The Unit of Infection Biology headed by Stefan Pöhlmann has been researching on coronaviruses for many years. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the department is becoming more and more an important node in the research on the virus. Scientists around the world appreciate the work of the laboratory and ask the researchers for material samples. Since mid-February, the department has already sent 253 samples to 22 countries. The majority of the…

In discussions about sustainability of food production and consumption, it is often suggested that the proportion of locally produced products should increase. However, it is largely unknown how high this share can be whilst still meeting current demands for food. An international research team led by the University of Aalto (Finland) with participation from the University of Göttingen has analysed data on food production and consumption. By…

In the pandemic, populists and campaigners are currently stirring up prejudice against migrants and blaming them for the spread of the virus. The freedom of movement of refugees or certain ethnic groups is being restricted more drastically than that of the native population in order to prevent further spread of the disease - as it is officially called - but this also stigmatises those affected. Steven Vertovec, Director at the Max Planck…

Plant breeding has considerably increased agricultural yields in recent decades and thus made a major contribution to combating global hunger and poverty. At the same time, however, the intensification of farming has had negative environmental effects. Increases in food production will continue to be crucial for the future because the world population and demand continue to grow. A recent study by the University of Göttingen shows that new plant…

Today is International Laboratory Animal Day. Founded in 1962 by the British animal rights activist, Lady Dowding, it is intended to commemorate the fate of laboratory animals around the world. She has set this day of action in honour of her husband on his birthday - 24 April. Now, in the Corona Year, animal experiments are once again receiving special attention as new therapies against the virus are developed. Animal testing is a particularly…

Der aktuelle Stand zur Wirksamkeit und (Aus-)Wirkung von Beatmung bei COVID-19-Patienten ist Thema eines Beitrags im „Journal der American Medical Association“ (JAMA). JAMA ist eines der weltweit führenden Wissenschaftsjournale. In der JAMA-Ausgabe von Freitag, 24. April 2020, stellen Prof. Dr. Luciano Gattinoni von der Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (UMG) und Prof. John J. Marini von der Universität Minnesota/USA in einem „Clinical Update“ bisher…

Um die radiologische Diagnostik von Coronavirus-Verdachtsfällen an der Universitätsmedizin Göttinger (UMG) zu unterstützen, hat die Bundeswehr am Donnerstag, dem 23. April 2020, der UMG ein mobiles Computertomograph (CT)-Gerät übergeben. Der Container mit dem CT war 476 Kilometer unterwegs und kam zusammen mit einem Aufbaukommando vom Sanitätsregiment 3 aus Dornstadt bei Ulm. Das Gerät wurde in der Nähe der Notaufnahme des Universitätsklinikums…

An important milestone has been reached in the commissioning of the instrument PHI (Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager) on board ESA's Solar Orbiter spacecraft: comprehensive tests have shown that the instrument's hardware is working perfectly. Over the past few days and weeks, scientists and engineers from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) have successfully commissioned all of the telescope’s operating modes. PHI…

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization show that two microscopic non-equilibrium chemically active particles, such as enzymes or catalytically active colloids, can have a vast range of complex interactions reminiscent of human relationships, instead of just simple attraction and simple repulsion. Chemically active particles, such as enzymes or colloids, can propel in a liquid by converting chemical energy into…

The music scholar Professor Birgit Abels from the University of Göttingen has received a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). The ERC will fund the project "Sound Knowledge: Alternative Epistemologies of Music in the Western Pacific Island World" (SoundKnowledge) for the next five years with around two million euros. In this project, Abels and her team research music-making in the Western Pacific Island World as a very…