Newsportal

AI, artificial intelligence, is more trendy than almost any other topic – both in research and in public discourse. Computer scientist Prof Dr Benjamin Risse is an expert in image analysis and machine learning and is very active in this field of research. But as a geoinformatics specialist, maths and biology enthusiast and person with wide-ranging interests, he is anything but single-minded.

Studying and working abroad can broaden one’s horizons – both professionally and personally. With Erasmus+, the world’s largest higher education funding programme, University employees in all areas can apply for project funding, participate in two- to seven-day training courses or complete teaching assignments abroad. In the following, two employees report on their experiences abroad.

Cryptic genetic variations only become apparent under stressful conditions. In this interview, Prof. Joachim Kurtz explains how this works and what evolutionary advantages this mechanism can have.

How do cells in tumour tissue communicate with each other, and what can we learn about cancer from this? A research team at the Institute of Hygiene at the University of Münster has developed a method combining fluorescence microscopy and imaging mass spectrometry. This reveals metabolic differences between individual cells for the first time, representing a breakthrough in diagnosis and therapy.

An interdisciplinary research team led by psychologists Dr Niclas Kuper and Prof Dr Mitja Back from the University of Münster has presented a new framework in the journal Nature Human Behaviour for systematically studying the diversity of individual social behaviour.

A lot of material to learn, a new social environment, complicated IT procedures – starting at a new university can be quite challenging. That is why the departmental student bodies and other University advisory offices organise numerous activities for students to help them find their footing, both academically and socially. We present three examples of mentoring programmes.

The aim of the project is to build bridges between animal personality research and psychological personality research, as well as related disciplines. Prof. Melanie Dammhahn and Prof. Mitja Back provide insights into the planned research.

The XENONnT dark matter detector has succeeded in performing measurements with nearly no radioactive interference. The technology was developed by a team led by particle physicist Prof Christian Weinheimer from the University of Münster.

In widespread diseases such as diabetes, cancer or Parkinson’s, a significant proportion of research activity is carried out in the fields of medicine or pharmacology. However, other branches of research play an important role in preventing and dealing with everyday symptoms. In the Department of Neuromotor Behaviour research is being done on the so-called "Freezing of Gait".

A team from the Institute of Geology and Palaeontology at the University of Münster is exploring 3.2-billion-year-old rocks in the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa. By drilling deep boreholes, the researchers are gaining insights into the climate of early Earth and uncovering evidence of the oldest known climate cycles on the planet.

In the Lünten Forest near Vreden rises a 30-metre-high measuring tower, which was built not for visitors but for research purposes. The Institute for Landscape Ecology at the University of Münster is exploring how the forest can be successfully rewetted and what role peatland ecosystems play as natural carbon sinks for climate protection.

Replication studies have not so far attracted a great deal of attention from researchers. The Münster Center for Open Science (MüCOS) aims to remedy this and has therefore started up a series of scientific publications entitled “Replication Research”. Psychologist Dr. Lukas Röseler, the Managing Director of MüCOS, explains why replications are indispensable for preserving quality in science.