They originate from the world of the smallest particles and have the ability to measure things with the highest precision - quantum sensors are currently veritable stars among experts. For a project aimed at improving such sensors, physicists at the University of Bonn and their international partners are now receiving funding of around 1.5 million euros from the European QuantERA program. In their project, the researchers want to guide laser-cooled atoms through hollow-core photonic crystal fibers in order to incorporate them into quantum sensors and quantum computers. The Technical University of Darmstadt, the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland), the University of Torun (Poland) and the company Alpine Quantum Technologies (Austria) are involved.
The brain has the ability to modify the contacts between neurons. Among other things, that is how it prevents brain activity from getting out of control. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn, together with a team from Australia, have identified a mechanism that plays an important role in this. In cultured cells, this mechanism alters the synaptic coupling of neurons and thus stimulus transmission and processing. If it is disrupted, diseases such as epilepsy, schizophrenia or autism may be the result. The findings are published in the journal Cell Reports.
Can iron-rich dust fertilize the ocean, stimulate algae growth there, and thereby capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere? An international research team led by the University of Bonn used deep-sea sediment cores from the Scotia Sea to investigate whether this hypothetical greenhouse gas sink had an effect during ice ages. Although dust input was high during ice ages, no evidence of a fertilization effect could be found in the Antarctic Ocean. Rather, the production of algae, for example, and thus carbon dioxide sequestration, was high only during warm periods when dust input was low. The study has now been published in "Nature Communications."
Researchers at the Universities of Bonn and Sao Paulo have succeeded in mitigating chronic inflammation in mice using customized "mini-antibodies." These nanobodies enabled them to dissolve molecular complexes in tissue that normally activate the immune system. The nanobodies produced may in future help to slow down unwanted inflammatory reactions that cause diseases such as arthritis or neurodegeneration. The study is published in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine.
Just on time for the start of the Bonn Cherry Blossom Festival, geodesists from the University of Bonn have taken advantage of social media to visualize where the blossoms are hiding in Bonn.
What role does religion play in both overcoming existing and creating new forms and types of dependencies? This question will be explored in the second part of the lecture series organized by the Centre for Religion and Society (ZERG) and the Cluster of Excellence Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS). The lecture series will now take place every Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. in the University's main building and will also be livestreamed.
Quite a few young men would like to increase their height. However, a study by nutritionists at the University of Bonn shows that they do not benefit from increased protein intake in terms of their adult height. In contrast, young women often see it as problematic when their height significantly exceeds 1.80 meters. Here, during growth, a protein intake adapted to the recommendations can even cause a reduction of a few centimeters. The results have been published online in advance in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The final version will appear soon.
The University of Bonn is able to report fresh improvements in the QS World University Rankings by subject. Judged to be one of the best of its kind in Germany, our Mathematics Department also enjoys a leading international reputation as 49th in the world. Other of our subjects were also able to improve their international standing.