Göttingen researchers have developed mini-antibodies that efficiently block the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and its dangerous new variants. These so-called nanobodies bind and neutralize the virus up to 1000 times better than previously developed mini-antibodies. In addition, the scientists optimized their mini-antibodies for stability and resistance to extreme heat. This unique combination makes them promising agents to treat COVID-19. Since…

A phenomenon known from quantum systems could now make its way into biology: In a new study published in Physical Review X, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS) in Göttingen show that the notion of topological protection can also apply to biochemical networks. As these are typically very complex and yet remain very stable against changes, topology can help in the emergence of robust oscillations.…

Plastics offer many benefits to society and are widely used in our daily life: they are lightweight, cheap and adaptable. However, the production, processing and disposal of plastics are simply not sustainable, and pose a major global threat to the environment and human health. Eco-friendly processing of reusable and recyclable plastics derived from plant-based raw materials would be an ideal solution. So far, the technological challenges have…

What happens when soft materials are compressed strongly? Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamic and Self-Organization, the University of Twente and Cornell University now revealed the morphology of creases created upon folding at micrometer scale. They revealed a dual folding mechanism driven by capillary forces, similar to wetting liquids, causing a T-shape folding profile. The unfolding leaves behind a scar which serves as a…

SARS-CoV-2 still poses major challenges to mankind. The frequent emergence of mutant forms makes the threat posed by the virus difficult to predict. The SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.617 circulated in India and gave rise to the Delta variant, B.1.617.2, which is now becoming dominant in many countries. Infection researchers from the German Primate Center (DPZ) – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research in Göttingen have investigated the B.1.617 variant in…

Measurement data from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii and the ALMA radio telescope in Chile, published a year ago, contain no evidence of the trace gas phosphine in the clouds of Venus. This is the conclusion of an international team of researchers, including a scientist from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Göttingen, who have now carefully examined the measurement data. Their analysis is a contribution to…

“I feel very honored that the IUPS has selected me as an Honorary Fellow,” says Hell, Director of the Department of NanoBiophotonics. Emeritus Director Neher, head of the Emeritus Group of Membrane Biophysics, adds, “I was Vice President of the IUPS in the late 1980s and I still feel very connected to the society, so I am particularly pleased by this recognition.” In addition to Hell and Neher, Nobel laureate Peter C. Agre of the Johns Hopkins…

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) and the information platform Tierversuche verstehen (Understanding Animal Research) of the Alliance of Scientific Organizations in Germany launched their Transparency Agreement for Transparent Information about animal research in Germany on July 1, 2021. In this initiative, research institutions from the field of life sciences agree to actively inform about animal experiments, to…

Language distinguishes us humans; we learn it through experience and social interactions. Especially in the first year of life, human vocalizations change dramatically, becoming more and more language-like. In our closest relatives, non-human primates, language development was previously thought to be largely predetermined and completed within the first few weeks after birth. In a behavioral study now published, researchers from the German…

The cells that make up our bodies are constantly exposed to a wide variety of mechanical stresses. For example, the heart and lungs have to withstand lifelong expansion and contraction, our skin has to be as resistant to tearing as possible whilst retaining its elasticity, and immune cells are very squashy so that they can move through the body. Special protein structures, known as “intermediate filaments”, play an important role in these…