Research

Scientists at FAU, Germany, awarded $10 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to improve the crop yield of the cassava plant Cassava, also known as manioc, provides the basic diet for more than half a billion people. It is the most important food source throughout much of the tropica...

We are all familiar with the expression ‘to taste blood’. In the animal kingdom just the smell of blood has an irresistible effect on carnivores. If a predator smells blood it knows that dinner is not far away. But what are the characteristic components of blood in mammals? What exactly causes the t...

FAU researcher proves algae species creates ecological niches We all know how important coral reefs are for the ecosystem. In places where coral reefs occur, their three-dimensional structures provide ecological niches that have a positive effect on biodiversity. It is less well known that other or...

What role does culture play in people’s reaction to disasters? Why do people choose to live near an active volcano? Why do those affected by floods and earthquakes return to the risk areas so soon? Why are international disaster prevention measures unsuccessful or met with a lack of understanding a...

Chemists develop a new method which uses light to regulate biochemical processes The ultraviolet light spectrum is used in research for targeted regulation of biochemical processes, such as protein production or calcium release. However, the harmful effects of UV light have posed a problem for re...

FAU researchers investigate which environmental factors influence the evolution of animals with giant proportions Animals come in all different sizes – from huge whales to tiny crustaceans. Certain species stand out due to their extreme size – such as the giant squid, which can grow to up to 13 met...

Pharmacists at FAU are looking for new ways to treat depression. The model for these investigations is provided by a well-known medicinal plant, St John’s wort, which contains the antidepressive agent hyperforin that the researchers aim to develop further. The project, which forms part of the Europe...

Processes inside the Earth are often difficult for researchers to follow. An international team of researchers including members from Geozentrum Nordbayern at FAU and the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel were able to draw conclusions about the movement of submerged tectonic plates ...

FAU chemists have made an important step towards the vision of nanoscale electronic components. They have shown that electrons can be transported much faster over rigid molecular wires than over flexible ones. Together with partners in Japan, the researchers are working on more effective, lower-cost...

It could be difficult for the NSA to hack encrypted messages in the future – at least if a technology being investigated by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen and the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg will be successful: quantum cryptography. ...