Press Releases

Pathogens can drive the evolution of social behaviour in insects. This is shown by researchers from Bern and Würzburg for ambrosia beetles.

He received a prestigious award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Now professor Raymond Mar will spend time at the University of Würzburg to do joint research with two professors at the Faculty of Human Sciences.

For his research project "CRISPR Combo", Prof. Chase Beisel receives a five-year grant of two million euros. He wants to search for combinations of relevant key genes of pathogens in order to be able to specifically eliminate these in the future with the help of tailor-made CRISPR genetic scissors.

The forests in Europe provide habitat for around 80,000 colonies of wild honeybees. That is why more attention should be paid to preserving the nesting sites for these threatened insects, according to researchers.

If ecosystems are disturbed, this can trigger the extinction of species. For her research in this field, the journal Ecography awards biologist Ludmilla Figueiredo with a prize.