industrial valve manufacturers record impressive half-yearly results

Brazil and Germany intensify co-operation

An important step towards quantum computers

Scientists entangle ions using microwaves A team of scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, USA, has managed to entangle ions using microwave fields for the first time. According to their publication in the journal 'Nature', the team has implemented a ...

A planet made of diamond

A once-massive star that’s been transformed into a small planet made of diamond: that’s what astronomers think they’ve found in our Milky Way. The discovery, reported today in Science, was made by an international research team led by Professor Matthew Bailes, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at ...

Voice cells for voice recognition

Specific nerve cells process vocal information from conspecifics The human voice is as characteristic as a face - a friend can often be identified by a message on an answering machine, even if he or she forgot to mention their name. The main region for face recognition lies within the inferior ...

Family Members Bear Main Burden of Care for Dementia Patients Living at Home

Care by family members covers eighty percent of the societal costs of caring for dementia patients living in a community setting, according to a joint study conducted by Helmholtz Zentrum München and University Hospital Erlangen. The economic study has now been published in the journal Value in ...

A Question of Gene Silencing

Our genome contains numerous genes which do not code for the production of proteins. Many of them are transcribed particularly frequently in cancer cells. Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and of Heidelberg University Hospitals have been the ...

Institute for Hygiene and Biotechnology: Textile research that leads to new applications

Innovative medical textiles can offer clear advantages when it comes to improvements in delivering modern health care systems. The Institute for Hygiene and Biotechnology (IHB) at the Hohenstein Institute is currently involved in the development of new fibre-based materials for successful ...

Research Vessel Polarstern at North Pole

You can’t get any “higher”: on 22 August 2011 at exactly 9.42 a.m. the research icebreaker Polarstern of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association reaches the North Pole. The aim of he current expedition is to document changes in the far north. Thus, ...

Locating the Elusive

HZB scientists observe how a material at room temperature exhibits a unique property - a „multiferroic“ material with potential uses for cheap and quick data storage. Researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) in close collaboration with colleagues in France and UK, have engineered a material ...

Göttingen researchers coordinate an environmental research project in the Amazon

BMBF funds Carbiocial programme with more than six million euros Geographers at Göttingen University are coordinating a large-scale project for studying the Amazon basin. The research focuses on the analysis and development of methods for improving carbon storage in the soil, reducing greenhouse ...

Water Mist Puts Out Fires at Low Pressure

With a new water mist system, fires can be extinguished even from a distance of eight meters. Sinorix H2O Jet is meant for industrial environments, including turbines, painting lines, or production equipment. Special nozzles generate a fine mist of tiny water droplets. The water and the ...

Nitrogen in the soil cleans the air

Nitrogen-containing soil is a source of hydroxyl radicals that remove pollutants from the atmosphere Eutrophication harms the environment in many ways. Unexpectedly, nitrogen fertilizer may also be positive for the environment. And even acidic soils, promoting the destruction of forests, can ...

Deadly medication?

The corpus delicti is a plain flacon from among the possessions of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, who lived around 1450 B.C., which is on exhibit in the permanent collection of the Egyptian Museum of the University of Bonn. For three and a half millennia, the vessel may have held a deadly secret. This is ...

SPECIAL: Energy from biomass pays even with forest protection in the long term

Observing platform sea turtle

A new interdisciplinary research project at IFM-GEOMAR In a new interdisciplinary research project, marine scientists from the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) in Kiel, Germany study the dynamics of the world's third largest nesting population of the endangered loggerhead turtle ...

Sea levels rising at fastest rate in 2000 years

The rate of sea-level rise since the beginning of industrialization is greater than ever before in the last two thousand years. After many centuries with stable or slowly increasing sea level, around the year 1900 the data curve starts to rise steeply. This is shown by an analysis of sediments ...

Why don’t spiders drop off of their threads?

It has five times the tensile strength of steel and is stronger then even the best currently available synthetic fibers: Spider thread is a fascinating material. Yet, to date no one has managed to produce the material on an industrial scale. Scientists of the TU Muenchen (TUM) and the ...

Molecular Tricks of the Motile Malaria Pathogen

How Plasmodium falciparum is able to quickly alter its cytoskeleton It infects men and mosquitoes, changes its form multiple times, and moves very elegantly and rapidly through the body of its host: Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of malaria, shows an astonishing versatility and ...

UNCTAD: Germany Improves its Position in FDI Rankings

The FDI Stocks affirm these findings. Germany improved its rank from sixth to fifth worldwide, which is remarkable given that total stocks worldwide actually decreased from 2009. This improvement was a result of Germany’s quick recovery from the financial crisis compared to other industrialized ...

German Center for Research and Innovation Releases First Annual Report

Since its launch in 2010, the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) has facilitated a number of strategic partnerships between Germany and the United States in academia and industry, many of which resulted from discussions initiated during events organized by GCRI and its partners. ...

Funding The biotechnology of tomorrow: The next stage in the strategic process

It’s all about the biotechnology of tomorrow: In 2010, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) started the strategic process Biotechnology 2020+, which was launched to promote the development of the next generation of biotechnological processes. Much has happened since then: The ...

Politics German Bundestag permits preimplantation genetic diagnosis

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is now legally permitted in Germany, albeit within strict limits. Following a highly emotional debate, this was the final decision of the German Bundestag. After the third reading, 326 MPs spoke in favour of authorisation for the contentious genetic tests; ...

Hide and Seek in the Tumour

Researchers examine how bacteria form biofilms in cancerous tissue to hide from the immune system. Salmonella bacteria cause several diseases – however, they have features that make them very interesting for cancer medicine: The germs migrate into tumours and lead to the death of aberrant cells. ...

Artificial seed germination and premature ageing

Farmers expect sugar-beet seeds to be of the highest quality. Seed producers such as Einbeck-based KWS SAAT AG use complex technologies to ensure that seeds start germinating immediately after sowing, even under unfavourable environmental conditions. One of the techniques used by KWS SAAT AG ...

Call for Proposals: Bionic-Award 2012

For the third time, the VDI (Association of German Engineers) and the DBU (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt) will present the international Bionic-Award for outstanding scientific achievement in the field of biomimetic/bionic product development. The award is endowed with €10,000 from the ...

Metabolomics as a basis for gender-specific drugs

Analyses of the metabolic profile of blood serum reveal significant differences between men and women. From their tests, scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München have concluded that there is a need for gender-specific therapies. The study was financed by the German Centre for Diabetes ...

High-tech microscope measures electron oscillations

Researchers from Bielefeld, Kaiserslautern and Würzburg have developed a novel high-tech microscope: It magnifies objects a million times and shows movements with a retardation of one million billion times. Reason enough for top magazine "Science" to report on the invention. The new technology ...

Global Change in the Arctic

Kiel Marine Scientists Examine Methane Emissions and Gas Hydrates off the Coast of West Spitsbergen On August 9th an international team of scientists lead by the Kiel Leibniz Institute for Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) is starting a four week expedition on the Research Vessel POSEIDON to the ...

Venture to the last protoplanet

After travelling for almost four years, the Dawn space probe arrived at the Vesta planetoid last weekend. Max Planck scientists have front row seats in the exploration of the asteroid with two onboard cameras. The aim is to travel back in time to the origins of the solar system. When astronomers ...

Where electrons get stuck in traffic

The thinnest wire in the world, made from pure gold, is being examined by physicists from the universities of Würzburg and Kassel. Its exceptional electrical conductivity is causing quite a stir: the electrons do not move freely through the wire, but like cars in stop-and-go traffic. Normally, ...

Hydrogen highway in the deep sea

Max Planck Researchers discover hydrogen-powered symbiotic bacteria in deep-sea hydrothermal vent mussels The search for new energy sources to power mankind’s increasing needs is currently a topic of immense interest. Hydrogen-powered fuel cells are considered one of the most promising clean ...

Deep recycling in the Earth faster than thought

Sunken oceanic crust resurfaces from Earth's mantle after only 500 million years The recycling of the Earth's crust in volcanoes happens much faster than scientists have previously assumed. Rock of the oceanic crust, which sinks deep into the earth due to the movement of tectonic plates, ...

Smoking Damages Teeth and Oral Cavity

German Dental Association and the German Cancer Research Center have issued a flyer about the dangers of smoking for oral health Tobacco smoke contains numerous toxins which are detrimental for the gums and teeth. Smoking cessation therefore protects from cancer of the oral cavity and loss of ...

International Recognition for Chemistry Professor

Peter Seeberger is awarded the Roy L. Whistler Award 2012 The „Roy L. Whistler Award in Carbohydrate Chemistry“ 2012 is awarded to Peter Seeberger, disclosed the „International Carbohydrate Organization“. Peter Seeberger is a professor at the Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Freie ...

Indianapolis Museum of Art Uses New Microscope Technology to Improve Art Analysis

Art curators and conservators now can quickly get far more detailed information than ever before by using an integrated combination of light and electron microscopy. Carl Zeiss today announced that the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is using a Carl Zeiss “Shuttle & Find” Correlative Microscopy ...

Stress genes out of kilter

Max Planck researchers succeed in predicting risk of alcoholism Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Göttingen have investigated genetic variations of the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) system, the biological stress axis, in schizophrenia patients. This ...

Schoolchildren can also learn complex subject matters on their own

Self-directed learning has long been heralded as the key to successful education. Yet until now, there has been little research into this theory. Educational researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now shown that schoolchildren can independently develop strategies for ...

Testing water quality - Test kit makes in situ testing easy

Moisture and warmth create the ideal living conditions for a wide range of micro-organisms which can pose a risk to human health. Now, a new quick testing kit for bacteria means that the microbiological contamination of water or other surfaces can be measured directly in situ, with no need for ...

Small molecules hit it big - new therapeutic approaches against viruses, bacteria, and cancer

Scientists from Freie Universität Berlin and the NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence led by biochemist Volker Haucke in collaboration with colleagues from Australia and the Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) in Berlin have developed small molecules that inhibit the internalization of ...

Researchers from Southeast Asia adopt "Malang Humboldt Resolution" First Humboldt Kolleg in Indonesia to promote networking in Southeast Asia.

First Humboldt Kolleg in Indonesia to promote networking in Southeast Asia. 140 of the Humboldt Foundation’s alumni, researchers from Southeast Asia, Japan, the USA and Germany, met at Malang in Indonesia from 8 to 11 July 2011 at an interdisciplinary Humboldt Kolleg entitled, “Synergy, ...

German Machinery to Power Future Industries

“German machinery enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide. The ‘Made in Germany’ seal stands for quality and innovation. Large German companies are household names across the globe, but the key growth driver is the network of small and medium companies that are globally active,” said Marko ...

2012 Max Planck Research Award announced

The 2012 Max Planck Research Award will be granted in the humanities and social sciences for work on the theme of "Regulating international financial markets". The closing date for nominations is 15 December 2011. The crash in private and public financial markets in 2007 and its consequences is ...

2012 Max Planck Research Award announced

New selection round for International Climate Protection Fellowships

The International Climate Protection Fellowship Programme for prospective leaders from emerging and developing countries is entering its third round. Applications may be submitted immediately. The closing date is 15 December 2011. Each year, up to twenty International Climate Protection ...

Study: Electric Cars are Suitable for Everyday Use

Electric cars are an excellent choice for everyday use, in particular for daily trips in the city. This conclusion is the result of user analyses in two projects in which Siemens plays a decisive role: the internal 4-Sustainelectromobility (4-S) project involving 20 moveE cars and the external ...

LED Concept for Efficient, Warm-white Light

A new LED concept from Osram Opto Semiconductors makes it possible to combine maximum efficiency with very good color rendering properties. Until now, it was almost impossible to achieve high efficiency with a warm-white LED light similar to that of an incandescent lamp, because the warmer the ...

Cashless parking

Vacant parking spaces in town are thin on the ground. Finding one is just as tiresome as making sure you have the right change for the parking machine. An adhesive microchip on the windshield will make things much easier by unlocking the door to cashless parking. The car moves slowly towards the ...

And fire! - How nerve cells are kept up to speed

Scientists from the Freie Universität Berlin and the NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, led by Volker Haucke in collaboration with colleagues from the Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology (FMP) in Berlin, have unravelled a mechanism involved in the reformation of neurotransmitter ...

Artificial nanoparticles influence the heart rate

Artificial nanoparticles are becoming increasingly pervasive in modern life. However, their influence on our health and the mechanisms by which they affect the human body remain largely shrouded in mystery. Using a so-called Langendorff heart, a team of scientist from the Technische Universitaet ...

Discovery of a New Magnetic Order Physicists from Jülich, Kiel and Hamburg identify an atomic-scale magnetic lattice of cycloidal vortices in a thin metal film

Physicists from Jülich, Kiel and Hamburg identify an atomic-scale magnetic lattice of cycloidal vortices in a thin metal film Jülich, 31 July 2011. Physicists at Forschungszentrum Jülich and the universities of Kiel and Hamburg are the first to discover a regular lattice of stable magnetic ...

The dynamic of transcription

New methods allow visualization In every living cell a complex system is continuously translating coded DNA into proteins. The first step in this process is called transcription. For each protein the so-called RNA polymerase produces a second version of the corresponding DNA segment (i.e. the ...

Mitochondrial genome mutates when reprogrammed

Max Planck researchers encounter genetic changes in the genome of the cellular power plants of human induced pluripotent stem cells Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are truly talented multi-taskers. They can reproduce almost all cell types and thus offer great hope in the fight against ...

The brain’s connectome – from branch to branch

Max Planck scientists develop new analytical tools for the fast and accurate reconstruction of neural networks The human brain is the most complex of all organs, containing billions of neurons with their corresponding projections, all woven together in a highly complex, three-dimensional web. To ...

New high-performance steel with potential applications in the automotive industry

Scientists at the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung succeeded in creating a new high-performance steel which meets requirements for high strength and ductility. Further research is being done to decrease the production costs and to improve the mechanical properties. The ultrahigh strength ...

Cancer Molecule Needed for Brain Function

Heidelberg scientists examine key regulator of neuronal arborisation A molecule involved in the fuelling of tumour metastases also plays a decisive role in brain functions like learning and memory. The so-called signal molecule VEGF D is a key factor in ensuring that neurons can maintain their ...

Data are traveling by light

Regular LEDs can be turned into optical WLAN with only a few additional components thanks to visible light communication (in short, VLC). The lights are then not just lighting up, they also transfer data. They send films in HD quality to your iPhone or laptop, with no loss in quality, quickly ...

Nemesis is a myth

Max Planck researchers refutes the claim that Earth is periodically hit by asteroids or comets Danger looms from out of space: asteroids and comets are a threat to our planet. The history of Earth has always been punctuated by cosmic catastrophes. Several studies have claimed to have found ...

Bowel Cancer and Quality of Life

A long-term study of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) shows that bowel cancer patients are affected by health effects even ten years after diagnosis. Thanks to enhanced diagnosis and therapy, sixty percent of colorectal cancer patients survive by now for ...

Fair play – a question of self-image?

Max Planck researchers explain the conditions under which people are prepared to behave fairly Why do people behave selfishly and accept that their behaviour may have negative consequences for others? Astrid Matthey and Tobias Regner from the Max Planck Institute of Economics in Jena ...

How Early Reptiles Moved

Zoologists and the Foundation Schloss Friedenstein Gotha Start a Joint Research Project Modern scientists would have loved the sight of early reptiles running across the Bromacker near Tambach-Dietharz (Germany) 300 million years ago. Unfortunately this journey through time is impossible. But ...

World-Record Algorithm from Jülich Calculates Over Three Trillion Particles

Jülich, 21 July 2011 - Computer simulations can be performed much faster with a method refined by Jülich scientists. During a test with the JUGENE supercomputer, researchers calculated a system comprising 3,011,561,968,121 particles in just over eleven minutes - a world record! The method ...

Illuminating the double face of anthropogenic nitrogen

Recent studies have shown that human nitrogen additions to terrestrial eco-systems increase the terrestrial carbon dioxide uptake from the atmosphere. A new study published online this week in Nature Geoscience reports now that the climatic benefits from carbon sequestration are largely offset ...

Global plant database set to promote biodiversity research and Earth-system sciences

The world’s largest database on plants’ functional properties, or traits, has been published. Scientists compiled three million traits for 69,000 out of the world's ~300,000 plant species. The achieve-ment rests on a worldwide collaboration of scientists from 106 re-search institutions. The ...

From Bone Metastases to Water Supply

DFG to Fund New Research Units, Clinical Research Units and Humanities Centres for Advanced Studies The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is establishing eight new Research Units, two Clinical Research Units and two Humanities Centres for Advanced Studies. This ...

How to use Photovoltaics for shaping performative landscapes

The parallel event “Photovoltaics, Forms, Landscapes” will take place on Tuesday, 6 September 2011, at the CCH Congress Centre Hamburg in the framework of the 26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition organised by WIP - Renewable Energies. The parallel event will ...

How the modular structure of proteins permits evolution to move forward

The development of identical egg laying organs of two nematode species is regulated by different signaling pathways Changes in a short protein domain can alter a whole signaling network involved in organ development - this is the key result of a comparative study of the development of the egg ...

Robotics: Safety without Protective Barriers

The modern working world is no longer conceivable without robots. They assist humans in manufacturing, laboratories or medicine. In the future, a new projection and camera-based system will prevent collisions between robots and humans working together. A robot carefully lifts and positions a ...

How Testosterone Protects against Inflammation

Pharmacists analyze why men suffer more rarely from inflammatory diseases than women It's all down to the testosterone: men are usually more muscular than women, they have deeper voices and more body hair. And - men are less susceptible to inflammatory diseases and allergies than women. This is ...

Channelling waste heat in microprocessors in new directions

DFG funds additional collaborative research to the tune of one million euros (pug) Spin caloritronics is a new area of research: What happens when you heat up a magnet? When a material is heated, the temperature differential in the electrons generates an electrical voltage known as thermopower ...

World Congress on Procedural Justice

Law experts from all over the world discuss procedural justice in the age of globalisation Procedural justice is the focal issue at the 14th World Congress organised by the International Association of Procedural Law. It will take place at Heidelberg University from 25 to 30 July 2011. During ...

Water purification unit generates its own energy

July 25, 2011 | A new biological water purification facility developed by Siemens generates enough methane gas to power its own operations. It also produces much less sludge than conventional systems. The pilot facility for this process, which is located at a site run by Singapore’s Public ...

Computer Model Optimizes Wind Farm

July 25, 2011 | A new software from Siemens will improve wind farms’ energy yields and extend their service life. When the wind causes the huge rotors to turn, it generates turbulence, which interferes with the operation of the wind turbines in the rows to the rear. To address this problem, the ...

Give waste heat inside microprocessors new directions

DFG supports further network research with over 1 million euros Spin caloritronics describes a new area of research: What happens ifyou heat a magnet? Usually if a material is heated, the temperature difference leads to electrical voltage, which is known as thermoelectric voltage or Seebeck ...

Christian Thoma – the control of translation enables the rapid regulation of cellular processes

In molecular biology, translation is an important stage of protein biosynthesis. Nevertheless, this process has not received as much attention as the process of transcription. While transcription and the underlying regulatory mechanisms have been the focus of attention for researchers for quite ...

How Cancer Cells Escape Death

Coordinated by the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and the University of Ulm, scientists are collaborating in a new Helmholtz Virtual Institute to study how leukemia cells become resistant to programmed cell death and to chemotherapy. Their aim is to find ...

New magnetic materials for efficient cooling

Utrecht (NL) / Ludwigshafen (D), July 25, 2011 The Dutch foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) and BASF start another joint research programme on magnetocaloric materials. This new class of materials may help to make today's cooling systems more efficient and more silent. This is ...

Epo protects the nervous systems of grasshoppers

(pug) The hormone erythropoietin, known as Epo, not only stimulates the formation of red blood cells and for this purpose is illegally used by athletes as a doping substance to enhance performance. Epo also protects nerve cells following stroke and promotes the regeneration of damaged neurons. ...

Fault in immune memory causes atopic eczema and psoriasis

Neuherberg/Munich, 22.7.2011. Scientists from the Centre for Allergy and Environment in Munich (ZAUM), the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technische Universität München have reached a milestone in their specialist area with their discovery of the causes of atopic eczema and psoriasis. The ...

Rebuilding a Structure of Nuclear Envelope

Heidelberg scientists decipher genome of the thermophilic eukaryote Chaetomium thermophilum By exploiting the DNA of a thermophilic fungus that grows optimally between 50 and 60 degrees Celsius Heidelberg scientists have reconstructed a central piece of the cell's nuclear envelope in the ...

Scientists decode genome of the dry rot fungus Serpula lacrymans

Studies on evolutionary development and wood decomposition yield benefits for renewable energy forms (pug) An international team of researchers, including Professor Ursula Kües and Dr. Andrzej Majcherczyk from the University of Göttingen, has decoded the genome of the harmful wood rot fungus ...

EMO Special Show presents 'Milestones of cost-efficient titanium component production'

21.07.2011 - The Special Show of the Machining Innovations Network at the EMO Hannover 2011 (19 to 24 September) will in Hall 27, Stand C32, be showing up-to-the-future highlights and milestones in metal-cutting production technology for structural components made of titanium. The aerospace ...

New Centre for Social Law and Social Policy in Munich

With the appointment of Axel Boersch-Supan, the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Social Law has acquired a new research focus and a new name. The former Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Social Law in Munich now has an additional director: Axel Boersch-Supan is ...

Personalised depression therapy approach developed by the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry wins m4 Award 2011

Federal State of Bavaria supports the development of a new class of potential antidepressants with a 500,000 € funding award July 21, 2011 Together with the MPI of Biochemistry in Martinsried and the Lead Discovery Center (LDC) in Dortmund, the MPI of Psychiatry is set to develop active ...

Collaboration encourages equal sharing in children but not in chimpanzees

Children as young as three years of age share toy rewards equally with a peer, but only when both collaborated in order to gain them. Katharina Hamann with an international team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, Harvard University and ...

Nanostructures in the spotlight

LMU researcher obtains highly endowed EU grant One of the Starting Grants awarded by the European Research Council (ERC) in its latest funding round has gone to Professor Achim Hartschuh, who works at the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacology at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München. The ...

SPECIAL: Sea levels rising at fastest rate in 2000 years

The Decoding of Slowness

Zoologists find out how Sloths perfectioned energy saving They live their lives upside down; instead of defying the force of gravity in an upright position, sloths spend most of their lives hanging in trees upside down. If they have to move, they do so only slowly. Very slowly. But why are ...

The first continuous wave and long-pulse operation of the XFEL-type cryomodule

Continuous wave (CW) and long-pulse (LP) operation modes of the XFEL superconducting linac are an attractive future option to enhance the experimental potential of this European facility, being currently under construction. On Wednesday 7 July 2011, a two-week test was finished in which the ...

Planning Research for the Future?

Freie Universität Berlin Is Holding an International Conference on Research Planning: October 13 to 15, 2011 Can research be planned? Is it advantageous to do so, when scientific breakthroughs such as the theory of relativity by Albert Einstein do not appear to result from planning? Freie ...

A mobile guide for buses and trains

If people had access to a fully-fledged system to help them navigate public transport, it could persuade many drivers to switch to their local trains, buses and trams. Researchers are busy developing an application that will enable passengers to use a cell phone to navigate their way through the ...

Clinical tests for medicines made from genitically modified plants

Pharmaceuticals can be produced by plants. Antibodies that have been produced in tobacco plants will now for the first time be tested in a clinical study. The decision was announced at a press conference in London on Tuesday July 19th 2011. UK regulators have approved Europe’s first clinical ...

BiobasedWorld at ACHEMA 2012 – new format unites established and new players in the bioeconomy

BiobasedWorld at ACHEMA 2012 – new format unites established and new players in the bioeconomy BiobasedWorld at ACHEMA is a platform for exhibitors, visitors, scientists and investors in the bio-based economy. In addition to the exhibition and the congress programme the BiobasedWorld concept ...

New link between Parkinson’s disease and cellular sorting

Neuherberg, 19.7.2011. Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technische Universität München working in cooperation with the Medical University of Vienna have identified a mutation associated with a inherited form of late-onset Parkinson’s disease. The mutation occurs in a gene that ...

Some cutaneous HPV types may be involved in Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer development

In a joint paper published on July 14, 2011 in PloS Pathogens, the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO/IARC) conclude that a viral infection with a certain type of human papillomavirus may cooperate ...

Germany's Solar Market Saves Customers Money and Time

Intersolar North America Berlin/San Francisco - Germany's solar market is the most efficient and cost effective in Europe, according to a recent survey by PV Legal. While the average time to connect a new small-scale system to the grid is between 14 and 50 weeks across the continent, German ...

JRS – creating sustainability with fibres

Fibres can be used to disintegrate tablets, bind together the ingredients in a formulation and coat substrates. The company J. RETTENMAIER & SÖHNE GmbH+Co.KG has been offering plant fibres, pulp and cellulose for a broad range of applications since 1878. The company now also uses the natural ...

Green light for EU co-funding of TUM-IAS Fellowships

The European Union's Research Executive Agency has given the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) a green light to begin negotiations on a five-year co-funding grant. In a ranking of 70 proposals for COFUND support through the Marie Curie Program, a TUM proposal requesting 6.2 million euros to ...

Keeping it together

‘Cord-stopper’ protein complex makes chromosomes easier to move As any rock-climber knows, trailing a long length of rope behind you is not easy. A dangling length of rope is unwieldy and hard to manoeuvre, and can get tangled up or stuck on an outcropping. Cells face the same problem when ...

Testing of energy-carrying materials as new means of energy storage at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)

A new concept for the storage and transport of renewable energy for mobile applications is at the focus of current research by EAM members Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Arlt and Prof. Dr. Peter Wasserscheid. The concept is using energy – at a place and time where it is in abundance (a wind turbine or ...

Bayer advances research in the area of pulmonary hypertension

Cooperation with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Vascular Research / The aim is to develop new treatment options for patients with pulmonary hypertension Berlin / Graz, June 30, 2011 - Bayer HealthCare is working with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute (LBI) for Lung Vascular Research in the ...

Medical Biotechnology: strong results in 2010

Each year, together with the consulting firm Boston Consulting Group, the German Association of Research-based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa.bio) conducts a study into the situation of its member companies. The central findings from its latest ‘Medical Biotechnology’ industry report were ...

Fewer Sessions Needed for Radiation Therapy

15.07.11 | Siemens Healthcare recently introduced a new method that can shorten the time needed to treat cancer with radiation by up to 80 percent. Instead of about 30 treatment fractions over a period of six weeks, ten or fewer fractions are required using the new method, depending on the ...

Online Game for Optimal Factory Management

15.07.11 | A highly realistic online game allows budding engineers to slip into the everyday world of a plant manager. The “Plantville” game is intended not only for students and job applicants, but also Siemens customers, prospects and employees. The challenge for the players is to improve the ...

New Postgraduate Research Group: 'The Personal Union between Great Britain and Hanover'

(pug) The personal union that existed between the Hanoverian Electorate and the Kingdom of Great Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries will be the research focus of a new Postgraduate Research Group at Göttingen University. The official ceremony inaugurating the research group will be held on ...

'Green Talents' competition 2011 – only two weeks left for applications

Apply now for the international “Green Talents” Competition sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The application period will end on 29 July 2011. There are only a few days left for talented young scientists to apply for a place on the international “Green ...

Bleach discovered in space

Astronomers find key molecule hydrogen peroxide with the APEX Telescope in Chile Rho Ophiuchi would have been a gold mine for hairdressers. Astronomers have now detected molecules of hydrogen peroxide for the first time in this stellar nursery 400 light years away. This liquid compound of ...

How memory is read out in the fly brain

MB-V2 nerve cells enable the read-out of associative memories What happens if you cannot recall your memory correctly? You are able to associate and store the name and face of a person, yet you might be unable to remember them when you meet that person. In this example, the recall of the ...

When background noise moves to center stage

Loss of acoustic discrimination begins in the brain When older people form part of a larger social gathering, they often find it difficult to follow conversations. New research suggests that this may not always be due to reduced sensitivity of the ear. The results of a new study by LMU ...

New mechanism in the regulation of human genes

Neuherberg, 13.07.2011 In order to create proteins, the protein-coding gene must be transcribed into RNA and in the so-called splicing* process shortened to the correct template. Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and Munich’s Technical University have now discovered how the U2AF ...

Luvitec® product line grows

New copolymer for the manufacture of special membranes Special membranes are needed wherever materials have to be separated from one another in a particularly gentle way, i.e. without the application of heat or chemicals. With thousands of tiny pores, they cleanse drinking water of bacteria or ...

A LEAP in controlling cardiac fibrillation

Researchers develop a new low-energy defibrillation method An international team of scientists from the Max-Planck-Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (Göttingen, Germany), Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon (France), the University Medicine ...

Enzymes for cell wall synthesis conserved across species barriers

Many plants use similar genes to build their cell walls Plants have neither supportive bone tissue nor muscles, and yet they can form rigid structures like stalks and even tree trunks. This is due to the fact that plant cells are enveloped by a stable cell wall. The main component of the plant ...

Renewable energy experiencing double-digit growth worldwide

Berlin, 12.07.2011 Joint press release by Federal Environment Ministry (BMU) and Federal Development Ministry (BMZ) Germany again among top performers The Renewables 2011 Global Status Report (GSR) published by the REN21 policy network today confirms that there is a global trend toward renewable ...

Coatings monitor the blood burble and increase the longevity of prosthetic heart valves

Prosthetic heart valves usually consist of carbon. During service, blood components are deposited on their surfaces and the risk of a thrombosis increases. The function of the heart valves is also limited by the deposits. For this reason, follow-up heart surgery is often unavoidable. In an ...

Cortisol Controls Recycling of Bile Acids - Mice without cortisol receptor lose weight and suffer from gallstones

Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have made a discovery in mice whose liver cells are unable to receive cortisol signals: This hormone is responsible for a process in which the liver recycles bile acids from the blood. If this recycling is disrupted, the animals develop ...

Charité Establishes NanoTherm® Therapy for the Treatment of Recurrent Brain Tumors

Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin has established a new treatment at the Clinic for Radiooncology, Campus Virchow, which offers selected patients a nanomedicine approach for the treatment of recurrent brain tumors. Researchers at Charité–developed the scientific basis for ...

Colourful boundary trespassers: burrowing parrots crossed the Andes 120,000 years ago

The different populations of the South American Burrowing Parrot originated in Chile The Andes of southern South America form a hostile mountain range with glaciers, salty deserts and meagre high elevation steppes. Birds from more moderate climate zones cross this mountain range only rarely. ...

Deeper insight in the activity of cortical cells

Max Planck scientists can image the processing of information deeper in the cortex with the help of a new multi photon microscope design Visual and tactile objects in our surroundings are translated into a perception by complex interactions of neurons in the cortex. The principles underlying ...

Bodyguard for the Brain

Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Mainz discover a mechanism that can protect from aging processes Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Mainz have discovered a mechanism that seems to protect the brain from aging. In experiments with mice, they switched off the cannabinoid-1 ...

Smokers not very receptive to shocking images

Researchers from the University of Bonn find decrease in activity of the brain’s “fear center” A team of researchers led by the University of Bonn found clear changes in how emotions are processed in smokers. After an abstinence period of 12 hours, the brain’s fear center was mostly out of ...

Desalinating Seawater with Minimal Energy Use

July 11, 2011 | At a pilot facility in Singapore, Siemens has cut the energy needed to desalinate seawater by more than 50 percent. The plant processes 50 cubic meters of water per day, consuming only 1.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity per cubic meter. The most efficient desalination technique ...

Optical Analyses: More Efficient Biogas Facilities

July 11, 2011 | Siemens is developing optical measuring techniques that will enable more precise control of biogas facilities in order to increase their efficiency. When biomass is fermented to produce methane, acids are created, and if the acid concentration gets too high, the process collapses ...

TUM researchers discover a new switch in resistance to plant diseases

Powdery mildew is a tricky pathogen: The fungus can manipulate barley in a way that it is not only granted entry into the plant, but also gets the plant’s cells to supply it with nutrients. A team of researchers at the Chair of Phytopathology at Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) has just ...

Virtual flight around K2

DLR scientists support expedition with a highly accurate 3D model of mountain Considered one of the most beautiful mountains in the world and, at 8000 metres high, the most difficult to climb, K2 lies on the border between Pakistan and China. For scientists at the German Aerospace Center ...

Researching together in the Himalayas

Max Planck Institute for Ornithology agrees on a cooperation project with the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment in Bhutan July 11, 2011 The Max Planck Society will agree on a scientific cooperation with Bhutan on July29th. The Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, ...

How Does the Public Understand and Interpret Scientific Information?

Modern societies depend on scientific evidence to make sense of technological, political and civic issues encountered on an everyday basis. But modern societies are also challenged by growing cognitive and communicative difficulties and often fail to understand science as an enterprise. This ...

Ant colonies: Behavioral variability wins

Ant colonies with more behavioral variety are more successful / New findings in ant behavioral research 11.07.2011 They attack other colonies, plunder and rob, kill other colonies' inhabitants or keep them as slaves: Ants are usually regarded as prototypes of social beings that are prepared to ...

Olympia hypothesis: Tsunamis buried the cult site on the Peloponnese

Professor Andreas Vött presents new results of geomorphological and geoarcheological investigations on the sedimentary burial of Olympia 11.07.2011 Olympia, site of the famous Temple of Zeus and original venue of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, was presumably destroyed by repeated tsunamis ...

'Research Explorer' and 'Higher Education Compass' – Comprehensive Online-Information on the German Scientific Landscape

The HRK, DAAD and the DFG have linked up to offer new search options for studying and researching in Germany. The two online systems, "Research Explorer" (www.research-explorer.de) and "Higher Education Compass" (Hochschulkompass - www.hochschulkompass.de), are now connected to one another, ...

The turn of the corkscrew

Structural analysis uncovers mechanisms of gene expression The diverse functions of living cells are all based on the information encoded in the structure of the hereditary material DNA. Gene expression must therefore be tightly controlled, and this task is accomplished by the binding of ...

DLR Airbus A320 ATRA taxis using fuel cell-powered nose wheel for the first time

An airliner fitted with a fuel cell-powered nose wheel can, for example, move from its stand to the end of the runway without emitting pollutants and without using its engines. "This means that up to 17 to 19 percent of the emissions produced in airports can be saved and almost all noise can be ...

USA joining the Wendelstein 7-X fusion project

Investing millions to launch a US research programme on German device The USA is investing over 7.5 million dollars in the construction of the Wendelstein 7-X fusion device at Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald. In the three-year project, starting in 2011, scientists from the ...

TUM researchers develop environmentally friendly process to improve storage stability of probiotics

You will find them in yoghurts, muesli blends and infant formula – probiotic bacteria are rapidly gaining ground as healthy food supplements. However, the production of this “functional food” has its pitfalls: Only few probiotic bacterial strains are robust enough to survive conventional ...

Ultrafast switch for superconductors

Terahertz pulses control the lossless conduction of electricity A high-temperature superconductor can now be switched on and off within a trillionth of a second - 100 years after the discovery of superconductivity and 25 years after the first high-temperature superconductor was. A team including ...

Fishing at the Edge of Collapse

-German marine ecologist gives bad marks for the Common Fisheries Policy of Europe - July 6, 2011/Kiel. Ecological disastrous, economical senseless and questionable from a democratic point of view -this is how marine ecologist Dr Rainer Froese from the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences ...

Kinetochores prefer the “silent” DNA sections of the chromosome

The protein complex responsible for the distribution of chromosomes during cell division is assembled in the transition regions between heterochromatin and euchromatin The centromere is a specialized region of the chromosome, on which a protein complex known as the kinetochore is assembled. ...

Lycia – a center of culture in antiquity

International team begins study of settlement patterns From the Pre-Classical Period up into Late Antiquity, the valley of the Xanthos River in southwestern Turkey was the political and economic center of the region then known as Lycia. A new collaborative research project entitled XANTHIACA, ...

An alternative to antibiotics

Antibiotics are among the greatest achievements of medical science. But lately the former multi-purpose weapon fails in the battle against infectious diseases. Bacteria are increasingly developing resistance to antibiotics. Researchers have now found a therapeutic equivalent which could replace ...

Implants of the future: bioactive, corrosion resistant and antibacterial

The interaction of materials with biological tissues and organisms and their adaptation to them play an important role in the development of implants. The term biocompatibility is used to describe a material’s capability to exist in harmony with body tissue. The revision rate of implant ...

The forces of attraction

How cells change direction Many cell types in higher organisms are capable of implementing directed motion in response to the presence of certain chemical attractants in their vicinity. A team led by Dr. Doris Heinrich of the Faculty of Physics and the Center for NanoScience (CeNS) at ...

Too much of a good thing

Overstimulation can reduce the efficacy of immune therapy Small synthetic molecules can be used to stimulate the receptors that activate the innate immune system, and this strategy has already been successfully applied for local therapy of certain types of skin tumors. However, so far it has not ...

Helmholtz and the NREL agree to collaborate on solar energy research

Berlin, 23 June 2011 - The Helmholtz Association and the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory signed an agreement today to work together more closely in order to close gaps in solar energy research and accelerate the development of new technologies. The agreement was signed in Berlin by ...

Training for space station flight operations

Although he has long since completed his school and university education, Jérôme Campan carefully follows the presentation given by instructor Paolo De Lunardi on the projection screen. Sitting in the classroom, he makes notes every now and then, underlining text in his course handouts or ...

Faster Computations with HOPSA Experts from Russia and the EU are collaborating in a new project to boost the performance of supercomputers

Experts from Russia and the EU are collaborating in a new project to boost the performance of supercomputers Moscow, Jülich 20 June 2011 - Whether analysing complex molecules, searching for new medically active substances, calculating the global climate or modelling astronomical events - ...

RWTH Biologist Wins Research Award

Dr. Thomas Preuss of the Institute for Environmental Research at RWTH Aachen University has won the 2011 Cefic LRI Innovative Science Award. The prize, which is valued at €100,000, gives Dr. Preuss the opportunity to continue his research on ecological risk assessment, which focuses on the ...

Treatment approach to human Usher syndrome: Small molecules ignore stop signals

New treatment approach shall soon be ready for use in Usher syndrome patients 01.07.2011 Usher syndrome is the most common form of combined congenital deaf-blindness in humans and affects 1 in 6,000 of the population. It is a recessive inherited disease that is both clinically and genetically ...

Innovative Vaccines with Nanotechnology

European Research Consortium wants to develop novel vaccination against Hepatitis C. HCVAX is a European joint project that reaches out to develop a vaccine against hepatitis C based on nanotechnology. The German Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, ...

Gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori protects against asthma

Dramatic increase in allergic diseases in industrial societies is linked to rapid disappearance of specific micro-organisms that populate the human body 01.07.2011 Infection with the gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori provides reliable protection against allergy-induced asthma, immunologists ...

Virtual Institute investigates Virus Infections

Transnational research group examines how viruses evade the immune system Understanding the tricks and survival strategies of viruses to effectively combat them: That is the goal of the virtual institute VISTRIE that received its funding commitment today. VISTRIE, which stands for “Viral ...

Six-Megawatt Wind Turbine without Gearbox

30.06.11 | A powerful new wind turbine from Siemens should soon be forcing down the cost of this renewable form of energy even further. The turbine has an output of six megawatts (MW) and low maintenance requirements. Altogether, the nacelle and the rotor blades (with a rotor diameter of 120 ...

Effective CO2 Capture on a Large Scale

30.06.11 | A pilot project by Siemens and E.ON has shown that emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from power plants can be effectively captured in demonstration projects. More than 90 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO2) was captured from a part of the flue gas at the Staudinger ...

Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Humboldt Foundation's Annual Meeting: politics needs science more than ever

The Chancellor addresses 600 international researchers in Berlin Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel holding her official speech Photo: Humboldt Foundation/ David Ausserhofer In her official speech at the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s annual meeting on 27 June in Berlin, German Chancellor ...

alpha ventus achieves positive interim results - offshore power yield higher than expected

The future of organic and printed electronics lies in Munich

30.06.2011 - Messe München, OE-A and IDTechEx agree to cooperate on a new leading trade fair and conference The leading European trade fairs and conferences on the hot topic of organic and printed electronics - LOPE-C and Printed Electronics Europe - are becoming one starting next year. The host ...

New tasks attributed to Aurora proteins in cell division

New information from fission yeast provides clues for research on cancer treatments When a cell divides, the genetic information in the chromosomes must be passed on error-free to the daughter cells. Researchers at the Friedrich Miescher Laboratory in Tübingen are studying this process using ...

A Thermometer for Dinosaurs

Researchers identify body temperature of these long-extinct giant saurians Small heads, large bodies, and a slow metabolism – these are the characteristics that make us think of dinosaurs as dull, lethargic and cold-blooded giants. However, this image seems to be deceiving. These giant saurians ...

The seasonal potato

Recalculation of the Potsdam geoid shows time-dependent variation of gravity The "Potsdam Gravity potato", as this representation of terrestrial gravity has become known, can for the first time display gravity variations that change with time. The seasonal fluctuations of the water balance of ...

BASF and Embrapa announce a cooperation agreement

Latest agreement will speed up development and introduction of new technologies and solutions for Brazilian agriculture Initial project will bring biological product to sugar cane growers SÃO PAULO , BRAZIL , June 29th 2011 BASF Crop Protection and Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária ...

A lack of structure facilitates protein synthesis

Easily accessible starting point on messenger RNA increases protein formation Texts without spaces are not very legible, as they make it very difficult for the reader to identify where a word begins and where it ends. When genetic information in our cells is read and translated into proteins, ...

New study: how foreign researchers regard Germany

Humboldt Fellows give Germany a positive report. In its latest study ‘A focus on Germany 2011. How foreign researchers regard Germany’, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation analyses its research fellows’ and their German collaborative partners’ reports on their experiences. For this purpose, ...

Leading research organisations announce top-tier, open access journal for biomedical and life sciences

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Max Planck Society and the Wellcome Trust announced today that they are to support a new, top-tier, open access journal for biomedical and life sciences research. The three organisations aim to establish a new journal that will attract and define the very ...

New therapeutic approaches: nitric oxide for the treatment of brain tumours

Glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive malignant brain tumour for which there is still no cure. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy only have a temporary effect and relapses tend to occur a few months after surgery. Researchers led by neurosurgeon Dr. Astrid Weyerbrock from the ...

Illuminating the origins of life

An RNA reactor might have facilitated pre-biotic information transfer Munich, 27 June 2011 A computer model developed by LMU researchers led by the physicist Professor Ulrich Gerland throws new light on an ancient problem by providing a plausible scenario for the transition from pre-biotic ...

ATV-2: re-entry over the south Pacific

European space transporter ATV-2 'Johannes Kepler' ends its successful mission according to plan Loaded with waste material, the second European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-2), Johannes Kepler, entered Earth's atmosphere shortly after performing its second de-orbit engine firing at 22:04 ...

The Einstein Foundation Brings a Top International Scientist to Berlin

John F. Hartwig, a major star in the organometallic catalysis field, will work within the UniCat Cluster of Excellence – inaugural lecture 29th June 2011 The American chemist Prof. John F. Hartwig will make his debut as recipient of the Einstein Foundation Award in the German Cluster of ...

Cancer diagnosis isotopes from Garching

The German Federal Ministry of Health has awarded one million euros in research and development funding for the efficient production of an important cancer diagnostic agent at the research neutron source FRM II. In a 2009 feasibility study, the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) demonstrated ...

Virtual vertigo

Adjustment process between the sense of balance and the eyes Our eyes must be tightly coupled with our sense of balance to provide sharp and jitter-free images. If the adjustment is disturbed, our view is blurred and we get dizzy. Scientists at LMU Munich, the Bernstein Center Munich, and the ...

Professor Margret Wintermantel elected new DAAD President

DAAD General Assembly elects new Executive Committee and new Board of Trustees for the 2012-2015 term of office Bonn, 21.6.2011. The President of the German Rectors’ Conference (“Hochschulrektorenkonferenz” – HRK), Professor Dr. Margret Wintermantel, is to be the new President of the German ...

Probing the secrets of the ryegrasses

LMU chemists design a route for synthesis of loline alkaloids Munich, 20 June 2011 LMU chemists led by Professor Dirk Trauner have developed a concise and efficient method for the synthesis of the alkaloid loline and related compounds. Loline alkaloids are a biologically interesting group of ...

Underwater Turbine Harvests Tidal Energy

23.06.11 | As reported in the latest edition of "Pictures of the Future", Siemens is also turning to tidal power as it strives to exploit alternative forms of energy. The company has recently secured a stake in SeaGen, the world's first commercial power plant to generate electricity from tidal ...

World’s First Aircraft With Serial Hybrid Electric Drive

23.06.11 | Together with partners, Siemens has built the world’s first aircraft with a serial hybrid electric drive system. The two-seater motor glider DA36 E-Star is presented by Siemens, Diamond Aircraft and EADS at the Paris Air Show Le Bourget 2011 (until June 26th) in daily flight shows. ...

Gamma-ray emission from Terzan 5

The discovery of a source in the direction of the globular cluster puzzles astrophysicists The H.E.S.S. telescope system in Namibia discovered a new source of very-high-energy gamma-rays from the direction of the globular cluster Terzan 5. Being very likely located in the outer parts of Terzan 5 ...

BASF offers a new solution for phenol-free thermal receipt paper

With Pergafast® 201 BASF provides a sustainable solution for Bisphenol A- and phenol-free thermal papers. Every thermal paper contains a color developer as a key component in a chemical system designed to produce an image or record upon the application of heat. For many years Bisphenol A (BPA) ...

Chaos in the microlaser

Würzburg physicists have created a microlaser with unique properties. They have also succeeded in making the laser behave chaotically. In the future, it may be possible to use this for a new, secure form of data transmission. Triggering chaotic behavior in the microcosm: this is what Stephan ...

Flash-frozen seawater sprays from Enceladus

New measurements confirm a liquid ocean under the icy crust of Saturn's moon Is there an ocean on Enceladus or not? This question had been occupying researchers since the Cassini space probe discovered fractures in the icy crust around the southern pole of Saturn’s moon which eject plumes of ...

Tracking down motion perception

Neurobiologists have determined the number of circuits needed to see movements Surely, everybody knows this phenomenon: an animal doesn't stand out against its background and becomes visible to us only when it moves. The reason behind this is that we depend strongly on our eyesight for ...

Not EHEC, But Rather EAHEC

Microbiologists at Göttingen University decode pathogen genome - Explanation for aggressive behaviour (pug) Scientists at the University of Göttingen have decoded the genetic information of the Escherichia coli (E. coli O104:H4) bacterium, which causes the so-called EHEC infection. The Roche 454 ...

Acrobatics for anyons

New test for elusive fundamental particle proposed Munich, 21 June 2011 In quantum physics there are two classes of fundamental particles. Photons, the quanta of light, are bosons, while the protons and neutrons that make up atomic nuclei belong to the fermions. Bosons and fermions differ in ...

DLR makes highly automated driving a real prospect for the future

Road traffic accidents are often the result of errors made by inattentive, overstressed or tired drivers. The objective of the EU project HAVEit (Highly Automated Vehicles for Intelligent Transport), in which the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) played an ...

How plants change their shape – researchers at KIT investigate cytoskeletal processes

Organisms have two possibilities when they encounter inhospitable environmental conditions: to run away or to adapt. As plants have no legs, they therefore need to adapt rapidly to unstable environmental conditions. A plant is hugely flexible in terms of its shape and one of the things that ...

Quantum leap: Magnetic properties of a single proton directly observed for the first time

Most important milestone in the direct measurement of the magnetic moment of the proton and its anti-particle has been achieved / Focusing the matter-antimatter symmetry 21.06.2011 Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the Helmholtz Institute Mainz (HIM), together with ...

50th anniversary of Jacob and Monod’s operon model

Molecular biologists to celebrate 50th anniversary of Jacob and Monod’s operon model Leading molecular biologists from around the world came together at a conference jointly organized by the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) and the Institut Pasteur in Paris between 17th and 20th ...

Sleeping sickness parasite masters three different swimming modes

Scientists from Germany and Switzerland decipher the precise patterns of motion of the parasite Trypanosoma. The causative agent of African sleeping sickness, annually responsible for several thousands of deaths in Africa and South America, is a motile cell: it propels itself through its host’s ...

Data, Discourse, Dispute: Scientific Experts and the Public in the U.S. and Germany

Scientists around the globe are being asked to provide guidance on issues of national and international importance. The public and politicians are clamoring for answers to questions concerning climate change, the safety of nuclear energy, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and genetic ...

Origami in seed capsules

The lids on the seed cases of an ice plant unfold when a honeycomb structure swells on the inside of them A number of plants disperse their seeds in a rather artistic way: the seed capsules of the ice plant Delosperma nakurense, for instance, unfold lids over the seed compartments in the manner ...

'Casanova gene' in female songbirds

Females inherit "infidelity gene" from their fathers It is assumed that many bird species are monogamous, yet infidelity is a widespread phenomenon. The advantage for the male seems obvious as in this way he can increase the number of his offspring. A female, however, mostly faces costs. The ...

First Choice at Sugarloaf Mountain

Top Brazilian University Wants Freie Universität as Strategic Partner The Brazilian elite university Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) has chosen Freie Universität as one of four preferred partners. The goal is closer cooperation between the two research institutions. For this purpose, ...

German Research Foundation to Establish New Collaborative Research Center at Freie Universität Berlin

Freie Universität Berlin has been granted funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) for a new Collaborative Research Center (CRC). As of July 1, for an initial four years, researchers involved in CRC 958 will investigate the spatially and temporally controlled assembly of protein ...

Federal President Wulff and German Chancellor Merkel attend the Humboldt Foundation’s annual meeting

600 international academics meet in Berlin on 27 and 28 June. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will give the official speech at the opening of the annual meeting of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation on 27 June at Freie Universität Berlin. Federal President Christian Wulff invites the more ...

How a Neural Stem Cell Turns into a Tumor Stem Cell - Researchers Identify Key Molecules

Glioblastomas, the most common and most aggressive brain tumors, apparently arise from neural stem cells (NSCs) in the brain. Researchers are now beginning to understand the mechanisms of how NSCs, which are present in small quantities in the adult brain and which are responsible for the ...

Transport trends in the mega-city Santiago de Chile

An international consortium of scientists, including transport researchers from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), is examining the opportunities and risks of mega-cities and metropolitan areas. The primary research objective, based on the metropolis of ...

Bayer foundation scholarships - EUR 200,000 for work and study abroad

Support for ambitious study projects in the fields of science, engineering, medicine and teacher training in scientific subjects / First award of Hermann Strenger scholarships to sponsor career-training projects abroad / Applications now possible online till July 15, 2011 Leverkusen, June 16, ...

New Bosch ESP control module made from hydrolysis-resistant Ultradur

The ESP 9, latest generation of Boschs electronic stability program (ESP), is part of the safety package in many vehicles today. Its control housing is molded from the especially hydrolysis-resistant Ultradur® B4330G6 HR from BASF: This special compound from the PBT family satisfies the very ...

Light Up Your World With Organic and Printed Electronics

16.06.2011 - The OE-A will introduce the new, fourth edition of the OE-A Roadmap for Organic and Printed Electronics and new Demonstrators, including an OPV Flashlight as giveaway demonstrator, at LOPE-C - the Large-area, Organic and Printed Electronics Convention - to be held June 28th through ...

Radionuclide treatment against small tumors and metastases

Medicine could very soon have a new ally in the fight against cancer: Terbium-161. Its most important weapon: Conversion and Auger electrons. Researchers at the Technische Universität München (TUM) have developed a new treatment method based on the Terbium-161 radionuclide which could possibly ...

Jewish voices in the debates of the 1960s

International Conference organized by LMU and UC Berkeley On 27 -29 June, an international conference devoted to “Jewish Voices in the German Sixties” will take place in Schloss Elmau. The conference, which has been organized by the Chair of Jewish History and Culture at LMU in cooperation with ...

LMU rings in its international summer season

Students from all over the world in Munich Munich, 16 June 2011 The Summer Academy “Exploring Electronic Media” (MSC), which began on 13. June, is the first of this year’s International Summer Courses to get underway at LMU Munich. From now until mid-September, the Munich International Summer ...

Good night, Rosetta – European comet chaser goes into hibernation

On 8 June 2011, the Rosetta spacecraft will be put into hibernation after having travelled through space for more than seven years. To reduce energy consumption, the European probe will be flying in 'economy mode' as it heads towards its destination, the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. But this ...

Blood Clotting and Cancer Risk

People whose blood clots more easily than normal are more often affected by cancer. Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have discovered that a number of variants of clotting factor genes have an influence on bowel cancer risk. They found out ...

Mainz becomes the European center of Scottish Studies

Foundation of the Society for Scottish Studies in Europe to promote and foster the interest in Scottish culture, history and literature 15.06.2011 - The "Society for Scottish Studies in Europe" has recently been established to focus on the support of Scottish Studies in Europe. It was founded at ...

'Dynamics of Religion and Politics in Southeast Asia'

Funding for competence network from the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Göttingen University receives 1.4 million euros for coordination (pug) The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will be funding the competence network on "Dynamics of Religion and ...

NoPa Matchmaking Event in Belém: Presentations and Photos online!

The NoPa Matchmaking Event in Belem on "Protection and sustainable use of tropical forests" facilitated new cooperation between the almost 90 Brazilian and German participants from the academic, public, private and civil society sector. The participants successfully used the three days event to ...

LEGATO - a major international project on sustainable development of rice ecosystems in Southeast Asia to be launched on 14th June in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

An international consortium of 22 research institutions from Germany, Malaysia, Vietnam, The Philippines, UK, Bulgaria and Spain has started the new research project called LEGATO, which will be launched on the 14th of 2011 in Penang, Malaysia. LEGATO stands for 'Land-use intensity and ...

Surface of asteroid Vesta in sight

The images acquired by the German camera system on the US spacecraft Dawn are currently being used for navigation purposes in its journey to the asteroid Vesta. A film, created by the Dawn team researchers from individual images acquired at a distance of about 481,000 kilometres, already reveals ...

How is the Arctic Ocean changing? – Research vessel Polarstern launches expedition to Arctic Ocean

Bremerhaven, 10 June 2011. On coming Wednesday, 15 June, the research vessel Polarstern of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association will set off on its 26th arctic expedition. Over 130 scientists from research institutions in six countries will take ...

Apply now: PhD stipends (Global Biogeochemical Cycles)

Introduction The International Max Planck Research School for Global Biogeochemical Cycles (IMPRS-gBGC) in cooperation with the Friedrich Schiller University Jena offers a PhD program in global biogeochemistry and related Earth System sciences. The overall research and teaching focuses ...

Birdsong independent of brain size

Sex difference in the brain varies according to social status The brains of all vertebrates display gender-related differences. In songbirds, for example, the size of the brain areas that control their singing behaviour could be linked to the size of their song repertoires. In many songbird ...

Chasing EHEC with the computer

Scientists in Saarbrücken provide free access to the enteric pathogen’s genetic regulation data Just a few genes make enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) extremely dangerous to humans. If it were not for these genes, EHEC would hardly differ from harmless enteric bacteria. Bioinformatics ...

Simon White to receive the Gruber Cosmology Prize

The Director at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics is honoured for his simulations on the development of the universe. Simon White is to receive the Cosmology Prize of the Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation. The Director at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching shares ...

COLO-Fast®WST® creates flush seals around panorama windscreens

Innovative PU glass encapsulation technology from BASF for Opel Astra GTCPU window spray technology for large-area windowsFlush seals and glass panesNew scope for design This windshield is quite something. Extending from the hood to the B-pillar, it measures a remarkable 1.5 meters which amounts ...

Megatrends at the heart of LOPE-C 2011 Conference

09.06.2011 - The spotlight will be on two key megatrends - organic photovoltaic (OPV) and OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes) - at the annual LOPE-C (Large Area, Organic and Printed Electronics Convention) conference and exhibition which is being held from June 28-30, 2011 in Frankfurt, ...

EHEC outbreak strain: Professor Karch suspects humans could be a reservoir / 'It wouldn’t be the first time'

Acid resistance of HUSEC041 similarly to that of classic EHEC types Münster (ukm/dre). This week, scientists from the Medical Faculty of the University of Münster (WWU) working with Dr. Helge Karch at the Institute for Hygiene of the University Hospital of Münster (UKM) have further decoded the ...

Bringing in the Sunshine with Sollectors on the Roof

June 09, 2011 | Siemens is planning to use an ingenious technology to bring daylight into building interiors. The latest issue of the research magazine "Pictures of the Future" features a report on how this is to be achieved. Sunlight is collected by “sollectors” on the roof and fed into ...

Air Conditioning System That Cools with Sunlight

June 09, 2011 | Siemens researchers in Bangalore, India, are working on a refrigeration system that uses photovoltaics to generate its own electricity, making it entirely independent of a separate power supply. Air conditioning systems contribute a lot to CO2 emissions in these hot regions. ...

Ultracold neutrons for science: UCNs will help to solve mysteries of astrophysics

Mainz has the most powerful source of ultracold neutrons, opening up the possibility of conducting a key experiment to determine the life time of the neutron 09.06.2011 Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have built what is currently the strongest source of ultracold ...

Center for Comparative Native and Indigenous Studies founded at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

The aim is to bring the world’s indigenous people into the center of research interest 09.06.2011 The newly founded Center for Comparative Native and Indigenous Studies (CCNIS) at the American Studies Division of the Department of English and Linguistics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz ...

Proposals for German-US American collaborations are again solicited within the next call for application of the CRCNS program (June 2011).

The funding scheme "Germany - USA Collaboration in Computational Neuroscience" is a transnational initiative for supporting collaborative research between Germany and the United States of America. It is jointly funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) and the ...

New Enzyme Combination for Animal Feed

With the introduction of Natuphos® 5000 Combi G, BASF is now the first to bring an animal feed enzyme combination in granulate form to the world market. The new product is a combination of the two BASF feed additives Natuphos® and Natugrain® TS. Based on its many years of experience in enzyme ...

The pirouette effect in the chaos of turbulence

Findings on how vortices behave in a turbulent flow could facilitate the simulation of clouds in climate models The quick mixing of coffee and milk after stirring or the formation of raindrops in clouds: these are just two of many phenomena in which turbulent flows play a decisive role. ...

Introducing the German High Tech Champions in PV 2011

At the Clean Technology Conference & Expo 2011, Fraunhofer will present the winners of the first German High Tech Champions (GHTC) competition – they are:David Kiliani, Universität KonstanzDr. Andrés-Fabián Lasagni, Fraunhofer IWSDr. Uwe Lommatzsch, Fraunhofer IFAMDr. Rodrigo Sáez-Araoz, ...

EHEC: Scientists of Münster identify genome sequence of a comparable strain of the year 2001 /

Comparison with the sequence of the current E. coli HUSEC041 (O104:H4) outbreak strain has begun 06.06.10 - Investigations shall deliver further indications as to the behavior of the current pathogen Münster (ukm/dre) - Yesterday, Sunday 5th June, at 13:30 CET, scientists of the Medical Faculty ...

The fine art of etching

They see more than the naked eye and could make traffic safer: miniaturized thermal imaging sensors. But they are difficult to manufacture on a commercial scale. Researchers have now developed a new system. On it, special micro-electromechanical systems can be produced – with the correct etching ...

Aircraft systems in the environmental chamber

How can air transport be made more environmentally compatible, economical and sustainable? The Fraunhofer flight test facility in Holzkirchen is soon to be expanded with the installation of a thermal test bench for aircraft systems, with the aim of achieving efficient energy management onboard. ...

An alternative to antibiotics

Hungry for rewards - insulin in the midbrain influences eating behaviour

Max Planck researchers discover that insulin acts as a messenger in neurons of the midbrain and find a connection with the brain’s reward system Still hungry - or already full? The brain controls eating behaviour and curbs our appetite when the body has consumed enough energy. It obtains its ...

Wake turbulence during cruising flight

When aircraft fly, they generate turbulent airflow behind them known as ‘wake turbulence’, which can affect following air traffic. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has developed a method to measure wake turbulence in flight. This method was put to the ...

BASF entering into electrolyte activities

Expansion of portfolio for lithium-ion batteries BASF is entering the business of electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries (LIB) and is forming a global electrolytes team in its Intermediates division for this purpose. By adding electrolytes to its existing portfolio for the LIB industry, BASF is ...

Layout of Arabic Manuscripts

Arabists take part in a new collaborative research center 07.06.2011 Illustrated, colourful, lavishly designed - this is how we recall the magnificent calligraphies of past centuries. But is it the same for all cultures and in every place' A new collaborative research centre (SFB), recently ...

Funding extended for Collaborative Research Centre at Göttingen University

DFG (German Research Foundation) supports scientists with nearly eight million euros (pug) The DFG (German Research Foundation) has extended its funding of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 755 "Nanoscale Photonic Imaging" at Göttingen University for another four years. The DFG will support ...

Insulin action in the brain can lead to obesity

Researchers decode an important mechanism through which insulin in the hypothalamus controls the body’s energy balance Fat-rich food makes you fat. Behind this simple equation lie complex signalling pathways, through which the neurotransmitters in the brain control the body’s energy balance. ...

Fellowships for PhD Students in Solar System Physics

The "International Max Planck Research School on Physical Processes in the Solar System and Beyond" at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Katlenburg-Lindau, and the Universities of Braunschweig and Goettingen, Germany, offers excellent research possibilities for students to ...

Friendly Fire within the Lungs

HZI researchers show how immune cells mistakenly attack the lungs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients Cigarette smoke or a high level of exposure to dust damages our lungs – cells of the immune system are activated within the sensitive respiratory tract and by mistake can attack ...

Ocean Acidification and Coral Reefs

Natural CO2 seeps show what could happen to coral reefs in a world of increasing greenhouse gas emissions Natural carbon dioxide (CO2) seeps in Papua New Guinea have given scientists rare insights into what tropical coral reefs could look like if human-induced atmospheric CO2 concentrations ...

Early hominin landscape use

Approx. 3 million years ago, females rather than males moved from the groups they were born in to new social groups. So far ranging and residence patterns amongst early hominins have been indirectly inferred from morphology, stone tool sourcing, comparison to living primates and phylogenetic ...

LMU to participate in three new Priority Programs:

On the beat with the molecular police Munich, 1 June 2011 Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich will be involved in three new Collaborative Research Centers (SFB) set up by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), and an LMU researcher will serve as speaker for one of them, SFB 914. SFB ...

Fast track to vascular disease

Immune cells secrete a signal molecule that promotes atherosclerosis In Western societies, atherosclerosis of the arteries is one of the leading causes of death. Chronic, localized inflammation of the blood vessel wall facilitates the growth of fibrous plaques, which leads to narrowing or ...

Bridging the Atlantic

– German – Canadian Cooperation in Marine Sciences strengthened – Kiel-Halifax Cooperation Agreement Signed June 3, 2011/Halifax, Kiel. Marine scientists of the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) in Kiel, Germany and the Halifax Marine Research Institute (HMRI) in Halifax, Canada ...

Better hearing with widely-spaced ears

Detectors in the US, Germany and Italy are lying in wait to gather evidence that would unveil one of Albert Einstein’s last secrets: gravitational waves. Up to now, it has not been possible to detect these ripples in the curvature of space-time directly. However, if the available detectors were ...

Blood Clotting and Bowel Cancer Risk

Resistance to chemoprevention:

When tumor cells refuse to stop In the context of cancer therapy, natural products find application primarily as chemopreventive agents. These are intended to stop premalignant cells from developing into full-blown tumors and giving rise to metastases. A team led by chemist Priv.-Doz. Dr ...

Daily life in the kingdom of Diamat –

LMU geophysicists locate the oldest known Ethio-Sabaean village A research team led by LMU geophysicist Dr. Jörg Fassbinder and Dr. Pawel Wolf of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in Berlin has located in the highlands of Ethiopia what is probably the oldest known Ethio-Sabaean ...

Marine protected areas for Chilean Patagonia –

LMU biologist wins Pew Fellowship for protection of fjord region Dr. Vreni Häussermann of LMU‘s GeoBioCenter is also Scientific Director of the Huinay Scientific Field Station in Comau Fjord on the coast of Chilean Patagonia. She is now one of four individuals chosen to receive Pew Fellowships ...

'Der heilige Zeitgeist'

Developments in Protestant theology during the Weimar Republic Few epochs in the history of modern German Protestantism have been scrutinized as intensely as the 14 years for which the Weimar Republic lasted. Scholarly monographs on the most influential academic theologians of the time now fill ...

Researchers Warn against Neglecting Social Sciences and Humanities in Europe

In a discussion with Members of the European Parliament and the EU Commission in Brussels, researchers of Freie Universität Berlin and The London School of Economics warned against limiting EU funding programs to natural sciences and engineering. In a globalized Europe, social sciences and ...

Bacterial roundabouts determine cell shape

Max Planck scientists decipher important mechanisms of bacterial cell wall synthesis Almost all bacteria owe their structure to an outer cell wall that interacts closely with the supporting MreB protein inside the cell. As scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry and at the French ...

DFG to Establish 21 New Collaborative Research Centres

Topics Range from Additive Manufacturing to Biological Membranes and from Manuscript Cultures to Quantum Physics The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) will establish 21 new Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs) as of 1 July 2011. This was decided by the relevant ...

Hard or soft: at the touch of a button New nano material switches properties as required

A world premiere: a material which changes its strength, virtually at the touch of a button. This transformation can be achieved in a matter of seconds through changes in the electron structure of a material; thus hard and brittle matter, for example, can become soft and malleable. What makes ...

FRAVE: Flexible Virtual Reality System

Product developers, vehicle design engineers and trainee pilots increasingly utilize 3D worlds, operating in virtual space created by realistic images in real time. For this purpose they use a Virtual Reality System. Researchers at the Faculty of Informatics of Technische Universitaet Muenchen ...

German and Indian researchers unite to fight diseases

Joint health research: alliance wants to speed up the transfer of research findings to a medical application. To enable research findings to be used for the treatment of patients more quickly: this is the main aim of an agreement which German and Indian scientists have now concluded in New ...

FAO and Max Planck Institute take on species-swapping diseases

Focus on interactions between wild animals, livestock, and human populations to reduce risks, strengthen responses Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the German Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell, are joining forces to study species-swapping ...

Worldwide Initiative Against Tobacco Consumption: WHO and the German Cancer Research Center Urge to Reduce Tobacco Use

Press Release on World No Tobacco Day on 31 May 2011 A current publication of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) for World No Tobacco Day 2011 highlights the importance of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Every year, approximately 110,000 ...

The fine art of packaging DNA

Novel method throws light on mechanisms underlying the organization of DNA Seen in the electron microscope the DNA in a cell nucleus looks like an array of beads on a string. The beads are the so-called nucleosomes – made up of DNA associated with histone proteins - and are linked by stretches ...

New drugs for use in regenerative medicine

LMU pharmacologist wins GO-Bio Prize Together with Professor Christian Plank (Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich), Privatdozent Carsten Rudolph of LMU Munich University Hospital has been chosen to receive one of the GO-Bio Prizes awarded by the Federal Ministry for ...

'Pictures of the Future' celebrates 10th anniversary | New Issue of "Pictures of the Future" (Spring 2011)

May 31, 11 | The latest issue of the research magazine "Pictures of the Future" includes reports on sustainable mobility, the development of emerging markets, and demographic change. The magazine provides an overview of the challenges posed by the rising volume of traffic worldwide and describes ...

Throwing light on the retina

Novel optical contrast agents for eye microsurgery The precision and versatility of microsurgical methods have markedly improved in recent years. This is particularly true for surgery on the tissues at the back of the eye, where such interventions can result in striking improvements in vision. ...

Opening of international Campus of ''Alternative Nobel Prize'' in Bonn

Bonn, May 30, 2011. The new international Campus of the Right Livelihood Award in Bonn has been inaugurated officially. It is based at the Center for Development Research (ZEF). Bonns Lord Mayor Jürgen Nimptsch, the Rector of the University of Bonn, Jürgen Fohrmann and the Vice-President of the ...

German-Israeli Doctoral Training Program: Scientific Excellence and Cultural Exchange

The German Cancer Research Center and the Israeli Weizmann Institute of Science will start a joint doctoral training program for young scientists called the "German-Israeli Helmholtz Research School in Cancer Biology" Picture: Weizmann Institute of ScienceIn the future, twenty four young German ...

Mutated muscle protein causes deafness

Gene mutations on the X chromosome lead to progressive hearing impairment Excessive noise is not the only thing that causes damage to hearing. In many cases, genetic factors are responsible for the loss of hearing at a young age. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in ...

A sweet defence against lethal bacteria

Synthesising a potential vaccine candidate for an antibiotic-resistant pathogen causing infections in hospitalised patients There is now a promising vaccine candidate for combating the pathogen which causes one of the most common and dangerous hospital infections. An international team of ...

NGP Cluster Excellence Conference in Copenhagen was a resounding success

450 participants from 27 countries attended the biggest European event for cluster managers, - members and policy makers. From May 26th to 27th Europe’s best cluster managers compared notes and there were ten workshops and two seminars for policy makers, and eleven workshops for cluster managers ...

Humboldt Professorship awarded to Hannes Leitgeb

Munich, 12 May 2011 - Eight Alexander von Humboldt Professorships will be formally conferred on their recipients at a ceremony to be held in Berlin today. One of those honored is LMU’s Hannes Leitgeb. Leitgeb, a mathematician and philosopher has been working at the University‘s Faculty of ...

Metabolic profile provides unique 'fingerprint'

NMR-based analysis of urine – innovative laboratory technology and data evaluation are set to advance individualized medicine Greifswald / Neuherberg, 16.05. 2011. On 15 May 2011, Nature Genetics, one of the most renowned international research journals, published the results of a study ...

Major Award for Twelve Young Scholars

26. May 2011 Heidelberg dissertation among the winners of the John Templeton Award for Theological A dissertation completed at Heidelberg University was among the research publications to receive this year's international John Templeton Award for Theological Promise. The award was endowed with ...

Dogs in Motion

Zoologists demonstrate precise insights into their course of movement of dogs for the first time 27.05.2011 How does a dog run' Until now even experts found it nearly impossible to answer this simple sounding question. "We simply didn't know", says Professor Dr. Martin S. Fischer from the ...

Taking Temperatures at Boknis Eck

– Unique series of measurements by Kiel marine scientists document change in the Baltic Sea – May 12, 2011/Kiel. For more than 50 years marine researchers at the Kiel Leibniz Institute for Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) have regularly been taking measurements at the Boknis Eck station in ...

GEMS – a mole to explore the interior of Mars

Mission proposal involving DLR on the NASA short list The final contenders in NASA’s Discovery programme, which invites scientists to propose unmanned planetary missions, have been announced. The Geophysical Monitoring Station (GEMS) for Mars mission proposal has made it to the final round of ...

Superior sound for telephones, mobile and related devices

Telephone calls and video conferences with a sound quality that approaches that of direct communication are now possible with a new audio coding technology - it is almost as if the discussion participants are sitting across from one another. mp3 for phone calls – Considering the poor sound ...

Flexible films for photovoltaics

Displays that can be rolled up and flexible solar cells – both are potential future markets. Barrier layers that protect thin-film solar cells from oxygen and water vapor and thus increase their useful life are an essential component. What do potato chips and thin-film solar cells have in ...

Medicines from plants

Some people think of herbal teas, others of tobacco when they hear the buzzword ‚medicines from plants‘. One research team succeeded in producing biopharmaceuticals – such as an antibody against HIV, for example, – in tobacco plants. »Medicines from plants« – one thinks of herbal teas or ...

Stress may increase risk for Alzheimer’s disease

Stress hormones lead to Alzheimer-like protein modifications Stress promotes neuropathological changes that are also seen in Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich have discovered that the increased release of stress hormones in rats leads to ...

Modern EU agriculture jeopardises biodiversity in new member states

Study from Romania highlights the importance of traditional agriculture in protecting amphibians Sighişoara/Leipzig. Traditional agricultural practices can make a major contribution to preserving biodiversity in the EU's new member states in Central and Eastern Europe. By contrast, the ...

A new dimension in materials research

The electronic and magnetic properties of thin films depend on the number of atomic layers which are stacked on top of each other In the future, physicists will be able to follow a new lead in their search for new materials for electronic components, for example. An international team of ...

Libraries as Research Locations

DFG Supports Projects at Outstanding Research Libraries In order to provide even better opportunities for researchers, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) plans to expand libraries and increase their visibility as “research locations”. Initially, the DFG’s ...

Fingerprint of radiation exposure discovered in thyroid cancer

Fingerprint of radiation exposure discovered in thyroid cancer Neuherberg, 24. Mai 2011. Scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München have discovered a genetic change in thyroid cancer that points to a previous exposure of the thyroid to ionising radiation. The gene marker, a so-called ...

Space Shuttle Endeavour flies to the ISS for the last time

DLR supports research with the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer On 16 May 2011 at 08:56 EDT (14:56 CEST), Space Shuttle Endeavour lifted off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center (Florida) on the penultimate shuttle mission (STS-134) to the International Space Station (ISS). On board are the ...

Poisonous tears

Snakes inject venom into their victims bodies using hollow poison fangs – or so most people believe. However, fact is that most snakes and many other poisonous reptiles have no hollow fangs. Physicists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have now uncovered the tricks these animals use ...

Efficiency Record of Combined Cycle Power Plant

23.05.11 | SA new Siemens gas turbine operated in a combined cycle with a steam turbine in Irsching, Bavaria, has set a world record for efficiency, making it an outstanding example of green technology. The net efficiency of 60.75 percent achieved during the test run even surpassed the target ...

Smart Software for Self-regulating Smart Grid

23.05.11 | Siemens and the utility company Allgäuer Überlandwerk (AÜW) in the city of Kempten, Germany, are testing the smart grids of the future. The tests focus on optimized power distribution and the use of a self-organizing energy automation system for efficient network operation. To test a ...

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe to invest 300 million in hot strip production

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG is to invest around 300 million euros in its hot strip mills in Bochum and Duisburg. The investments will help the steel producer strengthen its position as technology leader for premium flat-rolled carbon steel products. The modernization will also secure sites and ...

AMS Installed and Ready for Operation

The operation required high-precision work on the part of the Endeavour astronauts: in a four-hour procedure on May 19, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) was moved out of the shuttle's payload bay and delivered to its permanent position on the International Space Station's starboard truss. ...

Mosquitoes and exotic infectious diseases in Germany

Exotic mosquitoes such as the Asian rock pool mosquito (Ochlerotatus japonicus) and the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) are invading many countries around the world, including European ones. This is a direct result of rising temperatures and increasing international travel and transport ...

Berlin is the meeting point for European process engineers and biotechnologists

From September 25th-29th, 2011, Berlin will be the focal point of European process engineering and biotechnology. More than 3,000 participants from Europe and beyond are expected for the 8th European Congress of Chemical Engineering and the 1st European Congress of Applied Biotechnology. About ...

Crossing the Bridge Between Research and Practice: Towards Effective Governance for Sustainable Development

With the recent damage associated with natural disasters around the world, the need for sustainable practices is more pressing than ever. Yet, it remains difficult to get support for sustainable development policy. On May 9, at the German Center for Research and Innovation, Klaus Töpfer ...

Doctoral Scholarships of the Lüneburg Innovation Incubator - Sub-measure 1.4 of Leuphana Graduate School

As part of sub-measure 1.4 of the Lüneburg Innovation Incubator, Leuphana Graduate School will grant 9 doctoral scholarships to extraordinarily qualified candidates to promote young academics. The scholarships, starting in the 2011-2012 winter semester, will be awarded in the following research ...

Accelerator technology of the future

GSI Helmholtzzentrum in Darmstadt uses laser for particle acceleration In a successful test conducted at the GSI Helmholtzzentrum a group of scientists used the PHELIX high-performance laser to accelerate hydrogen ions to about ten percent of the speed of light. This makes GSI one of the few ...

Fewer aphids in organic crop fields

Farmers who spray insecticides against aphids as a preventative measure only achieve a short-term effect with this method. In the long term, their fields will end up with even more aphids than untreated fields. This has been reported by researchers at the Biocenter of the University of Würzburg ...

DFG Establishes 18 New Research Training Groups

Topics Range from Astro-Particle Physics and Globalisation Right Through to “Knowledge in the Arts” / First German-Brazilian Collaboration / Funds for Knowledge Transfer / Intensive Mentoring With the aim of further strengthening early-career research in Germany, the Deutsche ...

Researchers warn against neglecting social science and humanities in Europe

Experts of Freie Universität Berlin and The London School of Economics issue a plea that European research funding should not be limited to engineering and natural sciences In a discussion with Members of the European Parliament and the EU Commission in Brussels, researchers of Freie Universität ...

University of Göttingen successful in the "Quality in Teaching Pact"

Federal government approves proposals to improve study conditions (pug) The University of Göttingen was successful with its proposals to further improve the quality of studies and teaching within the framework of the "Quality in Teaching Pact". This was announced today by the head of the Joint ...

Assessing the environmental risks of sub-seabed CO2 storage

- EU-project led by IFM-GEOMAR started - 20.05.2011/Kiel. The European Union (EU) funded project ECO2 to evaluate the potential impact of sub-seabed carbon dioxide (CO2) leakage from storage sites on marine ecosystems has now been launched. 27 project partners from nine nations will study ...

Research ship Polarstern returns from Antartica – investigations of changes in Weddell Sea habitat

Bremerhaven, 19 May 2011. The research vessel Polarstern of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association will arrive back at its homeport of Bremerhaven after a seven-month expedition on Friday, 20 May. Nearly 200 researchers from institutes in 15 ...

Call for applications: Otto Warburg International Summer School and Research Symposium on Evolutionary Genomics

Otto Warburg International Summer School and Research Symposium on Evolutionary Genomics September 14th to 22nd, 2011 Berlin CLICK HERE TO APPLY NOW! Invited Speakers: Hans Ellegren Nicolas Galtier Laurence Hurst Henrik Kaessmann Fyodor Kondrashov Michael Lynch Duncan Odom H. Allen Orr Dmitri ...

Gas Hydrate Melting Increases Ocean Acidification in the Arctic

- Study warns about further sinking of the pH value and documents the stability of methane hydrates - Joint press release of the Cluster of Excellence "Future Ocean" and the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) April 27, 2011/Kiel. In the next hundred years a large part of the ...

The Long Reach of the Deep Sea

Oceanographers from Kiel document the effect of equatorial deep currents on West African rainfall Our climate is affected by the ocean in many ways. The most prominent example is the El Niño phenomenon in the Pacific, a well-documented interannual climate signal. Oceanographers from the Leibniz ...

Causes for Connections between Ageing and Cancer

Conference with leading international scientists organised by DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance Molecular causes for the connections between ageing and cancer are the topic of a scientific conference with over 300 participants taking place in Heidelberg from 19 to 21 May 2011. The organisers behind this "Forum ...

Bayer strengthens commitment to sustainable development

New climate target - reduction in specific greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent / Health care - contraceptives made available to 16 million women in developing countries / Nutrition - 240 partnership projects implemented for sustainable food / Bayer stock included in sustainability indices / ...

DFG funds two new Research Training Groups at the University of Göttingen

Globalization and development - Increasing significance of renewable resources to industry (pug) As from April 1, 2012, the German Research Foundation (DFG) will be funding two new Research Training Groups at the Faculty of Economic Sciences at Göttingen University. The scientists of the ...

Power from the desert is a realistic option for Africa and Europe

Ulrich Wagner at the Solar Energy for Science Symposium From 19 to 20 May 2011, high-level representatives from the fields of science, economics and politics will be discussing the potential of solar energy as a source of energy for the future, at the Solar Energy for Science Symposium. In this ...

Molecular Causes of the Links Between Aging and Cancer

DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance holds a conference with leading international scientists Molecular causes of the links between aging and cancer are the topic of a scientific conference with more than 300 participants from May 19 to May 21, 2011, in Heidelberg. This "Forum 2011 of the DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance" is ...

Helmholtz Zentrum München and Boehringer Ingelheim jointly identify biomarker for diabetes-relevant protein

Neuherberg, 12 May 2011 . The cooperation between the Helmholtz Zentrum München and Boehringer Ingelheim has produced its first results: the two partners have jointly identified a biomarker that now allows for the testing of active substances on a diabetes-related protein. The results, which ...

Autophagy - recycling and survival

Cells are highly economical and environmentally conscious. Components that are no longer needed are degraded and returned to the cellular metabolism. This tightly regulated catalytic process is a major survival mechanism used by starving cells to reallocate nutrients to essential processes. Dr. ...

Dawn – first visual contact with Vesta

The camera system on board the Dawn spacecraft has acquired its first image of the massive asteroid Vesta. Although the mission's first target is still about 975,000 kilometres away, appearing as just a large white dot, "we now have visual contact with our objective," said Ralf Jaumann of the ...

Research aircraft Polar 5 returned from spring measurements in the high Arctic

Bremerhaven, 11 May 2011. The research aircraft Polar 5 of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association returned to Bremerhaven from a six-week expedition in the high Arctic on May 6. Joint flights with aircraft of the European and American space ...

Gigantic storms sweep gas from entire galaxies

New findings from the Herschel space observatory The European Space Agency’s Herschel infrared space observatory has detected huge clouds of molecular gas streaming away from the centres of galaxies. Some of them have wind speeds of more than 1000 kilometres per second – about ten thousand times ...

Germany gains eminent new researchers

State secretary Quennet-Thielen and the President of the Humboldt Foundation, Helmut Schwarz, confer Humboldt Professorships in Berlin On Thursday evening in Berlin, eight eminent academics were presented with the highest valued international award for research in Germany. The Alexander von ...

Safe “Sandbox” for the Internet of the Future

May 12, 2011 | To better protect new Internet applications against hacker attacks and other types of manipulation, Siemens is taking part in the EU’s WebSand research project. In cooperation with partner organizations SAP, the University of Passau (Germany), the Catholic University of Leuven ...

Strong magnetic fields for new insights into the brain

May 12, 2011 | Siemens will install three powerful, high-field magnetic resonance tomographs (MRT) at the University of Maastricht, and thus provide entirely new insights into the human brain. The MRTs are to be dedicated to the renowned research project Brains Unlimited, whose objective is to ...

Lasers take the lead

Conserving energy is a top priority for auto manufacturers today. Laser technology can help. Lasers can be used to process thin light-weight components made of fiber-composite materials, as well as to manufacture more efficient engines and more powerful batteries. At the Laser 2011 trade fair ...

A Giant Interneuron for Sparse Coding

A single interneuron controls activity adaptively in 50,000 neurons, enabling consistently sparse codes for odours The brain is a coding machine: it translates physical inputs from the world into visual, olfactory, auditory, tactile perceptions via the mysterious language of its nerve cells and ...

The StreetScooter - Electric Mobility Made in Aachen

The StreetScooter Project With the StreetScooter, RWTH Aachen University presents a new approach to electric mobility which is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly. In close collaboration with partners from industry, Professor Achim Kampker of the Laboratory for Machine Tools and ...

A new program for neural stem cells

Max Planck researchers succeed in obtaining brain and spinal cord cells from stem cells of the peripheral nervous system. Neural stem cells can do a lot, but not everything. For example, brain and spinal cord cells are not usually generated by neural stem cells of the peripheral nervous system, ...

David Liebetanz coordinates joint Project TELMYOS

The BMBF-funded project investigates a new approach for human-machine interfaces (May 2011). Since each muscle activation naturally generates electrical signals and since almost every human can activate the ear muscles voluntarily if he/she trains this skill, movements of the ear muscles could ...

University Alliance Metropolis Ruhr Establishes Coordination Office in Brazil

University Alliance Metropolis Ruhr Establishes Coordination Office in Brazil The University Alliance Metropolis Ruhr (UAMR) – Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Technische Universität Dortmund and Universität Duisburg-Essen - now shows its colors in Latin America. Following New York and Moscow it opened ...

The nervous system’s sweet secrets

RUB-Scientists develop antibodies to tag cells Stem cells differ according to their sugar moiety Researchers from Bochum assembled an antibody that allows them to differ between several stem cell types in the nervous system more accurately. “If we want to use stem cells therapeutically it is ...

Daniel Delas to be Visiting Professor at the Institute for Romance Studies

In the summer semester of 2011, Professor Daniel Delas will be a Mercator visiting professor at the Institute of English, American and Romance Studies at RWTH Aachen University. Delas, Professor Emeritus at Université de Cergy-Pontoise, is an African studies specialist whose research focuses on ...

Electron Ping Pong in the Nano-World

An international team of researchers succeeded at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics to control and monitor strongly accelerated electrons from nano-spheres with extremely short and intense laser pulses. When intense laser light interacts with electrons in nanoparticles that consist of ...

Movement without Muscles

Zoologists are on the Trail of the Evolution of Body Contractions 12.05.2011 All animals move - cheetahs faster, snails more slowly. Muscle contractions are the basis of all movements, at least according to general opinion. But there are animal groups, that don't have any muscles at all, as they ...

The urea cycle: An anabolic steroid for diatoms

The recovery of nitrogen from the urea cycle may explain the evolutionary success of diatoms The urea cycle is a metabolic pathway used in mammals to incorporate excess nitrogen into urea and remove it from the body. However, it appears to play a far more wide-ranging role in the group of algae ...

Huge storms sweep entire galaxies clean

The infred space observatory Herschel discovers how Milky Way systems lose substance With observations from the PACS instrument on board the ESA Herschel space observatory, an international team of scientists led by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics have found gigantic ...

From Molecules to Living Systems

Symposium to mark the opening of the new Centre for Organismal Studies at Heidelberg University The scientific symposium "From Molecules to Living Systems" held on Friday, 13th May 2011, will celebrate the opening of the Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) at Heidelberg University. The centre ...

Gene Protects against Brain Damage

Therapy prospects for stroke and neurodegenerative diseases Heidelberg University scientists headed by Prof. Dr. Hilmar Bading have discovered a gene that protects against the consequences of a stroke. The researchers at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Neurosciences (IZN) were able to ...

Training to promote health

Research News May 2011 Many people use fitness studios to get back into shape after an injury. Fraunhofer researchers are now developing a system that will provide doctors with data on the exercises people do on the various machines. This should help them plan better training programs. Marianne ...

Finding reserves on the electrical grid

The weather determines how much energy wind turbine systems provide. The same applies to power line capacity. On cold and stormy days, this capacity is higher than on days with no wind and high mid-summer temperatures. An autonomously powered sensor network monitors power lines to find the ...

Sensors that can stretch

Is someone sitting in the passenger seat of the car? Did someone enter the safety zone in front of an industrial machine? Stretch and pressure sensors have a wide range of applications. Researchers have now developed sensors capable of expanding, in extreme cases, to twice their original length ...

Optical Control of Magnetic Effects at the Nanoscale

Optical Control of Magnetic Effects at the Nanoscale Magneto-optical effects, which exploit the interaction between light and magnetic materials, have only been relevant for fundamental research and up to now rarely used for applications. Plasmons – electronic excitations in metals with ...

Gustav-Eirich-Award

Two Germany entities, the Maschinenfabrik Gustav Eirich Company of Hardheim and the European Center for Refraclories (ECRef) of Hoehr-Grenzhausen have announced the opening of a competition for the Gustav-Eirich-Award. The award is designed to promote the excellence of young academics and ...

Fundamental question on how life started solved

Bonn and Bochum researchers calculate a carbon nucleus of crucial importance - Joint press release from the Bonn and Bochum universities - For carbon, the basis of life, to be able to form in the stars, a certain state of the carbon nucleus plays an essential role. In cooperation with US ...

Probing the Mysteries of the Universe

On its final mission, space shuttle Endeavour will carry a special piece of equipment in its payload bay and deliver it to the International Space Station (ISS): the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. For over 10 years, more than 500 scientists and engineers from 16 countries have contributed to the ...

Technology and Education in Egypt

Educational project on resource efficient housing in Egypt started on 8th April 2011 The coordination workshop of the project „Water-Energy-Building – Training and Transfer” (WEB-TT) was held on 8th April 2011. Aim of the project which is coordinated by TU Berlin is to strengthen vocational ...

Growth of adolescents' fingerprints can be predicted

Researchers develop new recognition procedure - Cooperation with Federal Criminal Police Office (pug) Working in collaboration with the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), scientists at the University of Göttingen have developed a new procedure enabling the growth of fingerprints to be ...

Hartmann stays on track in unfavorable market

Hartmann continued to be confronted with the difficult conditions in the counter-cyclically developing health markets during the first three months of fiscal year 2011. On the one hand, these were price pressure from customers, on the other hand dramatically increased raw material and logistics ...

The secret of efficient bird flight – DLR measures the shape of a barn owl wing in flight

The flight of birds is still largely unexplored; in particular, the movements performed during the beat of a wing and the airflow around the wing remain a puzzle to scientists. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), in collaboration with RWTH Aachen ...

German Federal President Christian Wulff inaugurates the DWIH São Paulo

06.05.2011- On May 6th, 2011 the German Federal President Christian Wulff inaugurates the German House of Science and Innovation São Paulo (DWIH) during a Topping Out ceremony. The representatives of DWIH's consortia partners Weber Porto (President AHK São Paulo) and Dr. Max Huber (President ...

NoPa Program signed: CAPES, DAAD and GIZ sign MoU in presence of president Dilma and president Wulff

05.05.2011 - During the press conference of the two presidents, Dilma Rousseff and Christian Wulff on May 5th, 2011, held in the presidential palace in Brasilia, the President of CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior), Jorge Almeida Guimarães, the DAAD President, Max ...

American Bodies

Conference of the Graduate School of North American Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, to Be Held May 27 and 28, 2011 Doctoral students at the Graduate School of North American Studies, Freie Universität, will be hosting their annual international conference on May 27 and 28, 2011. This year’s ...

New Materials for Fusion Research

IPP organizing international conference in Rosenheim / 280 attending from all over the world From 9 till 13 May over 280 scientists from all over the world will be exchanging their latest results in materials research for fusion devices. This traditional "International Workshop on Plasma-Facing ...

LifeNet® mosquito nets receive interim recommendation from World Health Organization

Monheim, May 5, 2011 - The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an interim recommendation for Bayer CropScience's new LifeNet® mosquito nets for malaria prevention and control. This is an important milestone on the road to the worldwide product launch which is scheduled to take place ...

Finger on the pulse of the pulsars

European Lofar telescope provides the most sensitive observation to date at low frequency An international team of astronomers including German scientists has succeeded in recording the most sensitive observations to date of pulsars at low frequency. The measurement was undertaken with the ...

When the lungs come under pressure

Max Planck scientists find a way of treating pulmonary arterial hypertension Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension struggle with severe symptoms, which include shortness of breath, exhaustion and a lack of vitality. Moreover, the disease, which is more common in women, often claims the ...

Future technology spintronics: Mainz intensifies its cooperation with renowned experimental physicist Stuart Parkin

Stuart Parkin of IBM Research - Almaden in San José has become a fellow of the GFK and will be mentoring Mainz postgraduates 03.05.2011 The Gutenberg Research College (GFK) of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz awarded a fellowship to the British-American scientist Professor Stuart Parkin. ...

CO2 from Schwarze Pumpe in a trial experiment at the pilot site Ketzin

First-time research of power plant carbon dioxide in geological storage Potsdam / Ketzin 04 May 2011 - Today, the German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ has for the first time stored carbon dioxide (CO2) from a power plant underground. In a trial experiment at the test facility in Ketzin in ...

Evolution can cause a rapid reduction in genome size

Despite being closely related to the lyre-leaved rock cress, the thale cress has a considerably smaller genome It would appear reasonable to assume that two closely related plant species would have similar genetic blueprints. However, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Developmental ...

Protagen counts on Scienion Technology

Scienion AG today announced that the company will produce protein microarray batches for clinical validation studies of proprietary biomarker panels of Protagen AG. The batch sizes will comprise more than 1000 arrays. Additionally, both companies plan to jointly evaluate new platforms for ...

More efficient ways to erase cell memory

Can skin cells become kidney, heart or liver cells? Around five years ago, for the first time ever regeneration biologists successfully turned back fully differentiated body tissue into pluripotent stem cells using a specific mixture of transcription factors. However, the idea that it may one ...

The CIN cluster of excellence at the University of Tübingen

The CIN scientists are convinced that progress in brain research can only be achieved by integrative approaches that pool knowledge from numerous different disciplines including the cognition and computer sciences, biology, medicine, physics and the humanities. The methods used by the scientists ...

Profile building: Gutenberg Research College welcomes five new members

Top international researchers Stuart Parkin and Detlef Schuppan nominated as GRC fellows In 2007, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz set up its Gutenberg Research College (GRC) to highlight the University's scientific strengths and to support promising new research fields. To this end, ...

Not just a virtual alliance

VDC Fellbach takes part in the founding of an international network alliance VisNetA The Fellbach Virtual Dimensions Centre (VDC) and its partner networks Center of Visualization Göteborg (CVG) in Sweden and Laval Virtual in France founded the “Visualtization and Virtual Reality Networks ...

Support for Japan and Japanese science

Humboldtians affected by the disaster access relief measures from the Humboldt Foundation The disaster in Japan is currently one of the predominant topics for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. In addition to generous use of its alumni programmes, since the severe earthquake in March 2011 ...

Launch of EU Flagship Project: IT Future of Medicine (ITFoM)

Berlin, 3 May 2011: The European Future Technologies Conference and Exhibition 2011 in Budapest on 4 May 2011 will mark the official launch of the Future and Emerging Technology (FET) Flagship Initiatives by Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for the European Digital Agenda. FET Flagships are ...

What's your gut type?

Gut bacteria could help with diagnostics and influence treatments In the future, when you walk into a doctor’s surgery or hospital, you could be asked not just about your allergies and blood group, but also about your gut type. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in ...

Early History of Genetics Revised

Scientists from Jena and Prague come to astonishing conclusions in the Mendel-Research 03.05.2011 The early history of genetics has to be re-written in the light of new findings. Scientists from the University Jena (Germany) in co-operation with colleagues from Prague found out that the ...

'Fiktionen für das Volk'

Two new books on journalists and journalism in the GDR Willing servants of the regime, compliant communicators of the wishes of their political masters, dutiful propagandists. These judgments turn up in most estimates of the role of journalists in the German Democratic Republic. The damning ...

Minor Cause, Major Effect

Interactions in ecosystems can intensify impact of climate change April 26, 2011/Kiel. In a new study, marine biologists from the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR), together with colleagues from six other countries, show that highly complex interactions in ecosystems can ...

The same, but different

New DFG Priority Program on the individuality of bacterial populations The cells in a bacterial population are generally regarded as being genetically identical and have the same phenotype, i.e. all display the same characteristic properties and behavior. But this long accepted view is now being ...

Chinese Award for Eduard Arzt

The Institute of Metal Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) honors INM Scientific Director Eduard Arzt with the Lee Hsun Lecture Award. INM Scientific Director Eduard Arzt was recently honored for his "signifi-cant contributions to the materials sciences". The award is made by the ...

How Can Scientific Insights Lead to Real-World Sustainability Solutions?

A discussion on current challenges and developments in the field of global sustainability governance, featuring former German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer, and Prof. Peter Schlosser, Director of Research at the Earth ...

GCRI-Interview with Prof. Töpfer

Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer Founding and Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) Prof. Töpfer, the IASS approaches sustainability as a global issue that requires global approaches. What are the key issues that need to be addressed? There is no doubt that a world ...

Heidelberg Physicists Create Ultracold Designer Atom

Synthetic quantum system to improve understanding of fundamental few-body systems In experiments with ultracold lithium atoms, physicists from Heidelberg have succeeded in preparing a tunable few-body system in a reproducible way. This "designer atom" can help to enhance our understanding of ...

'We hope to detect the largest proportion of the matter in space'

A conversation with Manfred Lindner on the latest results from the Xenon100 detector The underground laboratory at Gran Sasso in Italy is the home of the Xenon100 experiment, which is being conducted as an international collaboration that includes the Heidelberg-based Max Planck Institute for ...

EMO Hannover 2011 will be showcasing new production technologies for the aerospace sector

02.05.2011 - The IFW at Leibniz University Hannover will on 22 and 23 September 2011 be hosting its prestigious conference entitled "New Production Technologies in the Aerospace Industry". This is the first time the conference is being held at the EMO Hannover. Conference and complementary ...

ThyssenKrupp Metal Forming: Sale contract signed with Gestamp

On Friday, April 29, 2011, ThyssenKrupp and Gestamp Automocin S.L. signed the sale and purchase contract for the transfer of the Metal Forming Group. As next steps, the merger control authorities will have to grant their approval of the transaction, which is expected to happen during this ...

Single Atom Stores Quantum Information

A powerful quantum computer could be designed with an incredibly tiny memory A data memory can hardly be any smaller: researchers working with Gerhard Rempe at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching have stored quantum information in a single atom. The researchers wrote the ...

The DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance

The strategic alliance between the "Cell and Tumour Biology" research programme of the German Cancer Research Center and the Center for Molecular Biology at Universität Heidelberg has led to the development of one of the largest centres of basic biomedical research in Germany. The top ...

Similar structures for face selectivity in human and monkey brains

Extensive network of brain areas in macaques responds to faces Face recognition and the interpretation of facial expressions and gaze direction play a key role in guiding the social behavior of human beings, and new study results point to similar mechanisms in macaques. Until now, many ...

MOLOGEN AG: Approval-relevant clinical trial with colorectal cancer medicine MGN1703 also started in Russia

Approval granted for clinical trial II/III in Russia / Amendment of the Russian drug law led to delay / Commencement of the intermediate evaluation expected in the 2nd half of 2011 MOLOGEN AG is now starting the implementation of a clinical trial II/III with the colorectal cancer medicine ...

Impact of narratives and processes of language interpretation

Courant Research Centre "Text Structures" - Inaugural symposium and lecture on 30 April 8PUG9Young researchers working at Göttingen University's Courant Research Centre are examining the structure of texts, the impact of narratives on readers, and language processing. The Centre will be ...

A World Record in Direct Current Transmission

30.04.11 | Siemens is building power converter stations for a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission system with a record capacity of 2 x 1,000 megawatts. Beginning in 2013 the new HVDC PLUS technology will transmit 2,000 megawatts (MW) as direct current over a distance of 65 kilometers ...

Rugged Nano Computer for Industrial Applications

30.04.11 | Siemens has launched an industrial computer about the size of a one-quart container: the Simatic IPC227D Nanobox PC. Because the tiny device takes up less space than previous systems, industrial control cabinets can be made smaller, which cuts costs. Industrial PCs are used on ...

Amygdala detects spontaneity in human behaviour

A pianist is playing an unknown melody freely without reading from a musical score. How does the listener’s brain recognise if this melody is improvised or if it is memorized? Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig investigated jazz musicians to ...

NoPa - Open for inscriptions: Brazilian-German Matchmaking Events in Brazil

NoPa: New Partnerships - Linking Academic and Technical Cooperation between Brazil and Germany NoPa aims at linking research and technical cooperation to foster innovation in the fields of protection and sustainable management of the Amazon forests and renewable energies / energy efficiency. It ...

Communicator Award 2011 Goes to Gerd Gigerenzer

This year's Communicator Award of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and the Donors' Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany goes to the director of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Professor Gerd Gigerenzer. ...

Evolution in the back yard

Census of 750,000 banded snails leads to surprising results Thousands of members of the public across Europe have taken part in one of the largest evolutionary studies ever, by observing banded snails in their gardens and open public spaces. More than 6,000 people in 15 European countries took ...

New target structure for antidepressants on the horizon?

Max Planck scientists uncover surprising genetic links Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Munich have compared the genomes of a total of 4,088 patients and 11,001 healthy control subjects from all over the world and identified a new risk gene variant for depression. They ...

Selfless behaviour brings success for all

One possibility to spur people on to save energy: people punish selfishness more when their group is in competition with others That which motivates a football team to committed teamwork could also benefit climate change. The members of a group act in a particularly selfless manner and for the ...

Producing Proteins with New Methods

The German Research Foundation (DFG) has announced the funding of a new Priority Programme at Freie Universität Berlin in the amount of nearly 11 million euros. This new national research network aims to design innovative synthetic methods for the production of proteins with special functions of ...

DFG Establishes 13 New Priority Programmes

What role can the chemical conversion of solar energy play in future energy supplies? What are the elemental processes involved in light-driven water splitting and in the fuels produced regeneratively in this manner? How do viruses manage to cross the human-animal species barrier? How do ...

Lollipops with side effects

Trichomes, hair-like projections on leaves, are part of a plant’s defense against herbivores: they can be obstacles, traps, or reservoirs for toxic substances. The hairs of wild tobacco Nicotiana attenuata contain primarily acyl sugars, which are composed of the common sugar, sucrose, bound to ...

Probing the Mysteries of the Universe

On its final mission on 29 April 2011, space shuttle Endeavour will carry a special piece of equipment in its payload bay and deliver it to the International Space Station (ISS): the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. For over 10 years, more than 500 scientists and engineers from 16 countries have ...

Plant Extract as New Therapy for Hay Fever

Fighting hay fever with a plant extract – this works, as was shown in a clinical study conducted by researchers of the Center of Allergy & Environment (ZAUM) of Helmholtz Zentrum München and Technische Universität München. Allergic symptoms were alleviated significantly better than with the ...

Will additive manufacturing put milling machines out of work?

If you’re building a house, you’re hardly going to mill rooms, doors and windows out of a huge block of stone. When it comes to machine housings made of metal, however, this is the norm - for the time being. Interview with Andrzej Grzesiak, who heads the Fraunhofer Additive Manufacturing ...

Salmonella utilise multiple modes of infection

Scientists from Braunschweig discover new mechanism that helps invading host cells Scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, Germany have discovered a new, hitherto unknown mechanism of Salmonella invasion into gut cells: In this entry mode, the bacteria ...

The energy highway of the future

Top US researcher Robert J. Cava of Princeton University receives the Gutenberg Lecture Award worth EUR 10,000 from the MAINZ Graduate School for his research on superconductivity The Graduate School "Materials Science in Mainz" (MAINZ) at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) annually ...

Signal of welcome to researchers from all over the world

Helge Braun, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Education and Research (BMBF), welcomed the draft bill on rights of residence. He said: "In future this law will also allow the spouses of researchers coming to Germany from abroad to engage in gainful employment without any restrictions."

Discovering the Invisible Frontier: Nanovation New York

From sunscreens to cell phones and cars, nanotechnology and its innovative applications are having an increasingly significant impact on our daily lives. On April 13, 2011, at the German Center for Research and Innovation, German and U.S. experts discussed nanotech’s impact in the fields of energy, electronics, medicine, and science as well as in the business sphere, bridging the gap between research, development, and application.

The Bacterial Thermostat

Temperature fluctuations have an adverse effect on most living organisms. Mammals and birds have intricate systems to keep their body temperatures constant. Though primitive coliform bacteria do not possess such systems, they still manage to offset these fluctuations. Scientists at Heidelberg ...

Creating a Parallel Biological World with a Genetic Firewall

Breaking new ground in whole-cell catalysis using artificial bacteria In the UniCat Cluster of Excellence (Unifying Concepts in Catalysis) in Berlin, a new concept is being developed by biochemist Nediljko Bud-isa in collaboration with French biologist Philippe Marlière that aims to equip ...

How Children learn to say "no"

Psychologists demonstrate the impact of their IPSY programme to prevent addiction Their numbers are rising, but their age is dropping: Children and young adults who drink so much that they have to go to the hospital. Binge-drinking is sadly fashionable amongst the under 20-year-olds. But how can ...

Options for a new energy scenario

The regular recurrence of ‘all-time high’ oil prices is clear proof of the finite nature of fossil energy sources. Even if the finite nature of the resource stocks is not the only factor that influences oil prices, speculation also plays a role in this process: peak oil, that is the point in ...

Probing the Laws of Gravity: A Gravity Resonance Method

Quantum mechanical methods can now be used to study gravity: With the help of a scientific instrument developed at Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) and the cluster of excellence “Universe”, scientists at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Vienna) found a measurement method, which ...

Which surfaces are preferred by cells? - Exchange of researchers with Australia

Implants, hip prosthesis, stents or screws - for every artificial material which is implanted in the human body, the tolerance is decisive. How good the adjacent tissue accepts an implant depends on the surface of the implant, as well. Therefore, the researchers from Saarbrücken investigate the ...

EU programmes for greater climate protection and energy efficiency adopted

Commission adopts climate and energy efficiency Roadmap The European Commission adopted two key programmes for European climate and energy policy: the "Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050" and the "Energy Efficiency Plan 2011". In the Roadmap the Commission commits to ...

Arctic coasts on the retreat

The coastline in Arctic regions reacts to climate change with increased erosion and retreats by half a metre per year on average. This means substantial changes for Arctic ecosystems near the coast and the population living there. A consortium of more than thirty scientists from ten countries, ...

Helping wounds to heal without scars - German Ministry of Education and Research funds joint European project on the biotechnological production of chitosans

Crustacean shells provide valuable raw materials – so-called chitosans. These sugar compounds can protect plants from diseases or help heal the wounds of people who have suffered burns. One catch, however, is that the results are not always equally effective. In a new joint European project ...

High Flying Astronomy with German Instrument

Infrared Spectrometer on board the Sofia observatory successfully completes maiden flight As the Jumbo touched down on the runway of the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale/California at 6.40 am local time it heralded in a new era for observational astronomy: it was April 6, 2011, ...

Large-area Organic and Printed Electronics Convention:LOPE-C 2011 sets new record

14.04.2011 - LOPE-C, the premier conference and exhibition of the worldwide organic and printed electronics community, is steering towards a new record in 2011. More than 95 companies are expected to exhibit on the greatly expanded floorspace of 1,300 square meters at the Messe Frankfurt Forum, ...

Ten megatons of ash and three megatons of sulphur dioxide – DLR publishes the results of its volcanic ash measurement flights

One year ago, on 14 April 2010, the Icelandic volcano of Eyjafjallajökull erupted and effectively grounded large parts of the air transport sector across Europe. At this time, there was no defined limit for airborne concentrations of ash. Instead, there was just an international guideline ...

RWTH Aachen: High Demand for Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme

Over 190 students from the United States and Canada competed for summer research projects through UROP International Program For the fourth year in a row, highly motivated student from renowned North American universities will travel to Aachen, Germany, this summer to conduct short-term research ...

Ultra-Fast Magnetic Reversal Observed

A newly discovered magnetic phenomenon could accelerate data storage by several orders of magnitude. With a constantly growing flood of information, we are being inundated with increasing quantities of data, which we in turn want to process faster than ever. Oddly, the physical limit to the ...

Kings of Persia

Three months before the RoboCup world championship in July in Istanbul the FUmanoids, the humanoid soccer-playing robots at Freie Universität Berlin, are in great shape. At the Iran Open in Teheran, the team trained by a research group headed by the computer science professor Raúl Rojas defeated ...

DLR and NASA: making the helicopters of the future quieter

A helicopter relies on its rotor to be able to take off and land vertically. The rotor is also responsible for the noise a helicopter makes during flight. Researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) in Göttingen and NASA are investigating the exact ...

Humboldt Foundation launches ideas competition for international alumni work

Three awards of 130,000 EUR each for innovative concepts from German universities The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is inviting German universities to participate in the ideas competition “Research Alumni of Universities in Germany”, which seeks exemplary concepts for maintaining and making ...

155 international young researchers from 40 countries to meet in Bonn

Fellows’ meeting of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation at the University of Bonn from 13 to 15 April 155 young researchers from 40 countries will be guests in Bonn from 13 to 15 April 2011 for the network meeting of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The Fellows of the Foundation will be ...

Profound insights into the regulation of proteins

Researchers from the Proteome Center at the University of Tübingen have identified a previously unknown form of ubiquitin, a regulatory protein that functions in numerous cellular processes, including inflammatory processes. Ubiquitin is known to contribute to disease development as well as help ...

Negative image of people produces selfish actions

People's opinion of others determines how cooperative they are The expectations people have about how others will behave play a large role in determining whether people cooperate with each other or not. And moreover that very first expectation, or impression, is hard to change. "This is ...

A quick switch for magnetic needles

Magnetic vortex cores, which can be used as particularly stable storage points for data bits, can now be switched much faster Microscopically tiny ferromagnetic platelets exhibit a phenomenon which could be exploited in the future for particularly stable magnetic data storage: so-called magnetic ...

movisens GmbH – innovative systems for measuring psychophysiological parameters

How would you feel about walking around with a laboratory on your body? People who suffer from stress or vascular diseases often need to undergo daily examinations over a long period of time. In an effort to reduce the number of visits to GPs or clinics whilst enabling doctors to closely monitor ...

Immune cells lose inhibitions when they grow up

LMU researchers explain efficacy of immunotherapy The innate immune system, which can detect tumor cells and induce their destruction, can be activated by the administration of short fragments of DNA called CpG oligonucleotides. This intervention is currently being tested as a possible treatment ...

A combination of sensor and fastener

Structure of a key component of DNA repair determined Double-stranded breaks constitute perhaps the most dangerous type of damage to which the genetic material DNA is prone. DSBs can be caused by radiation or environmental toxins and can lead to cell death, but they may also trigger the ...

Tuberculosis – A Neglected Pandemic

With 2 billion cases of tuberculosis infection worldwide and 2 million deaths from the disease each year, Prof. Stefan H. E. Kaufmann (Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology) and Dr. Carl Nathan (Weill Cornell Medical College) discussed the challenges for current tuberculosis research, along ...

Climate Protection Fellows of the Humboldt Foundation tour Germany

Meetings with important stakeholders from the fields of climate protection and resource conservation 28.03.11 Berlin, Potsdam, Dresden, Dessau, Rügen – last Saturday the first group of International Climate Protection Fellows began their two-week study tour of Germany to meet important ...

Four new Alexander von Humboldt Professors selected

Germany’s highest valued international research award goes to four researchers from abroad. One linguist and three computer scientists/mathematicians are the new Alexander von Humboldt Professors. The International Award for Research in Germany, worth up to five million EUR, is granted by the ...

Fast Electric Car with Double the Motor Power

Apr. 09, 2011 | In cooperation with RUF Automobile, Siemens researchers have turned a Porsche 911 into a high-performance electric car. What’s special about this automobile is that it can also feed energy back into the electrical network, enabling the vehicle to be integrated into a smart grid. ...

Cable-free Charging of Electric Cars Via Coils

Apr. 09, 2011 | In the future, motorists will no longer need a cable to recharge the batteries of their electric cars, thanks to a development project for inductive charging, which Siemens presented at Hannover Messe 2011. Developed in cooperation with BMW, this non-contact technology also works ...

Helmholtz-Alberta Initiative

Berlin, 8 April 2011 – Representatives of the University of Alberta in Canada and of the Helmholtz Association signed an agreement today that paves the way for future collaboration in the fields of energy and environmental research. “The Canadian province of Alberta offers geological conditions ...

First English-language Bachelor Degree programme at the University of Göttingen

"Molecular Ecosystem Sciences" combines molecular biology with ecosystems research "Molecular Ecosystem Sciences" is the first Bachelor Degree study programme at the University of Göttingen to be conducted entirely in English. The study programme is being offered by the Faculty of Forest ...

Monitoring System Warns of Slippery Slopes

Technology from TUM researchers makes continuous monitoring of endangered alpine regions possible As a consequence of climatic changes, the number of avalanche threats has been increasing in the Alps and other alpine regions, with fatal consequences for people and infrastructures. Continuous ...

Back from space: bacteria's survival skills tested on the International Space Station

Resistant spores of bacillus subtilis have spent 22 months in the 'EXPOSE-R' test container outside the International Space Station (ISS). For the first time during a long-duration mission, they were mixed with artificial meteorite dust and exposed to the harsh conditions of outer space. ...

NanoArt New York – Discover a Little World of Wonder

Science and technology meet art: Nano images, taken directly from the labs of German research institutions, will be on view at the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) from April 13 until June 10. NEW YORK (April 8, 2011) – The German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI), in ...

The engine that powers short gamma-ray bursts

A simulation of colliding neutron stars helps to explain what could lie behind these cosmic bursts of radiation These explosions have been puzzling scientists for years: those brief flashes of gamma light can in fact release more energy in a fraction of a second than what our entire galaxy ...

Photovoltaics: ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe and juwi Group cooperate

Together with juwi Group, the Color/Construction business unit of ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe is now offering construction elements featuring integrated roof-parallel photovoltaic modules. The cooperation agreement was signed by Jochen Magerfleisch, Member of the Executive Board of juwi Holding ...

NanoVation New York – Discovering the Invisible Frontier

A discussion on the impact and future of nanotechnology, followed by the NanoArt exhibition, at the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI). NEW YORK (April 7, 2011) – The German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI), in cooperation with the Consortium of the Ruhr Universities ...

Call for applications: IMPRS for Molecular Biomedicine, Münster

Welcome to the GRADUATE PROGRAM CELL DYNAMICS AND DISEASE (CEDAD) and the INTERNATIONAL MAX PLANCK RESEARCH SCHOOL - MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE (IMPRS-MBM) Applications Applications for 2011: The Graduate Program is now open for applications. Online applications only! For details go to Application. ...

Knows no pain

A combination of modern genetic and imaging techniques yielded new insights into the perception of pain (March 2011). It is the pain that sometimes makes diseases unbearable. In particular, various kinds of chronic pain can still not be treated satisfactorily. The need for novel efficient ...

Fast Charging Station for Electric Vehicles

04.04.11 | Siemens has launched a new electric-vehicle charging station on the market that can fully recharge a battery within one hour. By doubling the output to 22 kilowatts, the charging station cuts charging times in half. The station is also protected against vandalism, thanks to a doubly ...

Microalgae as suppliers of energy?

In view of dwindling oil reserves and ongoing climate change, microalgae are gaining in importance as suppliers of energy. The major advantage of microalgae is that they can be used to produce CO2-neutral fuels without competing with food production. However, despite intensive efforts, the ...

FreiBiotics GmbH – new drugs against resistant bacteria

Bacteria adapt quickly to their environment and also to antibiotics. Many of the antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections have become ineffective as a great many bacteria have become resistant to them. Freiburg-based FreiBiotics GmbH is looking for completely new classes of antimicrobial ...

Glycotope Biotechnology Expands GMP Production Facility to 11 kg Antibody per Year

Glycotope Biotechnology GmbH in Heidelberg, Germany, a full subsidiary of Berlin based Glycotope GmbH, has initiated the setup of further clean room facilities as a first step in the expansion of its GMP-production capacities. By mid 2011, the company will thus be able to produce 4kg of ...

Twitter analysis provides stock predictions

Economists at the Technical University of Munich (Technische Universitaet Muenchen, TUM) have developed a website that predicts individual stock trends. To this end, economists are using automatic text analysis methods to evaluate thousands of daily Twitter microblog messages, so-called ...

Atom and its Quantum Mirror Image

A team of physicists experimentally produces quantum-superpositions, simply using a mirror. Standing in front of a mirror, we can easily tell apart ourselves from our mirror image. The mirror does not affect our motion in any way. For quantum particles, this is much more complicated. In a ...

Einstein@Home detects unusual stellar pair

The neutron star and its companion could prove helpful in testing the general theory of relativity Neutron stars are quite unique: the material they are made of is packed much more densely than conventional matter. They rotate extremely fast about their own axis, emitting radiation in the ...

German study: International R&D contributes to firm profitability

R&D activities in foreign countries Increased globalisation and competition caused more and more firms to relocate part of their R&D activities to foreign countries. This recent trend towards the internationalisation of R&D is motivated by expected gains through a better access to new knowledge, ...

Hannover Messe: Giant batteries for green power

In the future, the growing amounts of solar and wind energy will need to be stored for dark or low-wind periods. One solution is redox flow batteries that can supply current for up to 2000 households. Several Fraunhofer Institutes are working jointly on these fluid batteries of the future. The ...

European space scout

Research News April 2011 The growing quantity of space debris is a serious threat to satellites and other spacecraft, which risk being damaged or even destroyed. A new European space surveillance system is being developed to ward off the danger of collisions in orbit. Fraunhofer researchers are ...

Genetic alteration may represent early stage of smoking-induced cardiovascular damage

Genetic alteration may represent early stage of smoking-induced cardiovascular damage A new study uncovers a previously unrecognized link between tobacco smoking and a gene known to influence the cardiovascular system, possibly identifying an early stage of smoking-associated cardiovascular ...

The Dead Poets Society –

Updates on five ancient authors By no means all the authors of the Classical Age can be characterized by Winckelmann’s famous tag “noble simplicity, quiet grandeur”. In those days, as later, real poets seldom chose the mealy-mouthed option. Partly because they do not fully conform to ...

Micro-RNA blocks the effect of insulin in obesity

Max Planck researchers have discovered a new mechanism that leads to the development of type 2 diabetes in obesity Body weight influences the risk of developing diabetes: between 80 and 90 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. According to scientists at the Max Planck ...

Earth's gravity revealed in unprecedented detail

Precise model of the global gravitational field from data gathered by ESA's GOCE satellite After just two years in orbit, ESA's GOCE satellite has gathered enough data to map Earth's gravity with unrivalled precision. In a project coordinated by researchers from Technische Universitaet Muenchen ...

Record depletion of Arctic ozone layer caused increased UV radiation in Scandinavia - Brief episodes of increased UV radiation may also occur over Central Europe

Bremerhaven/Vienna, 05.04.2011. Over the past few days ozone-depleted air masses extended from the north pole to southern Scandinavia leading to higher than normal levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation during sunny days in southern Finland. These air masses will move east over the next few days, ...

Resource-Friendly Car Manufacturing

Magnesium instead of steel – this could be an option for lightweight car body parts. A car door made of magnesium is roughly 50 percent lighter. This is one of the exhibits drawn from along the automobile manufacturing chain that researchers at the Fraunhofer AutoMOBILE Production Alliance are ...

A better understanding of the ageing immune system

German Research Cooperation wants to optimize therapies for elder people. Our society gets older, people live longer. The price we pay: infectious diseases can easier overcome the immune system. Like all organs, the immune system does not function flawlessly in old age. A new collaboration of ...

University of Cologne to Open its New York Office On April 7, 2011

Office’s Main Objective is to Further the Exchange of Students The University of Cologne will inaugurate its New York Office on Thursday, April 7, 2011 with a orking breakfast. Rector Prof. Dr. Axel Freimuth will attend the opening at the German House in New York and address the invited guests, ...

German-Japanese Research Team Receives Eugen and Ilse Seibold Prize 2011

DFG Recognises Exemplary Cooperation in Chemistry Two outstanding chemists have been selected to receive the Eugen and Ilse Seibold Prize 2011. Professor Gerhard Erker, from the University of Münster, and Professor Kazuyuki Tatsumi, who works at the University of Nagoya, have been recognised for ...

Reading Letters Over the Net Before They Arrive

04.04.11 | Siemens’ Trust-Ebox system automates electronic dispatching of letters to such a degree that postal service companies will be able to provide their customers with digital letters at competitive costs. In addition to returning from vacation to find their mailboxes often filled to ...

Ultra light-sensitive and fast light switches for nerve cells

The use of a highly light-sensitive membrane protein enables precise control of nerve cell activity with weak light stimuli. Whether in worms, flies or mice - scientists can now control nerve cells using light pulses and thereby even control their behaviour. The basis for the research area of ...

Climate change and evolution of Cross River gorillas

Two species of gorillas live in central equatorial Africa. Divergence between the Western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) and Eastern gorillas (Gorilla beringei) began between 0.9 and 1.6 million years ago and now the two species live several hundred kilometres apart. An international team of ...

Technical innovations for better diagnostics

The quantitative detection of DNA single-strand breaks is of great importance for many areas of biomedical research and diagnostics. The “Fluorescence-detected Alkaline DNA Unwinding” (FADU) assay assists in the investigation of mechanisms of DNA damage and repair following DNA strand breaks ...

Polymaterials AG – Turning ideas into materials

Many companies lack the resources and the infrastructure required to turn basic research ideas into marketable products. However, there is a great need for innovative materials for technical as well as economic reasons. Polymaterials AG’s structured service portfolio is designed to support its ...

Extreme testing for rotor blades

Wind turbines are growing bigger and bigger – the diameter of their rotor blades could soon reach 180 meters. But that creates a need for larger test rigs capable of accommodating the blades for load testing. One of the largest-ever experimental test rigs, for blades measuring up to 90 meters in ...

Bats keep separate households

The use of different environments by males and females in the parti-coloured bat makes population estimation and thereby the conservation of the species more difficult. The use of different resources by males and females exacerbates the estimation of population sizes. However, the monitoring of ...

The biosignature of tuberculosis

Max Planck researchers discover biomarkers that can be used to identify tuberculosis patients. The germ that causes tuberculosis is highly infectious, but not very effective: around two billion people throughout the world carry the pathogenic bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis - only one tenth ...

Hannover Messe: Don’t coil it, pour it

Press Release 30.03.2011 For the electric car to roll, a lot of large and small components must function in a safe and reliable manner. Parts for wheel hub motors, in particular, need to be constructed in a robust manner. The researchers from Fraunhofer have filed a patent for a new production ...

Hannover Messe: Mobile with electricity

Press Release 30.03.2011 Electric cars are cleaner, quieter and more efficient than gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicles. Even so, they have not yet caught on. Now, however, a new era is beginning: the era of electric mobility. Experts from Fraunhofer are making important contributions to this. ...

Hanover Fair: Giant batteries for green power

Press Release 31.03.2011 In the future, the growing amounts of solar and wind energy will need to be stored for dark or low-wind periods. One solution is redox flow batteries that can supply current for up to 2000 households. Several Fraunhofer Institutes are working jointly on these fluid ...

Hannover Messe: Don’t coil it, pour it

Hannover Messe: Mobile with electricity

Hanover Fair: Giant batteries for green power

The Power of Things in Cultural Processes

New publication assembles lectures given at the Cluster of Excellence "Asia and Europe" Things like artworks or luxury objects play a central role across cultural boundaries. This "migration" alters their meaning and they sometimes become even more influential by evolving into concepts and ...

Scientist Discover Crucial Trigger for Tumour Protein

Scientists have discovered an essential protein that controls inflammation induced by 'tumour necrosis factor' (TNF) - an important part of the body's defences against cancer, according to research published in Nature today. The study - led by Cancer Research UK-funded scientists based at ...

OLED Lighting: From Spotlights to Walls of Light

OLEDs - organic light emitting diodes - are capturing the creative fantasies of progressive light designers. Lightweight panels or "light tiles" composed of extremely thin functional layers on plastic or glass substrates make exclusive, futuristic looking OLED luminaires for home or office use. ...

Direct steam generation and storage – better performance and flexibility for solar thermal power plants

DLR and Endesa test direct solar steam generation and storage in a power plant for the first time On 31 March 2011 the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and Spanish utility company Endesa inaugurated a direct solar steam generation and energy storage pilot ...

Test flights in a simulated passenger aircraft of the future

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has been performing flight tests to simulate and study the flight characteristics of large 'flying wing' configurations to prepare for future aircraft designs. These have been tested and evaluated using DLR's ATTAS ...

Test flights in a simulated passenger aircraft of the future

PlasTEP at Hannover Fair 2011

This year PlasTEP cordially invites you to visit us at the Hannover Fair 2011 from 04.04. – 08.04.2011 in Hannover, Germany. PlasTEP will be presented on a joint booth with the Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, which is a partner of the project, and the Leibniz Institute for ...

Scientists Find Cause of Fatal Inflammation of the Heart Muscle

Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ), jointly with colleagues in the United States, have found out that inflammations of the heart muscle are caused by attacks of a specific type of immune cells. These immune cells attack the body's own tissue ...

Professor Miranda Schreurs Appointed to German Federal Government's Ethics Commission Dealing with Issues of Safety and the Supply of Energy

Director of Environmental Policy Research Centre at Freie Universität to Analyze Reactor Safety and Handling Risks Associated with Nuclear Power The director of Freie Universität Berlin’s Environmental Policy Research Centre, Miranda Schreurs, has been appointed by Chancellor Angela Merkel to ...

Astrophysicist John Paul Maier to Conduct Research at Freie Universität

Specialist in Spectroscopy Has Humboldt Research Award for Work at the Institute of Experimental Physics John Paul Maier, a professor of physical chemistry at the University of Basel, has been granted a research award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for the 2011 spring/summer semester ...

Light marker describes quantum gas atom by atom

The spin of individual atoms in an optical crystal can be modified so that they can serve as quantum bits or explain unsolved quantum phenomena March 28, 2011To allow the control of individual atoms, clever tricks are needed: in a quantum gas consisting of rubidium particles, physicists from the ...

Data storage takes an electric turn

The data density in random access memory could be radically increased March 28, 2011Scientists from the Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle have discovered the basis for the next generation of memory devices. In a ferroelectric material, they ...

Universal detector made of DNA building blocks

Aptamers can be used to quantitatively detect and accurately examine multifaceted substances March 29, 2011A method for detecting such diverse substances as antibiotics, narcotics and explosives - a universal detector, so to speak - has been developed by researchers at the Max Planck Institute ...

Thyroid affects colour vision

Thyroid hormone controls the eye‘s visual pigments throughout life March 29, 2011What part does the thyroid gland have in vision? Thyroid hormone is crucially involved in controlling which visual pigment is produced in the cones. Previously, it was assumed that the colour sensitivity of the ...

New Project: Generator with Superconductors

Mar 28, 2011 | Siemens and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) plan to demonstrate that high-temperature superconductor technology is suitable for power generation in everyday operation. The research project, which was recently launched, aims to improve generator efficiency by 0.5 ...

Transfer of Ownership of the Tsunami Early Warning System GITEWS to Indonesia

29.03.11 Today, on behalf of the German Federal Government, Parlamentary State Secretary Thomas Rachel (BMBF) transfers the ownership of the tsunami early warning system GITEWS to Indonesia in a solemn ceremony in Jakarta. The GITEWS project has ended according to schedule, six years after the ...

TEXUS 49 lifts off with four German experiments on board

The TEXUS 49 sounding rocket lifted off from the Esrange Space Center near Kiruna in northern Sweden on 29 March 2011 at 06.01 CET. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) rocket, carrying four German experiments for medical and materials research, reached an altitude of 268 kilometres. The ...

Dao: the way –

"Daoism from Laozi to the present" Munich, 29 March 2011 - The right balance of Yin and Yang bestows a sense of harmony, Tai-chi and Qigong contribute to physical wellbeing, and with the help of the martial arts one can make one’s opponents look foolish. Meanwhile, both genuine and spurious ...

Abel Prize 2011 goes to Humboldtian

“Marks of great research”: John Milnor receives one of the most important research awards for mathematics in Oslo Humboldt Research Award Winner John Milnor (80), Professor and Co-Director of the Institute for Mathematical Sciences at Stony Brook University, receives the 2011 Abel Prize, the ...

Breakthrough: Cells can now be grown on 3D scaffolds

Researchers from the DGF-Centre for Functional Nanostructures (CFN) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have succeeded in growing cells on three-dimensional structures. What is so fascinating about this method is that the cells are able to attach to special micrometre-sized “handles” on the ...

Bringing artifical vision clinical trials to US

Retina Implant AG Partners with Wills Eye Institute to Bring Artificial Vision Clinical Trials to the United States. Wills Eye to be the Primary Investigation Site to Offer the Subretinal Approach to Retinitis Pigmentosa Patients. Retina Implant AG, a leading developer of subretinal implants for ...

New images from Atlantis II

– Kiel marine scientists venture into unknown areas of the Red Sea – March 17, 2011/Kiel. In the winter of 2011, the RV POSEIDON started on a scientific expedition in the Red Sea. For nine years, no German research vessel had been to this area. In collaboration with colleagues from Saudi Arabia, ...

Berlin: Researchers discuss assembly line sugar molecules

As recognition structures for the immune system or as a strengthening ingredient in breast milk, carbohydrate chains – so-called glycans – play a central role in a variety of biological processes. For scientists, working with these complex sugar molecules and their building blocks is a seriously ...

Scientific cruise to study cold seeps in New Zealand's deep sea

Marine scientists from Kiel aim to better understand sea floor processes – From the beginning of March to the end of April 2011, geophysicists of the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) in Kiel (Germany) will study cold seeps in the deep sea off the coast of New Zealand’s North ...

Alcohol-free but not taste-free beer becomes reality

There are two varieties of beer: with alcohol and without taste. At least, this seems to be general opinion among beer connoisseurs. At the Technical University of Berlin, this once impossible-seeming circle has now been squared: A team of researchers led by Frank-Jürgen Methner from the ...

FameLab competition: Researchers with stage talent required

The story of a doorman and a pair of oversized furry slippers resembling a moose were all that Dennis Fink required to describe the symbiosis of the deep sea – in layman’s terms and in just three minutes. Fink is one of around 40 young scientists participating in the first German FameLab. The ...

Early Damage in multiple sclerosis can be reversed

Munich Reseachers have found a previously unknown mechanism which explains how nerve-cell projections (axons) are destroyed in multiple sclerosis (MS). In an animal model of MS, this process is reversible if recognized and treated early. Therefore it could serve as a target for future ...

Large-scale assessment of the Arctic Ocean: significant increase in freshwater content since 1990s

Bremerhaven, 24 March 2011. The freshwater content of the upper Arctic Ocean has increased by about 20 percent since the 1990s. This corresponds to a rise of approx. 8,400 cubic kilometres and has the same magnitude as the volume of freshwater annually exported on average from this marine region ...

Chop-and-change at the protein plant –

Novel inhibitor modulates alternative splicing Munich, 23 March 2011Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) are highly versatile, and one sort is essential for protein synthesis. The RNAs known as messenger RNAs (mRNAs), which are copies (“transcripts”) of genomic DNA, serve as blueprints for the production of ...

Surfaces, beeing on Top

Looking at aeronautics, mechanical engineering or packaging industry – coating does improve materials or give them extra functions. At Hannover Messe (April 4th to 8th 2011) Fraunhofer will be showing procedures, materials and methods for analysis concerning surfaces at their booth in hall 6, ...

Full Throttle on the DNA

How the immune system controls itself: HZI scientists clarify the mechanism Millions of Germans suffer from autoimmune diseases such as rheumatism, diabetes or chronic intestinal inflammation: the body’s defence system raises a false alarm and starts to attack its own body cells. The reasons for ...

TerraSAR-X satellite data reveals destruction caused by tsunami in Japan

The German Remote Sensing Data Center (Deutsches Fernerkundungsdatenzentrum; DFD) and the German Space Operations Center (GSOC), both of which are part of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), are continuing to provide as much data as possible from the two ...

Tuberculosis: A Neglected Pandemic

A discussion on TB research and the current state of immunobiology at the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) on Thursday, March 31. Featuring Prof. Stefan H.E. Kaufmann (Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology), Dr. Carl Nathan (Weill Cornell Medical College), and Dr. Ann ...

The MESSENGER spacecraft: now in orbit around Mercury

Early on 18 March 2011, a spacecraft swung into orbit around Mercury for the first time: NASA's MESSENGER began orbiting the planet at 01:45 CET. The mission carries scientific instruments designed to map Mercury and analyse the structure and composition of its surface. Scientists at the German ...

Thomas Reiter appointed Director of Human Spaceflight at ESA

"Thomas Reiter has done an excellent job both as an astronaut and as a member of the DLR Executive Board, and has gained extensive experience for his new role," said Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Chairman of the Executive Board. "As Director of Human Spaceflight, he will be responsible for a subject ...

Bacteria poison themselves from within

Potential new antibiotics use a bacterial suicide mechanism March 22, 2011The research group led by Anton Meinhart at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg has shown that proteins from the zeta toxin group trigger a self-destructive mechanism in bacteria. The triggers for ...

Tuberculosis vaccine passes phase I trial

Vaccine candidate is expected to provide better protection against tuberculosis in future March 23, 2011The currently available tuberculosis vaccine BCG is over 90 years old – and its effectiveness is declining. An increasing number of mycobacterial strains are emerging, against which the ...

Bats keep seperate households

The use of different environments by males and females in the parti-coloured bat makes population estimation and thereby the conservation of the species more difficult The use of different resources by males and females exacerbates the estimation of population sizes. However, the monitoring of ...

03/23/2011: Scholarly Publishing in the Digital Age

3rd International PKP Scholarly Publishing Conference at Freie Universität Berlin, September 26–28, 2011 The Center for Digital Systems (CeDiS) at Freie Universität Berlin in partnership with the Public Knowledge Project (PKP) and the Simon Fraser University Library is organizing an ...

Non-Smoker Protection in North Rhine-Westphalia: Legal Loopholes and Enforcement Problems

Legal loopholes and enforcement problems characterize the implementation of the non-smoker protection act in the catering industry and discotheques in North Rhine Westphalia (NRW). This is reported in studies led by the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg and the NRW Consumer ...

Neurodegenerative diseases and unusual alliances

Researchers have been pursuing effective therapies for neurodegenerative diseases for decades. This road is a difficult one, however, as demonstrated by the example of Merck. The Darmstadt-based drugs manufacturer recently permanently buried its former big hope for the treatment of multiple ...

EMO Hannover 2011 showcases the factory of the future

21.03.2011 - Knowledge is power. Lack of knowledge entails inefficiency - not least and particularly when it comes to the production processes of the future and their chances for success on the global markets. "This, at any rate, is the firm conviction of the researchers at the Stuttgart-based ...

Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prizes 2011: Recognition and Incentive for Early Career Researchers

Prize goes to six researchers / More nominations than ever before / "Remarkably young prizewinners" / Award ceremony on 9 May in Berlin The new prizewinners of the most important award for early career researchers in Germany have been chosen. The selection committee appointed by the Deutsche ...

Leibniz – DAAD Research Fellowships

Intention ‘Leibniz – DAAD Research Fellowships’ is a new programme implemented by the ‘Leibniz Association’ (Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz), and the ‘German Academic Exchange Service’ (DAAD). The fellowships offer highly-qualified recent foreign postdocs the opportunity to ...

When the stress brake fails

First discovered ten years ago, it is now the subject of new findings relating to its function: the protein SPRED2 inhibits the hormonal stress response in the body. Whether it also plays a role in the development of illnesses has yet to be established. SPRED2: This protein is found in humans ...

German higher education institutions are the most internationalised ones

British Council presents survey Bonn, 11.3.2011. Germany comes first in the internationalisation of higher education, ahead of Australia, the United Kingdom and China, according to a British Council survey. The USA is only in sixth position, behind Malaysia. The ranking compares the higher ...

Sound makes nanowires blink

Sucessful NIM cooperation Like copper wires in our everyday life, nanowires are envisioned to act as interconnecting elements in future electronic circuits on the nanoscale. Moreover, when made from semiconductors these nanowires not only transport electric current along their axis but also can ...

Sightseeing in the slums

From destitute slum-dweller to TV star – the film Slumdog Millionaire is a modern version of the Cinderella story and won an Oscar for the best film of 2008. It also seems to have prompted in many cinemagoers a desire to see for themselves what life is like for the underprivileged in slums. LMU ...

Collaboration with Banco Santander

University and Spanish bank signed a framework agreement establishing a collaborative venture Heidelberg University and Spanish bank Banco Santander signed today (18 March 2011) a framework agreement establishing a future collaborative venture. This venture will establish a new Spain and Latin ...

Freie Universität Berlin and Hebrew University of Jerusalem Increase Collaboration

Berlin Einstein Foundation to Support Social Sciences Project with 250,000 Euros Researchers at Freie Universität Berlin and Hebrew University of Jerusalem are increasing their collaboration. They have agreed to develop joint research projects and, in particular, to support junior research ...

Vesta - an asteroid in 3D

What might asteroid Vesta look like? In a new animation, researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) have recreated the asteroid in 3D. In the animation, the asteroid is irregularly shaped, has a slight indentation at its South Pole and numerous ...

How long does a tuning fork ring?

“Quantum-mechanics” solve a very classical problem Researchers at the University of Vienna and from the Nanosystems Initiative Munich (Dr. Wilson-Rae, TU München) have solved a long-standing problem in the design of mechanical resonators: the numerical prediction of the design-limited damping. ...

Renewables' contribution to energy supply in Germany continued to rise in 2010

17 percent share of electricity supply 370,000 employees in the sector The share of renewable energies in Germany's electricity supply rose further in 2010. At 17 percent, the share was about half a percentage point higher than the previous year. These are the preliminary results calculated by ...

DLR releases satellite images of Japanese disaster area

After the severe earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’ was activated on the morning of the 11 March 2011. All participating institutions were asked to provide satellite imagery of the affected area. The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum ...

Ph.D Workshop China 2011

Ph.D Workshop China offers graduate students a platform to learn more about Ph.D and research opportunities in foreign countries giving them an opportunity to meet face-to-face with official representatives of accredited overseas colleges and universities. As part of the initiative “Research in ...

Naturejobs Career Expo 2011

Naturejobs Career Expo (formerly The Source Event) is a high-end career fair and conference, which aims to introduce scientists at PhD level to potential new employers in their related research field. As part of the initiative “Research in Germany – Land of Ideas”, German universities and ...

Small Remote Control for Hearing Aids with Bluetooth

16.03.11 | A tiny remote control now enables people who wear Siemens hearing aids to transmit audio signals from a television, phone, or MP3 player directly to their hearing devices. They hear the sound much more clearly because the volume is adjusted by means of the remote control and ...

Green LED is Bright Enough for Large Projector

16.03.11 | Osram Opto Semiconductors has developed an extremely bright, green light-emitting diode (LED) that makes LED projectors in office environments possible. Projectors in conference rooms have to be very bright for viewers to easily see the large images even in daylight. So far, LED light ...

New findings on the developments of the earthquake disaster

The earthquake disaster on 11 March 2011 was an event of the century not only for Japan. With a magnitude of Mw = 8.9, it was one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded worldwide. Particularly interesting is that here, two days before, a strong foreshock with a magnitude Mw = 7.2 took place ...

The German Space Operations Center takes over operation of the Swedish PRISMA satellite mission

On 15 March 2011, the German Space Operations Center (GSOC) at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen took over operation of the Swedish PRISMA satellite mission. The Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) implemented the transfer of control as ...

Center for Chinese-German Cooperation opened

The Marine Sciences in Kiel, Bremen and Qingdao close ranks - February 24, 2011/Kiel, Qingdao. The ocean knows no boundaries. If you want explore the influence of the world’s oceans on climate, develop strategies for sustainable fishery or discover the unknown living environments of the deep ...

Nanotubes: cellular membranes on supply

Osmotic forces play a role in nanotube formation in cells March 11, 2011 When unfolding a tent for the first time, you may wonder how the huge tarpaulin fits into a bag the size of a football. Biologists wonder about something similar: when a cell divides, the surface area of the cell membrane ...

Synthesising proteins from non-natural building blocks?

Synthetic biology is an emerging discipline that is frequently referred to as the art of molecular engineering. Dr. Birgit Wiltschi from the University of Freiburg has been awarded funding from the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts under the “Biotechnology and Medical ...

Single Gene Defect Causes Brain Tumor

Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and Heidelberg University Hospitals have shown in mice that a defect in a single gene, which is involved in cellular signaling, is sufficient to cause a dangerous brain tumor. Pilocytic astrocytoma, the most ...

Arctic on the verge of record ozone loss - Arctic-wide measurements verify rapid depletion in recent days

Potsdam/Bremerhaven, March 14th, 2011. Unusually low temperatures in the Arctic ozone layer have recently initiated massive ozone depletion. The Arctic appears to be heading for a record loss of this trace gas that protects the Earth’s surface against ultraviolet radiation from the sun. This ...

Snapshots of laser driven electrons

Real-time observation of laser produced electron plasma waves Munich, 14 March 2011Flocking behavior does not only exist among birds, insects or fish; the microcosm offers similar phenomena, too. A team of scientists including Ferenc Krausz and his employees Laszlo Veisz and Alexander Buck of ...

More knowledge about less Oxygen

Marine Scientists from Kiel investigate the oxygen minimum zone in the tropical Atlantic – March 9, 2011/Kiel. Humans are not always to blame if hostile conditions occur in the environment. Nature itself produces huge zones with very little oxygen in the oceans. However, scientists wonder if ...

Neurotransmitter could improve post-stroke rehabilitation

Prolonged efficiency of noradrenaline improves motor skills in stroke patient March 10, 2011 In many patients, fine motor skills remain impaired after a stroke. A recent study has shown that the neurotransmitter noradrenaline may be able to reduce such deficits. This finding could result in the ...

TUM researchers recommend new EU standards for machine strength grading of engineered wood products

Be it in houses, halls, towers or bridges – timber is a versatile and environmentally friendly construction material. In order to ensure that wooden structures are sufficiently stable for their required purpose, the timber used must first be graded according to its strength. Reliable and fast ...

When Left is ‘Right’: Motor fluency shapes abstract concepts

Changing the way people use their hands can change their judgements about the abstract ideas of goodness and badness. March 11, 2011 Unconsciously, right-handers associate good with the right side of space and bad with the left. But this association can be rapidly changed, according to a study ...

Pushing HIV out the door

How host factors aid in the release of HIV particles Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) – which causes AIDS – invades human immune cells and causes them to produce new copies of the virus, which can then infect new cells. A research team led by Professor Don C. Lamb (LMU Munich) and Priv.-Doz. ...

Host Change Alters Toxic Cocktail

Gene modification: Leaf beetle larvae attacking birch trees produce toxic cocktails that differ from the ones produced by conspecifics living on willows. March 10, 2011 Leaf beetles fascinate us because of their amazing variety of shapes and rich colouring. Their larvae, however, are dangerous ...

Half-time for the Mars500 mission

Mainz-based medical project involved in simulated "Mars500" mission / Researchers release positive intermediate results 10.03.2011 The Mars500 mission – a simulated mission to the red planet in which researchers from the Mainz University Medical Center in Germany are involved – has reached its ...

Final stage of the Excellence Initiative opened

In severe competition with a total of 227 submitted pre-proposals for new projects within the framework of the DFG Excellence Initiative, the Berlin/Potsdam Earth Sciences community has qualified for the final round of this year’s grant applications with a project proposal for a new Graduate ...

First Decisions in the Second Phase of the Excellence Initiative by the German Federal and State Governments

First Decisions in the Second Phase of the Excellence Initiative by the German Federal and State Governments Joint Commission of the DFG and German Council of Science and Humanities selects 59 new proposals from 32 universities for final round / Full proposals until September 2011 / Decision in ...

New microscope decodes complex eye circuitry

Retinal ganglion cells can recognise directions thanks to amacrine cells March 09, 2011 The properties of optical stimuli need to be conveyed from the eye to the brain. To do this efficiently, the relevant information is extracted by pre-processing in the eye. For example, some of the so-called ...

TUM researchers develop novel kind of fluorescent protein

Since the middle of the 1990s a bright green fluorescent protein has been used in research laboratories worldwide. Protein designers at Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) in Weihenstephan have now taken the existing fluorescent protein a step further: They have managed to incorporate a ...

Aspects of Total Genome Sequencing

Green light for fourth research project at Heidelberg University's Marsilius Kolleg The ethical and legal aspects of total sequencing of the human genome will be the focus of the latest interdisciplinary project to be undertaken at Heidelberg University's Marsilius Kolleg. The project will ...

Learning to see consciously

Max Planck scientists show how flexibly the brain processes images March 08, 2011 Our brains process many more stimuli than we become aware of. Often images enter our brain without being noticed: visual information is being processed, but does not reach consciousness, that is, we do not have an ...

Stem Cell Research Without Animal Experiments

No laboratory animals, better results and lower costs ' researchers from RWTH Aachen University, Kiel University and The Scripps Research Institute (San Diego, USA) are presenting a new method for stem cell research without animal experiments in the current edition of Nature Methods (6 March ...

Opalinus Clay as a potential host rock for nuclear waste repositories

Nuclear chemists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz are investigating the interaction between radioactive elements such as plutonium and clay stones Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have studied natural claystone in the laboratory for more than four years in order to ...

How long does a tuning fork ring?

Researchers at the University of Vienna and Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have solved a long-standing problem in the design of mechanical resonators: the numerical prediction of the design-limited damping. They report their achievement, which has a broad impact on diverse fields such as ...

Renewable Energy for Hydrogen Production

Mar 06, 2011 | Siemens is participating in a research project that is looking at ways to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into useful chemical feedstock. It may even be possible to permanently remove the gas, which would be separated out during the combustion of fossil fuels, from the atmosphere and ...

Molten Salts for Efficient Solar Thermal Plants

Mar 06, 2011 | Researchers from Siemens intend to substantially boost the efficiency of solar thermal power plants and thus reduce the costs of this climate-neutral method of power generation. They intend to use mixtures of molten salts as heat transfer media in the High Performance Solar ...

Older parents are happier with more children

The satisfaction of young parents decreases with their number of children, while older parents are happier than their childless peers are March 07, 2011 The more children young parents have, the unhappier they are. From age 40 on, however, it is the other way round. Then, more children generally ...

Ultra fast photodetectors out of carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes are promising elements for optoelectronic components. However so far there were no electronic methods to analyze the ultra fast optoelectronic dynamics of the nanotubes. A team of physicists headed by Professor Alexander Holleitner from the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) ...

Suggesting genes' friends, facebook-style: New method reveals genes' combined effects

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), both in Heidelberg, Germany, have developed a new method that uncovers the combined effects of genes. Published online today in Nature Methods, it helps understand how different genes can ...

To be continued: ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe's smart energy efficiency program has saved around 45 million euros since 2009

Last year ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe launched a new energy efficiency program to further reduce energy costs at all its production locations. The results of the saving measures are impressive. The potential identified so far at the Siegerland, Bochum and Dortmund sites alone amounts to some 12.5 ...

New Project: Research regarding Democratic Process in Indonesia

New Project: Research regarding Democratic Process in Indonesia A practically orientated contribution to Indonesia’s democratic consolidation on the basis of the development of political science transformation theories is the object of a new research project at Technische Universität Dortmund. ...

LMU takes an important hurdle in the second phase of the Excellence Initiative

Three new Graduate Schools and a new Cluster of Excellence in the final round The Joint Selection Committee set up by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) and the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat) has now announced the list of new ...

Retrieving Treasures From the Data Jungle: DKFZ and IBM have signed a collaboration agreement on cancer genome analysis

The International Cancer Genome Project analyzes the complete genomes of thousands of cancer patients. This generates enormous amounts of data. To find those gene segments which are pivotal for cancer development and treatment, intelligent IT systems are needed. The German Cancer Research Center ...

Novel High-Resolution Methods in Light Microscopy

Heidelberg scientists employ chemical reaction for light-independent switching of fluorescent probes Physical limits in high-resolution light microscopy can be overcome with the aid of chemical reactions. Scientists at Heidelberg University's Institute of Physical Chemistry and members of the ...

Peanut worms are annelids

The phylum Annelida has just gained a new member / Peanut worm is no longer recognized as separate group 02.03.2011 Recent molecular phylogenetic analysis has shown that the marine animals known as peanut worms are not a separate phylum, but are definitely part of the family of annelids, also ...

New Interpretation of Antarctic Ice-Cores

Bremerhaven, 2 March 2011. Climate researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association (AWI) expand a prevalent theory regarding the development of ice ages. In the current issue of the journal “Nature” three physicists from AWI’s working group ...

Relaxation leads to lower elasticity

Not only people suffer the ravages of time. As they age, many materials exhibit changes in their properties, as well. Although such phenomena crop up in many domains, the underlying processes are oftentimes not fully understood. Particularly interesting in this context are polymer materials ...

Software Improves Cement Quality

28.02.11 | New control software predicts how cement mills will operate and continually optimizes the milling process. The results are improved cement quality and increased mill throughput. The software Sicement IT MCO has been installed for its first operation in one of the mills of a portland ...

Efficiency Boost in Production Automation

28.02.11 | Planning and realizing industrial automation systems has just been made simpler and more efficient thanks to a new engineering framework from Siemens. The TIA (Totally Integrated Automation) Portal makes it possible for developers to save time on all conceivable automation tasks in ...

BRAIN and DECHEMA cooperate in the biotechnologi-cal production of perillic acid.

The biotechnology company BRAIN AG and the DECHEMA Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology in Frankfurt have announced a collaboration in the biotechnological production of perillic acid. This patented natural monoterpene is owned by BRAIN and will be used in a wide range of ...

Researchers from Ulm identify congenital genetic defect

Researchers led by the Ulm paediatrician Holger Cario have identified a rare, congenital genetic defect that leads to the dysregulation of the folic acid metabolism, resulting in aenemia, epilepsy and learning difficulties in children. All aspects of the disease can be treated quite successfully ...

Science & Management

“Science & Management“ is the name of an innovative doctoral programme offered by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in association with the international Collège des Ingénieurs. This is a world-first in Germany that enables students to combine a doctoral thesis in the sciences with an MBA - ...

How Bees Learn Which Odors to Follow

Scientists at Freie Universität Berlin and the Bernstein Center Berlin Localize Odor Memory in Bees Scientists at Freie Universität Berlin and the Bernstein Center Berlin have traced odor memory to a certain area of the bee brain. How successful bees are in their search for food depends largely ...

Coperion GmbH – Individual compounding systems

Coperion GmbH, a worldwide market and technology leader in compounding and extrusion, is keeping up with the times by providing comprehensive systems for the processing of biodegradable plastics to its many customers worldwide. Compounding of starting materials relies on comprehensive knowledge ...

Now Live – www.GermanInnovation.org The Website of the German Center for Research and Innovation

Since its opening on February 19, 2010, the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) has served as a catalyst for collaboration between Germany and the United States in science and industry. The GCRI website, www.GermanInnovation.org, launched earlier today. NEW YORK (February 28, 2011) ...

Pennington Distinguished Fellowship

Heidelberg University plans the "James W.C. Pennington Distinguished Fellowship" The American clergyman James W.C. Pennington (1809-1870) was the first African American to receive an honorary doctorate from a European university. Heidelberg University awarded the black minister this highest ...

DLR researchers contribute new insights on changes in the Ozone Layer

German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) researchers have been instrumental in the preparation of a report on the changes in the Ozone Layer for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The report was published online by the Geneva-based WMO in January. Recent ...

A Successful First Year of the Cancer Information Service in Dresden

One year after the establishment of the outstation of DKFZ's Cancer Information Service (KID) at the University Cancer Center (UCC) in Dresden, the service will be expanded. Starting from March 1, 2011, patients will be offered a personal consulting service at UCC. In addition, two more female ...

Stop and go –

How the cell deals with transcriptional roadblocks Gene transcription is central to cell function, as it converts the information stored in the DNA into RNA molecules of defined sequence, which then program protein synthesis. The enzyme RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is responsible for this genetic ...

Black holes may be smaller than previously assumed

Research results from Göttingen enable more precise determination of mass Black holes may be ten times smaller than has been estimated up to now. Astrophysicists at the University of Göttingen reach this conclusion in a study that appeared on Thursday, 17th February 2011 in the prominent ...

Microbes help children to breathe easily –

Bacteria and fungi offer protection against asthma The incidence of asthma among children in Europe continues to rise. But not all children are equally at risk. Several studies published over the past few years have shown that children living on farms are significantly less likely to develop ...

Training courses on environmental issues

From June 2011, the East-West Science Centre (OWWZ) at University of Kassel, offers train-ing courses on environmental issues. The programme is especially designed for Russian ex-perts from politics, administration, research and teaching. During the seminars skills will be taught to develop and ...

Higher energy yield with torque vectoring gears

Wind turbines have a problem: Depending on the wind’s force, the rotational speed of the turbine and thus of the generator changes. However, alternating current must be fed into the grid with precisely 50 (or 60) hertz. Typically the generated alternating current is first rectified and then ...

Repercussions of Globalisation in East Asia

Historical aspects and future developments - Academic ceremony in honour of Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Seifert The impact of ongoing globalisation in the three East Asian countries Japan, China and Korea will be the subject of discussion for German and international scientists convening at Heidelberg ...

Fellows Appointed to Marsilius Kolleg

Thirteen Heidelberg academics engage with interdisciplinary research issues A new class of fellows has been appointed to Heidelberg University's Marsilius Kolleg. From March 2011 to February 2012, thirteen Heidelberg academics will be engaging with interdisciplinary research issues and ...

ATV Johannes Kepler on its way to the ISS

The Automated Transfer Vehicle Johannes Kepler was launched on a specially modified launcher, the Ariane 5ES, at 22:50 CET on 16 February 2011 from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana. The second space cargo carrier in the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) programme, it is now en route to the ...

Printed Electronics Powers 'Car of the Future'

24.02.2011 - Organic and printed electronics is well on its way to mass markets. Cost-efficient roll-to-roll printing drives electronic systems for consumer goods and industrial control to ultra-compact layouts and energy efficiency. The 'car of the future' will sport elegant and ergonomic ...

Inauguration of the Gutenberg Teaching Committee: Innovative concept for the promotion of teaching and teaching competence

Gutenberg Teaching Committee will also develop contributions to course structures and study conditions at Mainz University / €3.7 million made available 22.02.2011 With the launch of the Gutenberg Teaching Committee (Gutenberg Lehrkolleg, GLK), Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) is taking ...

The blind also have a Stripe of Gennari

Nerve bundles in the visual cortex of the brain in blind people may process the sense of touch February 22, 2011 The Stripe of Gennari develops even in those who are blind from birth and does not degenerate, despite a lack of visual input. This was discovered by Robert Trampel and colleagues ...

External Funding Exceeds a Quarter of a Billion Euros

In the fiscal year of 2010, the University's external funding expenditure, including that of the Faculty of Medicine, amounted to €258 million. This represents an increase by about 13.6 percent compared to the previous year. The most important external funders include the German Research ...

Leaders of NASA and DLR Participate in 'Masters with Masters'

Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator, and Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Chairman of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) Executive Board, shared personal reflections, perspectives on international collaboration and a look at the challenges that lie ahead in space ...

The hunt for deadly pathogens

3 March, 2011: International experts meet for ”Day on Deadly Killers“ at HZI The causes of dreaded diseases such as Cholera, Anthrax, Rabies and AIDS are the main focus of a symposium at the German Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, HZI). ...

The German Industry's Innovation Award 2010 for PEPperPRINT

PEPperPRINT GmbH was announced on February 19, 2011 as the winner of the 2010 German Industry's Innovation Award in the category "Start-Up Companies". PEPperPRINT, a start-up company founded by scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ), produces ...

future now – innovations shaping tomorrow

A new focus for multimedia content from Deutsche Welle Starting February 22 Deutsche Welle presents 20 trendsetting projects that we can use to change our lives now – and not sometime in the distant future. DW focuses on leading German research institutions with portraits in seven languages ...

How microorganisms gather together a metabolic pathway

Many microorganisms are found in remote places in conditions of extreme heat, extreme cold or in areas with high salt concentrations. The majority of microorganisms feed on low-molecular carbon compounds, which gives rise to the question as to how they manage to turn these compounds into cell ...

The hidden danger of oxygen

Long-lived reactive oxygen intermediates that develop on particles in the atmosphere could explain why more and more people are suffering from allergies February 17, 2011 New findings from researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland help ...

Peaceful Conflict Settlement

Scientists from Heidelberg University investigate effectiveness of educational projects in crisis areas Peace education work in crisis and conflict areas actually does help to make hostile groups more peaceable in their attitudes towards one another. Compared with persons who have not taken part ...

Blocking the signaling paths of cancer cells

Scientists discover survival strategy of aggressive lymphoma Scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Berlin Charité have identified an important part of a very aggressive lymphoma cell, called ABZ-lymphoma, which is crucial for its survival. The study’s findings provide the basis ...

Tiny magnetic switch discovered

Scientists at Kiel University develop molecular machine in form of record player A Kiel research group headed by the chemist, Professor Rainer Herges, has succeeded for the first time in directly controlling the magnetic state of a single molecule at room temperature. The paper will appear on ...

Sustainable Clinic: Green+ Hospitals Program

19.02.11 | With the help of Siemens, a clinic in Germany has been designed for sustainability right from the start, thanks to a concept that makes environmentally-friendly, patient-friendly operation of hospitals and clinics possible. Siemens was involved as early as the planning phase in the ...

A Cancer Gene Keeps Itself in Check

Cancer can develop when genes get out of control. A feedback mechanism to prevent just that is reported by scientists from the Biozentrum of the University of Würzburg in “Molecular Cell”. Cancer develops from a disturbed balance between the division, the growth and the death of cells. This is ...

'Two plus two' for innovative crop protection / German Ministry of Education and Research funds German-Indian project

It’s a premiere with Münster involvement: in the next four years the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will be funding the first joint German-Indian project in line with the “2+2 principle”. This involves a German team, consisting of one partner from a university and one from ...

Bonn Scientists discover new piece of information on lipometabolism

Apparently a protein regulates the formation and degradation of cellular fat storages. Scientists from Bonn University have discovered a protein located on the lipid storage drops’ membrane which interacts with important actors of cellular metabolism. These findings might help improve ...

Back to the roots of the solar system

Max Planck astronomers observe planets in the making February 17, 2011 Planets form in disks of dust and gas that surround young stars. A look at the birth places means a journey into the past of the earth and its siblings. Now, astronomers have been able to obtain detailed images of the ...

Scientists Steer Car with the Power of Thought

Computer Scientists at Freie Universität Couple Brain Waves with Driving Technology – Testing at Former Tempelhof Airport You need to keep your thoughts from wandering, if you drive using the new technology from the AutoNOMOS innovation labs of Freie Universität Berlin. The computer scientists ...

Coral Reefs of the Red Sea in good conditions

- Interim report from an expedition to the Red Sea reefs - February 17, 2011/Kiel, Jeddah. While a group of marine scientists from the Kiel Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) is currently surveying the Red Sea on the German research vessel POSEIDON, a second working group led by ...

Bayer starts pilot plant for plastic manufacturing with CO2

Using carbon dioxide as a new raw material: Bayer starts pilot plant for plastic manufacturing with CO2 High-ranking representatives attend the initiation ceremony in Leverkusen Leverkusen, February 17, 2011 – Bayer is taking a new direction in the production of high-quality plastics with the ...

German Center for Research and Innovation - Marks First Anniversary Milestone

Established as first point of contact to the German research and innovation landscape in North America, the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) celebrates its one year anniversary. NEW YORK (February 18, 2011) – Since its opening on February 19, 2010, the GCRI has been a catalyst ...

CeBIT 2011: Preparing for the unexpected

How can you plan for an emergency the nature of which you don’t know? Several Fraunhofer institutes are working on strategies and technologies that would help to predict and improve the response to crises. Their solutions are shown at the CeBIT in Hannover (March 1 – 5) in Hall 9, Booth B36. ...

Research never fails! JUnQ discusses hidden treasures

Doctoral students of the Graduate School of Excellence "Materials Science in Mainz" publish Journal of Unsolved Questions 17.02.2011 The first edition of the Journal of Unsolved Questions (JUnQ) was published on January 1, 2011. This project is unique worldwide and was launched by doctoral ...

Evotec acquires MPS-spin-off Kinaxo

From basic research to the development of new drugs February 17, 2011 Evotec AG, a leading company in the discovery and development of novel small molecule drugs, acquired all shares of Kinaxo Biotechnologies GmbH, a Munich-based drug discovery alliance company supporting the development of ...

RWTH Launches New Internationalisation Strategy

Aligning the University's international relation-building activities with institutional goals and priorities, internationalising the University on all levels and within an overarching strategy, creating a more powerful brand for RWTH Aachen ' these are the major goals articulated in the ...

Residual dipolar couplings unveil structure of small molecules

Chemists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) introduced a new method for identifying chemical compounds. The approach they used is an improvement on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements – for decades one of the most successful ...

Bayer starts pilot plant for plastic manufacturing with CO2

Using carbon dioxide as a new raw material: High-ranking representatives attend the initiation ceremony in Leverkusen Leverkusen, February 17, 2011 – Bayer is taking a new direction in the production of high-quality plastics with the help of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the energy sector. A pilot ...

Xenacoelomorpha – a new phylum in the animal kingdom

Scientists reorganise the animal phylogenetic tree February 15, 2011An international team of scientists including Albert Poustka from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin has discovered that Xenoturbellida and the acoelomorph worms, both simple marine worms, are more closely ...

Tau-induced memory loss in Alzheimer’s mice is reversible

Max Planck study raises hopes for the development of effective therapies February 15, 2011Amyloid-beta and tau protein deposits in the brain are characteristic features of Alzheimer disease. The effect on the hippocampus, the area of the brain that plays a central role in learning and memory, is ...

From now on, the heart of mathematics is beating in Berlin

On 1 February, the International Mathematical Union (IMU) has opened its first permanent office in Berlin. Its secretariat is now located in the Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics (WIAS) near Gendarmenmarkt in the center of Berlin. For the first time the IMU is setting up ...

Hunt for the WIMP

A project based in the Gran Sasso Massif aims to find the constituents of Dark Matter / Focus on the WIMP particle 03.02.2011 The spectrum of research in the field of physics at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), Germany has been extended to include one of the most important endeavors of ...

International Academy on Brain Research

In June 2011, Forschungszentrum Jülich, the University of Pennsylvania and RWTH Aachen University will host a 5-day Young Researchers Transatlantic Academy in Philadelphia, USA, focusing on transferable skills for doctoral students. Participants are drawn from the above research institutions, ...

Two New Members in the 'Research Ombudsman'

DFG Senate elects zoologist Brigitte Jockusch and chemist Katharina Al-Shamery to the statutory body for the adherence to good scientific practice / legal scholar Wolfgang Löwer assumes position of spokesperson The "Research Ombudsman" will in future contribute to the adherence of good ...

Plagiarism Condemned

DFG Joint Committee issues "written reprimand" against two researchers The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has again drawn consequences from an incident of scientific misconduct involving funding applicants. At its meeting in Bonn on 3 February 2011, the Joint ...

Dortmund and Würzburg Physicists Create Lightest Condensate from Substantial Particles

In case of the Bose-Einstein-Condensation gases consisting of ultra-cold atoms change into a collective quantum state where they all have the same features. This state and the associated features are very interesting, for example, for the production of new circuits where the condensed particles ...

The lock shapes the key

Proteins normally recognize each other by their specific three-dimensional structure. If the key fits in the lock, a reaction can take place. However there are reactions at the onset of which the key does not really have a shape. Chemists at the Technische Universität München (TUM) and the Max ...

German Solar Installations Double 2010 Target

Berlin/Goyang – Germany’s solar market doubled targets in 2010, with new installations totaling over 7 GWp and accounting for approximately half of the world market. This has led to the recently announced feed-in tariff cuts set for mid-2011, which reflect lower system prices and puts Germany ...

Germany Expands Nanotechnology Funding with New Action Plan

Berlin/Tokyo – Germany’s federal government recently introduced its Nanotechnology Action Plan 2015. The comprehensive approach extends and expands upon a previous program, which provided EUR 400 million in public funding for nanotechnology research in 2010 – the highest level in Europe. With ...

Get your doctorate at LMU!

Four international doctoral study programs have now received DAAD accolades Three study programs submitted by LMU, specifically designed for doctoral students from abroad, have received funding in the second round of the DAAD’s competitive initiative “International promovieren in Deutschland“ ...

First Stars in Universe Were Not Alone

Astrophysicists use computer simulations to gain new insights on star formation Embargo time: 3 February 2011, 8.00 pm Central European Time (CET) (3 February 2011, 2:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time) The first stars in the universe were not as solitary as previously thought. In fact, they could have ...

At the Hannover Trade Fair 2011, the most important international fair for technology trends in industry, Baden-Württemberg will be presenting sustainable mobility solutions of the future

Baden-Württemberg International (bw-i) and e-mobil BW, the state agency for electro-mobility and fuel cell technology, will be appearing together for the first time on a joint stand at MobiliTec in the framework of the Hannover Trade Fair 2011. Together with ads-tec GmbH, alutec Metallwaren GmbH ...

Safe messengers –

Modified mRNAs open up new therapeutic possibilities Defects in the genome are the cause of many diseases. Gene therapy – direct replacement of mutant genes by intact DNA copies – offers a means of correcting such defects. Now a research team based at the Medical Center of the University of ...

Logic and neural network: when the factory "thinks for itself"...EMO Hannover 2011 supplies ideas and solutions for urgent issues arising from ongoing research.

14.02.2011 - This is not an advertising agency’s slogan, it’s something that Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gunther Reinhart of Munich Technical University proves every day: as the Director of the Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management (iwb) brings real machine tools into the virtual world of ...

A molecule that enables local virus defence

All organisms are able to spontaneously defend themselves against viruses. The innate immune system recognises intruders and releases signalling molecules such as interferons in response to the presence of viruses. Up until a few years ago, the pharmaceutical industry had predominantly focused ...

University of Heidelberg – natural substances to combat cancer and excess weight

It is difficult for natural substances to enter the drug industry. With the aim of enabling secondary plant substances to reach consumers, the Department of Biology at the Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Heidelberg has joined the Bioactive Plant Products ...

Mars 500: Landing on the simulated Red Planet

First results of a successful science mission 'Half-time' for Mars 500; on 12 February 2011, after a 250-day simulated flight to Mars, three crewmembers will land on the Red Planet. They will climb out of their isolation pod two days later at the Moscow Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP) ...

Partnership of genes affects the brain's development

Nerve cells are able to find and contact their partner cells thanks to the interaction of two genes February 13, 2011 The human brain consists of approximately one hundred billion nerve cells. Each of these cells needs to connect to specific other cells during the brain's development in order to ...

CeBIT 2011: Administration in the cloud

The emerging field of cloud computing is an interesting one, and not just for businesses. The field of public administration benefits from the technology as well. Fraunhofer Institutes are developing solutions to create such systems efficiently and to implement security concepts. Researchers ...

Melanomas under Fire

Cologne Researcher discovers new effective Form of Treatment for Skin Cancer. Findings published in the renowned journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA The skin is the body’s largest organ and melanoma the most common malignant form of cancer. In Germany alone, approximately ...

Terahertz flashes enable accurate X-ray measurements

Joint press release of European XFEL GmbH, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, a Research Centre of the Helmholtz Association Scientists devise a method to study processes with a precision of a few femtoseconds using high-intensity ultrashort X-ray pulses Many ...

RWTH Aachen University and Forschungszentrum Juelich (JARA) support the next generation of scientists with the „Young Researchers Transatlantic Academy” in Pennsylvania

Supporting young scientists from the US and Germany is the focus of a new initiative launched by RWTH Aachen University, Forschungszentrum Juelich and the University of Pennsylvania, funded by German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology’s ERP program. Between June 12-16, 2011, the ...

Genome analysis sheds light on symbiotic lifestyle of leafcutter ants

Leafcutter ants are an impressive example of the astonishing types of behaviour that evolution has produced. These small insects practise "agriculture". They cut leaves from trees and, as if they were working on a production line, carry snippet after snippet of these leaves down into their ...

Less Vibration of Cranes: Faster Loading of Ships

An active vibration damper system from Siemens is helping to cut the time required to load and unload container vessels. In the case of conventional container cranes, the container bridge vibrates whenever loads are lifted and moved. To restrict such motion, so that containers can be set down ...

Deep-Red LED Light for Greenhouses Save Power

The Siemens subsidiary Osram Opto Semiconductors has developed a powerful light-emitting diode (LED) for use in the cultivation of plants. It emits a deep-red light at a wavelength of 660 nanometers, which is perfect for plant photosynthesis. With an efficiency of 37 percent — one of the highest ...

DFG Establishes Nine New Research Units

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) is to establish nine new Research Units. This decision was taken by the DFG’s Senate at its February session in Bonn. The new groups are intended to provide researchers with the opportunity to address current and urgent issues ...

GPS for Cells: Interpretation of the cellular tracking system

New and complex life can only develop if single cells in an organism know how to develop and which exact position to take. This orientation is supported by a sort of cellular GPS system which transmits unambiguous information about their position and destiny. So far it could not be demonstrated ...

Designing New Landing Procedures with the Help of Virtual Reality

Aircraft noise continues to be a major problem for communities living around airports and under flight paths, especially at night. Also, aircraft noise impact increases airline operating costs through supplementary take-off and landing fees for noisy aircrafts. Researchers at RWTH Aachen ...

Multi-university Center for Jewish Studies Being Planned in Berlin-Brandenburg

The University of Potsdam, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, and Technische Universität Berlin have reached an agreement in planning a joint center for Jewish studies. They intend to combine various scholarly activities in this field related to studying and teaching. ...

What the Fly’s Visual System Tells Us About Visually-Guided Behavior

Researchers are trying to unlock the complexities of the human brain, with its billions of neurons, by studying a brain on a much smaller scale – that of a fly. By comparison, a fly brain, with its roughly 100,000 nerve cells, is a manageable system for studying the basics of neural information ...

The nervous system as a three-dimensional map

A Freiburg research team has created the first complete map of special connections of nerve cells in zebrafish. The data identify all projection possibilities (“projectome”) of nerve cells in a particular class of messengers in the nervous system that is of great importance for medicine. The ...

Market Size, Infrastructure Draw Indian IT Companies to Germany

“With the largest market in Europe and excellent economic growth rates, we have witnessed a surge in investor interest from India,” according to Peter Alltschekow, Managing Director of Marketing & Communications and Director for Eastern Germany at Germany Trade & Invest. Due to this spike in ...

Göttingen University's Welcome Centre wins acclaim

Growing the range of services offered by the Central Service Centre for foreign scientists and scholars On January 20, 2011, the University's Vice-President, Prof. Hiltraud Casper-Hehne, together with Dr. Uwe Muuss, Head of the Göttingen International Office, and Nadine Dreyer, Head of Welcome ...

Fingerprint makes chips counterfeit-proof

Product counterfeiters are increasingly targeting chips and electronic components, with attacks on hardware modules becoming commonplace. Tailor-made security technology utilizes a component‘s individual material properties to generate a digital key. This provides components with an identity – ...

CeBIT 2011: Electronic Fitness Trainer

Only people who get a lot of exercise and eat a healthy diet stay fit even in old age. This is easier said than done. Researchers have developed a Fitness Assistant that not only motivates but also demonstrates exercises. At CeBIT in Hall 9, B36 visitors will be able to try out the system for ...

Laboratory for Molecular Exercise Physiology at Mainz University is up and running

Specialists at JGU develop tests to detect gene doping and individual exercise concepts for therapeutic purposes as well as for popular sports and for high-performance athletes The specialists for Sports Medicine at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) are already in the starting blocks: ...

Aluminum to replace copper as a conductor in on-board power systems

Electric power and electronics are playing an ever-increasing role in all kinds of vehicles. Currently copper is the conductive material of choice. But in comparison to aluminum copper is heavy and expensive. In particular for fully electric vehicles the switch to the cheaper and lighter ...

A Possible Cause of Parkinson’s Disease Discovered

When a person has Parkinson’s disease, the dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain die, which leads to the characteristic symptoms of this neurological disorder. Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have discovered that this group of nerve ...

Emission-free airports – DLR develops a fuel cell-powered electric nose wheel for commercial aircraft

Ready for testing on the DLR A320 research aircraft Thanks to a fuel cell-powered electric nose wheel, aircraft will be able to save fuel while significantly reducing airport noise. A quiet and emission-free tarmac will be possible. After three years of development at the German Aerospace Center ...

Increased Efficiency for CIGS Solar Cells

Scientists at INM — Leibniz Institute for New Materials developed a barrier layer that separates the metal carrier from the absorber film and thus increases the efficiency of metal-based CIGS solar cells. For the first time, the INM program division "Optical Materials" presents this development ...

The Immune System: How it is Regulated

Asthma, diabetes, rheumatism: Such diseases can arise when the immune system does not work properly. Researchers from the Universities of Würzburg and Mainz have discovered new findings about the regulation of the immune defense. A difficult task: The immune system needs to differentiate between ...

The versatile waterflea

Sequence of “ecoresponsive” Daphnia genome revealed Water fleas are highly adaptable organisms that can react rapidly to alterations in environmental conditions. The Daphnia Genomics Consortium, an international group of researchers that includes three from LMU – biologist Professor Christian ...

European Fashion Award – Fash 2011

What is beautiful? What makes people look good? What is the meaning of fashion today? Is it all about identity or status? Is it about profits, attention or beauty? Are there any dreams and visions left? The European Fashion Award – FASH 2011 entitled “Attention please!?” searched for answers to ...

Microbiologists at the TU Muenchen aim to optimize bio-ethanol production

Food versus fuel - this rivalry is gaining significance against a backdrop of increasingly scarce farmland and a concurrent trend towards the use of bio-fuels. Researchers at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) are helping to resolve this rivalry: They are working to effectively utilize ...

Electric Signals in the Nose

Scientists at Heidelberg University decipher functioning of olfactory cells The human olfactory system possesses a special electric amplification mechanism that enables olfactory cells to respond even to extremely weak stimuli. Scientists at Heidelberg University headed by physiologist Prof. Dr. ...

Laser welding in the right light

Laser welding is on the advance, but it also has its limits: it has been impossible to fuse two transparent plastic components together – up until now. Researchers have now succeeded in circumventing this hurdle – by choosing the right wavelength. The new welding process is revolutionizing ...

Early Detection Of Lung Cancer

The earlier cancers can be detected, the better the chances of a cure. Researchers are now working to develop a new diagnostics platform with which the illness can be diagnosed in its early stages, even during a visit to the general practitioner: protein biomarkers in exhaled air divulge the ...

First evidence for a spherical magnesium-32 nucleus

Elements heavier than iron come into being only in powerful stellar explosions, so-called supernovas. During nuclear reactions all kinds of short-lived atomic nuclei are formed, including more stable combinations – the magic numbers – predicted by theory. Yet here, too, there are exceptions: the ...

What have Texas Tea and milk, ink-jet inks and ceramics in common?

Comprehensive programme at International LUM-Workshop on 17 March 2011 Texas Tea (crude oil) and milk, ink-jet inks and ceramic suspensions are heterogeneous systems of two or more substances, where one or more kinds of particles are dispersed in a liquid phase, i.e. they are dispersions. Sooner ...

A Possible Cause of Parkinson's Disease Discovered

When a person has Parkinson's disease, the dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain die, which leads to the characteristic symptoms of this neurological disorder. Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) have discovered that this group of nerve ...

German Receiver GREAT installed on SOFIA for the first time

On 21 and 22 January 2011, the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies, GREAT, was installed on Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, for the first time. The installation and first tests were successful. Further tests will follow before the first scientific ...

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe becomes a member of the EcoCommercial Building Program

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG has joined Bayer MaterialScience's EcoCommercial Building Program. Through an interdisciplinary network of partners, this program offers the construction industry a comprehensive range of services and material solutions for building sustainable public and commercial ...

Professor Marquardt Elected Chairman of the German Council of Science and Humanities

Professor Wolfgang Marquardt, Chair of Process Systems Engineering at RWTH Aachen University, has now been elected chairman of the German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat). He succeeds Professor Peter Strohschneider, who was chairman of the Council from 2006 to 2010. ...

The southern hemisphere of Phobos, up close

During the last of a series of eight encounters with the martian moon Phobos, the High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on ESA's Mars Express spacecraft acquired a detailed view of the martian satellite. The orbiter flew past Phobos at a distance of only 100 kilometres on 9 January 2011 and ...

Neutrino detector starts measurement

New facility in France to measure fundamental properties of neutrinos January 26, 2011The Double Chooz collaboration recently completed its neutrino detector which will see anti-neutrinos coming from the Chooz nuclear power plant in the French Ardennes. The experiment is now ready to start ...

Cancer drug aids the regeneration of spinal cord injuries

Taxol stabilizes growing nerve cells and reduces the barrier-function of scar tissue After a spinal cord injury a number of factors impede the regeneration of nerve cells. Two of the most important of these factors are the destabilization of the cytoskeleton and the development of scar tissue. ...

Humboldt Fellows opt for INM

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation awarded its coveted fellowships to two international researchers for planned research works at INM — Leibniz Institute for New Materials. Prof. Animangsu Ghatak from India and Dr. Duangkamon Baowan from Thailand will be doing research at INM in 2011. "The ...

Brandenburg exploration of geo-energy receives additional funding

On January 6, Dr. Helge Braun, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Research, presents the notice of approval for the second phase of the energy research project GeoEn to the project partners. The grand total for the period January 2011 to September 2013 amounts to € 5.77 ...

A look into Vesta’s interior

Scientistis from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research discover a cosmic chunk in space that originated from deep inside the third largest asteroid Researchers from the University of North Dakota and from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany have discovered ...

Workshops on Opportunities in Geoscience and Geotechnology INSCRIPTION OPEN!

Preface: German - Brazilian Year of Science, Technology and Innovation 2010/11 Important topics of this bilateral scientific cooperation are sustainability and the careful approach to environmental, energy, and raw material resources. Regarding these questions both countries facin the same ...

Springer Award for Vascular Medicine

Doctoral student develops new solution for the protection of vessels As a part of his dissertation at the Institute of Physiological Chemistry of the University Clinic Essen, Dr. Timo Wille developed a new preservative solution for vessels. For this, he was presented with the “Springer Award for ...

Genes from the 18th century help patients of today

Mainz University Paleogenetics Group participates in study of acromegaly attributable to genetic mutation An international research team, spearheaded by scientists from the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, has identified the genetic mutation responsible for a disease known as "gigantism" ...

Oceans and the Ozone Hole

International meeting on ozone depleting substances in Kiel - January 7, 2011/Kiel. For many of us, the problem of the stratospheric ozone depletion, known under the headline “ozone hole”, is already history. Although the emissions of ozone depleting substances (ODSs) has been limited by the ...

Why we wake up – the impact of traffic noise on sleep patterns

Traffic noise is annoying, it causes stress and sickness — most people would agree to this. To combat the effects of the noise, we first need to understand how humans react to different types of noise. A research group from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; ...

Expansion of energy production from biomass requires careful consideration

01/10/2011 - Energy production from plants could provide up to twenty percent of the world's energy demand in 2050, half of it from biomass plantations alone – but only at the price of a substantial expansion of land used for cultivation, to the expense of nature. This is the finding of a study ...

Direct observation of carbon monoxide binding

Carbon monoxide is highly toxic since it blocks the binding site for oxygen in hemoglobin. Following this very principle, a porphyrin ring with a central iron or cobalt atom that the poisonous gas attaches to can be used to implement sensors to warn against carbon monoxide. Physicists led by ...

Black Holes are softly fed

A new study has obtained unexpected new insight into the feeding habits of the giant black holes, which are responsible for the emissions of some of the brightest objects in the universe: active galactic nuclei. Previous models had often assumed that mergers between galaxies are instrumental in ...

Mussel adhesive for DNA chips

Simple and universal DNA immobilization on surfaces with synthetical mussel polymer Mussels are true masters of adhesion. Whether on the wood of a pier, the metal of a ship’s hull, rocks, or to their own kind, they stick to everything. Researchers led by Philip B. Messersmith at Northwestern ...

Learning While Driving

Everyone learns differently. Research scientists have therefore developed a system which adapts learning content to specific individual requirements. LogiAssist addresses the needs of companies in the logistics sector and long-distance truck drivers. They can learn while out on the road using ...

If many want to feed: how seabirds share their habitat

When different species of seabirds share a habitat with limited sources of food, they must differ in their feeding habits. This specialisation is known by biologists as an "ecological niche". Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell have investigated how flexible ...

Different sources, same result

Numerous patients suffering from chronic liver diseases are currently receiving inadequate treatment due to the lack of organs donated for transplantation. However, hepatocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) could offer an alternative for the future. Scientists from the Max ...

Colonoscopy Provides Protection from Cancer on Both Sides of the Colon

It is regarded as proven that endoscopic colonoscopy with removal of polyps reduces cancer risk on the left side of the colon known as descending colon. Scientists of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) in Heidelberg have now shown that inspection of both ...

Navigating a Technicolor World: What the Fly’s Visual System Tells Us About Visually-Guided Behavior

On January 13, Prof. Axel Borst (Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Germany) and Prof. Claude Desplan (New York University) will discuss how visual information is processed in the fly brain as a cue to the complexities of the human brain. NEW YORK (January 5, 2011) – The German Center for ...

Biosensor detects biotech corn at high speed

Chemists at the University of Rostock have developed a new biosensor that can far more easily deduct genetic traces in corn flour. As the researchers team headed by Gerd-Uwe Flechsig has demonstrated in a study, their electrochemical DNA analysis on a gold chip provides much faster results than ...

Health research supporting programme: 5.5 billion for improved medicine

Rising life expectancy will pose some major challenges for health research in the years to come: Ever more people will suffer from common conditions such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is responding to this challenge with a new health ...

The internet of services opens up major growth potential for German industry

A study commissioned by the Federal Economics Ministry was published on "The economic potential of the internet of services". On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi), Berlecon Research conducted the study together with the International Business School of Service ...

High-speed Manufacturing of Medical Implants

10.12.10 Intelligent software from Siemens for virtual planning and for the control of machine tools is making it possible for medical implants to be manufactured faster and less expensively. The challenge with artificial knee, shoulder, or hip joints lies in the fact that the materials, such ...

Reducing CO2 Emissions During Paper Drying

10.12.10 New software from Siemens reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from paper manufacturing. With Sipaper APC (Advanced Process Control) DrySec, the amount of steam required for drying can be reduced significantly. The plant thus also uses less fuel to raise steam without the need for any ...

German-Brazilian Workshop on Value Creation from Bio-resources INSCRIPTION OPEN!

10.12.2010 German-Brazilian Workshop on Value Creation from Bio-resources "Connecting the Brazilian and German approaches and competences - from complementary research results to new business opportunities." The Agribusiness Initiative of the German-Brazilian Bilateral Commission, in ...

Metal meets Medical - conference presents manufacturing capabilities for medical technology

09.12.2010 - Medical technology is one of the world’s expanding markets. Its volume is estimated at 100 to 220 billion US dollars, depending on the delimitation adopted. Reason enough for Germany’s machine tool industry to showcase its capabilities exclusively for this customer grouping. Medical ...

Powdery mildew at an evolutionary dead end

The fungal pathogen has only those genes left that are necessary for its parasitical existence The size of a genome tells us nothing about the comprehensiveness of the genetic information it contains. The genome of powdery mildew, which can destroy entire harvests with its fine fungal threads, ...

"Siemens / DAAD Post Graduate Program"

Working together in offering the "Siemens / DAAD Post Graduate Program", Siemens AG and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) aim to give young and early-stage researchers from China, India and Russia, who are particularly qualified in a specific subject, the opportunity to spend a longer ...

Worldwide Fastest X-Ray Video of a Laser Welding Process

Worldwide Fastest X-Ray Video of a Laser Welding Process On 10th November 2010 a new x-ray video facility was put into operation at the Institut für Strahlwerkzeuge (IFSW) of the University of Stuttgart. With this equipment it is possible to visualize laser processes in real time with x-ray ...

Talk at Cancun is of 2 degrees Celsius – even 1.5 degrees would have effects lasting centuries

12/09/2010 – Even global warming of just 1.5 degrees Celsius would have consequences for centuries. The oceans store elevated temperatures for a longer time than was previously thought. This is due to a change in ocean-atmosphere heat exchange, scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climate ...

Aspirin Increases Sensitivity of Bowel Cancer Tests

The detection of hidden blood in the stool (fecal occult blood) is an important part of the early detection of colorectal cancer. However, doctors have been worried up to now that low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (i.e. aspirin) - frequently prescribed for preventing heart attacks -might produce ...

Indo-German Centre for Sustainability Officially Inaugurated

On 6 December, the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Thomas Rachel, and Professor M.S. Swaminathan, member of the Upper House of the Parliament of India, officially opened the Indo-German Centre for Sustainability (IGCS) at the Indian Institute of ...

Soaring is better than flapping

Small migrating birds also save energy as they fly Large birds, such as storks, save energy on the flight to their wintering grounds by soaring through the air on thermal currents. Until now, however, we knew nothing about the flight patterns of small migrating songbirds, such as whether they ...

Fewer synapses - more efficient learning

An adhesive protein increases the number of neuronal connections Neurons exchange information via special connections, the synapses. New synapses are constantly being formed, existing synapses are reinforced and redundant synapses are eliminated. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of ...

Carbon Fluxes in the Oceans

Size matters: The strange behavior of small particles at density interfaces Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) in Cambridge, Massachusetts have found a remarkable effect while studying how ...

Freie Universität Berlin Expands Network in the Middle East

Freie Universität Berlin has expanded its network in Egypt and the Middle East. The university’s first cooperation agreement in the region was with Cairo University, Egypt’s oldest state university. Now an agreement has also been signed with the American University in Cairo (AUC). The agreement ...

Call for Proposals: Bernstein Award 2011

Also for the year 2011, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF) has announced a call for applications for the "Bernstein Award for Computational Neuroscience". In 2011, BMBF will confer the sixth annual Bernstein Award to ...

Duelling dipoles –

In search of a new theory of photosynthetic energy transfer Photosynthesis, the formation of energy-rich chemical compounds with the aid of sunlight, is fundamental to life on Earth. In plants, sunlight is collected by so-called antennal complexes, consisting of proteins bound to the green ...

Sleep deprivation study at DLR Cologne

By Manuela Braun Eight monitors, eight faces; Eva-Maria Elmenhorst peers at the black-and-white images. "What is number eight doing now?" Test subject number eight leans back on his chair and looks straight ahead; then his hand returns to the joystick. The scientist from the German Aerospace ...

Ten years of structured doctoral training in Hannover

The PhD program „Molecular Medicine“ at Hannover Medical School is one of the oldest international and structured PhD programs in Germany – the graduate school was founded already in 2003 Usriansyah from Indonesia is here. Nonsi from Zimbabwe, too. And Basant from India, Haiyang from China, ...

Recent German American Smart Grid Event Shows Opportunities for Cooperation

On November 18th, the German Center for Research and Innovation (GCRI) and the German American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (GACC) hosted a roundtable discussion on the technology, policy and business outlook of intelligent energy management systems. The panel featured German and U.S. experts from ...

16th Technology Summit Inaugurated

New Delhi, 7th December 2010 Large German delegation in town for technology summit Two years after a special Indo-German initiative-Indo-German Science and Technology Centre (IGSTC)--was launched by the then Union Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal and German Research Minister ...