Researchers at the University of Bonn have isolated a DNA molecule that is suitable for combating allergic contact dermatitis in mice. What is known as an aptamer binds to certain immune system messenger substances, rendering them ineffective. This even works if the active ingredient is applied to the skin in the form of an ointment. The working groups involved hope that aptamer creams such as this could also be suitable for treating other skin conditions. The results have now been published in the journal Molecular Therapies - Nucleic Acids.
The international Belle II collaboration has elected Florian Bernlochner, a professor at the University of Bonn’s Institute of Physics, as its next spokesperson. From summer 2025 onward, therefore, Belle II will be preparing for an upgrade and collecting data at unprecedented rates of collision under his leadership. The experiment is set to play a major part in the planned Color meets Flavor Cluster of Excellence.
Fake news significantly impacts economic dynamics, leading to higher unemployment and lower production. Additionally, people tend to overestimate their ability to distinguish between accurate and false information. However, once they are made aware of this (through experience), their willingness to pay to protect themselves from fake news increases. These are some of the findings from two discussion papers produced by the ECONtribute Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn.
The University of Bonn held its second International Staff Week in May. The focus this time around: “New Approaches to Services for Students and Staff at Universities.” This included an investigation into the various new approaches universities are using to provide services to different target audiences and the challenges confronting administrative staff in an increasingly complex and digitalized environment.
The region with the greatest marine biodiversity on our planet is known as the Coral Triangle or Indo-Australian Archipelago. However, the detailed evolutionary history of this biodiversity hotspot is poorly understood. An international research team has reconstructed how biodiversity has developed over the past 40 million years. The University of Bonn is involved in the study, which has now been published in the journal Nature.
With 1,896 participating graduates of the 2023/2024 academic year, the University of Excellence Bonn will once again bid farewell to a record number of Bachelor's and Master's graduates on Saturday, July 6, 2024, with a large celebration in the Hofgarten. Over 70 nations will be represented, with families and friends expected in large numbers to celebrate the handing out of certificates. This makes it probably the largest central graduation ceremony at a university in Germany.
Leaving some weeds between crops can help to combat pests on agricultural land, according to a new study carried out by the University of Bonn. This step has particularly positive effects in combination with other measures: the cultivation of different types of crops and planting strips of wildflowers. The results have now been published in the Journal of Pest Science.
Some of the country’s leading centers for robotics have joined forces and set up a consortium to develop the new Robotics Institute Germany (RIG), which is set to become its first port of call for the robotics industry. The consortium’s coordinator Professor Angela Schoellig from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and RIG speaker Professor Tamim Asfour from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) unveiled the concept for AI-based robotics at the AI-Based Robotics conference in Berlin entitled. Launching on July 1, 2024, the project is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with €20 million over the next four years, and the University of Bonn is heavily involved.