wire - news in brief

News from An international team of researchers have discovered a key mechanism behind the yo-yo effect. Fat cells store memories of obesity in their cell nucleus. These memories remain even after a weight loss programme, making it more likely for someone to put the weight back on. The research team, which includes scientists from the University of Leipzig Medical Center, report on their work in the latest issue of the journal Nature.

A recent study from the University of Würzburg unveiled a key enzyme involved in producing selenoproteins, opening new strategies for treating certain types of cancer in children.

The HU neuroscientist wants to develop methods for analysing large brains using the elephant brain as an example.

Over the years, chemical biology methods have made an important contribution to the study of integral membrane proteins.

Study refutes previous assumptions and reveals the cosmopolitan origin of the inhabitants of Pompeii Researchers from the University of Florence, Harvard University and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig have used ancient DNA to challenge long-held interpretations of the people of Pompeii.

HU biologist Kerstin Kaufmann leads ERC research project to unravel complex pattern formation processes in biological systems.

Mushrooms are existing in a breathtaking variety of shapes, colors and sizes. Especially in autumn, mushroom hunters are going into the forests to find the tastiest of them, prepare them in multiple ways and eat them with relish. However, it is well known that there are also poisonous mushrooms among them, and it is live saving to distinguish between them.

Cell biologist Maria Florencia Sánchez is a passionate scientist who now works in Münster Since May of this year, the second floor of the Multiscale Imaging Centre (MIC) on Röntgenstraße has been home to the office of Dr Maria Florencia Sánchez, who studies how cells communicate.

More than half of the natural habitat types in Germany are in an ecologically unfavorable state, and more valuable habitat areas are disappearing every day.

Space-saving, energy-efficient, resource-saving, mobile and stackable - this is how researchers at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) envision food production in the city of the future.

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. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn and the University of Tübingen have now discovered that individual nerve cells in the medial temporal lobe recognize zero as a numerical value and not as a separate category "nothing".

European Commission supports establishment of MSCA doctoral networks in physics, life sciences, engineering sciences and medicine Five new cross-border and inter-institutional doctoral networks at He

We all know the adage, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." As we age, our ability to learn new skills, like mastering a foreign language or picking up a musical instrument, seems to fade.

Unusual arrangement of whiskers and indirect feeding probably contribute to elephants' left and right proboscis behaviour.

Heidelberg researchers describe a new field of research to engineer precise immune responses from molecular constituents Synthetic immunology, an innovative field of research which could lead to fund

Bonn researchers clarify the influence of treatment with tetrahydrocannabinol on the metabolic switch mTOR A low-dose long-term administration of cannabis can not only reverse aging processes in the brain, but also has an anti-aging effect. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn together with a team from Hebrew University (Israel) have now been able to show this in mice.

Dr. Karl Petri is establishing a research group at the University Hospital Würzburg to develop and enhance novel CRISPR 2.0 tools for generating and improving cancer-targeted CAR-T cell products.

Bonn researchers establish efficient, cost-effective method for generating endothelial cells from stem cells The innermost layer of blood vessels is formed by endothelial cells, which in turn play a role in the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system. Human endothelial cells are therefore required for the "in vitro" investigation of the causes of these diseases.

Dr. Axel Bohmann is examining linguistic variation at the level of the individual. Edoardo Milana is investigating how "neurofluidic" systems can be integrated into soft robots.

Wanja Wiese explores which conditions must be met for consciousness to exist. At least one of them can't be found in a computer.

Thinking against the grain with artificial intelligence - A guest commentary by science journalist Manuela Lenzen People want to know how stories continue.

How and why do the perception and acceptance of political rules and institutions change? This is the hot-button question that a new research group on major structural change, headed by Lydia Mechtenberg from University of Hamburg, is asking.

Study by the University of Bonn shows that what are known as aptamers can be absorbed directly via the skin Researchers at the University of Bonn have isolated a DNA molecule that is suitable for combating allergic contact dermatitis in mice. What is known as an aptamer binds to certain immune system messenger substances, rendering them ineffective.

How can artificial intelligence (AI) contribute to deciphering, describing and naming biodiversity, i.e. the diversity of life on our planet, by using taxonomic methods faster than these species become extinct - An international research team led by the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry and the TU Ilmenau has investigated this question and published the results in the renowned journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution.

In her doctoral thesis, Dr Berta Canal investigated the effects of heat on the reproductive capacity of fruit flies Dr Berta Canal recently completed her doctoral thesis at the Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity (IEB) at the University of Münster that examined the effects of heat stress on the reproductive capacity of fruit flies ( Drosophila ).

Procrastination, the deliberate but detrimental deferring of tasks, has many forms. Sahiti Chebolu of the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics uses a precise mathematical framework to understand its different patterns and their underlying reasons.

The University of Würzburg is part of a new Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) in which innovative therapeutic strategies against cancer are being sought.