For almost ten years, scientists from all over the world have been using the large-scale experiment "IceCube" to search for neutrinos in the permanent ice of the South Pole. Now the participating researchers, among them Prof. Alexander Kappes from Münster University, are pleased about a huge upgrade of the laboratory which is expected to cost 37 million US dollars.

University of Münster's summer worldwide: Under this title, the Communication and Public Relations Office of the University of Münster is once again this year calling on all members, students, alumni and friends of the University to take part in a photo competition. Editor Kathrin Kottke (photo) demonstrates it in the S'Albufera Nature Park on the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca.

What are the research institutions with the highest number of high-ranking publications in the natural and life sciences? This question is addressed once a year by the renowned journal "Nature". The results of the recently published "Nature Index Global 2019" show that Münster University is one of only three German universities that have made it into the top 100 in the current ranking.

International honour for Prof. Dr. Jörg Kudla: The plant biologist at Münster University has been awarded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences as an outstanding scientist. Once a year, the Academy awards the title "Distinguished Scientist" to leading international researchers from a wide variety of disciplines and selects around 30 prize winners from more than 200 nominees.

A special alumni reunion: Between 2007 and 2014, they worked as postdocs at the Organic Chemistry Institute of the University of Münster. The seven chemists now have their own research groups and are professors in China, India, France and Germany.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) announced in a press conference on 28 June 2019 that Münster was chosen as the location for the planned "Battery Production Research Centre". Following a rigorous national competition, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and Münster were selected over five other competing cities.

Whether they are synthetic materials, medicines or flavourings, life without synthetically produced compounds is barely conceivable in our everyday lives. To produce suitable molecules, industry depends on efficient, long-term methods. Chemists at Münster University have developed a method to discover new and unexpected reactions. The study was published in the "Chem" journal.

Young scientists play a central role not only for the University of Münster. The promotion of young researchers is also an important task for universities beyond Germany's borders. The aim is to recruit excellent researchers both from Germany and from abroad and to retain them at the University.

What scars can a war leave in people's psyches? According to estimates by psychologists at Münster University, one in five adults worldwide experienced war in their own country between 1989 and 2015 – more than 350 million of them suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. The study was published in the academic journal “European Journal of Psychotraumatology”.

From 1 to 3 July, anyone interested can "tap" the knowledge of researchers from Münster: Twelve scientists will be talking about interesting and new issues from various fields of research – in bars and pubs. Junior scientists from the University of Münster are organising the event for the second time this year.

Last week the new Cluster of Excellence "Mathematics Münster: Dynamics – Geometry – Structure" staged its opening event at the University of Münster with a three-day colloquium. From 20 to 22 June, fifteen distinguished international scholars from nine countries held specialist lectures, providing insights into their current research.

Am I more of a researcher or a teacher? For the first time, psychologists at Münster University have investigated both long-term and situation-related, short-term role identifications among junior researchers in Psychology. The study was published in the journal "Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education".

Today, 18 June, and tomorrow, 19 June, the University of Münster will host the annual Federal Conference of the "EU Cooperation Centre for Science Organisations" (KoWi). On this occasion the President of the European Research Council, Prof Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, describes the role of European research policy.

Biologists at Münster University have discovered that the dandelion has a large gene family of enzymes that have unusual catalytic abilities for plants. The enzymes might be partly responsible for the fact that dandelions hardly ever fall ill. Prof. Bruno Moerschbacher led the study published in "Angewandte Chemie" and reported on the new findings.

Biologist Dr. Lena Goedecke investigates how nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other and regulate anxiety reactions. In a guest article, she gives insights into her doctoral thesis, which she did at the graduate school of the Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence.