Researchers Lukas Kunz and Riccardo Pennetta receive 1.5 million euros each for five-year projects on brain's first-person perspective and large-scale quantum physics. The grants will support Kunz's study on egocentric neurons and Pennetta's project on manipulating individual quantum systems.
A study analyzing international reporting on natural disasters found that spectacular images, high death tolls, and personal ties drive cross-border coverage. Droughts and floods, key effects of climate change, are underreported due to low newsworthiness.
The €6 million 'BabyIAXO' magnet system at the University of Bonn will search for the axion, a particle that could explain a long-standing problem in the Standard Model of particle physics. The project's success would provide proof of the axion's existence and solve the 'strong CP problem'.
A new dictionary of early Christian Latin will index the corpus of Latin Christian literature from Tertullian to Isidore, documenting its evolution and influence on vocabulary, ideas, institutions, society, law, and religion. The DFG is funding €1.4M for the project's first phase.
A study by the University of Bonn and the Doherty Institute found that malaria infection permanently damages resident CD163 macrophages in the spleen, impairing their ability to recycle iron and communicate with other cells. This damage can lead to increased severity of future infections and worsened prognosis.
New study reveals how resistance exercise damages skeletal muscle and triggers a coordinated repair process. The research identifies key proteins involved in this network, providing insights into optimizing training programs for athletes and improving rehabilitation strategies.
A recent study by the University of Bonn and international partners found that land degradation significantly impacts crop yields worldwide. Reversing 10% of human-made soil damage could increase arable land's food supply by 70 million people.
Researchers discover a previously unknown mechanism of action for a synthetic peptide that mitigates excessive inflammatory responses in allergic asthma. The peptide inhibits a key inflammatory switch in the immune system, opening up new avenues for treating chronic inflammatory diseases.
A University of Bonn study finds that government regulations and financial incentives can significantly improve land quality and mitigate soil degradation. Effective policies also rely on strong government institutions and sufficient funding to monitor compliance and enforce regulations.
Researchers at the University of Bonn used 'nudges' to encourage consumers to choose products with higher animal husbandry standards. The study found that combining information and social norm nudges significantly increased the purchase of animal welfare groceries.
Researchers are conducting a large online study to better understand how people make decisions about short-term versus long-term rewards. The study, which involves over 15,000 participants from 77 countries, aims to uncover the factors that influence intertemporal choices and their effects on daily life.
Matthew Smith will develop a new research method to address entrenched technological conflicts in IT security, privacy, and data protection. The ERC funding aims to formulate better technological or legislative requirements for government surveillance, online abuse, and content monitoring.
The book 'Human Identities in the Archaeological Record' reconstructs past identities from evidence like skeletons, belongings, and material culture. Researchers investigate how people ate, grew up, and were affected by disease and inequality.
The study reveals that 69% of participants worldwide are willing to cooperate, but people systematically underestimate their fellow citizens' cooperation. Cultural factors play a significant role in shaping cooperation, with historical contexts influencing individual behavior.
A new study by the University of Bonn finds that wealthier segments in African countries are adopting Western diets, leading to greater environmental damage. The study highlights the need for sustainable food systems to meet the nutritional needs of a growing population.
The Kura-Araxes culture's multi-ingredient cuisine highlighted the central role of dairy products, fruit, and grape-based beverages. The discovery sheds new light on the daily life and culinary traditions of these communities, suggesting a low level of social stratification.
Researchers have uncovered a vital mechanism for survival by studying the interaction between brain cells and fat cells in fruit flies. The study found that the immune system's discovery of pathogens leads to a change in behavior, triggering an avoidance response through the release of neurotransmitters octopamine and dopamine.
The University of Bonn's new Emmy Noether Group is developing AI methods to fuse different types of geodata for a uniform representation. This allows AI to better understand places, leading to precise urban quality-of-life analysis and environmental assessments.
A new policy brief from the University of Bonn and Vodafone Institute highlights Europe's hidden trade deficits with the US and China, which threaten its digital autonomy. The study advises strengthening manufacturing industry competitiveness and reducing dependence on China for digital goods.
Gerd Faltings will be honored for his groundbreaking solutions to the Mordell and Lang conjectures, revolutionizing number theory and Diophantine equations. He is the first German to win the Abel Prize, which recognizes academic work of extraordinary depth and influence.
A new project at the University of Bonn's BCDSS Cluster of Excellence and the Department of History aims to analyze and render visible nameless individuals in historical records. This study sheds light on the identities and power dynamics of the past, particularly in the context of slavery and colonialism.
The University of Bonn has been awarded funding for a further seven years, solidifying its position as the most successful university in the Excellence strategy. With eight Clusters of Excellence, the university aims to establish itself in the leading pack of the world's best universities.
Tingxiang Zou's newly formed Emmy Noether group will study higher-dimensional versions of the Elekes-Szabó problem, a combinatorial problem with connections to geometry, algebra, and model theory. The research aims to explain cases where algebraic equations have an unexpectedly large solution set in finite grids.
A recent study at the Universities of Bonn and Freiburg has discovered a previously unknown mechanism by which mitochondria influence lipid storage in cells. The molecular machine MIM complex and enzyme Ayr1 play key roles in this process, which affects cellular lipid metabolism.
A €150,000 ERC Proof of Concept Grant will help physicist Daqing Wang integrate his
A two-day oatmeal diet significantly reduced cholesterol levels in participants with metabolic syndrome. The positive effects on cholesterol levels remained stable even after six weeks. The diet also influenced the composition of microorganisms in the gut, contributing to its beneficial effects.
The University of Bonn has opened a laboratory supermarket to study how health- and sustainability-oriented purchases can be encouraged through product placement and other incentives. Researchers are investigating the effectiveness of different strategies in influencing consumer choices.
A new study using sediment drill cores reveals a link between solar cycles and the stability of fast ice in Antarctica. The research team found that changes in solar activity disrupt zonal winds over the Southern Ocean, leading to the retreat of sea ice along the coast.
A citizen science project has estimated that roughly 53,000 items of macro waste debris float past Cologne on the Rhine river every day. Disposable plastic products make up a large proportion of the litter found in the Rhine, posing a significant threat to the ecosystem.
A study found that economic crises can have lasting negative impacts on children's physical development, including stunted growth and increased risk of obesity. The research used the Asian financial crisis in the 1990s as a case study, demonstrating how food price shocks can affect children's body measurements until they are young adults.
A University of Bonn study has shown how the fungus Ustilago maydis takes over the plant's lateral root formation function, leading to massive tissue growths that divert energy and resources from defense. The findings provide valuable insights for breeding more resistant varieties of maize.
A new study suggests that adopting sustainable pest management practices could lead to improved environmental outcomes, human health, and increased access to safe food globally. Experts surveyed from over 500 disciplines expect positive long-term effects, with varying economic impacts depending on region.
Researchers at the University of Bonn developed a filter to curb microplastic pollution in washing machines, inspired by the gill arch system in fish. The filter achieves high efficiency and can remove over 99% of microplastics from washing machine wastewater.
Scientists at the University of Bonn have discovered a mechanism to inhibit the P2X4 receptor, which plays a role in chronic pain, inflammation, and some types of cancer. The findings open up a new pathway for developing effective drugs.
The HALB project aims to investigate central problems in harmonic analysis and produce training material for AI applications. The researchers plan to improve and speed up the processes over time, enabling accurate verification of mathematical research results.
Researchers found that when cooled and confined together in a tiny space, photons sort themselves into the state with more occupants. This trend could help design ultra-powerful lasers by exploiting the particles' tendency to conform.
Researchers at the University of Bonn found that chemical language models use statistical correlations to make predictions, rather than learning biochemical principles. The models can suggest plausible inhibitors for enzymes but fail to distinguish between functionally important and unimportant sequence parts.
Researchers from the University of Bonn have been awarded three ERC Starting Grants to pursue projects on labor market entry, wing coloration in butterflies and moths, and AI with social intelligence. The economists, biologist and computer scientist will receive €1.5 million each over five years.
In his new book, Prof. Ludwig Morenz reveals how ancient Egyptian graffiti and rock carvings attest to the emergence of the world's first territorial state in Wadi el Malik. The researchers used digital technologies to analyze images and discovered a 'royal rock art tableau' with multiple rulers linked by their names and animal symbols.
A team of astrophysicists from the University of Bonn and Iran has reclassified Ursa Major III as a compact star cluster containing a black hole core. Simulations suggest that the object's high mass-to-light ratio can be explained by the presence of dark stars rather than dark matter.
Researchers from the University of Bonn found that adding 'BIO' or 'ECO' inside the EU organic logo improved its clarity, trustworthiness, and usefulness. The study showed a significant indirect effect on purchase intention, mediated by reduced uncertainty and increased trust.
A team of scientists at the University of Bonn has discovered a more climate-friendly alternative for producing ammonia, a key component in modern agriculture. The process uses electricity from solar and wind power to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, which is then converted into ammonia.
Researchers at the University of Bonn have found that three star clusters are part of the same system, with the Orion Nebula being the youngest, Pleiades the middle-aged, and Hyades the oldest. The team used computer simulations to model the life cycle of these star clusters, which showed they follow a similar development path.
Children born to obese mothers are at higher risk of developing metabolic disorders due to reprogrammed liver cells. Researchers found that Kupffer cells, which help protect the body, can act as conductors that instruct liver cells to take up more fat.
The University of Bonn has secured funding for all six of its existing Clusters of Excellence and two new initiatives, with a total of eight clusters recognized for their outstanding research. This milestone cements the university's status as a leading research institution in Germany and Europe.
A recent study published in the journal Land Use Policy found that agrivoltaics, which involves installing solar cells on agricultural land, is viewed more favorably by the public than traditional solar parks. The research showed that almost 44% of participants would pay a premium for electricity from agrivoltaic systems.
A marine bacterium produces an organic detergent to attach to oil droplets, allowing it to feed on energy-rich chains. The synthetic pathway of this detergent involves three enzymes and has potential biotech applications for microbial production of key chemical compounds.
Physicist Matthias Schott is developing a dedicated neutrino detector for the LHC that can handle high data transfer rates, enabling researchers to study high-energy neutrinos. The detector uses GridPix technology and may reveal new insights into neutrino interactions, including potential evidence of anti-tau neutrinos.
A recent study published in Journal of Experimental Medicine found that immune cells play a major role in the development of spastic paraplegia type 15. The research, led by Professor Elvira Mass and Dr. Marc Beyer, suggests that severe inflammation in the brain precedes neuronal damage and could be relevant to Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers have discovered a promising bioactive compound that can effectively reduce symptoms of conditions like asthma and migraine by blocking a receptor on certain defense cells. The compound is effective in eliminating life-threatening allergic reactions in mice and has shown promise for treating inflammatory conditions.