© Uni MS / Peter Leßmann

Four disciplines united under a single roof

Researchers at the Center for Soft Nanoscience (SoN) prepare synthetic materials based on biological models such as addressable nanocontainers or materials that switch their function in response to an external trigger. Besides these fundamental investigations, the high-precision tools required to make and analyze these nanomaterials are developed at the SoN.

 

© Uni MS - Elisa Schulze-Averbeck

Scientists decode black widow spider venom

In order to better understand the mechanism of calcium influx into the presynaptic membrane, Prof Christos Gatsogiannis  and Prof Andreas Heuer, used high-performance cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and molecular dynamics (MD) computer simulations. They showed that the toxin undergoes a remarkable transformation when it binds to the receptor.
University News

© Uni MS - Peter Leßmann

Researchers control electronic properties of moiré crystals

A research team led by physicist Prof Ursula Wurstbauer is investigating how the properties of two-dimensional crystals stacked on top of each other can be controlled to exhibit different behaviours, e.g. as an insulator, an electrical conductor, a superconductor and a ferromagnet.
University News

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New project to protect critical infrastructure against cyberattacks

Carsten Schuck’s research group is designing, building and testing a receiver unit for a quantum key generation process and the operation of secure communication in a gas pipeline system produced by PSI Software SE. “Any attempt at eavesdropping would be noticed immediately, rendering the key generation system independent of the measuring devices,” explains Carsten Schuck. They are building and testing the chips at the Münster Nanofabrication Facility (MNF) and the Centre for NanoTechnology (CeNTech).
University News

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Evolutionary algorithm generates tailored “molecular fingerprints”

A team led by Prof Frank Glorius has now developed an evolutionary algorithm that searches for optimal molecular representations based on the principles of evolution, using mechanisms such as reproduction, mutation and selection. It identifies the molecular structures that are particularly relevant to the respective question and uses them to encode molecules for various machine-learning models.
University news

© Uni MS- Nike Gais

Portrait of Prof. Christos Gatsogiannis

As Christos Gatsogiannis is packing his bags in his hometown of Karditsa, in Greece, before setting off to study in Germany – instead of Athens, like his friends – he is 18 years old. He has long wondered about whether it is the right decision – but everything falls into place very quickly: in Germany, his doubts are dispelled as soon as he has embarked on his language course at the Goethe Institute in Frankfurt.
University of Münster Portraits

© Uni MS - Sylvia Gurnik

Shabnam Taheriniya awarded Infineon Doctoral Prize

Physicist Dr. Shabnam Taheriniya has been awarded the Infineon Doctoral Prize 2024, endowed with 3000 euros, for her excellent doctoral thesis at the University of Münster. For her dissertation in Professor Gerhard Wilde's group, she investigated the inner interfaces in a new class of materials known as high-entropy alloys, analyzing the mixture of high-entropy alloys with different crystal structures forced by intensive plastic deformation. Dr. Taheriniya also investigated the behavior of the materials under irradiation with fast, heavy ions as well as their microstructure and the inner interfaces and their magnetic behavior using transmission electron microscopy methods in the Münster Nanofabrication Facility (MNF).

The Department of Physics at the University of Münster awards the Infineon Doctoral Prize annually together with Infineon AG.
University news (German)

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University of Münster presents research in a new video

As representatives of the numerous areas in which outstanding research is carried out, six people present their work in the video, thereby sharpening the view beyond the boundaries of their own science. Prof. Dr Christos Gatsogiannis, Prof. Dr Eva Viehmann, Prof. Dr Martin Winter, Dr Samuel Young, Prof. Dr Dr Hubert Wolf and Prof. Dr Dina El Omari make it clear that the University of Münster offers an ideal research environment for small and large subjects and is interdisciplinary and future-oriented - both in basic and applied research.
University news