The forefather of phylogenetic trees can be found in Charles Darwin's revolutionary work "On the Origin of Species". These trees provide information about the evolution and relationships of species, from simple cells to…

Antibiotics are still the treatment of choice in fighting bacterial infections. However, due to their extensive and sometimes improper use in medicine and livestock farming, resistant pathogens are increasingly emerging,…

Our cells continuously receive external signals, which are transmitted across the cell membrane into the cell, to be processed in the cell nucleus. Various signaling pathways are found in the cell membrane. One is the…

How organs develop and how they grow to the right size and shape are fundamental questions in developmental biology. The morphogen Dpp is a signaling molecule controlling the development of different organs with regard to…

Infections such as tuberculosis or typhoid fever are caused by bacteria and can usually be treated well with antibiotics, at least as long as the bacteria are not resistant. However, full eradication of the bacteria cannot…

The liver is a vital organ with many important functions in the body. It metabolizes nutrients, stores energy, regulates the blood sugar level and plays a crucial role in detoxifying and removing harmful components and…

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…

The origin of every cell of our body is a single cell, the fertilized egg. On the way to become a specialized cell, whether blood, heart or nerve cells, its descendants follow a genetic program. This program determines the…

Although cells are separated from the outside world by a membrane, they can still sense well what is happening around them. They capture hormones and nutrients such as sugar, iron or cholesterol and bring them packed in…

According to the WHO, more than one million people worldwide die of pneumococcal infections every year. Young children, elderly and immunocompromised persons are particularly affected. After the introduction of…