A team of researchers at the University of Göttingen has developed an innovative software program for the simulation of breeding programmes. The "Modular Breeding Program Simulator" (MoBPS) enables the simulation of highly complex breeding programmes in animal and plant breeding and is designed to assist breeders in their everyday decisions. Furthermore, the program is intended to be a cornerstone for further studies in breeding research in…

When we find something particularly beautiful or impressive, we literally get big eyes: Our pupils dilate. The pupil controls how much light enters the eye and falls on the retina. When there is a lot of light, the pupil contracts; when there is little light, it opens again. Neuroscientists from the German Primate Center (DPZ) - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research and the European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen have now found out in a study…

Einen Handlungspfad zur Früherkennung und Behandlung von schweren Verläufen bei COVID-19 Infektionen hat ein Expertenteam der Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (UMG) entwickelt. Ein einfacher Urintest soll dem ärztlichen Fachpersonal helfen, schon früher Warnzeichen für einen bevorstehenden schweren Verlauf der COVID-19 Erkrankung zu erkennen. Anhand weniger Parameter kann so, noch Tage, bevor Lunge und andere Organe schwer versagen, mit der…

Germany is looking for a way out of the Covid-19 epidemic. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association, and the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft have jointly published a statement outlining various paths through the corona epidemic based on model calculations. Viola Priesemann, who heads a research group at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, is co-author of this position paper. Her team has…

The SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects lung cells and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The viral spike protein mediates entry of the virus into host cells and harbors an unusual activation sequence. The Infection Biology Unit of the German Primate Center (DPZ) - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research has now shown that this sequence is cleaved by the cellular enzyme furin and that the cleavage is important for the infection of lung…

The Sun is an ever-changing star: at times, numerous dark sunspots cover its visible surface; at others, the surface is completely "empty". However, by cosmic standards the Sun is extraordinarily monotonous. This is the result of a new study presented by researchers under the leadership of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany in the upcoming issue of Science. For the first time, the scientists compared the Sun with…

Bronze is a relatively soft alloy and so it was often assumed that swords made of this material have usually only had a ceremonial or symbolic role. A new study by archaeologist Dr Raphael Hermann from the University of Göttingen, however, proves that such swords were resistant and suitable for combat. In fact, the research shows that Bronze Age swordsmen deliberately clashed blades with the opponent's sword and developed sophisticated fighting…

When someone becomes infected with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen proliferates rapidly in the cells of the infected person. To do so, the virus has to multiply its genetic material, which consists of a single long RNA strand. This task is performed by the viral 'copy machine', the so-called polymerase. Scientists led by Patrick Cramer of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen have now visualized how the…

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…