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Current findings from a Jena-Zurich research project form an important basis for the creation of artificial symbioses with specific properties that could be used for biotechnological applications in the future. For example, they could be used in Medicine, agriculture or environmental technology to protect plants against illnesses or to modify fungi so that they produce certain enzymes or active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Researchers at the University of Leipzig Medical Center have deciphered a new mechanism that plays a central role in the development of diabetic kidney disease. Their study focuses on a coagulation protein. It can be detected in urine samples from patients in the early stages of the disease and can be used as a diagnostic marker.

Researchers are breeding protein-rich rice varieties that cause minimal increase in blood sugar levels Rice is a staple food for over four billion people. By nature, it contains a lot of carbohydrates but very little protein. A team of researchers from the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam, Germany, has now identified the genes that control the carbohydrate composition and protein content of rice.

Researchers from Bonn and Aachen elucidate the role of individual brain neurons in human odor perception We often only realize how important our sense of smell is when it is no longer there: food hardly tastes good, or we no longer react to dangers such as the smell of smoke. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn and the University of Aachen have investigated the neuronal mechanisms of human odor perception for the first time.

Genome instability can cause numerous diseases. Cells have effective DNA repair mechanisms at their disposal. A research team at the University of Würzburg has now gained new insights into the DNA damage response. Whenever cells divide, there is a high risk of damage to the genetic material. After all, the cell has to duplicate its entire genetic material and copy billions of genetic letters before it divides.

Bonn researchers reclassify leading gene variants, a large proportion of them as benign The genetic confirmation of a suspected diagnosis of "hereditary colorectal cancer" is of great importance for the medical care of affected families. However, many of the variants identified in the known genes cannot yet be reliably classified in terms of their causal role in tumor formation.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin (MPIMG) and the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna have discovered a potential "pause button" in the earliest stages of human development. Whether humans can control the timing of their development has long been debated.

Bonn researchers use nanobodies to elucidate pore formation by gasdermin D in cell membranes The formation of pores by a particular protein, gasdermin D, plays a key role in inflammatory reactions. During its activation, an inhibitory part is split off. More than 30 of the remaining protein fragments then combine to form large pores in the cell membrane, which allow the release of inflammatory messengers.

Transferring knowledge from animal experiments to humans remains a key challenge in medical research. This 'translational gap' is often an obstacle to the successful translation of promising preclinical findings into clinical applications. In a joint research project between Leipzig University and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, scientists have used artificial intelligence to develop an approach that compares the molecular mechanisms of COVID-19 disease in humans and animals.

Researchers from Bonn and Tübingen clarify the neuronal basis of the mathematical concept of "zero" Despite its importance for mathematics, the neuronal basis of the number zero in the human brain was previously unknown. Now researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn and the University of Tübingen have discovered that individual nerve cells in the medial temporal lobe recognize zero as a numerical value and not as a separate category "nothing".

A circuit between the brain and gut influences the gut flora and thus regulates the immune system A study has uncovered a critical brain-gut connection that links psychological states to changes in the gut microbiome, with profound implications for immune function and stress-related health conditions.

A serotonin specific receptor can determine how important visual stimuli are perceived. This explains the effects of certain drugs and could help in understanding psychiatric diseases. Signals in our brain are not always processed in the same way: Certain receptors modulate these mechanisms, influencing our mood, perception, and behavior in various ways.

The birds save more energy prior their migration to the south than they consume during the flight itself Millions of birds migrate every year to escape winter, but spending time in a warmer climate does not save them energy, according to research by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Konstanz, Germany.

A study carried out at the University of Bonn identifies a control circuit in flies essential for the consumption of food Researchers at the University of Bonn and the University of Cambridge have identified an important control circuit involved in the eating process. The study has revealed that fly larvae have special sensors, or receptors, in their esophagus that are triggered as soon as the animal swallows something.

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.