Research

A lack of the amino acid L-arginine leads to increased inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. This is the conclusion of research carried out by a working group at the Institute of Microbiology – Clinical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene at FAU.

Which is the most effective approach to driving a sustainable energy reform: subsidising renewable energy or putting a price on carbon emissions? What effect will increased use of renewable energy have on the system as a whole? Researchers Dr. Adhurim Haxhimusa, Prof. Dr. Mario Liebensteiner and Fabian Naumann have conducted a study investigating the role of pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations.

Are office jobs therefore particularly under threat from technological change? A recent study by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) and FAU takes a detailed look at changes in office jobs since the 1980s and comes to the conclusion that employees are well prepared for technical change thanks to their training in these occupations.

Binary stars are well known to astrophysicists. One stellar double-act in particular has drawn their attention, as part of the X-ray radiation that binary star systems usually emit is missing, and the x-rays it did emit seemed to have strange properties. A research team led by FAU observed a binary star system using X-ray satellites to find some answers.

A team of researchers at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and FAU has demonstrated that anti-tumour mechanisms can also be activated by sport therapy in cancer patients at advanced stages of the disease.

In an interview, Prof. Dr. Peter Dabrock explains the work of the German Ethics Council and the challenges he faced during his time as chairman.

Organisms often react to extreme environmental conditions with defence mechanisms which allow them to survive. In a work recently published in the journal Aging Cell, a team of researchers from FAU, the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden and the TU Dresden together with the Max Planck Centre for Physics and Medicine (MPZPM) in Erlangen discovered that alcohol can double the lifespan of nematode larvae.

One third of all epilepsy patients do not respond to drug-based treatments. In the case of focal epilepsy, where the cause is located in a certain area of the brain, brain surgery can be beneficial and can even act as a cure.

When the immune system attacks intestinal microbiota, this leads to chronic intestinal inflammation and considerable pain and discomfort. A team of researchers have investigated a new treatment approach.