news

"Molecular origami" creates new structures in a single operation / Team from the University of Münster presents study in "Nature Communications" Fluorine is found rarely in naturally occurring organic molecules. However, this chemical element is indispensable for the production of pharmaceuticals or agrochemicals.

Photocatalysis as the key / New strategy published in "Science" Most drugs on the market consist of cyclic (ring-shaped) molecules, many of which contain multiple rings. Developing simple and powerful methods for constructing important and novel ring systems remains a task and challenge for chemists in order to produce drugs more efficiently and also to enable new drug structure motifs.

Interfaculty collaboration under one roof / State-of-the-art equipment and technology for biomedical imaging For any visitor walking through the atrium of the research building at the University of Münster - the Multiscale Imaging Centre (MIC) - there are two things which they notice especially: the large window fronts on several sides make it full of light, and on the left side the striking wall installation entitled "Auf Lösung".

International team of researchers produces image of our galaxy with the aid of neutrinos / Study published in -Science- journal Our Milky Way is a galaxy consisting of billions of stars and can be seen in the night sky with the naked eye. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, located in the ice of the Antarctic, has now for the first time produced an image of the Milky Way - with the aid of neutrinos.

Data collected over 15 years provide the first compelling evidence for the existence of a low-frequency background noise from gravitational waves in the universe / Physicist Kai Schmitz from Münster University member of the collaboration For the first time, astrophysicists have found compelling evidence for the existence of gravitational waves which oscillate with periods ranging from years to decades.

Data from 15 years provide first convincing evidence for the existence of low-frequency background noise from gravitational waves in the universe / Physicist Kai Schmitz from the University of Münster involved in consortium Astrophysicists have for the first time found convincing evidence for the existence of gravitational waves that oscillate with periods ranging from years to decades.

Photocatalytic process enables water to be activated Hydrogen is seen as an energy source of the future - at least, when it is produced in a climate-friendly way. Hydrogen can also be important for the production of active ingredients and other important substances. To produce hydrogen, water (H2O) can be converted into hydrogen gas (H2) by means of a series of chemical processes.

Team of researchers to investigate functions of blood-brain barriers According to the Robert Koch Institute, strokes are among the most frequent causes of death in Germany, along with heart diseases and cancer, and they are the most frequent cause of permanent disability in adults. Every year in Germany, around 200,000 people suffer a stroke.

Light-switchable molecules in membranes enable different forms of living cells to be studied Membranes fulfil a variety of tasks in living cells: for example, they separate the cells from their surroundings and thus protect them. Also, by means of transport proteins they convey the necessary nutrients to the interior.

Team led by biologist Carsten Grashoff from the University of Münster has developed a new method for examining mechanical processes in cells / Study published in Science Advances The cells in our body are continuously exposed to mechanical forces that are either externally applied or generated by the cells themselves.

A 3D model of a 407-million-year-old plant fossil has overturned thinking on the evolution of leaves / "Science" publication A 3D model of a 407-million-year-old plant fossil has overturned thinking on the evolution of leaves. The research has also led to fresh insights about spectacular patterns found in plants.

Current psychological study on gender and age differences Psychologists at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (WWU) in Münster, Germany, have joined forces with an international consortium to conduct the most comprehensive study to date on gender and age differences on the topic of narcissism. The scientists surveyed around 270,000 people for their study.

Team of neurobiologists from Münster University publish their findings on the evolution of the glial sheath and rapid transmission of signals in neurons An animal's brain consists of two different types of cell: neurons, which process and transmit information, and glial cells, which support the neurons in a variety of ways.

Intervention in RNA switches off "cancer genes" / American-German team publishes study in "Nature" If the regulation of cell growth and division gets out of control, cancer is a possible consequence. The gene "MYC", for example, plays an important role in controlling cell growth in humans. If it no longer functions properly, cells grow uncontrollably.

Sky rock testifies to intense collisions in early solar system A suspected meteorite find at the end of April in Elmshorn in Schleswig-Holstein has now been confirmed: Scientists from Münster and Dresden have analyzed the find and determined that the rock is a so-called common type H chondrite. This is a group of meteorites that have a particularly high proportion of metal.

Newly discovered signalling pathway specifically protects the stem cells in the plant root from salt stress A high content of sodium-containing salts in the soil is a problem for many plants: as a result, they grow less well, or not at all. Soil salinisation is seen as one of the greatest threats to being able to feed the world's population because it makes soils increasingly infertile, especially in dry regions.

Presentation of two research projects from the humanities and social sciences It is an unwritten law: scientific exchanges and interdisciplinarity are the basis for excellent research. How does interdisciplinary collaboration increase the gain in knowledge? What obstacles have to be overcome in everyday work? We take a closer look at these and other questions by presenting two research projects from the Humanities and the Social Sciences.

Chemistry and physics, traditionally separate disciplines, are intermeshed in nano-technology The area where physics and chemistry meet lies somewhere in the realm of the minute - in the nano range: where molecules react with one another and the laws of quantum mechanics hold sway. This is the area which physicist Dr. Harry Mönig visualises at the Center for Nanotechnology (CeNTech) - with an atomic force microscope and a dedicated technology perfected by himself and a Münster team.

Millions in funding for collaborative project: focus on sustainability and circular economy The recycling of lithium-ion batteries is playing an increasingly important role in battery research not only because of its environmental sustainability, but also because of the shortage of raw materials. While the number of production facilities is increasing in Germany and Europe, there is a lack of natural deposits of numerous starting materials for battery cell production.

Hendrik Weber and Raimar Wulkenhaar from the -Mathematics Münster- Cluster of Excellence work together on mathematical solutions Excellent research is not possible without interdisciplinary working. But, even within one discipline, collaborations crossing the barriers between research areas can lead to new approaches and findings.