University Communications and Press Office

The identification of genes involved in diseases is one of the major challenges of biomedical research. Researchers at the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) have developed a method that makes their identification much easier and faster: they light up genome sequences in the cell nucleus. In contrast to complex screenings using established methods, the NIS-Seq method can be used to investigate the genetic determinants of almost any biological process in human cells. The study has now been published in Nature Biotechnology.

In a time of multiple crises, the enormous loss of biodiversity is one of our greatest challenges, the consequences of which are already affecting countless people around the world. It is evident by now: Something has to change - but what and how? Dr. Stefan Partelow, head of the “Transformation and Governance” research area at the Center for Life Ethics at the University of Bonn, is working on precisely this question. As one of many scientists, he contributed to the Transformative Change Assessment of the World Biodiversity Council IPBES, which has now been published: It aims to understand and identify factors in human society that can be used to bring about transformative change for the conservation, restoration and wise use of biodiversity while considering social and economic objectives in the context of sustainable development.

The University of Bonn has appointed yet another outstanding Schlegel Professor financed from Excellence funding. Professor Maja Köhn is set to inject fresh momentum into the Institute for Cell Biology as its Managing Director. Her main area of work is studying phosphatases.

Some time ago, archaeological excavations in the Praunheim district of Frankfurt am Main uncovered a burial ground from the 3rd century. Inside one of its graves, the archaeologists came upon a complete skeleton accompanied by grave goods, in this case an earthenware jug and an incense burner in the shape of a chalice. However, it was not until they were cleaning the bones that they discovered something else—an amulet capsule, which has now turned out to be a truly sensational find. Professor Markus Scholz, an archaeologist and expert in Latin inscriptions based at Goethe University Frankfurt, has managed to decipher the inscription on the capsule with the help of church historian Professor Wolfram Kinzig from the University of Bonn and a number of other researchers.