Research

FAU researchers examine how molecules arrange themselves on surfaces used in new technologies It is a little like throwing pieces of a puzzle at a magnetic board and hoping they will fall into place by themselves. This is roughly what scientists do when they apply molecules to surfaces in order t...

FAU researchers develop new catalyst technology for generating hydrogen from methanol Wind and solar power plants often generate more energy than is needed. That is why it is important to store this energy in such a way that it can be made usable again without difficulty or delay. Storing hydroge...

FAU chemists' insights solve long-running debate A cross with a tiny sphere in the middle and four outstretched arms: a simplified way of depicting a carbon atom. In their first year of chemistry, students learn from this model that all such atoms can form no more than four bonds. This is undoubt...

FAU researchers develop a procedure for examining the effects of chemical substances on the central nervous system (CNS) One of the latest research projects at FAU kills two birds with one stone: a working group at the Institute of Medical Biotechnology is developing a procedure that will allow f...

Researchers revolutionise previous brain research The human brain can produce new nerve cells even in adults, in a small part of the brain called the hippocampus. By delivering proof for this thesis, researchers have answered one of the most important questions in neuroscience. Dr. Hagen Huttner,...

Previously unstudied effect of common antidepressants identified as main effect The most important cause of depression was previously thought to be reduced signal transmission at the contact points between neurons due to neurotransmitters such as serotonin and noradrenaline. The mood-lifting effe...

FAU Geologists co-ordinate research expedition to the Pacific The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is supporting the project with approximately 1.1. million euros. In addition to the FAU researchers, the project involves scientists from the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural ...

Defence cells direct bone resorption Joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis are among the autoimmune diseases which affect a steadily growing segment of society. They involve painful inflammation and can in the worst case even lead to the destruction of the joints. Researchers led by Prof. D...

In light of recent events, when heavy rainclouds move across the sky or a powerful storm comes down, some people may ask themselves: are my possessions in danger? Researchers at FAU’s Geozentrum Nordbayern work to provide an answer to this question. Together with the Gesellschaft beratender Ingeni...

Addiction to physical activity comes with loss of control, massive health problems and social difficulties They engage in sports almost compulsively and feel a daily need for physical exertion: sport addicts barely know any limit. They don’t only risk losing control of themselves, but they also p...