Dispersion paints are mostly used in households for painting walls and ceilings. An interdisciplinary research team from the University of Bayreuth has now analysed the chemical composition of two typical dispersion paints and discovered a large number of solid particles in them which are only a few micro- or nanometers in size. Studies on biological test systems showed that these particles can harm living organisms. Using a novel membrane developed at the University of Bayreuth, these particles can be filtered out of water before they enter the environment.
Completely unexpectedly, the enzyme ceramidase emerges as a new target structure for the therapy of SARS-CoV-2 infections. This is reported by Würzburg researchers in "Cells".
Bayreuth biologist PD Dr. Andreas Hemp has discovered a previously unknown orchid species of the genus Rhipidoglossum in northeastern Tanzania. Together with his British colleague Dr. Phil Cribb from the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, London, he has scientifically described it in the journal "Kew Bulletin". The new species was named Rhipidoglossum pareense, in keeping with its location in the South Pare Mountains.
The Free State of Bavaria is funding a new research project on quantum sensors with three million euros. Among other things, it aims to further improve molecular and medical imaging.
The number of tree species growing in regions close to the equator is significantly higher than in regions further north and south of the earth. An international study published in „Nature Ecology and Evolution“ investigates the causes of this with a precision never before achieved. It emphasizes that the diversity of tree species in the tropics does not depend solely on bioclimatic factors. The study is based on a cooperation of 222 universities and research institutions. On the part of the University of Bayreuth, PD Dr. Andreas Hemp, who has been researching vegetation in mountainous regions of East Africa for more than 30 years, was involved in this international research.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has created new possibilities for designing tailor-made proteins to solve everything from medical to ecological problems. A research team at the University of Bayreuth led by Prof. Dr. Birte Höcker has now successfully applied a computer-based natural language processing model to protein research. Completely independently, the ProtGPT2 model designs new proteins that are capable of stable folding and could take over defined functions in larger molecular contexts. The model and its potential are detailed scientifically in "Nature Communications".
The disruptions in global trading markets resulting from the war in Ukraine, among other causes, have focused public attention on the issue of securing a sufficient supply of high-quality foods for the global population. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are searching for modern methods to boost global harvests and thus to ensure global food security. Wheat plays a special role in these efforts.
Researchers at the University of Würzburg develop the "photoswitching fingerprint analysis". A unique technology that for the first time allows the analysis of molecular processes and the regulation of individual proteins in living cells with sub-10 nm spatial resolution. The application ranges from biological to medical research and has been published in the renowned journal Nature Methods.
Poxviruses pose a threat to humanity that should be taken seriously, as the current outbreak of monkeypox shows. A research team from the University of Würzburg is now working on the development of new drugs.
More and more bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics. Bacteriophages are one alternative in the fight against bacteria: These viruses attack very particular bacteria in a highly specific way. Now a Munich research team has developed a new way to produce bacteriophages efficiently and without risk.
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