news 2024

Geological studies of a drill core combined with computer models show that large ice sheets first formed only in East Antarctica The glaciation of the Antarctic began approximately 34 million years ago, but the initial phase of glaciation did not encompass the entire continent - as previously assumed.

Mast cells trap and use living neutrophils during allergic reactions Known for their role in allergic reactions, mast cells have long been recognised as key players in our immune system. When they encounter allergens, they release chemicals that trigger typical allergy symptoms such as tissue swelling and inflammation.

Research team including Göttingen University develops high-resolution fluorescence microscope What does the inside of a cell really look like? In the past, standard microscopes were limited in how well they could answer this question. Now, researchers from the Universities of Göttingen and Oxford, in collaboration with the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), have succeeded in developing a microscope with resolutions better than five nanometres (five billionths of a metre).

The brain is constantly storing new experiences that it has to integrate into the jumble of existing memories. Surprisingly, it does not overwrite previous memory traces in the process. The first day of school: entering the classroom for the first time, the excited feeling in your stomach and the joy of having a school bag - these are all typical examples of memories from our episodic memory.

In young planetary systems, gas giants form more efficiently and faster than previously assumed as shown by new computer simulations. Ring-shaped perturbations in disks of gas and dust orbiting young stars can trigger the formation of several gas giants, as researchers from the ORIGINS Cluster of Excellence, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Göttingen report in the current issue of the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Known for their role in allergic reactions, mast cells have long been recognised as key players in our immune system. When they encounter allergens, they release chemicals that trigger typical allergy symptoms such as tissue swelling and inflammation. Now, researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg and the University of Münster have discovered a hidden talent of mast cells: they can capture and use another type of immune cell called neutrophils.

Researchers from the University of Münster analysed 202 fragments At the beginning of this year, on 21 January, a huge fireball was visible over the German state of Brandenburg. It was the result of a small celestial body entering the Earth's atmosphere, bursting and falling to the ground in numerous fragments near Ribbeck in the Havelland.

Research team led by Göttingen University expands the applications of oxygen isotope measurements   Measuring temperatures from Earth's past is important for understanding the development of its climate. Ancient ocean temperatures are most commonly reconstructed by analysing the ratio of different oxygen atoms in the calcium carbonate remains of fossils.

Research team at the University of Göttingen develops method for recognizing cell properties Can you tell whether an avocado is hard or soft by looking at it? You would have to recognize how the plant cells behave behind the skin. The same applies to all other cells on our planet: Despite more than 100 years of intensive research, many of their properties remain hidden inside the cell.

Immune cells in the brain form bridges to nerve cells and protect against neurodegenerative diseases When nerve cells in the brain die, diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's develop. To protect these cells, there are immune cells in the brain known as microglia. A study has now shown that microglia form tiny tubes, so-called -tunnelling nanotubes-, and thus connect directly to the nerve cells.

In a collaborative project between the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Bioinformatics (IZBI) at Leipzig University, changes in gene expression in sebaceous glands have been spatially mapped for the first time. The study documents at high resolution changes in gene expression in the course of sebum synthesis and identifies new candidates for the modulation of sebum production.

Research team at the University of Göttingen develops method for recognizing cell properties   Checking whether an avocado is hard or soft by looking at it? This would require recognizing how the plant cells behave behind the skin. The same applies to all'other cells on our planet: Despite more than 100 years of intensive research, many of their properties remain hidden inside the cell.

Researchers including Göttingen University show that modern behaviour explains prehistoric economies   What if the 'Market Economy' always existed? Archaeologists from the Universities of Göttingen in Germany and Salento in Italy tried to answer this question by researching how much Bronze Age people used to spend to sustain their daily lives.

The liver has a remarkable ability to regenerate. This property is crucial for maintaining organ function and recovery after injury or surgery. Scientists from the University of Leipzig Medical Center, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, TU Dresden and ETH Zurich have used clinical samples to investigate how cell types in the liver change before and after regeneration.

HyFiT fuels can reduce the carbon footprint of heavy goods transport and cut harmful emissions Synthetic fuels could make heavy goods traffic climate-friendly in the future. A team from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, RWTH Aachen University, and ETH Zurich is now presenting a synthesis route that can be used to produce a fuel, known as HyFiT fuel, made from biomass or CO2 that can be used to refuel conventional combustion engines.

Researchers at Heidelberg University are studying the formation of this characteristically blue-colored crystal in volcanic melts Sapphires are among the most precious gems, yet they consist solely of chemically "contaminated" aluminum oxide, or corundum. Worldwide, these characteristically blue-colored crystals are mainly found in association with silicon-poor volcanic rocks.

Research exposes the long-lasting effects of losing a family member in war-torn regions Each year, hundreds of thousands of people are affected by armed conflict, both directly, through loss of life, or indirectly, through the loss of family members. Researchers studied the extent and duration of bereavement among those who lost immediate family members in high-intensity conflicts.

A research team at the University of Tübingen has found that most glyphosate that ends up in European rivers likely does not come from herbicides, as previously assumed; instead, it may be the result of additives to detergents. For the study, Professor Carolin Huhn of the Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and colleagues from the Geoand Environmental Center conducted a large meta-analysis on data from European and US water protection authorities.

People trust medical advice less if they suspect that an artificial intelligence is involved in its creation. This is the key finding of a study by psychologists from the University of Würzburg. People used to ask Dr. Google if they wanted to know whether their symptoms indicate a mild stomach upset or terminal cancer; today, they are increasingly turning to ChatGPT.

Who we choose as a partner depends in part on who we find attractive on the outside. Scientists have long wondered whether potential partners can also sense a woman's fertility, for example through subtle changes in her body odour. Researchers from Leipzig University, the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the University of Göttingen have now turned their attention to this question.