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International research team confirms twofold ability of molecules

Bacteria, plants, insects, or even fish use antifreeze proteins to protect themselves from the cold. The proteins block the growth of ice crystals. In a new study, a German–Israeli research team has confirmed that these proteins also possess an unusual second property: at low temperatures, they can promote rather than inhibit the growth of ice crystals. The study brought together researchers from Bielefeld University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot (Israel). It is being published today (07.03.2019) in the ‘Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters’.[Weiterlesen]

Bielefeld University coordinates joint project  / Main phase begins

Latin America is confronted with crises – from political unrest in Venezuela, the deforestation of the Amazon, violence against women (“feminicide”), the extreme divide between rich and poor, to the threat of a wall between the USA and Mexico. How do Latin American societies cope with crises? To answer this question, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the CALAS cooperative project with a total of 12 million euros in the six-year main phase starting in March. Bielefeld University coordinates the "Maria Sibylla Merian Center for Advanced Latin American Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences" (CALAS), headquartered at the University of Guadalajara, a strategic partner university of Bielefeld.
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An international team of more than 200 astronomers from 18 countries has published the first phase of a major new radio sky survey at unprecedented sensitivity using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) telescope. The survey reveals hundreds of thousands of previously undetected galaxies, shedding new light on many research areas including the physics of black holes and how clusters of galaxies evolve. A special issue of the scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics is dedicated to the first twenty-six research papers describing the survey and its first results.[Weiterlesen]

Scientists at the Universities of Würzburg and Bielefeld in Germany have discovered an unusual new light sensor in green algae. The sensor triggers a reaction that is similar to one in the human eye.

Just like land plants, algae use sunlight as an energy source. Many green algae actively move in the water; they can swim to the light or move away from it. For light perception they use special sensors (photoreceptors).[Weiterlesen]

Researchers from the Cluster of Excellence CITEC disprove scientific claim

In science, the “Mona Lisa Effect” refers to the impression that the eyes of the person portrayed in an image seem to follow the viewer as they move in front of the picture. Two researchers from the Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC) at Bielefeld University demonstrate that, ironically enough, this effect does not occur with Leonardo da Vinci’s world-famous painting “Mona Lisa” – debunking a scientific legend. The researchers are presenting the results of their study in the scientific journal “i-Perception”.[Weiterlesen]

Conference on the future graduate training of young scholars

During its anniversary conference from 30 November to 1 December, the Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology (BGHS) will look back on ten years’ successful training of young researchers as well as the future of promoting young academics. The panel discussion, which will include Professor Dr Peter Strohschneider (President of the German Research Foundation DFG) and Professor Dr Richard Münch (University of Bamberg), will focus on the topic of the conference: “Graduate Training of Young Scholars in Germany – Responsibility for the Future”.[Weiterlesen]

Conference on the future graduate training of young scholars

During its anniversary conference from 30 November to 1 December, the Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology (BGHS) will look back on ten years’ successful training of young researchers as well as the future of promoting young academics. The panel discussion, which will include Professor Dr Peter Strohschneider (President of the German Research Foundation DFG) and Professor Dr Richard Münch (University of Bamberg), will focus on the topic of the conference: “Graduate Training of Young Scholars in Germany – Responsibility for the Future”.[Weiterlesen]

Study at Bielefeld University published in ‘Nature Communications’

Their fur was used as a raw material for coats; their fat was used for oil lamps and cosmetics: right up to the end of the nineteenth century, millions of seals were being hunted and killed every year worldwide.  The consequences of this episode of commercial hunting for today’s seal populations is the subject of a study published today (16.11.2018) in ‘Nature Communications’. Population geneticists at Bielefeld University and the British Antarctic Survey have found that eleven seal species only narrowly escaped extinction. The scientists managed to include nearly all of the species alive today in their research. The study nevertheless reveals that most species survived the heyday of seal hunting in sufficient numbers to retain most of their genetic diversity.

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The Cluster of Excellence CITEC and eight partners from four continents are working together as part of the international technology network “InterACT”

Bielefeld University and its Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology (CITEC) have joined the InterACT network. The partners in this network are dedicated to researching and developing technologies that will enhance global communication and cooperation. A total of nine universities and institutes from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America belong to this network. In addition to Bielefeld University, new members of the network also include Stanford University (USA) and the Queensland University of Technology (Australia). The network is being coordinated by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
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