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Newsarchiv: Creating knowledge since 1502
Jahr 2018
Chemists develop a very simple method to break down pollutants in water
Chemists from Martin Luther University have found out how stubborn pollutants in water can be disintegrated easily and cost-effectively. To do so researchers only need a green LED light, a catalyst and vitamin C. In this way, they can produce special types of electrons that reliably destroy the pollutants in the water. Until now, complex laser systems were required for this.
MLU secures funding for international research training group
Major success for biodiversity research in Central Germany: A new international research training group at Martin Luther University focuses on how trees interact with each other and on the consequences of these interactions for the ecosystem. The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation, DFG) will be funding the PhD programme for the next four-and-a-half years with around 3.5 million euros.
Welcome to the club: a network for newbies
Employees and professors who are new to Martin Luther University don’t get a freshers party – at best, they are actively supported at their work place. However, at the end of the workday, these newcomers usually have to fend for themselves. This is now set to change. In November, 25 members of the university founded the Newcomers’ Club.
How wind turbines annoy residents and how to reduce it
When falling asleep, relaxing or undertaking recreational activities, nearly a third of residents living near a wind farm are not at all annoyed or only slightly annoyed by the noise of wind turbines. One in ten people experience symptoms of stress, such as irritability or difficulty falling asleep. However, noise is not the only problem for those affected, according to psychologists at Martin Luther University in the current issue of the journal "Energy Policy". In particular, a critical attitude towards a wind farm stimulates the experience of stress.
New study: How climate change alters plant growth
Global warming affects more than just plant biodiversity - it even alters the way plants grow. A team of researchers at Martin Luther University discovered which molecular processes are involved in plant growth. They published their findings in the current edition of the internationally renowned journal "Current Biology".
Size matters: Biologists are studying how thrips choose their partners
The bigger the male, the higher his chances to successfully mate – this applies, at least, to thrips, insects measuring only two to three millimetres in length that are hard to recognise with the naked eye. The larger males not only drive off their smaller rivals, they also have better immune systems and produce more sperm. This is a discovery that was made by biologists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.
Researchers develop dissolvable, easy-to-use milk capsules
Researchers at Martin Luther University have developed a milk capsule that dissolves when placed in a hot drink. Not only does this reduce the consumption of packaging material, the capsules are easier to use than conventional plastic containers. The research group published its findings in the journal "Chemical Engineering & Technology".
Psychology: playful people are at an advantage
Adults can positively utilise their inclination towards playfulness in many situations. They are good at observing, can easily see things from new perspectives, and can turn monotonous tasks into something interesting. At the same time, playfulness should not be equated with humour. Instead we need a new vocabulary to describe it, write psychologists from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) in the current issue of the international journal "Personality and Individual Differences".
Competing forces: How molecules maintain their structure
A double helix twisted around itself: this is the distinctive structure of DNA, which is made up of large molecules. Using synthetically produced molecules, chemists and physicists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) have investigated the forces which are at work inside the molecule to give it its three-dimensional structure. They have discovered that there are two primary forces at play that can strengthen or weaken one another.
High sugar consumption leads to dental treatment costs in the billions
Worldwide, people are eating far too much sugar. This has negative consequences for their teeth and for their purses: seen at the global level, the costs of dental treatment are currently running at around 172 billion US dollars (128 billion euros). In Germany alone, these amount to 17.2 billion euros (23 billion US dollars) a year, a study led by the Martin Luther University says.
Jahr 2017
Scientists reveal core genes involved in honey bee immune system
An international team of researchers has identified a core set of genes involved in the responses of honey bees to multiple diseases caused by viruses and parasites. The findings provide a better-defined starting point for future studies of honey bee health, and may help scientists and beekeepers to breed honey bees that are more resilient to stress. Researchers from Martin Luther University and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) contributed to the study that was recently published in "BMC Genomics".
"Nature": No single protein determines queen development in honeybees
The proteins in the larval food of honeybees are not specific determinators to make the larvae grow into queens – that includes the protein royalactin, which had been previously claimed to be the "queen determinator" in a highly regarded study in 2011. This is the conclusion of a study carried out by researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and published in the internationally renowned journal "Nature".