From the CRISPR Cas9 gene scissors to artificial intelligence and reprogrammed cells: New technologies are always associated with ethical questions for research and application, to which there are no easy answers. irecs, the new collaborative project funded by the European Union, aims to strengthen principles of research ethics in as many disciplines as possible. Under the leadership of the University of Bonn, 17 partner organizations from Germany and abroad have joined forces to drive the project forward. The EU is funding the project with a total of 4.5 million euros over the next three years.
How can we use biotechnology to create a sustainable future in an ethical way? This question is addressed in teaching materials for schoolchildren produced by the Smithsonian Science Education Center in the USA. Agricultural economist Prof. Dr. Matin Qaim from the Center for Development Research (ZEF) at the University of Bonn is involved with the chapter on "Biotechnology and Food Systems".
An international study led by the medical Faculty of the University of Bonn has identified a gene that plays an important role in the development of the human embryo. If it is altered, malformations of various organ systems can result. The gene emerged very early in evolution. It also exists in zebrafish, for example, and performs a similar function there. The results have now been published in the Journal of Medical Genetics.
With a total of 13 researchers, the University of Bonn is represented this year in the international ranking "Highly Cited Researchers". According to the creators of the ranking, the individuals on this list of "Highly Cited Researchers" are among the world's most influential one percent of their field.
A new exhibition at the Frauenmuseum Bonn focuses on young Hungarian Jewish women whose lives were fundamentally altered by the introduction of the so-called “Numerus Clausus law” in 1920. Based on family memories, historical documents and photographs, the exhibition brings to life the fates and achievements of women born in the first quarter of the twentieth century. It also shows the influence the law had on the women's movement and Jewish assimilation. The exhibition is a cooperation with the Cluster of Excellence Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) at the University of Bonn. It runs from 20 November to 22 December 2022. To take part in the opening, please register by 18 November to: events@dependency.uni-bonn.de
Humanitarian protection and support for victims of war and armed violence, that is the goal of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The symbol of the Red Cross is intended to protect aid workers from attack during their missions. Can this symbol also be used for the digital world - and what opportunities and risks are associated with it?
The Forum Internationale Wissenschaft (FIW) celebrated its tenth anniversary yesterday. The evening opened with a brief look back over the history of the institution, which was instigated and founded by Jürgen Fohrmann—a former Rector of the University, who was among the guests yesterday. The speakers, who included four researchers and group leaders at the FIW, then moved on to diagnosing some of the current problems facing global society. Prof. Kristina Großmann from the Department of Oriental and Asian Studies at the University of Bonn had been invited to the event as a commentator and also joined in the subsequent panel discussion.
The German Research Foundation (DFG) is establishing a new Research Training Group (RTG) at the University of Bonn to further strengthen young scientists. The goal of the RTG " Tools and Drugs of the Future" is to modernize medicinal chemistry and train a new generation of medicinal chemists and researchers at the interface with interconnected disciplines. In addition, the projects are intended to contribute to the development of new drug substances. The funding amounts to almost 6.3 million euros over five years. Eleven new Research Training Groups will be funded throughout Germany from spring 2023.