Research

Physicists at FAU have for the first time been able to prove a long-predicted but as yet unconfirmed fundamental effect. In Faraday chiral anisotropy, the propagation characteristics of light waves are changed simultaneously by the natural and magnetic-field induced material properties of the medium...

The mechanical properties of cells can reveal which diseases a patient is suffering from. Researchers at the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin in Erlangen are taking advantage of this effect - and revolutionising diagnostics. Their goal: instead of costly examining blood samples in the laboratory, doctors should be able to analyse them quickly and reliably using AI-supported methods.

Materials scientist Prof. Dr. Carolin Körner receives ERC Advanced Grant worth three million euros. She will use the funding to drive forward research into additive manufacturing of high-performance components using high-energy electron beams over the next five years.

Sport scientist Dr. Dejan Reljic has shown for the first time that not only high-intensity interval training (HIIT), but also moderate-intensive interval training significantly improves the health of obese patients. This means that the interval training benefits health even at only moderate intensity.

Initial findings from a study involving hospital staff has indicated that nasal spray Carragelose® containing iota carrageenan– a natural ingredient from red algae – could protect against SARS CoV-2 infections. Several laboratory tests have already demonstrated the effect of Carragelose® against the coronavirus in cell experiments. With that in mind, this special nasal spray could support the general protective measures against SARS-CoV-2 and prevent infections.

What effects might the pandemic have on Germany as an country which attracts a lot of immigrants between now and 2030? A research project at FAU involving researchers from various disciplines has investigated this issue in more detail and has drawn up various scenarios for the future.

Environmental pollution caused by microplastics and nanoplastics is a ubiquitous problem which cannot be tackled using currently available cleaning concepts. Researchers at FAU have now demonstrated how magnets could be used to remove plastic particles of various types and sizes from water.

A triangular structure in the largest satellite galaxy surrounding the Milky Way has left astrophysicists around the world puzzled due to its unusually energetic X-ray emissions. FAU researchers have now investigated this phenomenon using the ESA XMM-Newton X-ray observatory and can reveal that it is caused by the collision of two gas clouds, which will most likely cause a new star-forming region.

You need soap to remove dirt from your skin. The surfactant molecules it contains squeeze their way into the surface area between the dirt and the skin and help to dissolve the dirt in water. Researchers at FAU and Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf (HHU) have observed the same phenomenon with rotating microrobots.

People with sensitive teeth are all too familiar with the painful sensation they experience as soon as they start eating ice cream. The cold thermoreceptor TRPC5 is responsible for sensitivity to cold temperatures in teeth. This is what an international team of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Katharina Zimmerman has now discovered.