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Researchers have adapted an existing coding system for human facial expressions so that the facial expressions of bonobos can also be systematically analyzed. Their research results, which have just been published in the journal PeerJ, confirm that these apes have a repertoire of 28 different facial movements, which are caused by 22 specific muscle movements.

To the point Nose-brain connection: researchers have identified a direkt link between the nose and nerve cells in the brain that trigger a feeling of fullness when food is smelled. Mechanism of action: the nerve cells activate upon smelling food, leading to a reduced appetite, but are inhibited once eating begins.

A research team at the University of Würzburg has gained new insights into the development of kidney tumors in young children. These enable a better risk assessment and could form the basis for targeted screening and improved early detection. A research team at the Biocenter of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU), together with cooperation partners at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge (UK), has taken a significant step towards understanding Wilms' tumors, malignant kidney tumors in young children.

To the point In combination: Together, Rapamycin and Trametinib extend the lifespan of mice by around 30 percent and work better than either of the drugs alone. Effects on inflammation and cancer: The therapy reduces chronic inflammation and delays cancer development New mechanisms: The combination influences gene expression differently than the individual drugs, without additional side effects.

Researchers identify group of nerve cells in the brain that influence eating behavior and weight gain To the point Nerve cells in the hypothalamus: These neurons influence eating behavior and weight gain. Hormone-controlled: These nerve cells are controlled by the hormone leptin, which suppresses appetite.

A new study uses metabolic profiling to uncover ancient knowledge systems behind therapeutic and psychoactive plant use in ancient Arabia. To the point Earliest Traces: A new study shows that Peganum harmala , also known as Syrian rue or harmal, was used as a burning substance in Arabia as early as 2,700 years ago.

Life Published: 21 May 2025, 13:40 An invisible intruder puts the delicate balance in our lungs to the test: the mold Aspergillus fumigatus, harmless in nature, can become a serious danger if the immune system is weakened - and change the entire bacterial world in the lungs. But that's not all: the intestines and metabolism also appear to be affected by a lung infection.

Life Published: 21 May 2025, 8:00 Fatty acids and the substances formed from them play an important role in inflammation in the human body-and therefore also in health and disease progression. However, the quantitative analysis of such compounds poses considerable technical challenges for research. An international team of around 100 scientists has now developed comprehensive guidelines for the standardised quantification of oxidised fatty acids using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

Fibroblasts play a central role in maintaining healthy tissue structures, as well as in the development and progression of diseases. For a long time, these specialised connective tissue cells were thought to represent a single, uniform cell type. A recent publication by researchers at the University of Leipzig Medical Center shows that fibroblasts in human tissue actually consist of distinct populations with specialised functions.

Fibroblasts play a central role in the maintenance of healthy tissue structures, but also in the development and progression of diseases. For a long time, these specialized cells of the connective tissue were regarded as a uniform cell type. A recent publication by scientists at Leipzig University Medicine makes it clear that fibroblasts in human tissue consist of different populations with specialized tasks.

A research team at the Carl Ludwig Institute of Physiology at Leipzig University has shown for the first time how the energy content of individual nerve cells in the brain changes during so-called depolarization waves, waves of activity that occur in various brain diseases. The results provide an important basis for understanding the energy metabolism in the event of an acute lack of blood flow, such as occurs in strokes.

When the cellular waste disposal system goes on strike, this can have fatal consequences. A research team at the University of Würzburg has now identified a key player in this clean-up crew. A special enzyme - the so-called ubiquitin-selective unfoldase p97/VCP - is one of the main players when cells remove malformed or excess proteins from their interior.

Analysing the gene activity of every single bacterial cell in a colony? A new technique from Würzburg can do this much more efficiently than other methods. Not all'individuals in a population of bacteria are identical. Some may be on the verge of cell division, others are differentiating, others are in the process of adapting to changing environmental conditions.

Study of twins detects bacteria in the small intestine that play a role in the development of MS To the point Twin study : Among many other factors, microorganisms in the gut are suspected of contributing to the onset of MS. To obtain meaningful results, researchers examined stool samples and microorganisms directly from the small intestine of identical twins, where only one twin had MS.

Bonn researchers develop method for describing and predicting critical transitions in networked systems The global climate is in an imbalance. Potential "tipping elements " include the Greenland ice sheet, coral reefs, and the Amazon rainforest. Together they form a network that can collapse if just one individual component tips.

The marine worm Ramisyllis multicaudata , which lives within the internal canals of a sponge, is one of only two such species possessing a branching body, with one head and multiple posterior ends. An international research team led by the Universities of Göttingen and Madrid is the first to describe the internal anatomy of this intriguing animal.

Bonn researchers link immune cells to higher risk of duodenal carcinoma in hereditary FAP People with the hereditary disease familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) have a greatly increased risk of developing a malignant tumor of the duodenum. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 at the University of Bonn have now discovered a mechanism in the local immune system that can drive the development of cancer.

University of Bonn-guided study leads to the discovery of a promising receptor blocker Irritable bowel syndrome, chronic itching, asthma and migraine are in many cases hard-to-treat conditions. They have in common that they are triggered by an excessive immune response-which in severe cases can be life-threatening.

Researchers at the MPI of Biochemistry have used spatial Deep Visual Proteomics workflow to reveal why some patients with the hereditary disease alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency remain healthy despite the genetic defect.

New insights into dopamine in focal cortical dysplasia: For the first time, a research team in Bonn is systematically investigating the role of the dopamine system in a common form of therapy-resistant epilepsy. Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) type 2 is a congenital malformation of the cerebral cortex that is often associated with difficult-to-treat epilepsy.