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Datenassimilation findet in vielen Gebieten Anwendung – mit am längsten eingesetzt wird sie in der Meteorologie. Grafik: Andreas Töpfer.

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
Photo: Mike Thornton.

“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
Prof. Dr. Jana Eccard. Photo: Thomas Roese

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
Rädertierchen

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
Foto: Prof. Dr. Katja Hanack. Photo: Karla Fritze.

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
Markus Grebe looks at an eight-week-old Arabidopsis thaliana in the plant room. Photo: Thomas Roese.

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
Prof. Dr. Dirk Wagner. Photo: Karla Fritze.

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
Porpoise. Photo: Wikipedia.org/Ecomare.

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
Prof. Dr. Michael Hofreiter. Photo: Karla Fritze.

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
Prof. Dr. Elke Dittmann. Photo: Thomas Roese.

Old as the Hills and Still in Top Form – Cyanobacteria are survival specialists – and the research focus of Elke Dittmann

It could have all turned out differently. Looking back, Prof. Dr. Elke Dittmann attributes her success in becoming Professor of Microbiology at the... more