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From on board the Falcon D-CMET research aircraft of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR), atmospheric researchers have explored the typhoons Sinlaku and Jangmi at very close quarters as they swept across Taiwan and China. The goal of their data-gathering flights is improved forecasting of tropical cyclones. The six-week international measurement campaign was completed successfully on 1 October 2008.

DLR's Falcon research aircraft deployed to improve typhoon forecasts

With the inauguration of their new laboratory and office building on 13 October 2008, the 68 staff members of the Institute of Space Systems (Institut für Raumfahrtsysteme) of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) have now fully taken up their scientific duties at DLR's new Bremen site. This strengthens Bremen's position as a centre for space technology even further.

DLR Institute of Space Systems up and running

Reinhard Hüttl, Scientific Executive Director of the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – German Research Centre for Geosciences - GFZ, today received, from the hand of Berlin’s State Secretary of Science and Research, Dr. Hans-Gerhard Husung, the Cross of Merit, First Class, of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Federal Cross of Merit, First Class for Professor Reinhard Hüttl

In addition to heat, other damaging environmental influences can put cells under stress, causing them to increase the production of heat shock proteins (Hsp). These proteins help other proteins to fold correctly and to preserve their structure even under extreme conditions. Hsps can also be released from the cells and these extracellular Hsp can stimulate immune responses. In this matter, Hsps became interesting for therapeutic applications, e.g. to achieve a better immune response against...

Contaminants Can Stimulate Immune Reactions

German and American researchers have for the first time identified complete gene sequences and function of two proteins in mussels that play a key defensive role against environmental toxicants. These proteins form part of an active, physiological barrier in mussel gills that protects them against environmental toxicants, researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and Stanford University in California report in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.

What causes cellular defences to crumble…

With the completion of two research balloon flights, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and the Swedish National Space Board (SNSB) brought the first campaign of the joint REXUS/BEXUS student programme to a successful close on Thursday 9 October. On Wednesday 8 October 2008, the BEXUS 6 and BEXUS 7 balloons were launched from the European rocket and balloon launch site Esrange near the town of Kiruna in Sweden, 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle.

REXUS and BEXUS: Students fly their own research experiments on stratospheric balloons

Researchers are still discovering new characteristics of Hodgkin lymphoma, a common form of cancer of the lymphatic system. The malignant cells are derived from white blood cells (B cells), but have lost a considerable part of the B cell-specific gene expression pattern. The phenotype and the characteristics of Hodgkin lymphoma cells are therefore unique. Björn Lamprecht and Dr. Stephan Mathas (Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, MDC, Berlin-Buch and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany) have demonstrated the production of interleukin 21 (IL-21) in the tumor cells of Hodgkin lymphoma. IL-21, a signaling molecule (cytokine) of the immune system, promotes the growth of cancer cells and helps them evade immune system detection.

Hodgkin Lymphoma – New Characteristics Discovered

Harald zur Hausen is awarded the Nobel Medicine Prize. Zur Hausen, former Scientific Director of the German Cancer Research Center, a member of the Helmholtz Association, is recognized for finding that cervical cancer is caused by viral infections. His research made it possible to develop a vaccine against the third most frequent cancer in women. Zur Hausen wins one half of the prize; the other half is shared by Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier for discovering HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Nobel Prize for Medicine Awarded to Harald zur Hausen

Professor Dr. Dr. hc. mult. Harald zur Hausen has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine. Professor zur Hausen investigated how cervical cancer is caused by viral infections at the Helmholtz Association’s German Cancer Research Center. His research led to the development of a vaccine against the third most common cancer in women. Zur Hausen has been awarded one half of the Nobel Prize, with the other half going to Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier for their discovery of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Nobel Prize for Medicine goes to Helmholtz researcher

The joint graduate programme “Earth System Science Research School” (ESSReS) will be inaugurated today in Bremerhaven. The interdisciplinary graduate programme will train 24 PhD-students of geo- and climate sciences during the next three years. Apart from the doctorate, far-reaching skills in geo-, bio- and climate sciences will be confirmed for the PhD-students. The research training group is a joint project of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in the Helmholtz Association, the University of Bremen and Jacobs University Bremen. It is sponsored by the Helmholtz Association with 900.000 Euros for three years.

New training strategy for climate research in the German federal state Bremen