Driver of inflammation after mild head injury
Mild brain injuries, such as those often sustained in accidents, sports or violence can lead to persistent memory problems and an increased risk of dementia. However, there are currently no therapies available to treat these consequences. A research team led by the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn has now discovered that the protein ASC – a component of cellular emergency buttons – causes long-lasting inflammation in the brains of mice for up to 21 days after injury. By elucidating the inflammatory mechanisms underlying traumatic brain injury, the research team hopes to identify starting points for future therapeutic strategies. The work published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation lays the foundation for future clinical studies.
From the Rhine to the Tropics
Using a low-cost sensor and the Global Navigation Satellite System Interferometric Reflectometry (GNSS-IR), river water levels can be monitored around the clock. The water level data are automatically transmitted via cellular networks to an analysis center. Researchers at the University of Bonn developed the method several years ago and tested it on the Lower Rhine. With support from the European Space Agency (ESA), the monitoring system is now also being used in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.
University of Bonn Joins State’s “New Master Plan”
The University of Bonn is being included in the “New Master Plan” for construction in higher education presented by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). The new procedure is intended to progress building projects faster and on a more binding and more cost-efficient basis. A corresponding agreement was signed in Düsseldorf on Monday, May 4, 2026, by the state’s Ministry of Culture and Science and Ministry of Finance together with its construction and real estate agency (Bau- und Liegenschaftsbetrieb NRW, or BLB NRW) and the Universities of Bonn and Wuppertal.
Understanding How Genes Interact
How do our genes determine our appearance and our susceptibility to disease? This question is central to biomedical research, and today we can sequence thousands of human genomes to identify these genes. However, genes work in complex networks. In a major transdisciplinary collaboration, an international team of geneticists and bioinformaticians set out to create a so-called genetic interaction (GI) map of a human cell. With significant contributions from the Canadian Donnelly Centre, the University of Minnesota, the Hospital for Sick Children in Canada, the University Hospital Bonn, and the University of Bonn, a first draft has now been published in the journal Cell. This draft currently covers about 2.5 percent of all possible gene pairs.
Why CEOs are getting older
In a new discussion paper, a team of researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Princeton demonstrates that executives in the US are now reaching top positions later than they did two decades ago. This trend towards higher CEO age at appointment is particularly pronounced outside the largest listed firms. The researchers attribute this development to the fact that firms increasingly demand broad knowledge and diverse skills from their CEOs.
Less hunger, more environmental problems?
In sub-Saharan Africa, many people are undernourished or malnourished. A new study by the Universities of Bonn and Ghana shows how rising incomes and urbanization are influencing dietary patterns of local populations. According to this, the wealthier segments in African countries are increasingly eating like people in Western industrialized countries. Although this improves their supply of important nutrients, it also has a greater negative impact on the environment. The study also looks at how this environmental damage can be minimized. It has been published in the journal ‘Sustainable Production and Consumption.’