news

In an emergency, ants bite off injured limbs of fellow ants to ensure their survival. Whether they take this radical step depends on the location of the wound. They exhibit a behaviour that was previously only known in humans: Florida carpenter ants ( Camponotus floridanus ) amputate limbs as a precautionary measure to save the lives of wounded conspecifics.

Researchers at the Würzburg Helmholtz Institute for Infection Research led by RNA expert Chase Beisel have developed a new approach to DNA transformation and gene mutation in bacteria. Bacteria possess unique traits with great potential for benefiting society. However, current genetic engineering methods to harness these advantages are limited to a small fraction of bacterial species.

Würzburg researchers from the Bavarian initiative Solar Technologies Go Hybrid are reporting progress on the road to more efficient utilisation of solar energy: they have developed an innovative light-harvesting system. In order to convert sunlight into electricity or other forms of energy as efficiently as possible, the very first step is an efficient light-harvesting system.

What effect do economic sanctions have on the countries affected, such as Russia or Iran? Economists from Würzburg, Kiel, Berlin and Bielefeld have analysed these questions. Economic sanctions can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they usually reduce gross domestic product and thus prosperity in the affected countries, as intended.

A low vitamin B6 level has negative effects on brain performance. A research team from Würzburg University Medicine has now found a way to delay the degradation of the vitamin. Vitamin B6 is important for brain metabolism. Accordingly, in various mental illnesses, a low vitamin B6 level is associated with impaired memory and learning abilities, with a depressive mood, and even with genuine depression.

Some cancer drugs cause severe side effects because they are not working accurately enough. A team at the University of Würzburg led by biochemist Caroline Kisker has now discovered why. The small protein ubiquitin is involved in almost every cellular process in our body: it orchestrates the stability and function of the vast majority of proteins.

Researchers at the University of Würzburg, led by Caroline Kisker in cooperation with Claudia Höbartner, discovered how the protein XPD detects a severe DNA damage and controls its repair. The XPD protein is a central component of our body's own 'DNA repair team', known as nucleotide excision repair (NER).

When members of a group successfully coordinate their movements with one another, this leads to a stronger sense of togetherness. This was shown by a recent study by the Universities of Würzburg and Regensburg. People who feel connected to each other find it easier to coordinate their actions. They therefore perform better in tasks that require good coordination.

Rapid Test for Topological 2D Materials: Researchers from the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat have developed a method with which two-dimensional topological materials can be detected more easily and quickly. Topological quantum materials are hailed as a cornerstone of future technological advancements.

Researchers at the University of Würzburg have discovered a new function of the oncoprotein MYCN: It not only helps cancer cells to grow stronger, but also makes them more resistant to drugs. Oncoproteins are actually vital to human survival: thousands of them in our bodies ensure that cells grow and divide.

Artificial intelligence may soon help to identify lies and deception. However, a research team from the Universities of Marburg and Würzburg warns against premature use. Oh, if only it were as easy as with Pinocchio. Here it was simple to see when he was telling a lie: after all, his nose grew a little longer each time.

Researchers the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg conducted the first systematic study of CRISPR-based antibiotics in Klebsiella pneumoniae. The antimicrobial potential of CRISPR-Cas systems is promising, yet how to best design or implement CRISPR nucleases remains poorly understood.

In their natural environment, wild bees are exposed to various pesticides that can have a potentially toxic effect. A study by the University of Würzburg has now shown that bumblebees are relatively resistant to these products. Bumblebees appear to be quite resistant to common pesticides. This is shown by a new study, the results of which have now been published by scientists from Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) in the journal Environment International .

Researchers at the University of Würzburg have developed a method that can improve the performance of quantum resistance standards. It's based on a quantum phenomenon called 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.

The transition from the esophagus to the stomach is a delicate region from a medical point of view, often associated with pathological disorders leading to cancer. An international research team has now gained new insights into this region. These pave the way for new prevention and treatment options.

Würzburg physicists have discovered that quantum entanglement toughens up quasiparticles against impurity scattering - even when they are subject to strong disorder. Physicists at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) have made a discovery that could boost the understanding of the role of entanglement in high-temperature copper oxide superconductors.

An international team including researchers from the University of Würzburg has succeeded in creating a special state of superconductivity. This discovery could advance the development of quantum computers. Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity without electrical resistance - making them the ideal base material for electronic components in MRI machines, magnetic levitation trains and even particle accelerators.

HIRI scientists have identified a small RNA that influences the sensitivity of the intestinal commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron to certain antibiotics. The intricacies of how intestinal bacteria adapt to their environment have yet to be fully explored.

Experimental and theoretical physicists at the Würzburg Institute for Topological Insulators have identified an unusual quantum Hall effect in a mercury telluride device as the signature of the parity anomaly . Topological insulators are materials that can conduct electricity, but only on their surface or edges.

The generic masculine generally emphasizes the masculine side. The fact that all genders are of course meant does not change this. This is shown by a new study by Würzburg psychologists. It is a crux with the generic masculine in German: if a group is made up of 99 female professors and only one male professor, it would be grammatically correct to speak of "the professors" in this case.