Professor Dr. Thomas Puhl, Rector of the University of Mannheim, has received the "Rector of the Year" award, presented by the German University Association (DHV) for the fourteenth time. This was announced at the "Gala of German Science" of the DHV and the German University Foundation, which took place online due to the pandemic. The Rector of the University of Bonn, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Hoch, the "Rector of the Year" of the two previous years, came in 2nd place.
Dumbo octopuses have large fins on the left and right sides of their head, reminiscent of the flying elephant in the Walt Disney film of the same name. In the summer of 2016, evolutionary biologist Dr. Alexander Ziegler from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology at the University of Bonn collected a specimen of about 30 centimeter length from a water depth of about 4,000 meters during a cruise aboard the research vessel “Sonne” in the North Pacific. As it turned out, it was a previously unknown species (https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/news/096-2021). The description of the new dumbo octopus Grimpoteuthis imperator was published in 2021 in the journal BMC Biology (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-021-01000-9). Recently, the deep-sea creature colloquially known as the “Emperor dumbo” was included in the World Register of Marine Species' “Ten remarkable new marine species from 2021” hit list (https://lifewatch.be/en/2022.03.19-WoRMS-LifeWatch-press-release).
The A2A receptor regulates how vigorously the innate immune system attacks diseased cells. Researchers at the University of Bonn have now been able to show for the first time how an important inhibitor binds to the receptor. In the future, the results will facilitate the targeted search for molecules that give the innate immune system more punch. These could for instance be used in the fight against cancer, but also against brain diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. The final version of the study has been published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
Researchers at the University of Bonn have created a gas of light particles that can be extremely compressed. Their results confirm the predictions of central theories of quantum physics. The findings could also point the way to new types of sensors that can measure minute forces. The study is published in the journal Science.
Like other universities in North Rhine-Westphalia and across Germany, the University of Bonn is planning to return to in-person teaching for the upcoming summer semester.
With a broad majority, the City Council of the Federal City of Bonn has approved the development plan for the area of the "Mensa Nassestraße" and defined the Studierendenwerk property between Kaiserstrasse, Nassestrasse and Lennéstrasse as a "special area for higher education facilities". Prior to this, the Bonn District Council and the Committee for Housing, Planning and Building had already spoken out in favor of the project. This has created the prerequisite for the issuance of a building permit by the City of Bonn.
Grants from the European Research Council (ERC) are highly coveted because they are hard to come by and provide funding in the millions of euros. At the University of Bonn, three scientists will receive such funding for the next five years.
On Saturday, June 25, 2022, it's that time again: the current graduating class will celebrate their successfully completed studies at the Unifest. For the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, a central open-air celebration with a stage program is planned again - supplemented by digital offerings. Participants can apply now. The deadline for applications is May 28, 2022.