News from the University of Potsdam
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The Best of Both Worlds - The Connection between the Weather, Amoebae, and the Human Gaze
Data is all the rage. Satellite images make the entire world available - in detail and around the clock. Humans, too, are being captured down to the... more
“Curiosity Is the Most Important Personality Trait of a Researcher” – Philip Wigge Is Interested in How Plants Sense Temperature
When we feel cold, we get goosebumps and put on warm clothes. When it’s very hot, we start to sweat. Plants, too, sense the temperature and use this... more
Every Individual is Different – Biologists explore the individual behavior of small mammals
In the ancient fables of the Greek poet Aesop, animals have a character. The rural mouse is careful and has problems being around people. The urban... more
Interplay of Nature – How biodiversity relates to ecological dynamics
Biodiversity is rapidly declining worldwide, on land and in the water. In Germany alone, a quarter of all plants and a third of all animal species are... more
Cozy in the Petri Dish – Bioscientists at the University of Potsdam are breaking new ground in antibody production
They are the weapons of our body against unwanted invading microorganisms. Antibodies bind to the surface of viruses and bacteria. Specialized... more
Everything in Its Right Place – Plant physiologists examine control mechanisms in cell plants
Whether in plants, animals, or human beings, cells are the buildings blocks of life. Their interiors are little organisms in themselves, consisting of... more
Quite Warm, Quite Cold – Geomicrobiologist Dirk Wagner researches the smallest lifeforms in extreme environments
The Arctic, deserts, and volcanos: Life exists in very unexpected places – and on a surprising scale. Geomicrobiologist Prof. Dr. Dirk Wagner tracks... more
The Dolphin’s Shy Relative - Genetically analyzing endangered cetaceans in the Baltic Sea
You need some luck to see them. Porpoises are shy and inconspicuous. These two-meter animals flash their dark fins above the water only to immediately... more
Fishing for DNA – A drilling core reveals the history of an entire ecosystem
How wild horses and chickens were bred thousands of years ago, which species were closely related to the long-extinct European straight-tusked... more