Research

New substances that activate adrenalin receptors instead of opioid receptors have a similar pain relieving effect to opiates, but without the negative aspects such as respiratory depression and addiction. The results are a milestone in the development of non-opioid pain relief.

Researchers at FAU have conducted a case study proving the negative impact political conflicts have on research. They examined scientific publications from the last three decades describing fossils in amber from Myanmar. Their results indicate that the increased research interest in Myanmar amber is explicitly linked to major political, legal and economic changes.

A research team from FAU has investigated whether artificial intelligence can recognize based on MRI images of hands whether patients are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The outcome: AI was able to differentiate between the two types in 75 percent of cases.

At FAU, patients with severe forms of autoimmune diseases are being treated with cells from the body that have been genetically modified, which are known as CAR T cells. This study is the first of its kind in the world. Physicians were astounded to find that the therapy is like a reset button: immediately after receiving treatment the autoimmune disease was resolved completely and did not return.

As part of the Munich Quantum Valley (MQV) initiative, the Free State of Bavaria is supporting six outstanding doctoral students with doctoral fellowships of around 200,000 euros each in their research in the field of quantum science – two of the internationally selected top talents will be conducting research at FAU in the future.

Researchers from all disciplines rely on their work being evaluated fairly and correctly, as this determines not only their reputation in research but also significant amounts of their funding. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has published a package of measures to assess research more fairly. But will this really lead to change? We asked researchers at FAU what they think.

The fifth generation of mobile communications 5G was only introduced in 2020, and now the German government is already providing funding for research into its successor. The industrial package 6G-ANNA, in which FAU is involved, is aimed at spurring the development of 6G from Germany and Europe.

Cereal, milk and meat were the staple diet of people in Britain as long as 5500 years ago. By carrying out a chemical analysis of lipid residues in well-preserved ceramics, a research team led by the University of Bristol and including researchers from FAU have proven for the first time that people in stone age Britain not only consumed barley, but also wheat.

Approximately 250 million years ago, more than 80 percent of all maritime species became extinct after volcanic eruptions in Siberia released huge quantities of greenhouse gases and caused the atmosphere to heat up. A team of researchers were able to calculate that temperatures rose by approximately 10 degrees Celsius, beginning in a period long before the peak of the mass extinction.

From cloudy glasses to deposits in dishwashers – limescale is a ubiquitous problem. An international research collaboration led by two researchers at FAU has now investigated which substances could be added to washing up liquid to prevent the build-up of limescale. Knowledge about the mechanisms involved can be used to develop more sustainable ingredients.