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Our genetic material contains tens of thousands of genes. Like a gigantic orchestra, their interaction is the basis for all vital processes in our body. Errors in this interaction can lead to serious illnesses and are one of the reasons why we age. Researchers in biology and medicine are therefore working hard to understand how the orchestra of genes is organized and how genes are activated or deactivated.

A new look at cancer cells: Würzburg researchers show in the journal 'Science' how therapeutic antibodies work - thanks to an innovative method of super-resolution microscopy. In blood cancers such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, B cells of the immune system multiply uncontrollably. One form of therapy involves labelling the CD20 protein on the surface of the B cells with customised antibodies.

Light Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Published: Cancer operations could become safer in future thanks to a new technology from Jena: An interdisciplinary research team has developed a new type of endoscope that can precisely detect and selectively remove tumour tissue - in real time during the operation.

An estimated four million people in Germany suffer from heart failure, and around half of these patients have heart failure with preserved pumping function. What influence does endurance and strength training have on the progression of this often life-threatening disease? The world's most comprehensive study to date, which was led by scientists from the German Heart Center at Charité Berlin, University Medicine Leipzig, University Medicine Rostock and TUM University Hospital Munich and published in the journal Nature Medicine, provides important insights into this question.

Bonn researchers show how disease-relevant genes can be identified more easily The identification of genes involved in diseases is one of the major challenges of biomedical research. Researchers at the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) have developed a method that makes their identification much easier and faster: they light up genome sequences in the cell nucleus.

International research team describes for the first time the structure and function of the Zorya system, a highly specialized antiviral protection mechanism against bacteria. Bacteria are constantly infected by viruses, so-called phages, which use the bacteria as host cells. However, in the course of evolution, bacteria have developed a variety of strategies to protect themselves from these attacks.

International research team describes for the first time the structure and function of the Zorya system, a highly specialised antiviral protection mechanism of bacteria.

Contactless diagnosis: research team develops innovative measurement technology to determine vital signs A research team from TU Ilmenau and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) has jointly developed an optical measurement system that can be used to monitor the health status of chronically ill or highly contagious people using vital parameters such as body temperature, respiratory rate or oxygen saturation without contact.

Bonn researchers decipher structure of coagulation factor XIII using cryo-electron microscopy A deficiency in blood plasma coagulation factor XIII leads to a disruption in the cross-linking of fibrin, the "glue" in blood coagulation. The enzyme therefore plays an essential role in blood clotting. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, together with Thermo Fisher Scientific in the Netherlands, deciphered the previously unknown structure of the Factor XIII complex using cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), even at the atomic level.

Circadian clocks control physiological processes and behavior in virtually all living organisms. Now an international research team led by researchers from the University of Würzburg has created a detailed map of the internal clock in the brain of the fruit fly. All animals including humans are subject to daily rhythms in their activity and sleep, hunger, metabolism, and reproduction.

Particulate matter and microplastics are much-discussed risks to the environment and health. A new study by the Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability at the University of Hamburg and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon has now investigated the role of tire and brake wear in the formation of urban particulate matter for the first time.

New therapies could prevent the adjustments in intestinal bacteria that enable them to survive in inflamed regions New studies suggest that evolutionary medicine could shape the future of gastroenterology. They pave the way for new approaches to treating inflammatory diseases, such as chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.

The yeast " Candida parapsilosis" is emerging as a growing threat for hospitalized patients in a new study. A team led by Dr Amelia Barber from the Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse" at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Dr Grit Walther from the National Reference Centre for Invasive Fungal Infections (NRZMyk) investigated an outbreak of multi-drug resistant hospital-acquired strain of this fungus.

Study by the University of Bonn shows that deforestation in the Amazon region is also detrimental to human health Rainforest protection is not only good for biodiversity and the climate - it also noticeably improves the health of humans who live in the corresponding regions. This is the conclusion drawn by a current study by the University of Bonn and the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil.

Researchers develop mathematical model to map tumor growth, for example Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Cologne and the University Hospital of Cologne have developed a three-dimensional mathematical model for prostate cancer. The model depicts various processes, including tumor growth, genetic evolution and competition between tumor cells.

Researchers from the University of Bonn are using an innovative method to watch immune receptors go about their business Immune cells are capable of detecting infections just like a sniffer dog, using special sensors known as Toll-like receptors, or TLRs for short. But what signals activate TLRs, and what is the relationship between the scale and nature of this activation and the substance being detected? In a recent study, researchers from the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) used an innovative method to answer these questions.

A team of biologists from the University of Münster has investigated whether and how the immune system can influence the behaviour of sticklebacks It's a well-known fact that if you don't get enough sleep, you're more likely to get sick. And it has also been observed that people sleep differently when they're infected.

Researchers from Bonn uncover how tiny eye movements and the density of our photoreceptors aid in sharp vision Our ability to see starts with the light-sensitive photoreceptor cells in our eyes. A specific region of the retina, termed fovea, is responsible for sharp vision. Here, the color-sensitive cone photoreceptors allow us to detect even the smallest details.

Head and neck cancers are among the ten most common cancers worldwide. Head and neck tumors account for about three to five percent of all cancers, with squamous cell carcinomas being the predominant form. They occur in areas such as the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx. An international team of researchers led by Sara Wickström has now developed a new technique that allows the properties of cancer cells and their surrounding tissue to be analyzed in detail at the single-cell level.

Mushrooms come in a breathtaking variety of shapes, colors and sizes. Especially in autumn, mushroom hunters swarm into the forests to find the tastiest of them, prepare them in a variety of ways and eat them with relish. However, it is well known that there are also poisonous mushrooms among them, and it is vital to distinguish between them.