Category: Research | FAU https://www.fau.eu Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:17:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.fau.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/11/cropped-cropped-Favicon_BGblue-32x32.png Category: Research | FAU https://www.fau.eu 32 32 FAU researchers question imaging method in brain research https://www.fau.eu/2026/01/news/fau-researchers-question-imaging-method-in-brain-research/ Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:34:00 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=19760742 For almost three decades, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been one of the main instruments of brain research. However, a new study published in the renowned journal Nature Neuroscience is now questioning the conventional interpretation of data surrounding neuronal activity. In conjunction with their colleagues, Dr. Samira Epp and Dr. Valentin Riedl, both researchers at Friedrich…

Source

]]> Shorthand, papyrus, wood: AI to decipher valuable manuscripts https://www.fau.eu/2026/01/news/steno-papyrus-holz-ki-soll-wertvolle-schriften-entschluesseln/ Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:52:45 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=19760201 When deciphering historic documents, even experts can come up against their limits – for instance if ancient wooden tablets are charred, scrolls have decomposed or notes have been taken in a rare type of shorthand. In two new projects, computer scientists from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) aim to develop AI-assisted technologies to make it easier to decipher sources such…

Source

]]> Five million euros for road electrification project https://www.fau.eu/2025/12/news/five-million-euros-for-road-electrification-project/ Fri, 19 Dec 2025 08:54:15 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=19760715 The contactless transfer of electric energy from the road into parked or moving electric cars and trucks resolves significant concerns with electric mobility. Charging times and limits on range are eliminated, costs, weight and the use of resources due to large batteries are minimized. To accelerate the integration of inductive power transfer (IPT) technology that has been researched for more than…

Source

]]> German Research Foundation awards funding to three FAU research groups https://www.fau.eu/2025/12/news/research/deutsche-forschungsgemeinschaft-foerdert-drei-fau-forschungsgruppen/ Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:27:12 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=19760717 The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved three new Collaborative Research Centers (CRC) with the participation of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. A new research group is developing digital tools for sustainable computing systems. Another two research groups that are investigating esoteric practices and powerful plasma jets that are emitted from black holes have again…

Source

]]> Making quantum computers less prone to errors https://www.fau.eu/2025/12/news/making-quantum-computers-less-prone-to-errors-2/ Wed, 17 Dec 2025 08:57:34 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=19759704 Quantum computers promise to be significantly faster and more efficient than their conventional counterparts in several fields. However, their processors are still prone to errors. Prof. Dr. Christopher Eichler at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) develops quantum processors that are able to find these errors more efficiently and correct them.

Source

]]> Replicas, repairs, testing – Plenty to do in the Roman Center https://www.fau.eu/2025/12/news/nachbau-reparatur-testvorbereitung-genug-zu-tun-im-roemerzentrum/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 09:48:46 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=19759600 There’s plenty to do in the Roman Center in Gunzenhausen on the shores of Altmühlsee lake, even in winter, and time is running out. In February 2026, the renowned coach expert and collector Jörg Wildung will test the FAU replicas of a Celtic chariot and a Roman carriage and light carriage on the stud farm of Schloss Kühlenfels near Pottenstein. This is the reason why Boris Dreyer from the…

Source

]]> Digital tools to encourage greater independence for the visually impaired https://www.fau.eu/2025/11/news/research/digitale-hilfen-fuer-mehr-selbststaendigkeit-sehbehinderter-menschen/ Fri, 28 Nov 2025 10:37:01 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=19758519 Hakan Calim has an ambitious goal. He aims to digitalize the physical tactile paving found in train stations or public areas to help guide people with visual impairments. He is blind himself and appreciates the importance of such mobility aids. The computer scientist works in the Research Group Network of the Erlangen Regional Computing Center (RRZE) at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen…

Source

]]> Digital sovereignty – new empires, big tech and geopolitics https://www.fau.eu/2025/11/news/research/digitale-souveraenitaet-neue-imperien-big-tech-und-geopolitik/ Thu, 27 Nov 2025 15:26:48 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=19758690 The term “digital sovereignty” emerged in the mid 2010’s to signify a move away from the boundless digital utopia of the 80’s and 90’s and has influenced political debates ever since. But what does digital sovereignty mean and why is it increasingly playing a geopolitical role? Researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have explored this question together with the…

Source

]]> FAU achieves success with three Collaborative Research Centers https://www.fau.eu/2025/11/news/research/fau-mit-drei-sonderforschungsbereichen-erfolgreich/ Mon, 24 Nov 2025 14:05:54 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=19758165 Major success for FAU: The German Research Foundation (DFG) has awarded funding for a new Collaborative Research Center at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg for autoimmune diseases. The DFG is also providing a further funding period for two Transregio projects involving FAU. In the new Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 1755 “Cellular and Systems Control of Autoimmune…

Source

]]> FAU Ambassador: Strengthening ties between Erlangen and Cambridge https://www.fau.eu/2025/11/news/research/fau-ambassador-beziehung-zwischen-erlangen-und-cambridge-staerken/ Sun, 16 Nov 2025 23:00:23 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4774374 The University nominated Prof. Harald Haas as an FAU Ambassador during this year’s FAU Awards ceremony. Originally from Franconia, he now holds the position of Van Eck Professor of Engineering at Cambridge University. In our interview, he talks about his connections to the region, his current research and the goals he hopes to achieve in his new role as FAU Ambassador. First of all…

Source

]]> Researchers discover ultrafast light-driven electron slide effect https://www.fau.eu/2025/11/news/research/unbekannter-effekt-ultraschnelle-lichtgetriebene-elektronenrutsche/ Tue, 11 Nov 2025 23:00:57 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4772260 Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the University of Rostock have discovered a groundbreaking effect in which electrons are strongly accelerated by just a single oscillation of a laser pulse. Previously, this effect was only visible with long laser pulses. Researchers have now observed the effect by using extremely sharp metallic needle tips.

Source

]]> Study: AI learns grammar rules through reading https://www.fau.eu/2025/11/news/research/studie-ki-lernt-sprachregeln-beim-lesen/ Mon, 10 Nov 2025 23:00:13 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4768152 AI models are able to derive the rules of human language without being provided with explicit information about grammar and word classes. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). Their experiment corroborates the theory of cognitive linguistics that states, in contrast to the theory of universal grammar, that we are not born with an…

Source

]]> Neonatology: Intelligent suctioning system protects newborns https://www.fau.eu/2025/10/news/research/neonatologie-intelligentes-absaugsystem-schuetzt-fruehgeborene/ Thu, 30 Oct 2025 23:00:53 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4713211 When babies are born weeks or even months too early, they often cannot breathe unassisted. To keep their lungs clear, mucous has to be cleared several times a day through the ventilation tube – a necessary but risky procedure. Researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen (UKER) are working on an intelligent system that automatically…

Source

]]> Artificial intelligence: Pioneers of the boom in AI https://www.fau.eu/2025/10/news/research/kuenstliche-intelligenz-vorreiter-des-ki-booms/ Wed, 29 Oct 2025 23:00:23 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4707575 Exactly 50 years ago, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) took a step that it still benefits from today. It was the first university in Germany to set up a chair specifically dedicated to pattern recognition. That makes it one of the pioneers in Germany of a discipline that can be considered the foundation of the current boom in artificial intelligence. This development could not have been…

Source

]]> Energy supply: Europe Chooses Solar Power and Import Independence https://www.fau.eu/2025/10/news/research/energieversorgung-europa-waehlt-importunabhaengigkeit-und-solarenergie/ Mon, 27 Oct 2025 09:32:32 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4722702 Renewable energy is today the cheapest source of electricity available. In order to meet the goals agreed under the Paris Agreement, the share of renewables must be expanded to 100 per cent by the 2030s. However, this expansion comes with an increase in land-use, leading to rising public opposition. How can citizens’ preferences inform the planning of energy systems? This question was addressed by…

Source

]]> New research project: How bacteria stick together https://www.fau.eu/2025/10/news/research/neues-forschungsprojekt-wie-bakterien-zusammenhalten/ Fri, 24 Oct 2025 08:00:26 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4708711 Bacteria use surfaces to join together into complex heterogeneous communities known as biofilms. Within a group, bacteria in a biofilm are extremely resistant to various environmental influences. How these biofilms form is the subject of a new international research project at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Israel Science…

Source

]]> Glacier research: Artificial intelligence allows researchers to calculate snow drifts https://www.fau.eu/2025/10/news/research/gletscherforschung-kuenstliche-intelligenz-macht-schneeverwehungen-berechenbar/ Tue, 21 Oct 2025 08:00:50 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4696659 How does wind affect the distribution of snow on glaciers and what impact does this have on glacial melt? Manuel Saigger from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is investigating these questions with an AI model. At the Institute of Geography, he is making a valuable contribution to climate research by using the model to efficiently calculate how drifting snow influences…

Source

]]> Study provides hope for new therapies for pulmonary fibrosis and cancer https://www.fau.eu/2025/10/news/research/studie-macht-hoffnung-auf-neue-therapien-gegen-lungenfibrose-und-krebs/ Sun, 19 Oct 2025 22:00:05 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4696661 A current study could lead to completely new approaches to treatment for diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis and cancer in the medium term. Its results show that a mechanism called durotaxis plays a significant role in the progression of both diseases. Durotaxis is the migration of cells toward stiffer regions of surrounding tissue. This process contributes to the formation of scar tissue in…

Source

]]> Killer cells How the immune system selects its defense troops https://www.fau.eu/2025/10/news/research/killerzellen-wie-das-immunsystem-seine-abwehrtruppen-auswaehlt/ Thu, 09 Oct 2025 22:00:31 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4688726 If killer cells from the immune system encounter signs of an infection, some of them start to divide rapidly. They grow to become a large defense troop that then attacks the pathogen. However, that is not the case for each individual killer cell by any means. Which criteria determine whether cells multiply or not? Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)…

Source

]]> High-performance computer: Supercomputer Helma inaugurated https://www.fau.eu/2025/10/news/research/hochleistungscomputer-superrechner-helma-eingeweiht/ Wed, 08 Oct 2025 08:00:32 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4678955 Cutting-edge technology for research: The Erlangen National High-Performance Computing Center at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (NHR@FAU) has officially inaugurated the currently most powerful supercomputer at universities in Germany. “Helma” is a computer that not only provides state-of-the-art applications but also basic provision of AI for researchers far beyond FAU.

Source

]]> CAR-T cell therapy treats severe bowel disease successfully for the first time https://www.fau.eu/2025/10/news/research/car-t-zell-therapie-erstmals-bei-schwerer-darmerkrankung-erfolgreich/ Mon, 06 Oct 2025 22:00:37 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4675700 A team of doctors from Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie at Uniklinikum Erlangen has succeeded for the first time in treating a young patient with a severe case of therapy-resistant inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis) with cell therapy using CD19-CAR-T cells. The results of this innovative treatment have been published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Source

]]> Funding: DFG extends funding for research group FOR 5134 https://www.fau.eu/2025/10/news/research/dfg-verlaengert-forschungsgruppe-for-5134/ Wed, 01 Oct 2025 22:00:04 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4659652 The research group FOR 5134 “Solidification cracks during laser beam welding” funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), for which Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg is the coordinating university, is to be granted a second funding period. This allows the interdisciplinary project to continue its pioneering work and make significant progress toward developing predictive models.

Source

]]> Roman boats at FAU: A stop off and a launch https://www.fau.eu/2025/10/news/research/roemerboote-zwischenstopp-und-wasserung/ Tue, 30 Sep 2025 22:00:29 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4656643 After spending three years traveling on the Danube, the Danuvia alacris, which is Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg’s second Roman vessel, has now returned for a seven month stay at the boatyard in Schlungenhof at Altmühlsee lake for a complete overhaul. However, the return of the Danuvina alacris is not the only cause for celebration at Schlungenhof on this day: The latest…

Source

]]> Sustainability: New ways of producing methanol from electricity and biomass https://www.fau.eu/2025/09/news/research/nachhaltigkeit-neue-wege-zu-methanol-aus-strom-und-biomasse/ Mon, 08 Sep 2025 08:00:37 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4594098 In future, it could become easier to manufacture methanol from biomass decentrally on site. Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) are proposing a method with which raw and waste materials from plants can be processed in a self-contained procedure under mild reaction conditions. This method means that the complex drying and transportation of biomass to large biomass…

Source

]]> ERC Grant: Nanocrystals and social wellbeing in the world of work https://www.fau.eu/2025/09/news/research/erc-grant-nanokristalle-und-soziale-gesundheit-in-der-arbeitswelt/ Wed, 03 Sep 2025 22:00:40 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4602424 Two researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have been awarded a Starting Grant each from the European Research Council (ERC). In the new round, Dr. Carlos L. Bassani with the project “Kinetic Pathways to Control Nanocrystal Shapes“ (kineticSHAPES) and Prof. Dr. Adrian Meier with the project “Social Well-Being from Hybrid Interactions in Hybrid Work“ (HYIHY) are set…

Source

]]> Study: CO2 tax often governed by fiscal policy rather than climate policy https://www.fau.eu/2025/08/news/research/studie-co2-steuer-oft-fiskal-und-nicht-klimapolitik/ Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:08:56 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4564610 Often, national CO2 taxes are too low to reduce emissions effectively, primarily serving symbolic and fiscal purposes instead. This is the conclusion reached by a recent study conducted by energy policy researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), the University of Potsdam, and the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) at the Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences in…

Source

]]> Young Research Award: Using optical technologies in the fight against bowel cancer https://www.fau.eu/2025/08/news/research/young-researcher-award-mit-optischen-technologien-gegen-darmkrebs/ Tue, 12 Aug 2025 08:00:29 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4486509 Dr. Alba Alfonso García is the winner of the Young Researcher Award in Advanced Optical Technologies at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). The prize is worth 100,000 euros. With the Young Researcher Award, the Erlangen Graduate School in Advanced Optical Technologies (SAOT) at FAU recognizes early career researchers for their outstanding research, invites them for a research…

Source

]]> Global quantum encryption: small satellites as quantum key generators https://www.fau.eu/2025/08/news/research/global-quantum-encryption-small-satellites-as-quantum-key-generators/ Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:00:09 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4473387 The QUBE research mission, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and involving researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), will use small satellites to test newly developed quantum communication technology in space for the first time. This is laying the foundation for continuing to be able to transfer data securely across the globe…

Source

]]> Pay gap: Immigrants experience difficulties in accessing better-paid jobs https://www.fau.eu/2025/08/news/research/pay-gap-immigrants-experience-difficulties-in-accessing-better-paid-jobs/ Fri, 08 Aug 2025 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4444503 Immigrants in Germany and eight other countries – Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the USA earn considerably less than natives on average. In Germany, the pay gap in the first generation is 19.6 percent. The main reason is not unequal pay for the same job, but rather restricted access to better-paid sectors, professions and companies. These are the conclusions…

Source

]]> “The concept of human rights has an inner strength” https://www.fau.eu/2025/08/news/research/das-konzept-der-menschenrechte-hat-eine-innere-kraft/ Tue, 05 Aug 2025 08:00:58 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4462817 How can we defend international human rights at a time in which their fundamental relevance is increasingly being questioned? In their new book “Menschenrechte nach der Zeitenwende. Gründe für mehr Selbstbewusstsein” (Human rights after the turning point. Reasons for greater confidence) Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Heiner Bielefeldt, Senior Professor of Human Rights at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität…

Source

]]> Erlangen Regional Computing Center: Information security thanks to quantum encryption https://www.fau.eu/2025/08/news/research/regionales-rechenzentrum-erlangen-informationssicherheit-durch-quantenverschluesselung/ Mon, 04 Aug 2025 07:30:12 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4465485 A new research project at the Erlangen Regional Computing Center (RRZE) at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) aims to encrypt data using random quantum states to avoid unauthorized data access, thereby increasing the security of sensitive information. In view of the current geopolitical situation, data security is becoming increasingly important not only for military…

Source

]]> Graduate program: M³OCCA extended for another four years https://www.fau.eu/2025/08/news/research/internationales-promovierendenprogramm-an-der-fau-m%c2%b3occa-geht-in-die-verlaengerung/ Fri, 01 Aug 2025 07:00:56 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4465487 Within the framework of its Elite Network of Bavaria, the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts (StMWK) has approved funding for a further phase in the international doctorate program Measuring and Modelling Mountain Glaciers and Ice caps in a Changing Climate (IDP M³OCCA). The Institute of Geography at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is coordinating the…

Source

]]> Antisemitism: Changing established ways of thinking https://www.fau.eu/2025/07/news/research/antisemitismus-damit-aus-ausrufezeichen-fragezeichen-werden/ Thu, 31 Jul 2025 07:00:56 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4462065 80 years after the end of the Second World War, the culture of remembrance is under pressure. In addition to gaps in historical knowledge, new biases are emerging, also with regard to antisemitism related to Israel. In education in particular, this poses major challenges. In conjunction with partners, the Chair of Psychological Assessment, Quantitative Methods and Forensic Psychology at Friedrich…

Source

]]> FORnanoSatellites: Around 1.8 million euros for research into small satellites https://www.fau.eu/2025/07/news/research/fornanosatellites-rund-18-millionen-euro-fuer-kleinsatelliten-forschung/ Wed, 30 Jul 2025 08:00:53 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4459269 Satellites that are as small as a shoe box are called small satellites. A research project at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is now investigating how to maximize their technical potential. The long-term goal of “FORnanoSatellites” is to set up automated small series production of small satellites in Bavaria. The Bavarian Research Foundation is providing around 1.8…

Source

]]> AI project to make charred papyrus roles legible https://www.fau.eu/2025/07/news/research/ai-project-to-make-charred-papyrus-roles-legible/ Tue, 29 Jul 2025 08:00:24 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4462814 A unique collection of papyrus scrolls fell victim to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. They were rediscovered in the 18th century, but the carbonized scrolls are badly charred, fused together, and remain largely illegible. An international project involving Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) now hopes to change that by combining and refining cutting-edge technology to…

Source

]]> Malnutrition among the elderly: an underestimated health risk https://www.fau.eu/2025/07/news/research/mangelernaehrung-im-alter-ein-unterschaetztes-gesundheitsrisiko/ Fri, 25 Jul 2025 08:00:07 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4462067 Many elderly people do not eat enough or fail to have a balanced diet, with serious consequences for their health. Prof. Dr. Dorothee Volkert from the Institute of Biomedicine of Aging at the Chair of Internal Medicine (Geriatrics) at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) explains the relevance of malnutrition for the elderly, how to recognize the signs and what can be done to…

Source

]]> T cells: Our immune system’s special forces unit https://www.fau.eu/2025/07/news/research/t-cells-our-immune-systems-special-forces-unit/ Mon, 07 Jul 2025 08:00:07 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4398105 T cells resemble a special forces unit in the police. They are specialists when it comes to fighting certain diseases such as infections or cancer. Prof. Dr. Kilian Schober from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and his team are investigating the receptors on T cells and the key role they play in our adaptive immune system. His aim is to gain an improved understanding of the…

Source

]]> Start-up prize m4 Award goes to FAU research team https://www.fau.eu/2025/07/news/research/start-up-prize-m4-award-goes-to-fau-research-team/ Sun, 06 Jul 2025 22:00:13 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4398255 This year, the start-up prize m4 Award goes to the team led by PD Dr. Dr. Peter Dietrich who conducts research at the Institute of Biochemistry at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and at Department of Medicine 1 at Uniklinikum Erlangen. The team has been awarded 500,000 euros for its project iLivE aimed at developing an RNAi therapy for treating liver metastases.

Source

]]> Ultrasound trained with AI for the treatment of endometriosis https://www.fau.eu/2025/07/news/research/ultrasound-trained-with-ai-for-the-treatment-of-endometriosis/ Thu, 03 Jul 2025 22:00:21 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4391986 Endometriosis is a gynecological disorder that is largely unknown, even though it is estimated that it affects one in ten to fifteen women of reproductive age in Germany. A multi-disciplinary team of researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen are investigating the options for the treatment and diagnosis of the gynecological condition…

Source

]]> Two ERC Advanced Grants for FAU researchers https://www.fau.eu/2025/06/news/research/two-erc-advanced-grants-for-fau-researchers/ Tue, 17 Jun 2025 22:00:39 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4339469 Further proof of the strength of Erlangen and Nuremberg as a location for cutting-edge research: two researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have now each been awarded one of the coveted Advanced Grants from the European Research Council (ERC): physicist Prof. Dr. Maria Chekhova and chemist Prof. Dr. Sjoerd Harder. The grants raise funding of around 2.5…

Source

]]> New Research Training Group for FAU https://www.fau.eu/2025/06/news/research/new-research-training-group-for-fau-functional-materials/ Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:55:44 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4331931 Another major success for FAU: The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding a new Research Training Group (RTG) at FAU, which is researching the development of functional materials for sustainable technologies. From solar cells and batteries to electrolyzers for green hydrogen — functional materials are at the heart of many technologies driving the energy transition.

Source

]]> Sustainable synthesis of biomolecules and pharmaceuticals https://www.fau.eu/2025/06/news/research/sustainable-synthesis-of-biomolecules-and-pharmaceuticals/ Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:00:45 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4292606 In the future, it may be possible to produce bioactive molecules and pharmaceuticals without relying on expensive enzymes or toxic metals as external catalysts. Chemists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have developed a procedure in which an in situ-formed organoautocatalyst allows for extremely effective chemical synthesis of bioactive cyclical amine compounds under mild…

Source

]]> How AI can be integrated seamlessly into pathological diagnosis https://www.fau.eu/2025/06/news/research/how-ai-can-be-integrated-seamlessly-into-pathological-diagnosis/ Wed, 11 Jun 2025 08:00:54 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4285546 Algorithms from artificial intelligence (AI) are being used more and more frequently, also for medical diagnosis. However, their potential is barely being tapped in a number of areas. A collaborative project from Universitätsklinikum Erlangen (UKER) at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Gravina Hospital in Caltagirone (Italy) is showing that it does not need to be that way.

Source

]]> Double CAR-T cell therapy proves successful for rare autoimmune disease https://www.fau.eu/2025/06/news/research/double-car-t-cell-therapy-proves-successful-for-rare-autoimmune-disease/ Thu, 05 Jun 2025 08:00:35 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4265303 Researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Uniklinikum Erlangen have succeeded in treating a patient with a particularly severe form of an autoimmune disease with two different types of CAR T-cells, one after another. The 45 year old woman who suffers from anti-synthetase syndrome has now been free of symptoms for over nine months, without having to take any…

Source

]]> FAU achieves success with two collaborative research centers https://www.fau.eu/2025/06/news/research/fau-achieves-success-with-two-collaborative-research-centers/ Mon, 02 Jun 2025 22:00:08 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4272221 Major success for FAU: The German Research Foundation (DFG) has awarded funding for two new collaborative research centers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg – one in semiconductor research and the second in cancer research. In the new collaborative research center (CRC) 1719 “ChemPrint – the next generation of printed semiconductors: Engineering on the atomic level using…

Source

]]> Cell research: One becomes two in 20 minutes https://www.fau.eu/2025/06/news/research/cell-research-one-becomes-two-in-20-minutes/ Sun, 01 Jun 2025 22:00:29 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4258749 Symmetry is a fundamental characteristic of most multi-cell animals. However, the cell division of embryonic cells is asymmetric. A team led by Prof. Dr. Esther Zanin at the Department of Biology at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has developed a working model that explains the molecular mechanism with which the protein anillin controls asymmetry during the constriction of…

Source

]]> Radicalization: Giving everyday advice rather than inciting hatred https://www.fau.eu/2025/05/news/research/radicalization-giving-everyday-advice-rather-than-inciting-hatred/ Thu, 29 May 2025 22:00:38 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4241772 Islamic sermons are often considered a source of radicalization. The “Wechselwirkungen” (interactions) project at the FAU Research Center for Islam and Law in Europe at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has explored to what extent German mosques spread radical content. FAU Islamic scholar Dr. Jörn Thielmann has come to the conclusion that is not hate speech that dominates…

Source

]]> On the trail of Parkinson’s using an electron microscope https://www.fau.eu/2025/05/news/research/on-the-trail-of-parkinsons-using-an-electron-microscope/ Tue, 27 May 2025 22:00:23 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4245649 In Germany, approximately 400,000 people suffer from Parkinson’s, and numbers are on the rise. Using an electron microscope, a team of researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Uniklinikum Erlangen (UKER) were able to make a major risk factor for the diseases visible: the structure of the GCase enzyme in conjunction with its transport protein LIMP-2…

Source

]]> DataSAIL splits data perfectly for artificial intelligence https://www.fau.eu/2025/05/news/research/datasail-splits-data-perfectly-for-artificial-intelligence/ Sun, 25 May 2025 22:00:28 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4234531 A new tool has been developed to better assess the performance of AI models. It was developed by bioinformaticians at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS). “DataSAIL” automatically sorts training and test data so that they differ as much as possible from each other, allowing for the evaluation of whether AI…

Source

]]> Excellence Strategy: Outstanding in Human Rights Research https://www.fau.eu/2025/05/news/research/excellence-strategy-outstanding-in-human-rights-research/ Thu, 22 May 2025 15:11:25 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4245210 Celebrations at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU): The “Transforming Human Rights” research project is to become a Cluster of Excellence. Late on Thursday afternoon, the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Council of Science and Humanities announced which research projects are to receive funding from the Excellence Strategy of the federal and state governments.

Source

]]> Fit for the road: Celtic wagon reconstructed https://www.fau.eu/2025/05/news/research/fit-for-the-road-celtic-wagon-reconstructed/ Mon, 19 May 2025 22:00:39 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4213493 Original Celtic wagons or reconstructions can be admired not only in museums and documentaries but also at the university. A team led by Prof. Dr. Boris Dreyer, Professor of Ancient History at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität-Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), has fully reconstructed a single-axle Celtic wagon based on the latest research findings. With this type of feasibility study, Boris Dreyer and his…

Source

]]> Fail-safe communication technology research funded with 1.4 million euros https://www.fau.eu/2025/05/news/research/fail-safe-communication-technology-research-funded-with-1-4-million-euros/ Sun, 18 May 2025 22:00:20 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4210092 Reliable communication networks are indispensable for critical infrastructure such as airports, banks, or hospitals. Scientists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) are researching how these technologies can be made more fail-safe and sustainable. The project is funded with 1.4 million euros as part of the EU initiative CELTIC NEXT. At FAU, three groups are involved in…

Source

]]> Social media: What needs to change to improve the mental health of young people? https://www.fau.eu/2025/05/news/research/social-media-what-needs-to-change-to-improve-the-mental-health-of-young-people/ Thu, 15 May 2025 22:00:23 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4185010 How must we rethink social media to improve the mental health of young people? This is the focus of the international research project “PROMISE: Promoting Well-Being in Preteens, Adolescents, and Young Adults – Toward Improved Social Media Policies Among those involved is Prof. Adrian Meier, Professorship for Communication Science at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU).

Source

]]> History of School Education Collection included into UNESCO world documentary heritage https://www.fau.eu/2025/05/news/research/history-of-school-education-collection-included-into-unesco-world-documentary-heritage/ Sun, 11 May 2025 22:00:19 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4200372 For over 30 years now, the UNESCO “Memory of the World” project has been collecting documents from significant moments in human history and making them available to the public. These include the archives from the Warsaw ghetto, the Göttingen Gutenberg Bible and x-ray images from Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen. The History of School Education Collection, run jointly by FAU and the City of Nuremberg…

Source

]]> Researchers check energy flow with chemical signals https://www.fau.eu/2025/05/news/research/researchers-check-energy-flow-with-chemical-signals/ Thu, 08 May 2025 22:00:00 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4185014 An international team of researchers has successfully controlled the flow of energy in a molecule with the help of its pH value. The results of the study, led by Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), could contribute to the development of new sensors for medical diagnostics, for example. The findings are also of interest for building more efficient solar cells and for use in…

Source

]]> Molecular communication: New priority program at FAU https://www.fau.eu/2025/05/news/research/molecular-communication-new-priority-program-at-fau/ Mon, 05 May 2025 07:33:42 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4146453 Eight new priority programs (SPP) from the German Research Foundation (DFG) are due to commence in 2026. One of these programs will be based at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU): “Holistic Design of Molecular Communication Systems, coordinated by Prof. Dr. Robert Schober, Chair of Digital Communications. Technical communication systems such as radio…

Source

]]> Knowing Hands: The Hand as a Memory Aid and Oracle https://www.fau.eu/2025/04/news/research/knowing-hands-the-hand-as-a-memory-aid-and-oracle/ Wed, 30 Apr 2025 09:00:26 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4143033 The hand as a memory aid and oracle: In China, the tradition of using the hand to memorize information, solve practical problems, and predict things has existed for centuries. In the”Knowing Hands” project, medical historian Professor Dr. Marta Hanson at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is now investigating these special methods using previously unexplored historical and…

Source

]]> Security policy: Merging widely varied perspectives https://www.fau.eu/2025/04/news/research/security-policy-merging-widely-varied-perspectives/ Thu, 24 Apr 2025 10:30:14 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4116437 Within a matter of weeks, US President Trump has turned the security policy of his country on its head, demonstrating the complexity of the dynamics concerning peace, conflicts and security across the globe. These dynamics are the focus of the newly founded Bavarian research alliance for research into peace, conflict and security. Ten researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen…

Source

]]> In wind and rain: Glacier research under extreme conditions https://www.fau.eu/2025/04/news/research/in-wind-and-rain-glacier-research-under-extreme-conditions/ Thu, 10 Apr 2025 22:00:11 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4083806 It’s well known that the glaciers are melting. But how do researchers prove that is the case? Franziska Temme is a research associate at the Institute of Geography at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and has taken part in three field trips to the Cordillera Darwin ice field in South America. In a study, she has now determined the mass balance of the glaciers there using…

Source

]]> Is nature just for the wealthy? Researchers investigate eco-philanthropy https://www.fau.eu/2025/04/news/research/is-nature-just-for-the-wealthy-researchers-investigate-eco-philanthropy/ Thu, 10 Apr 2025 07:00:31 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4090509 Celebrated as generous nature lovers in social media, the super-rich are buying large areas of land, particularly in the global south, in order to convert them into private nature reserves. On the other hand, luxury eco-tourism strives to provide unique experiences in amazing places off the beaten track that are initially only accessible to a few, but then become accessible to a growing number of…

Source

]]> AI helps people living with paralysis to move again https://www.fau.eu/2025/04/news/research/ai-helps-people-living-with-paralysis-to-move-again/ Wed, 09 Apr 2025 22:00:37 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4093881 A new procedure should help people with nerve damage or amputations to regain at least some of their motor abilities. An AI algorithm assesses and interprets the residual nerve activity in the affected part of the body. Often, all it needs is a few minutes of training before a patient is able to move the fingers of a virtual hand or a prosthesis on command. The method developed at Friedrich…

Source

]]> Heat storage systems: Key technologies for sustainable heating supply https://www.fau.eu/2025/04/news/research/heat-storage-systems-key-technologies-for-sustainable-heating-supply/ Tue, 01 Apr 2025 08:00:34 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4040114 Which technologies are particularly suitable for storing heat? Which storage capacities are advisable and economical for regional suppliers? Which role do space requirements, costs and temperature ranges play? These are some of the questions investigated in two consecutive studies conducted by Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Technische Hochschule Nürnberg. In future…

Source

]]> Stress: Alleviating stress with mindfulness https://www.fau.eu/2025/03/news/research/alleviating-stress-with-mindfulness/ Sun, 30 Mar 2025 22:00:51 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4057118 Stress is subjective. Some people feel under pressure with the double burden of job and family, others feel stressed when they are stuck in traffic on the way to a business meeting. Dr. Johanna Janson-Schmitt from the Chair of Health Psychology at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) explains why it is not good to spend time pondering on a stressful experience and what…

Source

]]> Mechanisms behind chemical reactions unraveled using high pressure https://www.fau.eu/2025/03/news/research/mechanisms-behind-chemical-reactions-unraveled-using-high-pressure/ Thu, 20 Mar 2025 23:00:28 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4012113 They form the basis of many fundamental processes in life. Without them, cell respiration and photosynthesis would be impossible. Redox reactions also have a decisive role to play in applications in chemistry, biochemistry or in gaining energy from light. Gaining an understanding of their basic principles is therefore important to advance new technologies. Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander…

Source

]]> CAR-T cells: Gaining a better understanding of treating Lupus disease https://www.fau.eu/2025/03/news/research/car-t-cells-gaining-a-better-understanding-of-treating-lupus-disease/ Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:05:08 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3969459 Uniklinikum Erlangen at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg has successfully treated more than 45 people with autoimmune diseases using a novel innovative therapy using CAR-T cells since 2021, including more than 15 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The patients, for whom no other treatments were successful, show no symptoms today. In a new study, Professor Dr.

Source

]]> Mechanobiology: Neighborhood dispute among cells https://www.fau.eu/2025/03/news/research/mechanobiology-neighborhood-dispute-among-cells/ Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:27:47 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4008013 Trial of strength at the cellular level: cells are in constant competition with each other and so eliminate diseased or unwanted cells. Cell competition is therefore a central principle for maintaining the health of tissues and organs. Humboldt professor Dr. Benoît Ladoux from the Chair of Biophysics at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Head of the Tissue…

Source

]]> DFG funding: AI reliably detects nerve cells https://www.fau.eu/2025/03/news/research/dfg-funding-ai-reliably-detects-nerve-cells/ Mon, 17 Mar 2025 23:00:02 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=4004226 Neurons in the hippocampus control our spatial learning, however, they are very unstable. Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology (LIN) in Magdeburg are trying to decipher these dynamics in a joint project. The LIN will provide time lapse images from the brains of mice and FAU is going to develop an AI-supported tool for…

Source

]]> Cosmic radiation: Breakthrough thanks to artificial intelligence https://www.fau.eu/2025/03/news/research/cosmic-radiation-breakthrough-thanks-to-artificial-intelligence/ Mon, 17 Mar 2025 10:00:47 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3978195 The use of artificial intelligence (AI) scares many people as neural networks, modeled after the human brain, are so complex that even experts do not understand them. However, the risk to society of applying opaque algorithms varies depending on the application. While AI can cause great damage in democratic elections through the manipulation of social media, in astrophysics it at worst leads to an…

Source

]]> Anti-pluralist Parties Threaten Academic Freedom https://www.fau.eu/2025/03/news/research/anti-pluralist-parties-threaten-academic-freedom/ Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:00:57 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3982156 Increasing influence of anti-pluralist parties is often associated with lower academic freedom in the respective country. This is one of the findings of the latest Academic Freedom Index (AFI) which is being released March 13, 2025. Scholars at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) publish the index every year in collaboration with colleagues at the V-Dem Institute at the…

Source

]]> Quantum physics: Where quantum theory and the theory of relativity meet https://www.fau.eu/2025/03/news/research/quantum-physics-where-quantum-theory-and-the-theory-of-relativity-meet/ Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:40:24 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3943701 Physics has a problem – their key models of quantum theory and the theory of relativity do not fit together. Now, the German Research Foundation is funding physicist Dr. Wolfgang Wieland from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) as part of the Heisenberg Program to develop an approach that reconciles the two theories in a problematic area. A recently published paper that was…

Source

]]> Quantum mechanics: hypercomplex, or “just” complex? https://www.fau.eu/2025/03/news/research/quantum-mechanics-hypercomplex-or-just-complex/ Mon, 10 Mar 2025 10:00:41 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3943703 Exactly 100 years ago, Werner Heisenberg, Max Born and Pascual Jordan formulated quantum mechanics and revolutionized our understanding of physics. Only a few months later, Erwin Schrödinger presented an alternative but mathematically equivalent formulation: Wave mechanics based on Schrödinger’s equation. Even though these approaches appeared to be competing at first, they turned out to be…

Source

]]> Astronomy at FAU: Stellar evolution in the neighborhood https://www.fau.eu/2025/03/news/research/astronomy-at-fau-stellar-evolution/ Tue, 04 Mar 2025 23:00:57 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3911442 The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way and is located around 160,000 light years away from our solar system. This relative proximity makes it an ideal laboratory for studying cosmic explosions and stellar evolutionary processes. Supernovae as the exploding final stages of stars play an important role here. They catapult large amounts of matter in something known as…

Source

]]> Cell research: Nanoparticles coordinate cell growth https://www.fau.eu/2025/03/news/research/cell-research-nanoparticles-coordinate-cell-growth/ Mon, 03 Mar 2025 10:00:20 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3896060 During the first 72 hours in particular, extracellular vesicles – nanoparticles enclosed in cell membranes – play a significant role in the embryonic development of zebrafish. This is the result of a study conducted at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen (UKER), which has now been published in the renowned journal “Cell Communication and…

Source

]]> Climate change: It is no longer possible to save the glaciers at the size they are today https://www.fau.eu/2025/02/news/research/climate-change-it-is-no-longer-possible-to-save-the-glaciers-at-the-size-they-are-today/ Thu, 27 Feb 2025 10:00:55 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3901656 Over the last 25 years approximately 39 percent of glacier ice has disappeared: the results of the Glambie study from the European Space Organization ESA are dramatic. For the paper, Dr. Christian Sommer, Prof. Dr. Matthias Braun and Dr. Thorsten Seehaus from the Institute of Geography at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) collected satellite data from glaciers in the Alps…

Source

]]> ERC funding: Innovative treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases https://www.fau.eu/2025/02/news/research/erc-funding-innovative-treatment-of-chronic-inflammatory-diseases/ Tue, 25 Feb 2025 23:00:09 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3901434 A team of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Andreas Ramming from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has developed a new approach to treating chronic inflammatory diseases. On the basis of promising results, the team has now been granted another prestigious research prize from the European Research Council (ERC): a Proof of Concept Grant for conducting an initial study in…

Source

]]> Astroparticle physics: Record-breaking neutrino detected https://www.fau.eu/2025/02/news/research/astroparticle-physics-record-breaking-neutrino-detected/ Sun, 16 Feb 2025 23:00:14 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3844117 On February 13, 2023, the ARCA detector, part of the neutrino telescope KM3NeT located off the southeast coast of Sicily, recorded a neutrino with an estimated energy of approximately 220 quadrillion electronvolts (220 PeV for short) – a value that has never before been seen in neutrinos. The researchers from the KM3NeT collaboration have now reported on the unusual discovery from the…

Source

]]> Research with hops: More than the heart and soul of a beer https://www.fau.eu/2025/02/news/research/research-with-hops-more-than-the-heart-and-soul-of-a-beer/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 23:00:14 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3828314 Hops are not only essential for brewing beer. They have also been valued as a medicinal plant since ancient times thanks to their special properties. This is the starting point for Luisa Kober’s and Marco Dürsch’s research. The two doctoral researchers at the Chair of Bioprocess Engineering (BVT) at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) are focusing on the positive effects of…

Source

]]> Photovoltaics: Highly relevant basic research https://www.fau.eu/2025/02/news/research/highly-relevant-basic-research/ Tue, 11 Feb 2025 23:00:05 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3803412 At the current time we are still burning vast amounts of fossil fuels such as crude oil or coal in a bid to quench our thirst for energy. This generates the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide that acts like a warming woolen blanket in the atmosphere. It is the main reason for the temperature on Earth rising year by year. If we want to slow down climate change, we have to change the way we produce…

Source

]]> Sewage treatment works on the energy market https://www.fau.eu/2025/02/news/research/sewage-treatment-works-on-the-energy-market/ Mon, 10 Feb 2025 23:00:28 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3827895 Sewage treatment works guzzle electricity. They account for 30 to 40 percent of local authorities’ electricity bills. Researchers led by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Karl from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) hope to change that and are investigating measures aimed at making sewage treatment works climate neutral or capable of contributing renewable gases to the energy market.

Source

]]> Awards ceremony: FAU magazine wins German Design Award https://www.fau.eu/2025/02/news/research/awards-ceremony-fau-magazine-wins-german-design-award/ Mon, 10 Feb 2025 23:00:07 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3808682 The FAU magazine is the winner in the category Excellent Communications Design, Editorial. The success was celebrated in style during today’s awards ceremony in Frankfurt. In 2023, FAU received the prestigious Red Dot Award and German Brand Award award for its new corporate design and the realisation of the motto “Moving knowledge”. The German Design Award is the premium award from the German…

Source

]]> New youth project aimed at boosting mental and physical health through bouldering https://www.fau.eu/2025/02/news/research/new-youth-project-aimed-at-boosting-mental-and-physical-health-through-bouldering/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 23:00:43 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3789560 After conducting numerous studies with adults, the working group led by Prof. Dr. Katharina Luttenberger from the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Uniklinikum Erlangen has come to the conclusion that bouldering boosts mental health. The results are so convincing that the Bavarian State Ministry of Health, Care and Prevention has now decided to fund a project focusing on 13 to 18 year…

Source

]]> Researchers breed new varieties of potato for organic farming https://www.fau.eu/2025/02/news/research/researchers-breed-new-varieties-of-potato-for-organic-farming/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 23:00:21 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3803832 Organic farmers do not rely so heavily on fertilizer and use fewer chemicals to fight weeds, harmful insects and fungi. The crops they grow have to be able to thrive under these conditions. In a project involving Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), stakeholders from across Germany are aiming to breed new varieties of potato for organic farming. They should be less susceptible…

Source

]]> Information Overload: “We can learn to concentrate” https://www.fau.eu/2025/01/news/research/information-overload-we-can-learn-to-concentrate/ Thu, 30 Jan 2025 23:00:46 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3763661 The ways in which we can set up mental boundaries against the increasing amounts of information we are subjected to is being investigated by Dr. Kyra Göbel from the Chair of Work and Organizational Psychology at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). She has now received the Max Weber Prize from the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities for her research.

Source

]]> When AI gets on your nerves https://www.fau.eu/2025/01/news/research/when-ai-gets-on-your-nerves/ Tue, 28 Jan 2025 23:00:52 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3763438 Deep neural networks will allow signal transfer of nerve cells to be analyzed in real time in future. That is the result of a study conducted by physiologists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) that has been published in the journal Communications Chemistry. The method is not only of relevance for neuromedicine, it can also be used for investigating chemical reactions.

Source

]]> Project funding: Improving the detection of deepfakes https://www.fau.eu/2025/01/news/research/project-funding-improving-the-detection-of-deepfakes/ Thu, 23 Jan 2025 23:00:33 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3725620 Deepfakes are spreading rapidly and are increasingly difficult to detect. An IT forensics group at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is currently working on a tool in conjunction with secunet Security Networks AG that detects images generated by AI automatically and reliably. The project has received 350,000 euros of funding from the Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation…

Source

]]> High electricity prices and more price fluctuations https://www.fau.eu/2025/01/news/research/the-scenario-high-electricity-prices-and-more-price-fluctuations-until-2030/ Thu, 16 Jan 2025 23:00:05 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3684424 Companies and consumers have high hopes that electricity prices will return to levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the departure from using Russian gas, energy costs rose to record levels. However, from a scientific point of view, there will be no return to previous normal levels. Quite the contrary, in fact. The price of wholesale electricity at the…

Source

]]> Project funding: Quantum computers in pocket size https://www.fau.eu/2025/01/news/research/project-funding-shrinking-quantum-computers-down-to-pocket-size/ Wed, 08 Jan 2025 23:00:24 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3542860 A quantum computer the size of a smartphone – researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) are investigating how this could become reality. Physicist Prof. Dr. Vojislav Krstić and his team of researchers are focusing on developing quantum bits (Qubits) that work on the basis of topological isolators, a class of materials that have increasingly become the focus of research…

Source

]]> The Dehn Collection: Creating transparency, assuming responsibility https://www.fau.eu/2025/01/news/research/the-dehn-collection-creating-transparency-assuming-responsibility/ Wed, 08 Jan 2025 23:00:17 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3651931

Source

]]> Making soft, elastic material more tear-resistant https://www.fau.eu/2024/12/news/research/researchers-aim-to-make-soft-elastic-material-more-tear-resistant/ Thu, 19 Dec 2024 23:00:04 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3532843 Soft materials like rubber or silicone tear easily under tensile stress. In a project funded by the European Research Council (ERC), researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg are looking for ways to make such materials more stable. In a current study, they have shown that it depends, at least partly, on how stable the crosslinked bonds are between the polymer molecules.

Source

]]> Solar power: Automated development of materials for solar cells https://www.fau.eu/2024/12/news/research/solar-power-automated-development-of-materials-for-solar-cells/ Mon, 16 Dec 2024 23:00:23 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3513937 A team of researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed a closed process for finding optimal high-performance materials for perovskite solar cells (PSC). The approach introduced in the current Science study combines computer-assisted…

Source

]]> Roman Ship Project: The FAU fleet is growing https://www.fau.eu/2024/12/news/research/the-fau-fleet-is-growing/ Thu, 12 Dec 2024 23:00:14 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3513939 Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)’s fleet is growing: After the reconstruction of two ancient Roman patrol boats, the F.A.N. and the Danuvia alacris, Prof. Dr. Boris Dreyer, professor of Ancient History at FAU, is now building another boat. The boat in question is a flat-bottomed cargo ship or barge. The reconstruction is based on Zwammerdam II that was found close to the…

Source

]]> International Human Rights Day: Our rights, our future, right now! https://www.fau.eu/2024/12/news/research/our-rights-our-future-right-now/ Wed, 11 Dec 2024 09:28:05 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3504151 “Our rights, our future, right now” is the motto of today’s International Human Rights Day. It is intended to draw attention to the importance of human rights for the present and the future. But what is the state of human rights and what challenges do research and society face? An interview with Prof. Dr. Grażyna Baranowska, who holds a professorship at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen…

Source

]]> DAAD Award: Ups and downs in academic freedom https://www.fau.eu/2024/12/news/research/the-growth-and-decline-of-academic-freedom/ Tue, 10 Dec 2024 23:00:18 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3503946 Dr. Lars Lott, who is a researcher at FAU, has been awarded this year’s “Fundamental Academic Values Award”. With this award, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) honors outstanding academic achievements of early career researchers in areas such as academic freedom or university autonomy at European universities. Lott, who is a researcher at the Institute of Political Science at FAU…

Source

]]> Video: radioisotope laboratories in buses? https://www.fau.eu/2024/11/news/research/video-radioisotope-laboratories-in-buses/ Thu, 28 Nov 2024 14:48:30 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3448312 Two mobile radioisotope laboratories in eleven countries? That’s possible! Historian of nuclear science, Maria Rentetzi, explains her research on how two mobile radioisotope laboratories were offered as gifts to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by the United States. The two mobile laboratories represent an important stage in the early development of the IAEA. Yet…

Source

]]> Pioneering ultrasound method for detailed imaging of the newborn brain https://www.fau.eu/2024/11/news/research/pioneering-ultrasound-method-for-detailed-imaging-of-the-newborn-brain/ Tue, 26 Nov 2024 23:00:17 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3419496 New high-speed ultrasound devices combined with AI imaging can deliver high resolution images of the newborn brain. Researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg are hoping to develop this method and explore potential applications. Stroke either before or directly after the birth and asphyhxia, which is a dangerous condition where the newborn is deprived of oxygen…

Source

]]> FAU in the top 100 worldwide in four subjects https://www.fau.eu/2024/11/news/research/fau-in-the-top-100-worldwide-in-four-subjects/ Wed, 13 Nov 2024 23:00:45 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3387627 FAU is listed among the 100 most prestigious universities in the world in four subjects. In Germany, FAU even managed to jump into the top 10 in seventeen subjects. A total of more than 5000 universities all over the world were evaluated in the ranking. In Telecommunication Engineering, FAU came in the top 50 worldwide. With Energy Science and Engineering, Dentistry and Oral Science and Human…

Source

]]> FAU physicist investigating the inner structure of the Covid-19 vaccine https://www.fau.eu/2024/11/news/research/fau-physicist-investigating-the-inner-structure-of-the-covid-19-vaccine/ Sun, 10 Nov 2024 23:00:46 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3360846 Since 2020, very many people across the globe have been vaccinated against Covid-19, but the exact structure of this vaccine has remained largely unknown until now. Prof. Dr. Tobias Unruh from the Chair of Crystallography at FAU and his team are now taking a closer look. The results of their complex analyses differ at times considerably from previous expectations.

Source

]]> Esoteric here, part of everyday life there https://www.fau.eu/2024/11/news/research/esoteric-here-part-of-everyday-life-there/ Thu, 07 Nov 2024 23:00:03 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3365334 Oracles, prayers, dance – what do these topics have in common? That is what the researchers from the Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (KFG) 17 “Alternative rationalities and esoteric practices from a global perspective” hope to answer, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) in its first phase until April 2026. In our interview, speaker Prof. Dr.

Source

]]> ERC Synergy Grant for historian Dr. Petra Schmidl https://www.fau.eu/2024/11/news/research/erc-synergy-grant-for-historian-dr-petra-schmidl/ Tue, 05 Nov 2024 23:00:52 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3353066 Dr. Petra Schmidl from FAU has received one of the most prestigious grants from the European Research Council (ERC) together with researchers from Belgium, Italy and the USA: a Synergy Grant worth 10 million euros, with almost 2.3 million going to FAU in the next six years. The researchers are investigating historical sources on occult sciences in Islamicate cultures. Astrology, alchemy…

Source

]]> How immune cells really migrate https://www.fau.eu/2024/10/news/research/how-immune-cells-really-migrate/ Sun, 13 Oct 2024 22:00:18 +0000 https://www.fau.eu/?p=3240950 In order to reach their target, for instance a tumor, immune cells have to leave the bloodstream or lymphatic vessels and migrate through connective tissue. Until now, scientists presumed that immune cells migrated through tissue by constantly changing their shape and therefore squeezing through the smallest pores and openings. Using a new measuring method, researchers at Friedrich-Alexander…

Source

]]>