Cell-specific quantification of sodium concentrations in brain tissue
The element sodium plays a key role in nervous system function. An international research team headed by the Institute of Neurobiology at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU), in collaboration with the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn, has now conducted a closer examination of the sodium concentration in astrocytes – special cells in the brain. To achieve this, the researchers developed a method, via which they can make the sodium content of individual cells in tissue directly visible, as they now describe in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
ELLIS Approves New AI Unit in NRW
North Rhine-Westphalia will become home to a new unit within the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS), one of Europe’s leading networks for artificial intelligence research. The newly approved ELLIS Unit NRW brings together leading AI researchers and large-scale computing infrastructure across the region to advance open-source foundation models, trustworthy machine learning and AI applications for real-world environments.
NRW Academy Welcomes Three New Members from the University of Bonn
The North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and the Arts welcomed eleven new members at its annual ceremony, including three from the University of Bonn: Professor Hendrik Hakenes, a financial market economist; Professor Claudia Wich-Reif, a German scholar; and Professor Anna-Katharina Hornidge, a sociologist. The four women and seven men who make up the academy are united by exceptional research work and creative excellence in their area of expertise.
Pursuing Criminals Across EU Borders
In May 2026, the University of Bonn will begin coordinating a two-year EU project together with partners from Amsterdam, Lublin and Paris on the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) and humane detention conditions in specific EU countries. The European Commission is providing some €350,000 in funding for the project, €150,000 of which is destined for Bonn.
Delegation from Bonn Helping to Shape NeurotechEU’s Next Phase
The University of Bonn was represented by a 14-strong delegation at the 11th General Assembly of the NeurotechEU European Universities alliance held at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. Discussions focused on the next generation of talent, new teaching and learning formats and the crucial final phase of the current funding period.
Debunking Immune-System Myths Over Dinner, at the “Immunesystem Gerüchteküche”
People who want to do something for their health these days often turn to Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms for information. But what’s really behind the posts and trends shared by health influencers? On May 13, the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation3 at the University of Bonn invited the public to join five professors for dinner to explore this question. In a relaxed atmosphere, social media posts on health and the immune system were presented, discussed by the approximately 40 participants, and analyzed together with the experts. The launch of this new format took place at John Barleycorn as part of Bonn’s “May of Science.”