On these pages you will find a selection of research news from the Leibniz Institutes.
  1. Photo of two people collecting samples on a Baltic Sea beach. One person is still standing on the beach, while the other is wading into the Baltic Sea wearing waders and carrying a bucket.

    Hidden patterns
    08/10/2026 · Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde

    AI methods for text analysis can be successfully applied to the analysis of environmental samples, a Baltic Sea study demonstrates.

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  2. Visualisation of a barred galaxy from a simulation. In the brightly glowing centre, a central star cluster and a nuclear stellar disc can be seen, surrounded by spiral structures.

    Cosmic conveyor belt
    08/07/2026 · Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam

    A state-of-the-art simulation shows for the first time that star clusters and stellar disks in galaxies grow together. The results shed new light on the formation history of our Milky Way.

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  3. The four members of the research group in their laboratory

    Hydrogen production from formic acid
    08/06/2026 · Leibniz Institute for Catalysis e.V.

    A new catalyst enables the extraction of hydrogen—a key energy carrier—from bio-based formic acid.

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  4. Hands pouring liquid into a glass using a pipette

    Prospect of diagnosis
    07/30/2026 · Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology

    Researchers have identified changes in the NPTN gene as a possible cause of rare developmental disorders, autism and epilepsy. 

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  5. Workers wearing straw hats in a rice field

    Hidden hunger
    07/27/2026 · Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry

    More than two billion people worldwide suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. An international research team demonstrates how a combination of traditional breeding, genetic engineering and CRISPR/Cas can create plants that are richer in nutrients and more climate-resilient.

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  6. Dead mangroves and driftwood on a muddy stretch of coastline beneath a blue sky

    Resilient coasts
    07/23/2026 · Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research

    The BEACONSplus project helps coastal communities cope with the effects of climate change and is receiving six million euros in EU funding for this purpose.

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  7. A view from below of the Atomium, with its gleaming metal spheres and white connecting tubes set against a blue sky

    Rare controllers
    07/22/2026 · Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries

    Molecules present in low concentrations can control entire ecosystems. A new study shows how to detect them.

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  8. Unknown mechanism of action discovered
    07/21/2026 · Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center

    Researchers have identified a synthetic peptide that curbs excessive inflammatory responses in allergic asthma and opens up new avenues for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.

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  9. An hourglass against an orange-hued sunset

    Tools for ageing research
    07/20/2026 · Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute

    Epigenetic clocks can accurately predict a person’s biological age. The processes behind this have now been specifically examined.

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  10. A salad bar display featuring stainless steel bowls filled with sweet potato fries and broccoli florets, with a person in white chef’s uniform standing behind it

    What ends up on the plate?
    07/17/2026 · Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology – BIPS

    Bremen was the first German city to adopt a Senate resolution on healthy school meals. Researchers have now assessed the extent to which the quality criteria are being met.

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  11. A combine harvester harvesting a vast field

    Sustainable support for Ukraine
    07/16/2026 · Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies

    A new policy brief shows how geodata analyses, training and digital advisory services can contribute to the rebuilding of rural areas.

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  12. Screenshot of an analysis from the ‘CleanFinder’ system

    Editing made easy
    07/13/2026 · IUF – Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine

    Until now, anyone editing DNA has had to go to great lengths to analyse the results. With a new tool, this can now be done directly in the browser, without the need for installation or data sharing.

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  13. Close-up of immune cells in a lung carcinoma

    Looking beyond the tumor
    07/13/2026 · Reasearch Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center

    Immune cells that get trapped in the surrounding connective tissue of tumors carry crucial information about the course of the disease.

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  14. Diagram of a chip

    Open chiplet design
    07/10/2026 · Leibniz Institute for High Performance Microelectronics

    The first open-source assembly design kit with real fabrication path lowers the barriers to chip design and fabrication for researchers and start-ups.

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  15. Four children in a classroom are building robots together using digital assembly instructions on tablets

    Education fosters inventiveness
    07/09/2026 · ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research

    European regions in which educational success depends less strongly on family background record a significant increase in patent applications.

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  16. How big predators became small
    07/07/2026 · Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science

    Long before dinosaurs dominated the earth, early relatives of mammals adapted flexibly to their environment—including in terms of growth.

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  17. Lupine seeds and lupine flour

    Fat molecules enhance immune response
    07/07/2026 · Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center

    Bound fat molecules could explain why plant allergens trigger particularly severe reactions in some people.

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  18. Portrait of Raphael Wittkowski

    Alfried Krupp Prize for Leibniz Physicist
    07/06/2026 · DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials

    Raphael Wittkowski has been awarded the 2026 Alfried Krupp Prize, one of Germany’s most prestigious scientific honours, for his research into active soft matter.

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  19. A new build with a tree and a meadow in front of it

    A home for biodiversity
    07/01/2026 · Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries

    Freie Universität Berlin and the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries opened their new collaborative building for biodiversity research in Berlin Dahlem.

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  20. Green algal blooms on bodies of water

    Help for lakes
    06/30/2026 · Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries

    Murky water, algae blooms: a new guide explains what to do when a lake is in poor condition.

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