Archive Press Releases

Contamination of cell cultures by bacteria, viruses or other cells is a widespread problem in biomedical research. The company Multiplexion, a spinout from the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ), checks cell cultures of clients from research institutes and companies for many different types of contamination and verifies the identity of cell lines. The test is quick and low-cost and contributes to quality assurance and reproducibility of biomedical research results.

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Ever since graphene was first isolated a few years ago, this quasi-two-dimensional network made up of a single layer of carbon atoms has been considered the magic material. Not only is graphene mechanically highly resilient, it also provides an interesting basis for new spintronic components that exploit the magnetic moment of conduction electrons. Now, Helmholtz Centre Berlins Dr. Andrei Varykhalov, Prof. Dr. Oliver Rader and his team of physicists has taken the first step towards building graphene-based components, in collaboration with physicists from St. Petersburg (Russia), Jülich (Germany) and Harvard (USA). According to their report on 27th November 2012 in Nature Communications (...

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A membrane consisting of polymer fibres and proteins makes a novel filter for tiny, nano-scaled particles in aqueous solutions. The result of such a research, which was done by Professor Mady Elbahri and his team from the Institute of Material Science at the Christian Albrecht University University in Kiel (CAU) and the Institue of Polymer Research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geestacht (HZG), has recently been published as the cover article in the current issue (21.11.2012) of "Advanced Functional Materials".

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For the first time the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has today published a Report on the status of the global permafrost regions. In it an international team of experts clearly explains how climate change is impacting the permanently frozen soils in the Arctic, Siberia and in the high mountain regions, which potential hazards emanate from the thawing ground and the far-reaching consequences countries with permafrost must consider. The researchers also call upon politicians and climate scientists to include the knowledge about the change in the permafrost regions to a greater extent in the international climate debate. “The Report shows that in future the change in the permafr

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The 2012 Meyenburg Award of €50,000 goes to physician and researcher Charles G. Mullighan. He is distinguished for his outstanding work in the field of identifying genetic changes leading to the onset of leukemia. Mullighan systematically analyzed tumor genomes of blood cancer cells in order to find new methods for treating children suffering from leukemia. The Meyenburg Award will be presented on Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at a symposium held at the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ).

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There are very few ways of conducting experiments without the influence of Earth's gravity. One of these platforms became available on 25 November 2012, when a rocket was launched from the Swedish Esrange Space Center in Kiruna.

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Daimler Research Team Awarded 2012 Beckurts Prize for New Intelligent Driver Assistance System Munich, 26 November 2012 – This year's Karl Heinz Beckurts Prize will be presented on Monday, 26 November, to Dr. Uwe Franke, Dr. Stefan Gehrig and Dr. Clemens Rabe. The three researchers from Daimler AG will receive the prize, endowed with € 30,000, for their "6D Vision", which will in future assist drivers in very complex traffic environments with restricted visibility such as construction sites and intersections. This will make a decisive contribution towards accident reduction.

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A new substance class for the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases now promises increased efficacy paired with fewer side effects. To achieve this, a team of scientists under the leadership of Prof. Gunter Fischer (Max Planck Research Unit for Enzymology of Protein Folding, Halle/Saale, Germany) and Dr. Frank Striggow (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)) have combined two already approved pharmaceutical substances with each other using a chemical linker structure. The objectives of this combination are to ensure maximum brain cell protection on the one hand and the suppression of unwanted side effects on the other. The new class of substances has now been registered with the European Patent Office as the DZNE’s first patent in the form of a joint patent application with the Max Planck Research Unit. “The patent approval process can take several years. During this phase we are planning to conclude the pre-clinical development. It is our aim to start with clinical research and development at the earliest possible time. Overall, we have identified substantial therapeutic potential as far as chronic and age-related neurodegenerative diseases are concerned,” comments Dr. Frank Striggow.

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Climate change is affecting all regions in Europe, causing a wide range of impacts on society and the environment. Further impacts are expected in the future, potentially causing high damage costs, according to the latest assessment published by the European Environment Agency today.

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Prof. Thomas Misgeld from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) as well as the Technischen Universität München and Prof. Boris Schmidt, Technische Universität Darmstadt, have been awarded with the 2012 Hans and Ilse Breuer Foundation Alzheimer Research Award. The prize money totals 100,000 EUR and will be shared between the two scientists. The award ceremony took place on the 21st of November as part of the Eibsee Meeting “Cellular mechanisms of neurodegeneration”. “We congratulate Thomas Misgeld for receiving this prestigious award“, notes Prof. Pierluigi Nicotera, Scientific Director and Chairman of the Executive Board of the DZNE.

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