Research

FAU has set up a new research center in order to make the development of bioactive compounds even more efficient. In this center, teams of researchers from the areas of pharmaceutical science, food chemistry and pharmacology at FAU and departments at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen combine their research activities in a unique manner.

“With my research, I hope to contribute to inventing innovative and more energy-efficient electronic devices and to drive forward fundamental research into the synthesis and properties of semi-conducting nitrides,” summarizes Dr. Saskia Schimmel.

Metastasis is a particularly insidious threat for cancer patients. FAU medical expert Prof. Dr. Thomas Brabletz hopes to gain a better understanding of tumor cells and metastasis. He has received 1.25 million euros in funding from the DFG for this purpose.

Today, the Academic Freedom Index (AFI) project presents its Update 2023, providing an overview of the state of academic freedom in 179 countries. The decline in academic freedom affects over 50% of the world's population, approximately 4 billion people.

What sounds like science fiction could soon become a reality: Photovoltaic systems that are so thin and light that they can float and fly. In an interview, Prof. Dr. Christoph Brabec explains what these “emerging photovoltaics (e-PV)” are made of and why they are the future of photovoltaic systems.

With the EU project IMMEDIATE, an international team of researchers now hopes to pinpoint the key factors for chronic inflammation and develop individual prevention strategies using AI.

What does the ideal microbiome look like? And what influence do quintillions of invisible organisms have on human health and disease? This is to be the focus of a new institute at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen: the Department of Microbiome Research led by Prof. Dr. Stephan P. Rosshart.

Universitätsklinikum Erlangen is the first in the world to use CAR T-cells to successfully treat a patient suffering from a severe case of muscle inflammation (myositis). The disease is triggered by a malfunction in the immune system that leads to inflammation of the muscles and the risk of developing a very severe form of the disease is high.

Christopher Eichler and his team are researching the future of quantum computing. At the same time, he is speaker for the QuMeCo project, which represents FAU in the Munich Quantum Valley.

Quantum computers could double the computing power of today’s supercomputers. But how far away are they from becoming reality? What can we expect in the coming years? We spoke with Prof. Dr. Michael J. Hartmann, Chair of Theoretical Physics.