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Bonn researchers clarify the function of specialized nerve cells in memory formation Specialized nerve cells in the temporal lobe react highly selectively to images and names of a single person or specific objects. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have provided direct evidence for the first time that the so-called concept neurons are indeed the building blocks of our memory for experiences.

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany, now reveal how a bacterial parasite infects and reproduces in the nuclei of deep-sea mussels from hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. A single bacterial cell invades the mussel's nucleus where it reproduces to over 80,000 cells, while ensuring that its host cell stays alive.

Bonn researchers find causative mutations in the keratin 31 gene for the dominantly-inherited form of monilethrix From infancy and usually for life, some families suffer from broken hair due to a congenital form of hair loss called monilethrix. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn and the University of Bonn have now identified causative mutations in another keratin gene, KRT31.

As we age, our brain ages too. Every single cell is subject to this process, which is accompanied by changes in gene activity, among other things. Our brain consists of various cell types, each with specific properties, functions and connections, which together perform the brain's complex computations.

A new study reveals increased mental stress for mothers during the coronavirus pandemic During the Covid-19 pandemic, parents suddenly had to make do without childcare, which placed a heavy burden on mothers in particular. A study by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research has investigated how the childcare situation changed during the pandemic and what impact this had on parents' mental health.

Researchers from Bonn and Japan clarify how neighboring synapses coordinate their response to plasticity signals Nerve cells in the brain receive thousands of synaptic signals via their "antenna", the so-called dendritic branch. Permanent changes in synaptic strength correlate with changes in the size of dendritic spines.

Researchers from Würzburg and Berlin present a new molecule for visualising the sphingomyelin metabolism. This offers prospects for innovative therapeutic approaches in infection research. At the end of the 19th century, the German pathologist Ludwig Thudichum isolated previously unknown fatty substances (lipids) from the brain.

Using newly generated "optogenetic" tobacco plants, research teams from the University of Würzburg's Departments of Plant Physiology and Neurophysiology have investigated how plants process external signals. When it comes to survival, plants have a huge disadvantage compared to many other living organisms: they cannot simply change their location if predators or pathogens attack them or the environmental conditions change to their disadvantage.

Letting go of learned fears is difficult. New research findings reveal that the environment in which we learn the fear could also play a crucial role in unlearning it. When we learn something, we can usually recall it in any new context: If someone passes their driving test in France, they can also drive a car in Germany.

When combined with antifungal drugs, synthetic polymers are particularly effective against the yeast Candida albicans . This is what a German-Australian research team found out and also clarified the mechanism of action behind it. The researchers presented their findings in the journal "Nature Communications".

Chlamydiae are sexually transmitted pathogens that can apparently survive in the human gut for a long time. Researchers from Würzburg and Berlin report this in the journal PLOS Pathogens. People who are infected with chlamydia can transmit these bacteria to other people during unprotected sex. The pathogens usually cause no or only mild symptoms at first, such as itching in the vagina, penis or anus.

University of Bonn study: regulated degradation of damaged cell components prevents heart failure and nerve diseases The elimination of damaged cell components is essential for the maintenance of the body's tissues and organs. An international research team led by the University of Bonn has made significant findings on mechanisms for the clearing of cellular wastes, showing that strength training activates such mechanisms.

Bonn researchers clarify self-regulation of the immune response in the CRISPR bacterial defense system CRISPR gene scissors, as new tools of molecular biology, have their origin in an ancient bacterial immune system. But once a virus attack has been successfully overcome, the cell has to recover. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, in cooperation with researchers from the Institut Pasteur in France, have discovered a timer integrated into the gene scissors that enables the gene scissors to switch themselves off.

A new highly effective thrombosis inhibitor is in sight: Würzburg scientists present promising inhibitor EMA601 for efficient prevention and treatment of arterial thrombosis and inflammatory reactions without increased bleeding risk. An unhealthy lifestyle, diseases or injuries, genetic predisposition, and increased coagulation tendency can promote the formation of thrombi in blood vessels.

Cognitive impairment is one of the burdens for patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. It can severely impair their quality of life and often leads to an increased risk of dementia in those affected. Studies show that a kidney transplant can reverse cognitive impairment - indicating that this disorder can be treated.

In a first, a Bochum-based team has produced a substance capable of sending cancer cells into ferroptosis, that is a specific form of cell death. This could pave the way for the development of new drugs. Conventional cancer drugs work by triggering apoptosis, that is programmed cell death, in tumor cells.

Chemists and pharmaceutical scientists at Heidelberg University develop an innovative process for producing these biologically active compounds A cutting-edge chemical process is the first to make it possible to quickly and easily produce modified peptides with boronic acids. It was developed by scientists from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and the Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology at Heidelberg University.

Further action needed according to a University of Bonn study on child and adolescent nutrition A high-sugar diet is seen as a risk factor for obesity and chronic illness. University of Bonn researchers have analyzed data on sugar intake among children and adolescents in a long-term study, finding that intake has been declining steadily since 2010-but is still above the level recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

A new combination of single infrared light measurement and machine learning can be used to detect metabolic disorders and high blood pressure Some common diseases could be easier and quicker to diagnose in future. A team from the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the Helmholtz Zentrum München has demonstrated in a representative study that infrared light measurements of blood plasma when combined with machine learning can be used to detect various metabolic disorders such as type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

Memory loss, confusion, speech problems - Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting about 35 million people worldwide, and the number is growing. The protein amyloid beta, which occurs naturally in the brain, plays a central role in the disease: It accumulates in patients in insoluble clumps that form plaques between neurons in the brain, damaging them.