Newsportal

Two prize winners from one institute: the Islamic scholars Prof. Mouhanad Khorchide and Prof. Ahmad Milad Karimi of the University of Münster have now been honoured for their differentiated approach to the Islamic faith. While Mouhanad Khorchide received the "Toleranzring" of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ahmad Milad Karimi received the "Deutscher Dialogpreis".

Many biologically active molecules, including synthetic drugs, contain a central, nitrogen-containing chemical structure with a three-dimensional shape. However, there are hardly any suitable methods to produce them, which also makes it difficult to discover new medicinal compounds. A team of researchers at Münster University have now published a new method of enabling this reaction.

The trophy awarded to Spyros Louis, the first marathon winner of the modern-day Olympic Games in 1896, has returned to its home country. Rector Prof. Johannes Wessels officially gifted the ancient skyphos, discovered at the Archaeological Museum, to the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports on 13 November.

Prof. Perry Schmidt-Leukel is the laureate of the Höffmann Academic Award 2019. The theologian and religious studies scholar from Münster University received the award that focuses on intercultural competence and is endowed with 10,000 Euros, for his work aimed at promoting a better understanding between religions. The University of Vechta has awarded the prize for the ninth time.

Great success for particle physicists at the University of Münster: The German Research Foundation (DFG) approves the expansion of the Research Training Group "Strong and Weak Interactions – from Hadrons to Dark Matter". With more than four million euros in funding, doctoral training will be strengthened.

On Thursday, 14 November, Prof. Wendelin Werner from ETH Zürich will give insight into his current research. The Cluster of Excellence Mathematics Münster and the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Münster invite all interested persons to the public lecture. Time and place: 4:30 pm, lecture hall M5, Einsteinstraße 64, Münster.

Although systemic inflammations such as sepsis are not uncommon, there are still major gaps in the understanding of disease progression and the development of treatment options. In order to close some of these gaps, the German Research Foundation is funding a new clinical research group at Münster University with around four million euros over three years.

Personnel change at the liaison office of the Brazil Centre at the University of Münster in São Paulo: Laura Redondo has been in charge of the liaison office since the beginning of November. Her tasks include advisory and information activities, networking and maintaining contacts.

This week, the Cluster of Excellence Mathematics Münster and the mathematical institutes of the University of Münster have inaugurated the "Mathematics Münster Graduate School". The new graduate school offers doctoral students an excellent scientific education and strengthens their future professional success.

Chemists at Münster University have succeeded for the first time in creating three-coordinate Lewis superacids based on a phosphorus basis. Previously, it had not been possible to isolate this type of compound, either in a liquid or in a solid state, due to its extreme reactivity. The researchers assume that the underlying method can be transferred to other classes of compounds hitherto classified as "not viable".

How do bacteria manage to adapt to synthetic environmental toxins and to even develop strategies for using a pesticide agent as food within less than 70 years? This is what scientists at Münster University have investigated. They found out how mutations led to biochemical changes that now enable an enzyme to cleave a pesticide. The study was published in "Nature Chemical Biology".

Prof. Harald Fuchs received the "Chinese Government Friendship Award" for his long-standing scientific cooperation with China. The physicist at Münster University has been honoured with the highest award given by the Chinese government to foreign experts - this year there are 100 prizewinners from 31 countries. The award ceremony took place in Beijing at the beginning of October.