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Press Releases

Dr Radu Timofte

The University of Würzburg was again successful in the competition for an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship. Computer scientist Radu Timofte is set to join the university as an expert in the field of computer vision.

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A buff-tailed bumblebee and a 3D model of the bumblebee brain, based on micro-CT. The blue regions symbolise the primary olfactory centres. The yellow/orange regions process visual information from the compound eyes, the turquoise coloured visual information from the ocelli. Shown in red/orange are the mushroom bodies important for learning. The insects' inner compass, the central complex, is green.

A three-dimensional atlas of the bumblebee brain is now available. It will allow to even better research how nerve cells are interconnected and how they process information.

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In the singlet exciton fission process, a singlet exciton (blue) is created upon absorbing light and then splits into two triplets (red) on ultrafast timescales. The team tracked real-time molecular motions acompanying this process in pentacene.

The efficiency of solar cells can be significantly increased with a certain physical effect. A research team has now observed in detail for the first time how molecular movements influence this effect.

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SMN is concentrated in the Cajal bodies (left, red) in the nucleus of human cells (blue). If phosphorylation of SMN is inhibited, the concentration ceases and Cajal bodies disappear.

Some proteins concentrate in certain places in the cell nucleus. A new study with Würzburg participation now shows how this happens. The results could contribute to a better understanding of a rare disease.

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Philipp Sodmann (left) and Matthias Griebel developed a deep learning model that can evaluate microscopic images.

Microscopic images of tissue sections can now be analyzed much more easily – with an innovative digital tool. Two researchers from Würzburg have received three prizes for this.

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Beta1- and beta2-adrenergic receptors in heart muscle cells: In the left cell, beta1 receptors are labeled – they are found both on the cell surface (yellow) and in the T-tubules (green). In the right cell, the beta2-receptors are labeled – they appear only in the T-tubules (green), but not on the cell surface (which is therefore not visible in the image).

Research teams from Würzburg, Munich, Erlangen and the MDC in Berlin have identified, for the first time, where special receptors are located on heart muscle cells. Their findings open up new perspectives for developing therapies for chronic heart failure.

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The image shows a "topolectric circuit" used to realize the topological states studied here

Through a recently developed experimental platform, topological matter can be realized in a fast, cost efficient, and versatile way. Würzburg physicist have now achieved with it a breakthrough that might enable optronic technologies in the long run.

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Researchers from Jülich and Würzburg are jointly investigating new, exotic quantum states that form at interfaces between superconductors and topological materials. The image shows a quantum dot contact structure constructed at JMU from the topological insulator mercury telluride (blue), which is contacted with superconducting electrodes (green). An electrostatic gate (yellow) is used to control current conduction across the junction. Similar structures will be used in the future to investigate fundamental properties of topological qubits.

Forschungszentrum Jülich and the University of Würzburg will together investigate the quantum phenomena of topological materials and the opportunities they present within quantum computing. The Free State of Bavaria is funding the project to the tune of € 13 million.

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Microscopic picture of a CD8+ T cell in the CNS of a two-year-old mouse. The cytotoxic T cell (red labelling) is located in immediate proximity to a damaged nerve fiber (green labelling) and is, according to the described results, involved in its damage. The cell nuclei of all cell bodies in the image are labelled in blue. Scale bar: 20 µm.

Certain immune cells can cause damage to the aging central nervous system, according to a novel study by scientists of the University Hospital and the University of Würzburg.

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The novel platform LEOPARD has the potential to detect a variety of disease-related biomarkers in just one test.

A novel diagnostic technology can make tests for corona and other pathogens much more efficient. It is based on discoveries made by Würzburg scientists.

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A crane takes the researchers to the uppermost treetops to study the seasonal fluctuations of the water balance.

When trees die during a drought event, they die of thirst: A field study on spruce trees shows that an abrupt collapse of the hydraulic system is responsible.

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SONATE-2 in orbit: Visualisation of the new technology testing satellite for highly autonomous payloads and artificial intelligence.

Building a satellite with artificial intelligence on board that is trained in space: For this project, Professor Hakan Kayal from Würzburg is receiving 2.6 million euros from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

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Schematic representation of the coherent control of a spin defect (red) in an atomic layer of boron nitride. Boron nitride consists of boron (yellow spheres) and nitrogen (blue spheres) and lies on a stripline. The spin defect is excited by a laser and its state is read out via photoluminescence. The qubit can be manipulated both by microwave pulses (light blue) of the stripline and also by a magnetic field.

An international research team has made progress towards improved materials for quantum sensor technology. Medicine, navigation and IT could benefit from this in the future.

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During drought, the signalling molecule GABA is produced and inhibits the opening of leaf pores (left). If the enzyme GAD2, which converts glutamate to GABA, is genetically switched off, the pores remain open even during drought - the plants lose more water (centre). If the gene for GAD2 is reintroduced into the closing cells, the defect is reversed. The experiment shows that the sphincter cells autonomously perceive stress and react to it with GABA production.

During drought, plants use a signalling molecule known from animals to limit their water loss. The molecule provides them with a kind of memory of how dry the day was.

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