When genes mutate, it can lead to the development of diseases. But there are exceptions. If the gene RIM1S is altered in nerve cells, it can also have a positive effect, leading to higher intelligence.
Using smart sensor and measurement techniques to make farming more efficient and sustainable is the goal of a team of researchers at the Technical University of Munich.
Research projects at HSWT are investigating the climate-protection potential of peatlands—and are at the heart of environmental protection efforts in Bavaria’s rural landscape.
Engineers at TH Rosenheim are addressing the challenges facing wood technology with a new logistics concept, dynamic partnerships and sustainable future industry models.
Sixty percent of Bavaria’s alpine forests serve as protective forests that safeguard settlements and infrastructure from the impacts of extreme weather events. Climate change is putting these forests under increasing pressure. To advance research, the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation supports TUM’s new Center for Alpine Forest Management, which examines these impacts and evaluates long-term options to sustain protective forests.
A genetic study is rewriting the evolutionary history of the saltwater crocodile and, at the same time, clarifying the species identity of the crocodiles that were exterminated on the Seychelles. The study was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
A research team from Munich has identified a previously unknown communication mechanism in harvestmen. Five closely related species show species-specific, strongly fluorescent structures on their backs that become especially visible under ultraviolet light. The results suggest that these patterns serve for species recognition—particularly at dusk and in moonlight. The study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.
What makes plants tolerant to nutrient fluctuations? An international research team led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and involving the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) has investigated this question on the micronutrient boron. The researchers analyzed 185 gene data sets from the model plant Arabidopsis. Their goal is to then be able to transfer the findings to the important crop plant rapeseed.
Genetic and morphological studies revealed two new chameleon species. One of them with a very long nose finally receives the scientific name that suits it – Calumma pinocchio. An international research team led by SNSB zoologist Frank Glaw has published its findings in the zoological journal Salamandra – German Journal of Herpetology.
Even in sunny forest gaps, browsing by roe deer prevents the natural regeneration of many tree species. Researchers at the University of Würzburg show just how strongly these ungulates shape forest development.
