Research

Could microorganisms devour and rid the world of microplastics? Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Streit and his team in the Department of Biology at Universität Hamburg are trying to find out.

Leonard Borchert’s goal is to make weather forecasts for the next 10 years more accurate. To do so, he has observed the North Atlantic, which strongly influences the weather in Europe. Borchert’s findings have now been published in the Journal of Climate. As a PhD candidate at CEN, he also knows...

Scientists in the Faculty of Medicine and the Departments of Chemistry and Biology at Universität Hamburg investigate the role of signaling molecules in inflammatory diseases in the Collaborative Research Center “Adenine Nucleotides in Immunity and Inflammation” (CRC 1328). The Collaborative...

The Low Frequency Array, also known as LOFAR, is an innovative digital radio telescope based in The Netherlands and spanning 6 European countries. Universität Hamburg and the University of Bielefeld also have a LOFAR receiving station in Norderstedt. In our video, Prof. Dr. Marcus Brüggen and...

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has awarded Prof. Dr. Anne van Aaken from Universität Hamburg with the renowned Alexander von Humboldt Professorship in Berlin. Prof. van Aaken is recognized internationally as a distinguished expert in the field of economic analysis of law. She investigates...

The EU has once again reformed its emissions trading system—even though the previous reform had yet to go into effect. Grischa Perino, professor of economics at Universität Hamburg, has taken a closer look at the planned changes for the journal Nature Climate Change. His conclusions: The changes...

More than 400 research projects currently involving about 240 scientists and scholars at Universität Hamburg have a connection to the topic of sustainability. What projects these are and who is working on them—find out using the new interactive Sustainability Research Map, online now.

As part of the EU-funded Improving Quality of Care in Europe (IQCE) European Training Network, a total of 15 doctoral candidates from all over the world are developing concepts to improve the European healthcare system. Six European partner universities are offering the program, including...

Where does an artwork come from? Who traded or plundered it, or who might have destroyed it? And to whom does it rightfully belong? Provenance research is an art history discipline concerned with the origins of art objects. At Universität Hamburg, Gesa Jeuthe has been appointed to the Liebelt...

This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to three pioneers of cryo-electron microscopy, a path-breaking technology enabling us to examine native biological samples using high resolution at low temperatures. Structural biologist Prof. Dr. Kay Grünewald researches in this field and explains to us why...

How can organizations manage humanitarian crises? And how can numerous organizations coordinate? Researchers from Universität Hamburg have been working withe the Ugandan Red Cross since March 2017 to look at how best to manage crises. Two research stays in the East African country have now yielded...

Digital or "crypto" currencies are becoming more popular and have become a significant economic factor worth billions in trade. There is more than meets the eye, however, when it comes to Bitcoins and other currencies: an infrastructure that will fundamentally alter finance. Researchers at...

What skills make good teachers? What didactic concepts should then form the focus in teacher training? From 21 to 23 September 2017, around 200 researchers working on national and international educational contexts will convene at Universität Hamburg to discuss these questions. The congress is part...

Do online forums attract climate sceptics? A new study conducted by CliSAP excellence cluster examines the debate on public platforms. An interview with communications researcher Ines Lörcher. [Read on in German]

Hamburg has about 540 km² of flora and fauna, making it Germany's greenest city. In addition to 600,000 trees in the city's parks, there are about 250,000 trees lining the city center's streets. Biologist Dr. Christoph Reisdorff and his research team are looking at plant adaptability in various...

What are the building blocks of matter? What does dark matter consist of and what is "dark energy"? How are space and time structured, what are the origins and history of the Universe, and how does it all go together? These are the questions that they key research area Particle, Astro- and...

THe European Research Council (ERC) has awarded oncologist Prof. Dr. Dr. Sonja Loges from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf with an ERC starting grant of 1.5 million euros over the next five years. Her research aims to improve on current cancer therapies. [Read on in German . . .]

The University key research area Photon and Nanoscience includes a broad spectrum of successful projects in basic research. Topics range from magnetism, laser and quantum physics, and nanochemistry to biophysical problems such as the decoding of molecules using ultrafast lasers and state-of-the-art...

When plants are exposed to individual stimuli, they respond by transmitting signals using electric currents. During dry conditions, for example, the roots send signals to the leaves telling them to slow down photosynthesis. In a new experiment, a research team working in wood science has shown that...