News from the University of Potsdam

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Behavioral experiment with wild rodents.

“We Recognize Animals as Individuals” – Researchers of the University of Potsdam investigate the personalities of wild animals

Jana Anja Eccard knows her mice well. For 27 years, she has been researching the behavior of small rodents in numerous experiments, both in the... more
“The three phases of exceptional dynamics: (1) Predation on the unprotected bacteria by predators, (2) toxin formation as cooperative defence and recovery of the bacterial population, (3) filament formation as individual defence through evolution and stabilisation of densities”.

In the end, it’s the individual advantage that counts – Bacteria rely on cooperation and evolution in order to defend themselves against predatory protists

Eating and being eaten is a normal process in nature. These predator–prey dynamics help to stabilise ecosystems. It ensures that individual species do... more
Prof. Henrike Müller-Werkmeister

Shorter than the blink of an eye – Prof. Henrike Müller-Werkmeister can watch molecules in action with ultrashort laser beams

 
The sun was one of the first objects to be studied spectroscopically. As early as the 19th century, the researchers Robert Bunsen and Gustav Robert... more
Data collection with a field spectrometer

Understanding Tipping Points in Savannas – Ecologist Prof. Anja Linstädter Researches How Humans Affect the Development of African Savannas and Grassland

 
Since September 2020, Anja Linstädter has been Professor for Biodiversity Research and Systematic Botany at the University of Potsdam and Director of... more
Prof. Dr. Katja Hanack (M.) und Anja Hönow (l.) im Interview

Cells with Special Demands – A new detection system for SARS-CoV-2 is being developed at the University of Potsdam

COVID-19 tests are an important tool in pandemic response. Antigen rapid tests provide a result in just a few minutes but are relatively inaccurate.... more
The possibilities of molecular biology are developing rapidly. | Photo: AdobeStock/ipopba

Scissors for Genetic Material – Lena Hochrein optimizes molecular methods

The possibilities of molecular biology are developing rapidly. Today, researchers are able to modify the genome of every cell quickly, economically,... more
Prof. Dr. Katja Hanack in the laboratory. | Photo: Karla Fritze

"Each virus develops its own survival strategies" – biochemist Prof. Katja Hanack on the difficulties involved in developing vaccines against viruses

On the corona pandemic – contributions from the University of Potsdam
In just a few weeks, the corona virus SARS-CoV-2 has spread around the world from Wuhan in China. Wherever there are people, there is also the... 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
Dr. Claudia Pacholski in the lab. Photo: Thomas Hölzel.

All about Chemistry – Heisenberg Fellow Dr. Claudia Pacholski is at home in many laboratories

She is active, goal-oriented, welcomes new challenges, and enjoys teaching and research. Food chemist Dr. Claudia Pacholski has been teaching and... more