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Diversity in the brain: New genes create new cell types

With its hundreds of thousands of nerve cells, the vertebrate brain is the most complex organ in the animal kingdom. During vertebrate evolution not only have the number of neurons and consequently the volume of the brain…


Engineered T cells promote long-term organ transplant acceptance

When someone is confronted with ‘foreign’ material, be it viruses, bacteria, fungi, but also donor organs following transplantation, immune cells called T cells come into action to inactivate and destroy the ”foreign”…


Bacteria rely on classic business model

The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most common and dangerous pathogens in hospitals causing severe infections in patients, such as wound infections, pneumonia or meningitis. During the first stage of…


Lethal combination: Drug cocktail turns off the “juice” to cancer cells

The widely used anti-diabetes drug metformin not only reduces blood sugar but also has an anti-cancer effect. However, the metformin dose commonly used in the treatment of diabetes is too low to inhibit cancer growth. The…


Biozentrum Lecture with Bonnie L. Bassler

Biofilm formation, the production of light in deep-sea fish or the release of virulence factors – all these different kinds of “social” behavior rely on the communication skills of bacteria. The finding that bacteria “talk”…


Diversity in the brain – How millions of neurons become unique

The brain is our body’s most complex organ and consists of about 100 billion neurons. For the error-free transmission of information and for proper functioning, the different cells must be programmed in a way that they…


Like a zipper – How cells form new blood vessels

The blood vessels form a widely ramified supply system that passes through our body from head to toe. They serve as pathways for blood cells and transport oxygen as well as nutrients into each individual organ. In the…


Movement control: how our brain responds to unexpected situations

In mammals, movement is controlled by circuits spanning throughout the central nervous system from the cortex to the spinal cord. The role of motor cortex in the control of movement is still unclear. In humans, lesions to…


How brain tumors promote their own growth

Cancer cells are characterized by uncontrolled growth and cell division. A glioblastoma is a particularly aggressive form of brain tumor, which results from uncontrolled growth of so-called glial cells. Glial cells surround…


One or the other: Why strength training might come at the expense of endurance muscles

Fitness clubs are booming: New gyms are springing up like mushrooms. More and more people are striving to build up and strengthen their muscles. But what exactly happens in the muscle during training? In their recent work,…