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Analysing the gene activity of every single bacterial cell in a colony? A new technique from Würzburg can do this much more efficiently than other methods. Not all'individuals in a population of bacteria are identical. Some may be on the verge of cell division, others are differentiating, others are in the process of adapting to changing environmental conditions.

Agriculture's impact on insect diversity is more severe than previously thought, according to a new study from the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. It has long been known that agriculture contributes to the decline in insect biodiversity. The loss of host plants, frequent mowing, and pesticide use all deprive many species of their habitats.

A team from the Max Planck Research Group for Systems Immunology at the University of Würzburg has identified a previously unknown phase of the immune response. These new insights have significant implications for the development of vaccines and cellular immunotherapies. The research groups led by Wolfgang Kastenmüller and Georg Gasteiger employed innovative microscopy techniques to observe how specific immune cells, known as T'cells, are activated and proliferate during a viral infection.

Würzburg researchers present a new strategy against the life-threatening fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. They combine RNA molecules and an antifungal agent in nanoparticles. Fungal infections are on the rise globally. According to a study by the Manchester Fungal Infection Group , in 2022, approximately 6.5 million people were infected by a pathogenic fungus, and about 3.8 million died as a result - nearly twice as many as in 2012.

With artificial photosynthesis, mankind could utilise solar energy to bind carbon dioxide and produce hydrogen. Würzburg chemists have taken this one step further. Photosynthesis is a marvellous process: plants use it to produce sugar molecules and oxygen from the simple starting materials carbon dioxide and water.

A team of researchers from Würzburg has for the first time experimentally demonstrated a quantum tornado. Electrons form vortices in the momentum space of the quantum semi-metal tantalum arsenide. Scientists have long known that electrons can form vortices in quantum materials. What's new is the proof that these tiny particles create tornado-like structures in momentum space - a finding that has now been confirmed experimentally.

Researchers from the University of Würzburg are opening up new horizons in chemistry: They present the world's first triple bond between the atoms boron and carbon. Boron, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen: these four elements can form chemical triple bonds with each other due to their similar electronic properties.

An international research network has observed a cosmic neutrino with a record-breaking energy in the depths of the Mediterranean. Würzburg astrophysicist Sara Buson and her team were also involved. From the abyss of the Mediterranean Sea, scientists including astrophysicists from the Chair for Astronomy in Würzburg, Germany, used the KM3NeT neutrino telescope to detect a cosmic neutrino with a record-breaking energy of about 220 PeV.

What measures are suitable for providing better living conditions for insects in typical Franconian landscapes? This question was investigated by a research team from the University of Würzburg. The results are now available. Biodiversity is under threat worldwide.

How does the body regulate the activity of insulin-producing cells in order to react quickly to changing conditions? Researchers at the University of Würzburg have investigated this question. The hormone insulin plays a central role in the metabolism of many living organisms. When food is plentiful, insulin promotes the absorption and storage of energy.

New research shows how cancer develops in children who are predisposed to Wilms' tumor. This could help to predict the development of tumors before they fully form or to develop new, targeted therapies. Wilms' tumor is a form of kidney cancer that mainly affects children under the age of five. In Germany, around 100 children are diagnosed with it every year.

Würzburg chemists have for the first time created a defect in graphene that allows ions to pass through. As they report in 'Nature', this could lead to new applications in water filtration or sensor technology. Graphene is an extremely thin, flexible and resistant material made of pure carbon. It forms layers that consist of virtually a single layer of carbon atoms.

Researchers led by chemist Claudia Höbartner have now uncovered the 3D structure of the RNA enzyme SAMURI. Their study provides insights into the development of ribozymes and the evolution of catalytically active RNA. RNA molecules are an integral part of the human body: In cells, they ensure the transfer of genetic information and regulate the activity of genes.

A new look at cancer cells: Würzburg researchers show in the journal 'Science' how therapeutic antibodies work - thanks to an innovative method of super-resolution microscopy. In blood cancers such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, B cells of the immune system multiply uncontrollably. One form of therapy involves labelling the CD20 protein on the surface of the B cells with customised antibodies.

A team of Würzburg neuroscientists investigates communication pathways in the brain and predicts intelligence. A new study approach uses machine learning to improve our conceptual understanding of intelligence. The human brain is the central control organ of our body. It processes sensory information and enables us, among other things, to form thoughts, make decisions and store knowledge.

Many animals orient themselves using their sense of magnetism. However, this can be based on different physical mechanisms. A research team from Oldenburg and Würzburg has now investigated the navigation of the desert ant. Desert ants of the Cataglyphis nodus species use the Earth's magnetic field for spatial orientation, but these tiny insects rely on a different component of the field than other insects, a research team led by Dr Pauline Fleischmann from the University of Oldenburg reports in the journal Current Biology.

Circadian clocks control physiological processes and behavior in virtually all living organisms. Now an international research team led by researchers from the University of Würzburg has created a detailed map of the internal clock in the brain of the fruit fly. All animals including humans are subject to daily rhythms in their activity and sleep, hunger, metabolism, and reproduction.

Scientists at the University of Würzburg and the German national metrology institute (PTB) have carried out an experiment that realizes a new kind of quantum standard of resistance. It's based on the Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect. The precise measurement of electrical resistance is essential in industrial production or electronics - for example, in the manufacture of high-tech sensors, microchips and flight controls.

Plants adapt their water consumption to environmental conditions by counting and calculating environmental stimuli with their guard cells. Plant researchers from Würzburg report this in 'Current Biology'. Plants control their water consumption via adjustable pores (stomata), which are formed from pairs of guard cells.

Can virtual actors strengthen the trust of people with a migration background in the police? A research team from the University of Würzburg has investigated this. The results surprised even those responsible. Intelligent virtual agents can help to strengthen the trust of people with a migration background in institutions such as the police.