news 2020

The Moon formed a little later than previously assumed. When a Mars-sized protoplanet was destroyed in a collision with the young Earth, a new body was created from the debris ejected during this catastrophe - the Moon. Planetologists at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luftund Raumfahrt; DLR) and the University of Münster have used a new numerical model to reconstruct the time at which the event occurred - 4.425 billion years ago.

In a longitudinal study, an international research team led by Leipzig University has investigated the consequences of changes in plant biodiversity for the functioning of ecosystems. The scientists found that the relationships between plant traits and ecosystem functions change from year to year. This makes predicting the long-term consequences of biodiversity change extremely difficult, they write in "Nature Ecology & Evolution".

In topological materials, electrons can display behaviour that is fundamentally different from that in 'conventional' matter, and the magnitude of many such 'exotic' phenomena is directly proportional to an entity known as the Chern number. New experiments establish for the first time that the theoretically predicted maximum Chern number can be reached - and controlled - in a real material.

For a long time, it was not possible to establish the precise origin of high-grade transparent glass from imperial Rome (3rd century CE) - glass which was used for example for vessels and as window glass. Historical sources strongly suggested that the glass originated in Egypt - on the basis of the term "Alexandrian" found in these sources - but this could not so far be confirmed.

A research team led by zoologist Dr Amy MacLeod has been using drones to count marine lizards on the Galapagos Islands. The aim of the Leipzig University project is to determine the colony sizes of this vulnerable species and, with the help of volunteers, to precisely locate them - in order to ultimately be able to better protect the iguanas.

Göttingen Physicists use oscillations of atoms to control a phase transition The goal of -Femtochemistry- is to film and control chemical reactions with short flashes of light. Using consecutive laser pulses, atomic bonds can be excited precisely and broken as desired. So far, this has been demonstrated for selected molecules.

Proteins are the workers in a cell and, as the "basic element of life", are responsible for the most widely varying metabolic processes. In plants, for example, they take on an important function in photosynthesis. In order to be able to work purposefully, proteins change their chemical form after they have been produced in a cell - for example, through protein acetylation, when an acetyl group is transferred to the protein.

Due to border closures in the wake of the corona crisis, the arrival of refugees in Europe has temporarily dipped. However, worldwide numbers of refugees have surged, again, within a year, driven by violence, war, persecution, economic hardship, or climate change. In the foreseeable future, many refugees will not be able to return to their homes.

The molecular gas in galaxies is organised into a hierarchy of structures. It moves along filament-like orbits to centres of gas and dust where it is compressed into stars and planets. To better understand this, an international team of astronomers led by Dr Jonathan Henshaw from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and Dr Diederik Kruijssen from the Center for Astronomy at Heidelberg University examined gas movements on various size scales.

X-ray structure analysis gives detailed insights into molecular factory The active agents of many drugs are natural products, so called because often only microorganisms are able to produce the complex structures. Similar to the production line in a factory, large enzyme complexes put these active agent molecules together.

Large-scale study with more than 4000 participants at ZIEL - Institute for Food & Health The composition and function of bacteria in the human intestine - the so-called gut microbiome - changes as the day progresses. This was established by researchers based in Freising at ZIEL - Institute for Food & Health of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) with one of the largest studies related to microbiomes and diabetes comprising more than 4000 participants.

It is one of the key technologies for high-performance batteries of the future: the lithium metal battery (LMB). Designed for instance as solid-state battery with polymer electrolyte, it promises a significantly higher energy density than the currently common lithium-ion battery (LIB). However, it is not yet fully developed for the final commercial breakthrough and is therefore currently used by only a few pilot projects.

While miniaturization is already well advanced in electrical engineering, analysis and process technology in medicine and biochemistry still fills entire laboratories. Researchers from the University of Stuttgart and the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL) in Hamburg have now developed a method which enables a laboratory to be reduced to the size of the tip of a needle.

International group of researchers with members from Freie Universität Berlin describes the growth strategies of plant roots. No 115/2020 from Jul 02, 2020 An international group of researchers with members from Freie Universität Berlin, the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), and Wageningen University, among others, has been studying the complex belowground economy of roots.

Research team led by University of Göttingen investigates flower strips, organic farming and small crop fields Sowing strips of wildflowers along conventional cereal fields and the increased density of flowers in organic farming encourage bumblebees as well as solitary wild bees and hoverflies. Bumblebee colonies benefit from flower strips along small fields, but in organic farming, they benefit from large fields.

New method for quality control of chanterelle mushrooms Chanterelles give savoury dishes a rich body and a unique complex flavour. Experts refer to this as the kokumi effect. A research team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology recently developed the first method to clearly quantify chanterelle-specific key substances that contribute to this effect.

University of Göttingen research team investigates the influence of insect and microalgae feeds on meat quality Worldwide there is a growing demand for animal products for human nutrition, despite vegan and vegetarian diets becoming more popular in Western countries. Changing diets necessitate a substantial amount of protein as an input for animal production.

International researchers led by University of Göttingen find multiple planet system orbiting Gliese 887 The nearest exoplanets to us provide the best opportunities for detailed study, including searching for evidence of life outside the Solar System. In research led by the University of Göttingen, the RedDots team of astronomers has detected a system of super-Earth planets orbiting the nearby star Gliese 887, the brightest red dwarf star in the sky.

How do rising temperatures and more hot days affect cities, especially the heat stress on public squares? And what needs to be done in response to climate change? A team of Heidelberg University geographers led by Dr Kathrin Foshag investigated these questions using locations in the Heidelberg urban area.

Scientists at Freie Universität Berlin are studying the effects of microplastics in the soil No 109/2020 from Jun 25, 2020 Ecologists at Freie Universität Berlin examine and evaluate the effects of microplastics in soils on terrestrial ecosystems.