news 2023

Novel Catalyst System for CO2 Conversion Researchers are constantly pushing the limits of technology by breaking new ground in CO2 conversion. Their goal is to turn the harmful greenhouse gas into a valuable resource. Research groups around the world are developing technologies to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into raw materials for industrial applications.

Researchers have charted vast areas of the dense, cold gas of star nurseries in a neighboring galaxy for the first time. An international research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) and involving the University of Bonn has mapped the cold, dense gas of future star nurseries in one of our neighboring galaxies with an unprecedented degree of detail.

The investigation of the biosynthesis of panepoxydone, an important substance for biomedical research, in basidiomycetes has revealed a new enzyme as an important catalyst. The results of the researchers from the Leibniz-HKI, the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse have now been published in the journal "Angewandte Chemie International Edition".

For hydrogen to be sustainably produced using sunlight, it's not just an efficient catalyst system that's needed - it must also be economical, readily available, and resource-efficient. A team led by chemist Kalina Peneva from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry at the University of Jena has made a step in this direction.

Heidelberg University and BASF continue research cooperation - One main area of research is the chemical recycling plastic waste BASF and Heidelberg University will do research together for another five years in the Catalysis Research Laboratory (CaRLa) founded in 2006. The two partners have signed an agreement to this effect, extending their successful research cooperation until 2028.

Simple plastics made from polyolefins such as films or carrier bags have become an integral part of our everyday lives, but are rarely recycled. Junior Professor Robert Geitner wants to give these food packaging materials a new lease of life. At his Physical Chemistry/Catalysis Group, he is researching new potential applications for the materials.

Good news for researchers working with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy: Biocompatible molecular rulers are available for the first time to calibrate the latest super-resolution microscopy methods. Latest super-resolution microscopy methods now achieve an optical resolution in the range of a few nanometres.

Formaldehyde can inhibit enzymes that produce hydrogen particularly efficiently. Researchers from Bochum have discovered how this can be prevented. Enzymes from microorganisms can produce hydrogen (H2) under certain conditions, which makes them potential biocatalysts for biobased H2 technologies. In order to make this hydrogen production efficient, researchers are trying to identify and eliminate possible limiting factors.

Researchers from the Universities of Freiburg and Ulm have developed a monolithically integrated photo battery using organic materials. Networked intelligent devices and sensors can improve the energy efficiency of consumer products and buildings by monitoring their consumption in real time. Miniature devices like these being developed under the concept of the Internet of Things require energy sources that are as compact as possible in order to function autonomously.

Selective genetic channel modifications can protect hydrogen-producing enzymes from harmful oxygen. There are high hopes for hydrogen as the key to the energy transition. A specific enzyme group found in algae and in bacteria can produce molecular hydrogen simply by catalyzing protons and electrons.

Newly discovered mechanism contributes to a better understanding of molecular foundations of fertility Special proteins - known as membrane transporters - are of key importance for the mobility of sperm cells. A research team from the Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center (BZH) headed by Cristina Paulino has, with the aid of cryo-electron microscopy, for the first time succeeded in decoding the structure of such a transporter and its mechanism.

The molecular journey of triglycerides sealing the barrier of the tuberculosis bacterium revolves around a two-protein team. Tuberculosis is a severe infectious disease that claims about 1.3 million lives annually world-wide. This dismal toll is caused by the notorious pathogen Mycobacteria tuberculosis , whose bitter success depends on its formidable cellular double barrier offering at the same time protection from the host defence system, and a terrain mediating host-pathogen interactions during infection.

International team of astronomers publish new findings on the evolution of galactic structures Heavy elements like gold, silver, and uranium are apparently more abundant in the Universe than previously assumed. This is the conclusion of an international research team including scientists from the Centre for Astronomy of Heidelberg University that investigated astrophysical processes in star formation regions and particularly the chemical composition of so-called HII regions.

Research team from the University of Münster presents synthesis method in Nature Chemistry Fluorinated small molecules are very often used to produce medicines or agrochemicals. However, they rarely occur naturally. The societal importance of fluorinated substances, combined with the lack of natural sources, has created a demand for effective, sustainable methods to generate new fluorinated motifs - molecular structures containing one or more fluorine atom - from relatively simple starting materials.

Researchers around the world are working on more efficient methods for producing hydrogen. Hydrogen could make a decisive contribution to reducing the consumption of fossil raw materials, especially if it is produced using renewable energies. Existing technologies for producing climate-neutral hydrogen are still too inefficient or too expensive for broader application.

Water is a major driving force in the formation of separate reaction compartments within cells. In order to fulfil their function, biological cells need to be divided into separate reaction compartments. This is sometimes done with membranes, and sometimes without them: the spontaneous segregation of certain types of biomolecules leads to the formation of so-called condensates.

Organic dyes accelerate transport of buffered solar energy The sun sends enormous amounts of energy to the earth. Nevertheless, some of it is lost in solar cells. This is an obstacle in the use of organic solar cells, especially for those viable in innovative applications. A key factor in increasing their performance: Improved transport of the solar energy stored within the material.

Scientists from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg have successfully developed nanomaterials using a so-called bottom-up approach. As reported in the scientific journal ACS Nano, they exploit the fact that crystals often grow in a specific direction during crystallisation.

The research units are aiming to reveal the potential of enzymatic catalysis and investigate the biological mechanisms that underlie bladder cancer. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has set up eight new research units. Two of them are at the University of Freiburg. Unlocking the potential of S -adenosylmethionine-dependent enzyme chemistry The research unit "Unlocking the Potential of S -adenosylmethionine-dependent Enzyme Chemistry" aims to develop the new potentials of enzymatic catalysis.

By implementing an innovative technology, any wastewater treatment plant would be able to produce methane from carbon dioxide in an environmentally friendly way. If some microorganisms present in wastewater treatment plants are additionally supplied with hydrogen and carbon dioxide, they produce pure methane.