Research and Study at the University of Excellence in Bonn

Researchers at the University of Bonn and University of Montreal have developed a new type of catalyst and used it in their study to produce methane out of carbon dioxide and water in a highly efficient way using electricity. Methane can be used, for example, to heat apartments or as a starting material in the chemical industry. It is also the main component of natural gas. If it is produced using green electricity, however, it is largely climate neutral. The insights gained from the model system studied by the researchers can be transferred to large-scale technical catalysts. The system could also be used to produce other important chemical compounds. The study was recently published in the prestigious journal “Nature Chemistry.” 

Rector Professor Michael Hoch has now been given the “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays” of Japan’s Imperial House in recognition of his contribution to academic exchange and Japanese-German understanding. The order, which is one of the highest awarded in Japan for services to civil society, was presented by the country’s Consul-General Setsuko Kawahara on behalf of the Tennō and the Prime Minister of Japan at a ceremony held at her official residence in Düsseldorf.

The genetic confirmation of a suspected diagnosis of "hereditary colorectal cancer" is of great importance for the medical care of affected families. However, many of the variants identified in the known genes cannot yet be reliably classified in terms of their causal role in tumor formation. Under the leadership of the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn, an international team of researchers has reassessed the medical relevance of a significant number of unclear variants and thus significantly reduced their number. The results of the study have now been published in the renowned journal "American Journal of Human Genetics".

The annual First-Semester Students’ Welcome was held September 30, 2024, a traditional event aimed at welcoming new students on campus and making it easier for them to get acclimated to life at the University. In addition to a large info market, the event featured the central first-semester student party as an important occasion for new students to meet people, among with many other opportunities to make contacts.