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Highlighting research, scientific achievements and Münster as an attractive place for young academics: Two new films present the Clusters of Excellence at the University of Münster. Both Clusters of Excellence have just submitted a renewal application.

As a clinician scientist, junior professor Dr Philipp Backhaus is good at juggling the demands of research and hospital work. A specialist in nuclear medicine with six children, he hopes his research will help bring about concrete improvements in medical care. This is a dual role that requires good organisational abilities and the support of those around him.

As part of an international team, researchers from the University of Münster were the first to investigate rocks rising from the deep Earth– the so-called Iceland plume – and measure its chemical composition. They discovered that the buoyancy force of the upwelling mantle current under Iceland is not, as previously assumed, caused only its high temperature, but also by its chemical composition.

Today, August 22, sees the deadline for submitting Cluster of Excellence proposals to the German Research Foundation (DFG). Over the past weeks, researchers at the “Religion and Politics” and “Mathematics Münster” Clusters of Excellence have been working on their renewal proposals. Decisions on approval for funding are planned to be made in May 2025.

The aim of the new "SuSyPhos" project is to recover phosphate from sources such as waste water or agricultural residues and reuse it in lithium-ion batteries.

Four new volumes have been added to the “Editio Critica Maior (ECM)” published by the Institute for New Testament Textual Research (INTF) at the University of Münster. The new publication includes the Revelation of John, the last book of the New Testament. The visions of the end times, also known as the Apocalypse, depict the end of the world in drastic images.

Mast cells are immune cells that play a role in allergic reactions. A team from the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg and the University of Münster has now discovered a hidden ability of mast cells: they can take up another group of immune cells alive and utilise them.

At the beginning of this year, a meteorite fell to Earth near Ribbeck in the Havelland. A team led by scientists Professor Dr Addi Bischoff and Dr Markus Patzek from the Institute of Planetology at the University of Münster investigated the find and have now published their findings.

A research team led by Prof Ursula Wurstbauer from the Institute of Physics has investigated how electrons in two-dimensional crystals can be collectively excited and controlled. The groundbreaking study helps researchers understand the electronic properties of crystal structures and how to specifically influence them.

Universities are places where students are trained in sustainability. They produce knowledge and have access to diverse networks. This makes them key players in efforts to achieve greater sustainability. A study carried out as part of the project “SUNRISE LAB - Sustainable University Landscape Münster” shows how universities in Münster can promote successful transformation.

A team of three geophysicists – an undergraduate, a postgraduate and a doctoral student – invited the next generation of German and European geophysicists to the annual Geophysical Action Programme in Münster at the end of May. A rich programme brought together more than 120 participants and showcased a wide range of career opportunities.

Artificial intelligence (AI) comes into play in many visions of the progression of evolutionary history. Do humans have to leave the field for machines or can they join forces with them? In her guest article at the end of the dossier, science journalist Manuela Lenzen explores various options.