Catalytic molecules can form metabolically active clusters by creating and following concentration gradients – this is the result of a new study by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPI-DS). Their model predicts the self-organization of molecules involved in metabolic pathways, adding a possible new mechanism to the theory of the origin of life. The results can help to better understand how molecules…

About three months after the launch of ESA's JUICE spacecraft, the scientific instruments that the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany is sending along on the long journey to Jupiter have completed their first tasks in space. Both instruments have proven that they are fully functional under space conditions and have sent their first scientific data back to Earth: the Particle Environment Package's (PEP) Jovian Electron…

Artificial neural networks are everywhere in research and technology, as well as in everyday technologies such as speech recognition. Despite this, it is still unclear to researchers what is exactly going on deep down in these networks. To find out, researchers at the Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN) at Göttingen University, and the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation (MPI-DS) have carried…

Omicron-derived virus variants are currently responsible for most SARS-CoV-2 infections worldwide. Compared to earlier virus variants, Omicron rarely causes severe disease. According to current knowledge, a major reason for this is that Omicron infects lung cells less efficiently and therefore causes pneumonia less frequently. However, an international team including scientists from the German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate…

Being smart pays off, as it allows for more balanced decision-making. However, the origins of these abilities during evolution remain largely unexplored. Only if smarter individuals enjoy better survival and have higher reproductive rates than their conspecifics, improved cognitive abilities can evolve. Researchers from the German Primate Center (DPZ) – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research have recently examined the link between cognitive…

The choice of Göttingen as the venue for the 2023 Annual Meeting holds special significance for the Max Planck Society as it marks its 75th anniversary and coincides with a change in presidency. Göttingen is not only the birthplace of the Max Planck Society in its current form, but also holds personal significance for the new President, Patrick Cramer, the ninth President of the Max Planck Society, whose professional “home” has been the Max…

Professor Lutz Ackermann from the University of Göttingen has been awarded a prize in the "Project of the Century" competition of the Werner Siemens Foundation (WSS). Ackermann's team and five others receive a prize of over one million euros each for their ideas. The award ceremony took place on Friday 16 June 2023 in Lucerne. In addition, the six teams will get the opportunity to apply to be a WSS research centre which would enable them to…

The Sun’s strong, dynamic magnetic field can catapult huge jets of plasma known as coronal mass ejections out into the Solar System. Sometimes these hit Earth, where they can knock out power grids and damage satellites. Scientists don’t fully understand how magnetic fields are generated and amplified inside the Sun, but a study recently published in Nature Astronomy by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany…

Researchers from 24 countries have analyzed the genomes of 809 individuals from 233 primate species, generating the most complete catalog of genomic information about our closest relatives to date. The project, which consists of a series of studies in which researchers from the German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research (DPZ) were also involved, provides new insights into the evolution of primates, including humans, and their…

Ruminants like cows have developed an unusual way of digesting their food: they ingest plants, give them a rough chewing and then swallow the half-chewed mash before regurgitating it repeatedly and continuing to chew. This has clear advantages, as a research team including the University of Göttingen has shown: the regurgitated mushy food contains much less hard grit, sand and dust than the food that they first ingested. This protects the teeth…