Worm infections (helminthiases) affect around 1.5 billion people worldwide, making them one of the most prevalent infections in humans. Parasitic worms (helminths) are often transmitted through insect bites or contaminated soil in areas with limited access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare. These infections can cause chronic and debilitating health problems, such as lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis (river blindness), loiasis (African eye worm), mansonellosis, and trichuriasis (whipworm infection).In the new eWHORM project, coordinated by Prof. Dr. Marc Hübner from the University of Bonn, African and European partners join forces to enable the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) “Road Map for Neglected Tropical Diseases” (NTDs) and reduce the burden of disease associated with worm infections.

On Monday, the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV) named our Rector Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Hoch “Rector of the Year.”

For more than 50 years, it has been suspected that fat cells constantly remodel the lipids they store. Researchers at the University of Bonn have now demonstrated this process directly for the first time using culture cells. Among other things, the study shows that the cells quickly eliminate harmful fatty acids. They refine others into molecules that can be used more effectively. In the long term, this turns the components of palm fat into the building blocks of high-quality olive oil, for example. The results have now been published in the journal Nature Metabolism.

Large quantities of excrements are produced in livestock farming. When it is stored in the barn and spread on the fields as fertilizer, ammonia is produced. The gas is harmful to health and also significantly pollutes the environment. A retrofit solution for existing barn systems promises a remedy: A study by the University of Bonn shows that this can reduce ammonia emissions by around 40 percent just inside the barn. It reduces the production of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, even more significantly. The method could therefore also make an important contribution to the fight against climate change. The results will be published in the Journal of Environmental Management, but are already available online.

The German Research Foundation (DFG) is establishing a new priority program coordinated by the University of Bonn. Prof. Dr. Thomas Becker from the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and his colleagues are focusing their attention on how the power houses of the cell (mitochondria) are integrated into the cellular proteostasis network. Proteostasis stands for the basic cell biological processes such as the folding, transport and degradation of proteins. A deeper insight into the interplay of mitochondria and proteostasis network may contribute to better understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and aging processes. The DFG is funding the supraregional network with around 7.8 million euros for an initial period of three years.

Roads, bridges and dams age. How long can such structures still bear the weight? The new research group “Deformation Analysis with Terrestrial Laser Scanner Measurements (TLS-Defo)” at the University of Bonn wants to make a step forward in answering these questions. The German Research Foundation (DFG) will fund the group with around 2.4 million euros over the next four years.

Nitrogen as a fertilizer can increase yields. However, too much nitrogen can also have negative effects, such as groundwater pollution, high energy consumption in fertilizer production and the generation of climate-relevant gases. Science is therefore looking for ways to help crops thrive with less nitrogen. Researchers at the University of Bonn have discovered gene variants of the nitrate sensor NPF2.12 that trigger a signal cascade chain at low soil nitrogen levels. This induces stronger root growth, resulting in improved nitrogen utilization. The study had already been published online in advance in "New Phytologist." The final version has now been published.

The UN Water Conference, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York March 22-24, was attended by Prof. Dr. Mariele Evers, who is the UNESCO Chair for Human-Water Systems at the University of Bonn Department of Geography. Dr. Evers was there as a member of the German government delegation, joined by members and partners of the BonnWaterNetwork.