Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), astronomers including the University of Göttingen have discovered a small black hole outside the Milky Way by looking at how it influences the motion of a nearby star. This is the first time this detection method has been used to reveal the presence of a black hole outside our galaxy. The method could be key to finding hidden black holes in the Milky Way and nearby…

The ability of cells to move together in harmony is crucial for numerous biological processes in our body, for example wound healing, or the healthy development of an organism. This movement is made possible by the connections between individual cells. These connections, in turn, are established by various protein molecules which transfer the necessary forces and information between neighbouring cells. A research team led by the University of…

The sun rises over the Senegalese savannah. The Guinea baboons have spent the night on their sleeping trees and set off together to forage. In order to depart simultaneously as a group and roam together during the day, the animals have to coordinate well. Researchers from the German Primate Center (DPZ) – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research have studied which animals lead the group and how they decide when and in which direction to set off.…

Climate change is now attracting enormous media attention and, in particular, affects the future of young people. Many factors have an influence on the climate. One of them, which consumers can control, is their own diet. A research team from the University of Göttingen has investigated awareness of climate change in conjunction with young people's individual food choices. The results were published in the journal Cleaner and Responsible…

Nach nur 7 Monaten Bauzeit hat jetzt hat das neue Intensivmedizingebäude (IMG) der Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (UMG) seinen Betrieb aufgenommen. Eingezogen mit ihren Intensivbetten sind zunächst die Intensivstationen 0119 komplett und 0116 anteilig mit vier Betten. Gleichzeitig nimmt das IMG schwererkrankte COVID-19 Patient*innen auf. Das neue Intensivmedizingebäude ist ein wichtiger Meilenstein für die UMG: Erstmals seit fast 45 Jahren wurde…

The quillwort is an aquatic plant belonging to an ancient lineage of vascular plants, meaning plants that have tissues to transport water, sap and nutrients. This lineage diverged from the other vascular plants more than 400 million years ago. A large international research team, including the University of Göttingen, have now sequenced the whole genome of this curious plant, uncovering the secrets of its unique method of photosynthesis, as well…

It shows that recurrent strict lockdowns are not necessary for long-term control of pandemics – as long as moderate precautionary measures are sustained. The researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (MPIDS) investigated which measures are required under which conditions to avoid strict lockdowns. They conclude that long-term policies and individual compliance ultimately determine if pandemic control can be…

The solar observatory Sunrise III, which will observe the Sun from a helium balloon at an altitude of 35 kilometers, has reached an important milestone: today scientists and engineers at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany performed measurements with sunlight for the first time. For the so-called hang test, the huge gate of the MPS balloon hall opened to allow the observatory to look directly into the Sun. The test…

The degradation and regeneration of myelin sheaths characterise neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis. Cholesterol is an indispensable component of myelin sheaths. The cholesterol for the regenerated myelin sheaths must therefore either be recycled from damaged myelin or produced again locally. In a recent study, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine in Göttingen, led by Gesine Saher, found that in the case…

During protein synthesis, both transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and messenger RNA (mRNA) move rapidly through the ribosome. This movement is GTPase-powered by elongation factor G (EF-G). Niels Fischer, Marina Rodnina, and co-workers at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen have visualized the steps of ongoing translocation by time-resolved cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) revealing how a small local event drives large-scale…