Research

When we are infected by a virus, our body detects this attack and starts a series of defensive reactions. In collaboration with researchers at the University of Chicago, USA, a team of researchers led by Dr. Florian Full and Prof. Dr. Armin Ensser at the Institute of Clinical and Molecular Virology have now discovered a new defensive reaction against herpes viruses.

The current issue deals with all aspects of the topic of ‘End’: which of them are unavoidable? How do people deal with this? And do we live forever – on the Internet?

Being able to control electronic systems using light waves instead of voltage signals is the dream of physicists all over the world. The advantage is that electromagnetic light waves oscillate at petaherz frequency. This means that computers in the future could operate at speeds a million times faster than those of today. Scientists at FAU have now come one step closer to achieving this goal as they have succeeded in using ultra-short laser impulses to precisely control electrons in graphene.

Wolfgang Rademann was both a successful producer of popular and long-running German TV series such as 'Die Schwarzwaldklinik' and a well-known public figure. What were the secrets of his success? This is what media scientists Prof. Dr. Kay Kirchmann and Dr. Sven Grampp from FAU are trying to find out by studying Rademann's professional papers.

Only a third of the heat produced in conventional ovens is used for baking. The remainder just heats the bakery. This is something researchers at FAU hope to change. They have developed and tested a prototype oven with a significantly more efficient combustion principle.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers at FAU and the University of Connecticut have now been able to gain a better understanding of chemical reactions during water electrolysis using a new method of analysing oxygen isotopes.

Materials scientists at FAU have achieved a new record in the performance of organic non-fullerene based single-junction solar cells. Using a series of complex optimisations, they achieved certified power conversion efficiency of 12.25 percent on a surface area measuring one square centimetre.

When bones break more easily in old age, osteoporosis is often to blame. However, the cause of the disease and how it develops is not yet sufficiently understood. An interdisciplinary team is now developing a new imaging process with funding from an ERC Synergy Grant worth 12.3 million euros.

The FAU observatory owns approximately 40,000 historical photographic plates, a genuine treasure trove for anyone interested in stargazing. Approximately 70,000 glass plates have now been digitalised and published online.