News

By superimposing two laser fields of different strengths and frequency, the electron emission of metals can be measured and controlled precisely to a few attoseconds. Physicists from FAU, the University of Rostock and the University of Konstanz have shown that this is the case. The findings could lead to new quantum-mechanical insights and enable electronic circuits that are a million times faster than today.

Flying is the most damaging mode of transportation for our climate. However, work is already underway to investigate technical alternatives to conventional aircraft. For example, airships with highly efficient solar cells and extremely light batteries on board. Prof. Dr. Christoph Pflaum from FAU, together with Prof. Dr. Agnes Jocher from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the FAU student Tim Riffelmacher, have investigated which route a solar airship would have to take in order to fly from London to New York as quickly and as climate-friendly as possible.

A vitamin D3 deficiency can lead to severe symptoms, for example in people suffering from allergic asthma. This has already been shown in several studies. A team of researchers from FAU has now demonstrated for the first time how taking vitamin D3 can alter the cellular inflammatory reaction in allergic asthma and alleviate asthma symptoms.

An unprecedented and continuing loss of biodiversity has been sparked by anthropogenic climate change together with the intensive use and destruction of natural ecosystems. However, since the public often views the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis as two separate catastrophes, an international team of researchers including paleontologist Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kiessling from FAU calls for adopting a new perspective.

Green hydrogen could play a key role in the energy transition. However, electrocatalytic splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen requires huge amounts of electricity. Materials scientist Dr. Pablo Jiménez Calvo is conducting research into an alternative method known as photocatalysis.

Protests by women in Iran are not new. Women have been fighting for their basic rights across Iran since the beginning of the 20th century. Women’s clothing, education and everyday lives are strictly controlled in the country. On April 20, 2023, FAU will be holding a public lecture on this highly topical issue.

This June, students, doctoral candidates and staff at FAU who are eligible to vote in the electronic University elections can vote for the representatives of each member group in the Senate, the Faculty Councils of the five faculties and in the Appointments Council of the School of Theology. Students are also able to vote on who is to represent them in the Student Council and the respective Student Committees.

FAU’s annual theme this year is “#FAUtogether” and our interdisciplinary degree programs represent collaboration between people beyond subject boundaries. In this series of interviews, students have their say and talk about their degree programs. Today, Laura Bisinger talks about her degree program – gerontology.

A team from MPL and FAU has created a new, fast and precise method for clinicians to analyse cells in tissue samples from cancer patients without the need for a trained pathologist. They use artificial intelligence to evaluate the data their method produces.

To jointly commit to the further development of fossil-free, future-proof drives and to create synergies between science and industry - that is the goal of the Future Driveline Campus, which officially opened. FAU, the Technical University of Nuremberg Georg Simon Ohm and the commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus are involved.