News

A spinning top of light
07.03.2018 · Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy

A team of physicists has now developed a new method for precisely characterising short, rotating pulses of light. These can reveal a great deal about the inner structure of materials.

Reefs protect coasts from monster waves
14.03.2018 · Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research

Tropical coral reefs form a natural barrier against storm waves and protect the coast from erosion. New measurement data shows how reef degradation and sea level rise can affect the height of the waves.

Chirality of molecules
22.02.2018 · Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy

Identifying and separating right-handed from left-handed molecules is a crucial step for many applications in chemistry and pharmaceutics. Researchers have now presented a new original method.

Partner selection in lemurs
14.02.2018 · German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research

Female lemurs have to select a male of their own species for mating. Red-fronted lemurs are able to differentiate between conspecifics and closely related sister species on the basis of facial color pattern variations – even on...

Global coal problem
09.02.2018 · Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

While less new coal-fired power plants are now being built in China and India, the planned expansion in the use of coal Turkey, Indonesia and Vietnam, will in part cancel out the reduction. The world has to actively counteract...

An underestimated threat
09.02.2018 · Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries

It is widely accepted that microplastics contaminate our oceans and are harmful to coastal and marine habitats. And yet what damaging effect do fragments of plastic have on terrestrial ecosystems?

Leibniz-DAAD Research Fellowships
24.01.2018 ·

Spend a year living in Germany, working at a Leibniz Institute — excellent post-docs from all over the world are eligible to apply as research fellows.

Core mechanism revealed in LED key material
25.01.2018 · Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung

International researchers have revealed the mechanism that limits the indium content in indium gallium nitride thin films — the key material for blue light emitting diodes (LED).

Fingerprints of stars
19.01.2018 · Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam

Researchers present a new spectral atlas of the Sun, a total of 48 atlases of bright benchmark stars, and a detailed analysis of the chemical abundances of the 10-billion year old planet-system host Kepler-444.

Ancient Bird in an Oversized Tuxedo
08.01.2018 · Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung

Researchers described a hitherto unknown fossil giant penguin species. In their study they show that “gigantism” was not a rare occurrence in early penguins and probably developed as a result of the birds’ flightlessness.

New fluorescent particles
15.01.2018 · Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials

In order to be able to make pathological tissue visible, scientists are conducting research on new types of fluorescent particles. These can be decomposed with the help of immune system cells once they have fulfilled their...

Maternal stress
11.12.2017 · German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research

A new comparative analysis across mammals shows that prenatal stress affects offspring in two different ways depending on the timing of the stressor during pregnancy.

Girls consider themselves less gifted
13.11.2017 · German Institute for Economic Research

Research shows that girls underestimate their math abilities in school. The results are especially relevant when it comes to the significant underrepresentation of women working in STEM fields.

“We need to express the importance of evidence”
02.11.2017 ·

Leibniz visits Smithsonian: Goal of the meeting was to discuss aim, scope and challenges of research museums and to explore possible cooperation.

Gauging the Elusive
03.11.2017 · Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry

Scientists developed a program for gauging the sizes and shapes of plant cells. In a single pass, it automatically measures and records specific parameters for several hundred epidermal leaf cells. As open source software it is...

Lessons for the future from waves in the past
03.11.2017 · Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research

Giant boulders were washed onto a cliff in the Bahamas many years ago. Were the rocks transported by ancient “super storms”?

Soil depth influences vegetation
03.11.2017 · Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung

New research suggests that vegetation formations are influenced by the depth to which plants can root. If trees have access to a larger volume of soil, this increases the establishment of rainforest whereas shallower rooting...

What increases crop productivity?
23.10.2017 · Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research

Heterosis describes the situation where the performance of a hybrid progeny exceeds that of its parents. This phenomenon is primarily dependent on interactions between genes.

Film gems from the field of ethnology
16.10.2017 · German National Library of Science and Technology

Easier access for science: Almost 2000 ethnological films of historical value will soon be available online.

Female choice turns males into better performers
16.10.2017 · Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research

Giving female fruit flies an opportunity to choose the male they mate with leads to the evolution of better performing males.