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The German Research Foundation (DFG) is awarding the biologist Dr Maik Bischoff and the chemist Prof Marcel Rey a total of just over 3.1 million euros over the next six years.

High-voltage lithium ion batteries are characterized by high energy and power densities, but often suffer from a shorter lifetime. A team from the University of Münster has now investigated how the bio-based electrolyte additive maleimide influences the lifetime of these battery cells.

In the summer series “Summer, Sun, Cactus”, members of the university share how they experience the warmer months. Rather than adopting a strictly academic approach, they offer a more light-hearted perspective. In Part 8, Sandhra Ganesh, like all the other participants, is pictured in front of the camera with the eponymous cactus from our Botanic Garden.

To mark World Sepsis Day on 13 September, critical care specialists Professor Jan Rossaint and Professor Alexander Zarbock from the University of Münster give insights into the latest research on sepsis and other types of life-threatening systemic inflammation. They also talk about what needs to be done to translate research into clinical application.

The extent to which peatlands respond to rising temperatures depends on water levels. A research team led by the University of Münster has shown that lower water levels lead to a greater increase in CO₂ emissions as temperatures rise. A higher water level can mitigate this effect. These findings are based on the largest dataset to date on the annual CO₂ balance of peatlands.

Some volcanic islands sit atop plumes – upwellings of very hot rock from the Earth's mantle. While seismic data can roughly image these plumes, their exact pathways to the surface have remained unclear until now. A research team, including Prof. Dr. Andreas Stracke from the Institute of Mineralogy, has now developed a method to link surface hotspots to their deep mantle roots.

A prestigious award for Dr Victoria Sakti: the social and cultural anthropologist has been awarded a total of two million euros by the European Research Council for her research in Indonesia, Colombia and Zimbabwe. Her project focuses on ageing in different social and cultural contexts.

Scientists of the XENON collaboration have for the first time observed low-energy solar neutrinos scattering on electrons in the “XENONnT” particle detector. The group of Prof Christian Weinheimer at the Institute for Nuclear Physics of the University of Münster is involved in the experiment.

How did Mercury’s crust form? A team from the University of Münster played a key role in a new study that addresses this question. The crust of the planet closest to the Sun may have formed as a result of intense volcanic activity. By determining the silica content of Mercury’s surface more accurately than ever before, the researchers were able to provide new insights into the planet’s early development.

In the latest Shanghai Ranking, the University of Münster achieves an excellent position within Germany, ranking between sixth and eleventh. In an international comparison, it is ranked in the 151st to 200th group.

For more than 100 years, scholars had assumed that the rulers of the ancient Assyrian Empire in the Near East, from 1000 to 609 BC, were listed in full in a king list. Assyriologists Dr. Alexander Edmonds (University of Münster) and Prof. Eckart Frahm (Yale University) have now been able to prove that there were three further kings, who were almost completely erased from history.

A research team led by the universities of Münster, Hanover, and Halle has shown that the mitochondria, the “powerhouses” of cells, are already ready for action in dry plant seeds. Their internal structure is fully developed and their “machinery” is complete.