Reducing energy consumption caused by cooling systems and reducing plastic waste in the environment are key requirements for a sustainable economy. In a research project on novel functional films, Bayreuth-based physical chemist Prof. Dr. Markus Retsch aims to tackle both problems simultaneously: In the future, plastic waste is to be processed into large-area films that can cool without the need to supply energy from outside. The project is funded by the Proof of Concept Grants programme of the European Research Council (ERC) with around 150,000 euros.
Worldwide, almost all technology-intensive industries depend on readily available metallic raw materials. Consequently, precise and reliable information is needed on how long these raw materials remain in the economic cycle. To obtain the necessary data, a research team from the universities of Bayreuth, Augsburg and Bordeaux has now developed a new modelling method and applied it to 61 metals. The study published in Nature Sustainability shows that the metals needed for specific high-tech applications, which in many cases are scarce around the world, are in use for only a decade on average.
Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) conducted a multi-year empirical study to assess the impact of trees on city temperatures. Taking the city of Würzburg as an example, the researchers showed that vegetation cover of approximately 40 percent is needed to bring about lower summer temperatures.
Microplastic particles can be deposited in river floodplains and penetrate into deeper areas of the soil. The number of particles identified depends in particular on surface plant cover, the frequency of flooding, and soil properties. Researchers from the Universities of Bayreuth and Cologne determined this during investigations in the Rhine floodplain of Langel-Merkenich north of Cologne. The study, published in the journal "Science of the Total Environment", is the result of interdisciplinary cooperation in the DFG Collaborative Research Centre 1357 "Microplastics" at the University of Bayreuth.
Little is known about the food webs of herbivorous insects. A team from the Würzburg Biocenter is investigating, in Lower Franconia as well as in the Berchtesgaden Alps.
If restaurants list the CO2 emissions for each dish on their menus or highlight low-emission options, diners are more likely to choose more climate-friendly options. This has been shown in a new study by the University of Würzburg.
Engineering students at the University of Bayreuth benefit from a broadly-based research environment with excellent links to industry and small and medium-sized enterprises. They have access to current research projects of great economic-technological relevance at an early stage. At the beginning of their studies, they receive intensive support from researchers and lecturers. For this reason, the University of Bayreuth ranks among the top universities in Germany in the CHE University Ranking 2022 in the field of engineering subjects in the categories "support at the beginning of studies" and "third-party funding per scientist".
Polyethylene, a plastic that is both cheap and easy to process, accounts for nearly one-third of the world’s plastic waste. An interdisciplinary team from the University of Bayreuth has investigated the progressive degradation of polyethylene in the environment for the first time. Although the degradation process leads to fragmentation into ever smaller particles, isolated nanoplastic particles are rarely found in the environment. The reason is that such decay products do not like to remain on their own, but rather attach rapidly to larger colloidal systems that occur naturally in the environment. The researchers have now presented their findings in "Science of the Total Environment".
Alternative production systems to provide the growing global population with healthy, nutritious and sustainably produced foodstuffs are currently gaining considerable attention. In this interview, Senthold Asseng, Professor of Digital Agriculture at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), discusses the concept of vertical farming, which will allow agriculture of the future to take place under fully controlled and automated conditions.
Ditches and small streams at the edge of agricultural land contribute significantly to reducing agricultural pollutants in the water cycle. They promote nitrate reduction by microorganisms and thus have an important influence on nitrogen fluxes towards larger rivers and lakes. A research team led by Prof. Dr. Tillmann Lüders of the University of Bayreuth has now demonstrated this for the first time. The scientists were able to show that the stream water is in intensive exchange with the surrounding groundwater, thus stimulating microbial activities. They present their research in the journal "Water Research".
This website uses cookies and the Matomo web analysis tool. By continuing to browse you agree to our use of cookies. Change your settings here. More information.