News - Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres

The persistent one

At DLR in Cologne, Robert Pitz-Paal is researching a technology that is highly efficient but widely unknown: He is improving solar thermal power plants that can play a crucial role in the energy transition. Central to this is international cooperation.

Energy System 2050

Open source models for the future energy system

New technologies, but above all strong models, algorithms and IT systems are needed to make the energy system of the future environmentally friendly, economical and secure. The Helmholtz Initiative "Energy System 2050" makes these tools freely available.

Battery research

A Revolution with AI and Robotics

Helmholtz scientists want to make batteries more powerful, more environmentally friendly and cheaper. They are also using artificial intelligence, robots and supercomputers to search for new materials.

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Portrait

"The next ten years are crucial"

Since October 2020, Katja Matthes has been head of the Kiel Research Center GEOMAR. The sports enthusiast and climate scientist is convinced that the oceans can contribute much more to climate protection. In a pinch, they need a little help.

MOSAiC expedition

Polar bear guard and corona quarantine

Behind the success of MOSAiC is a perfectly coordinated planning team. Curious polar bears were the least of the problems during the expedition - it was the Corona pandemic that caused the planners sleepless nights.

Portrait

An objective explorer

He experienced the polar night, had to reschedule an entire expedition and was frozen to the end of the world in the middle of the Corona pandemic. Why Markus Rex has little fear and why he is now calling for decisions on climate protection.

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SARS-CoV-2-Infection

How the virus uses proteins of the cell

How do somatic cells and their proteins interact with SARS-CoV-2 when they are infected by the virus? Young scientists have now published the world's first publication on this subject. Mathias Munschauer, one of the lead authors, explains how this could lead to new treatment approaches.

Communication and behavior in the pandemic

"Creativity and new ideas get us through the crisis"

Stress, anxiety and depression are on the rise in the Corona pandemic. To protect the mental health of people, families and sufferers, we need social exchange, creative ideas and more courage.

Interview

"The pressure of suffering is enormous"

Experts estimate that up to 70 percent of COVID-19 patients suffer from smell and taste disorders. We spoke with Kathrin Ohla from the Jülich Research Center about an underestimated symptom.

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Aerospace and climate change

When does flying become CO2-neutral?

How can airplanes be ecological and economical at the same time, and when will the dream of climate-neutral flying become reality? DLR researchers are getting to the roots of these questions. Their goal: a comprehensive concept for sustainable air traffic.

Portrait

In the mine of data

Since her childhood in China, Xiaoxiang Zhu has been fascinated by space. Now the data scientist has found her dream job: At the German Aerospace Center (DLR) she analyses huge amounts of information sent to Earth by satellites.

Travelling and the corona crisis

How safe is it to travel during the coronavirus pandemic?

By the start of the summer break, it will be possible to travel within Europe again. But how great is the risk of contracting coronavirus on an aircraft or train? Researchers are studying how viruses spread inside passenger cabins.

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Coronavirus research at the storage rings

Using X-ray images to study virus proteins

Medical and biochemical laboratories are not the only places where research on the new coronavirus is taking place. Particle accelerators are also contributing to decoding SARS-CoV-2 and identifying promising substances for effective medications.

Portrait

The Unifying Factor

Although Ursula Bassler grew up in Germany, it is through her work in France that she has risen to become one of the most influential women in the field of particle physics. Her roots in both countries are useful in her work today.

Helmholtz extreme

The particles with the smallest mass

They are constantly passing through our bodies without us noticing. Even more than 60 years after they were discovered, neutrinos still hold mysteries for the scientific community. Because they are so elusive, they are also called ghost particles.

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Supercomputers in research

The next big step

Modern science is almost inconceivable without supercomputers. Two new computers in Jülich and Karlsruhe are now setting new standards - and are already prepared for technologies that do not even exist yet.

Portrait

Mister Quantum Manifesto

Originally Tommaso Calarco studied music before moving on to the natural sciences. Today, the Jülich quantum physicist is one of the most influential representatives of his field as author of the European Quantum Manifesto.

Portrait

"Berlin is a wonderful place for my research"

The physicist Catherine Dubourdieu is researching high-tech materials to make future computer generations and quantum computers more energy-efficient. In Berlin, she commutes between three different locations.

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Award

Doctoral prize for six young researchers

At Helmholtz, more than 8,000 doctoral students do their research. Six of them received the Doctoral Prize 2019 in Berlin. With this award, the Helmholtz Association supports talented young researchers at an early stage.

Short Interview

Six questions with... Hugues Lantuit

Why did you become a scientist? And what has really annoyed you recently? We ask our scientists six intriguing questions. This time with Hugues Lantuit at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI).

Short Interview

Six questions with... Eduardo Zorita

Why did you become a scientist? And what has really annoyed you recently? We ask our scientists six intriguing questions. This time with Eduardo Zorita at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG).

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Two points of view

Brain drain: a threat to the European Research Area?

Brain drain exists not only worldwide, but also within Europe: talented young researchers are leaving their home countries. Mobility in science is not unusual - but what happens to the EU if some regions permanently lose their research potential to others? Two points of view.

European Research Area

"Global challenges do not stop at borders"

The European Research Area was created 20 years ago. Now the concept will be on the agenda of the European research ministers in the Council. A comment by Helmholtz President Otmar Wiestler on the successes and opportunities of a unique project.

Funding

15 ERC Starting Grants for Helmholtz

Helmholtz was more successful than ever before in this year's ERC Starting Grant awards. The awards allow promising young researchers to establish their own research groups and are highly coveted.

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