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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.

There are currently around 1.8 million people living with dementia in Germany. Due to increased life expectancy, the proportion will continue to grow: based on data from the Federal Statistical Office, experts expect up to two million cases in 2033. For the first time, an intervention study was carried out to prevent mental decline in older GP patients.

News from Two new papers published by researchers from Leipzig University and its partner institutions shed light on the complex relationships between biodiversity, soil and climate. They show how human influences and climate change are jeopardising our environment and emphasise the need for integrated solutions that promote sustainability and social justice.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are found throughout the human body and are involved in many complex signalling pathways. Despite their importance in many biological processes, the central mechanism of G protein-coupling and the associated signal transmission is not yet understood. A team of researchers from Leipzig University has succeeded in understanding the mechanism of signal transmission through an adrenaline-binding receptor at the atomic level.

In a warming climate, cloud patterns change in such a way that they exacerbate global warming. A research group led by Johannes Quaas from Leipzig University and Hao Luo and Yong Han from Sun Yat-sen University in China has discovered that the cloud cover is increasingly showing asymmetrical changes: it decreases more during the day than at night.

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications shows that grassland and arable land could better provide different services at the same time if the use of pesticides and mineral fertilizers is reduced. According to the researchers from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig University (UL) and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), these results also apply under possible future climate conditions.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a dangerous malformation of the lungs and diaphragm that causes almost a third of affected babies to die from underdeveloped lungs. Medical researchers in Leipzig have made important progress in understanding the condition. The team led by Dr Richard Wagner has discovered that the dangerous malformation of the newborn lungs is associated with inflammatory processes involving the increased presence of immune cells.

The rapidly escalating prevalence of overweight and obesity poses a significant medical challenge worldwide. In addition to people's changing lifestyles, genetic factors also play a key role in the development of obesity. Scientists at Leipzig University and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf have now identified a new regulator of eating behaviour.

News from Some materials are transparent to light of a certain frequency. When such light is shone on them, electrical currents can still be generated, contrary to previous assumptions. Scientists from Leipzig University and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have managed to prove this. "This opens new paradigms for constructing opto-electronic and photovoltaic devices, such as light amplifiers, sensors and solar cells," says Inti Sodemann Villadiego, Professor at the Institute of Theoretical Physics at Leipzig University.

CAR T cell therapy has proven effective in treating various haematological cancers. However, not all patients respond equally well to treatment. In a recent clinical study, researchers from the University of Leipzig Medical Center and the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology identified several biomarkers that are associated with the response to CAR T cell therapy in multiple myeloma, a malignant tumour disease in the bone marrow.

As climate change threatens coffee farming, experts at Nestlé, the world's largest food company, are exploring how advanced data science and artificial intelligence can help select and breed more climate-resilient crops. Together with researchers from scientific institutions in Brazil, France, the US and elsewhere, they have published their latest findings in the journal Nature Genetics.

Special features of the Arctic climate, such as the strong reflection of the sun's rays off the light snow or the low position of the sun, amplify global warming in the Arctic. However, researchers are often faced with the challenge of modelling the underlying climatic processes in order to be able to provide reliable weather forecasts.

Researchers at Leipzig University and Ulm University have developed a new method to isolate HIV from samples more easily, potentially making it easier to detect infection with the virus. They focus on peptide nanofibrils (PNFs) on magnetic microparticles, a promising tool and hybrid material for targeted binding and separation of viral particles.

Adhesion GPCRs are a group of G protein-coupled receptors associated with many bodily functions and diseases in humans. Scientists at Leipzig University have discovered a new receptor - which they have named "mayo" - and found that it influences the development of the small intestine and heart function in fruit flies, and that these phenomena may also be relevant in humans.

Research teams from Leipzig and Magdeburg have taken a significant step towards the prevention of acute kidney disease. Under the leadership of Berend Isermann, Professor of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics at the University of Leipzig and Peter Mertens, Director of the University Clinic for Kidney and Hypertension Diseases, Diabetology and Endocrinology in Magdeburg, a new type of protective system has been identified in the kidney.

The conversion of rainforest into plantations erodes and restructures food webs and fundamentally changes the way these ecosystems function, according to a new study published in Nature. The findings provide the first insights into the processing of energy across soil and canopy animal communities in mega-biodiverse tropical ecosystems.

The adage "necessity is the mother of invention" is often used to describe the origin from which our cultural development springs. After all, necessity in times of scarcity has forced humans to constantly invent new technologies that have driven the remarkable cumulative culture of our species. But an invention only becomes cultural when it is learned and spread by many people.

Artificial intelligence using neural networks performs calculations digitally with the help of microelectronic chips. Physicists at Leipzig University have now created a type of neural network that works not with electricity but with so-called active colloidal particles. In their publication in the prestigious journal "Nature Communications", the researchers describe how these microparticles can be used as a physical system for artificial intelligence and the prediction of time series.

Artificial intelligence with neural networks performs calculations digitally with the help of microelectronic chips. Physicists at Leipzig University have now realized a form of neural network that does not work with electricity but with so-called active colloidal particles. Their publication in the renowned journal "Nature Communications" deals with the use of these microparticles as a physical system for artificial intelligence and the prediction of time series.

Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in Germany. People who suffer from it often lose control when eating and consume large amounts of food. Anja Hilbert, Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Leipzig University, is investigating how the disorder can be cured. In a recent pilot study, she and her research team found a positive effect of food-related neurofeedback.