Events & Opportunities

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News

What makes sea urchin and salmon sperm swim

A study by the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences and the University of Bonn has shown that pH value is crucial for sperm motility in sea urchins and salmon. An increase in pH activates the enzyme adenylyl cyclase (sAC), which produces the messenger substance cAMP, thereby regulating sperm motility. This mechanism may be widespread among many marine invertebrates and fish. The researchers' findings have now been published in the renowned journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

New findings on infection with the Epstein-Barr virus

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can cause certain types of cancer or autoimmune diseases, but how the body controls this common viral infection is largely unknown. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have now identified genetic and non-genetic factors that help the body fight EBV. To do this, they evaluated genome sequencing data, which is actually intended for characterizing the human genome, in a new way. Using the new technique, they were able to estimate the amount of EBV in the blood and find correlations in large health data sets – for example, an increased viral load in people with HIV infections, but also in smokers. There were also indications of new genes that play key roles in EBV immunity. Their findings have now been published in the renowned journal Nature.

Stellar remnants solve the mystery of missing mass in galaxy clusters

Under the leadership of the University of Bonn, a research team led by Prof. Dr. Pavel Kroupa from the Helmholtz Institute for Radiation and Nuclear Physics has discovered that galaxy clusters are about twice as heavy as previously assumed. The additional mass comes mainly from neutron stars and stellar black holes and also explains the observed quantities of heavy elements.

Certification Boosts Sustainability in the Lab

Lab-based research is essential to advances in technology, but it is also one of the most resource-hungry areas of science. The University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn introduced the internationally recognized Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) program last year in a bid to shrink the environmental footprint of its research laboratories in a systematic way. Five pilot laboratories have now passed their assessment and been awarded Bronze certificates.

Spectacular discovery in the Sinai

The find is spectacular: an unusually old inscription dating back around 5,000 years in the southwest of the Sinai Peninsula shows in a terrifying manner how the Egyptians colonized the Sinai and subjugated the inhabitants. The scene prominently depicted on a clearly visible rock shows the Egyptians’ dominance in the form of a large man with his arms raised and a Sinaite with an arrow in his chest kneeling in front of him. Mustafa Nour El-Din from the Aswan Inspectorate at the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities discovered the unusual inscription in Wadi Khamila. Egyptologist Prof. Dr. Ludwig Morenz from the University of Bonn interpreted the scene: It announces the Egyptians’ colonial claim 5,000 years ago.

ERC Proof of Concept Grant for innovation in low-temperature microscopy

Junior-Professor Daqing Wang from the University of Bonn has received a Proof of Concept Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for his “MinCryo” project. With the grant of €150,000 over one year, the physicist will continue to prepare his research results for practical applications in industry. The technical solution developed by him and his team facilitates a wider and more resource-efficient access to cryogenic – extremely cold - optical imaging that combines microscopes with extremely cold temperatures.

Soft Power and Charismatic Leadership

The origin, development, and significance of soft power and charismatic leadership in German-American relations are the subject of the latest publication by Bonn-based political scientist Hendrik W. Ohnesorge. This is his postdoctoral thesis, in which Ohnesorge examines over five centuries of transatlantic relations up to these present days.