Research in Germany

Research in Germany

Land-use conflicts in the German Lusatia region: Which Conflicts Make the News? Experts and Local Newspapers compared

Researchers at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) have investigated how conflicts over land use are represented in expert interviews and local media coverage. The study has been published in the Journal of Environmental Planning and Management. The finding: experts and local newspapers sometimes report on very different conflicts – even though they are talking about the same region.

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Research in Germany

Electric trucks: Reliable on the road and profitable as energy storage

Electric trucks could help freight carriers reduce energy costs and ease financial pressures: Their batteries can also serve as energy storage for the depot or the public grid. As the SPIRIT-E research project comes to a close, a consortium led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) demonstrates how the vehicles can be integrated into the energy system and what conditions must be met for their economically viable operation.

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Research in Germany

Faith and fraying social fabric: 2026 study investigates link between religion and social cohesion

Germany's social fabric has worn thinner in recent years, frayed by global crises and a growing distrust in public and economic institutions, but could religion be a tool in its recovery? New findings in the Religionsmonitor 2026, an empirical study published in German by the Bertelsmann Stiftung and co-authored by Constructor University Professor of Social Science Methodology Klaus Boehnke, found that social cohesion in Germany is showing signs of recovery after a post-pandemic low in 2023, and that religion may play a role in strengthening community ties, though with some key caveats.

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Research in Germany

Even Dead Tree Branches Move During the Day

Dead branches of trees are by no means static but clearly move in the course of the day. Geoinformatics researchers at Heidelberg University tracked these movements in a study conducted in cooperation with the Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (FGI). With the help of an autonomously operating laser scanning system, the scientists mapped a specific forest plot at regular intervals. Using a specially developed tracking algorithm, they were able to quantify precisely even small branch movements, which are driven by changes in humidity.

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Research in Germany

Biodiversity hotspots in south-west Germany are losing their species richness

Climate change and shifts in land use are affecting habitats and, consequently, plant diversity. To better understand the consequences of these developments, long-term and comprehensive data are essential. The “Floristic Mapping of Baden-Württemberg”, coordinated by the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, provides a unique foundation for this. The data collected over five decades as part of this citizen science project document significant changes in the flora of southwestern Germany drawing on more than 2.5 million plant observations. A research team from the Stuttgart State Museum of

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Research in Germany

From crystal to new 2D materials space: New method enables the study of nanostructures beyond classic layered systems

Two-dimensional materials can exhibit properties that do not occur in their three-dimensional parent systems, making them particularly interesting for applications in electronics, for example. So far, the search mainly concentrated on crystals that were already composed of loosely bonded layers. For the first time, a team at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and TU Dresden has now developed an efficient computational method that predicts separable atomic layers in any type of crystal. By analyzing more than 24,000 known crystal structures, they identified 2,531 particularly promi

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Research in Germany

Human and chimpanzee leaders share a taste for risk

People in leadership positions tend to rate themselves as more risk-loving than those without leadership responsibilities—and a similar pattern emerges among chimpanzees: High-ranking individuals are perceived as more risk-taking than their lower-ranking peers. This is the conclusion of a new study by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Dresden University of Technology, and the University of Portsmouth, published in The Leadership Quarterly.

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Research in Germany

GBP Monitor October: Companies in Eastern Germany Are Particularly Critical of Economic Policy

Only 13 percent of companies are satisfied with the federal government’s economic policy or view it neutrally. Dissatisfaction has risen particularly sharply in the three states where new state legislatures were elected in September. Companies whose representatives view economic policy critically are also reporting declining profits and investments and are more likely to plan cost-cutting measures. This is shown by the October survey conducted by the German Business Panel (GBP) at the University of Mannheim.

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Data-driven operation of biogas plants: Generating electricity when wind and solar power are scarce

Under planned amendments to the German Renewable Energy Sources Act, biogas plants are expected to supply electricity primarily when wind and solar power generation is low and electricity prices are high. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB demonstrates how existing plants can be operated in response to electricity prices using digital technologies. A specially developed data platform makes process data from biogas plants available for forecasts, soft sensors, and AI-supported operational optimization. The approach can also be applied to other process eng

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Research in Germany

Ultrafast Demagnetisation: Thinner Iron, Stronger Effect

The thinner an iron film, the more easily it can be demagnetised by a laser pulse. Researchers at the University of Duisburg-Essen, working with Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and other partners, have discovered why: the key lies in the magnetic order at the material's interfaces. In the long term, these findings could contribute to the development of new technologies for magnetic data storage. The results have been published in the scientific journal Advanced Science.

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Research in Germany

HIV’s genetic remnants are not as silent as they seem

HIV may be suppressed by antiretroviral therapy, but its genetic material remains in the body. New research by scientists at the Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV) in Hamburg suggests that some of these viral remnants may be doing more than simply lingering: integration of HIV in specific genes, such as the BACH2 master regulator, can change the biology of the cell carrying it. This pushes CD4 T cells towards a state that favours long-term survival, continued division and altered immune activity. This observation may explain why HIV is able to persist for so long in the body of infected peopl

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How seabirds, coral reefs and native forests can help tropical atoll islands adapt to sea-level rise

Protecting seabirds and restoring native vegetation could help tropical atoll islands adapt to rising sea levels according to a new study by an international research team led by Lancaster University, with contributions from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in Bremen. Published in the journal Science Advances, the study examines how nutrients brought to tropical islands by seabirds affect the islands and their surrounding coral reefs, and what this means for their ability to adapt to sea-level rise.

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Wake-Up Receiver with Extended Range

Fraunhofer IPMS and Hamburg University of Technology have completed the “MEMS-ParAmps” project, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (FhG). The project focused on a new amplifier chip that increases the sensitivity of wireless sensors without increasing their power consumption.

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Research in Germany

Smart Farming Starts Paying Off

The use of robots, drones and AI tools in agriculture is already paying off on 42 percent of the world’s cropland. This could increase to 50 percent in the next 20 years and to as much as 75 percent if every country tightened environmental regulations. If every country loosened its regulations it would fall to 31 percent. These are the main findings from an international study led by the University of Bonn, which is the first to estimate the profitability of smart farming worldwide. What is more, high-tech agriculture often proves profitable precisely in parts of the world struggling with envi

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Research in Germany

When a younger sibling has a disability, it places a strain on older children

The strain caused by having a child with a disability affects the whole family. But state support can mitigate the negative consequences. This is the finding of a study that was recently published by the Rockwool Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin). Second-born children whose younger sibling has a disability are 13 per cent more likely to seek psychological support themselves between the ages of 9 and 20. “Since disabilities are more common in families with lower socioeconomic status, disability could be an underestimated factor reinforcing socio-economic disadvantages across generations,” says co-au

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Research in Germany

Climate Change Affects the Quality of One of the World’s Most Important Staple Foods

Higher CO₂ Levels Alter the Protein Composition of Wheat Depending on the cultivar, higher concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere can significantly alter the protein composition of wheat. This affects not only baking quality but potentially also the tolerability of wheat products. This is the conclusion of a new study led by the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich. According to the study, the adaptation of crops to climate change should in the future focus not only on high yields but also on quality characteristics such as protein

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European project egeniouss achieves up to 50-fold improvement in urban positioning accuracy

After more than three years of research, egeniouss has presented its final results at an event hosted by TU Braunschweig in Germany. The project’s visual localisation technology achieved up to 50 times greater positioning accuracy than conventional satellite-based systems in urban tests. The event showcased the project’s progress through live bicycle navigation and surveying demonstrations, as well as the advances made in drone operations Experts from research and industry discussed the potential applications of these solutions across different sectors.

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Research in Germany

Mindfulness Exercises Can Support Psychotherapy for Adolescents

A brief mindfulness exercise at the beginning of a psychotherapy session can have a positive effect on psychological symptoms in adolescent patients. This is the finding of a study conducted at Heidelberg University’s Centre for Psychological Psychotherapy (ZPP) under the direction of Prof. Dr. Johannes Mander and Dr. Julia Kalmar. Adolescents who completed a mindfulness exercise at the beginning of each session experienced a greater reduction in symptoms than those in the comparison group, who received psychotherapy without a standardized session-introduction. The researchers also found that

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Wild birds rewrite rules for travel: Soaring on thermals can be the most energy-efficient mode of transport for animals

The largest study yet to examine flight costs in wild birds finds that riding the air can make flying energetically cheaper than swimming, overturning a textbook ranking. Published in Science, the work led by scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the Swansea University combines 17 years of position and accelerometer tracking data from 850 birds and bats of 38 species with four years of radar data. For soaring birds such as vultures the air is not a neutral medium, but is skilfully utilised to minimise energy consumption whilst flying.

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From Sprawling to Bipedalism: How Locomotion Evolved in Dinosaur Ancestors

A research team led by Dr. Lorenzo Marchetti of the Museum fur Naturkunde Berlin described the earliest archosauriform footprints (Pachychirotherium gardenaensis) from the GEOPARC Bletterbach - UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites, Italy. This study discovered that the transition from sprawling to erect locomotion was a stepwise process started in the late Permian and completed only by the Middle Triassic, leading...

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Chemical bond of a superheavy element compound probed at GSI/FAIR

An international collaboration led by a research group from GSI/FAIR in Darmstadt, Germany, has achieved the first measurement of the chemical stability of a superheavy element compound. The focus was on the hexacarbonyl complex Sg(CO)₆ of seaborgium (Sg, element 106). The result: The bond between the seaborgium atom and a carbonyl ligand is weaker than expected based on its position in the periodic table....

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A small RNA switch with huge potential: Research team opens up new possibilities for synthetic biology

An international research team led by TU Darmstadt Professor Beatrix Süß, working in close collaboration with partners in Germany and Denmark, has elucidated how an RNA switch newly developed at TU Darmstadt recognises the antibiotic doxycycline and thereby selectively activates or deactivates gene expression. This makes doxycycline a promising basis for synthetic biology and, potentially, for gene therapies as...

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Mini Laser from Jena to explore Mars’ Moon Phobos

Jena / Tanegashima (Japan) | On October 20, the Japanese space agency JAXA plans to launch its MMX probe to Mars. Its mission is to retrieve a rock sample from Mars’ moon Phobos and bring it back to Earth. On board is a miniaturized laser built at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF in Jena. Originally developed for the European ExoMars mission—whose 2022 launch had to be...

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Synthetic Cells: Function Through Mutation

A small number of random genetic mutations cause simple RNA droplets to transform into cell-like structures. In this process, they form cavities, can move and are able to take up cargo. This has been demonstrated through research using nanostructures based on ribonucleic acid led by Prof. Dr. Kerstin Göpfrich at the Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH) in cooperation with experts from the...

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Plug-and-Play: Instrumented Clamping Technology Provides Data for Perfect Forming Results

Because they are in proximity to the tool and workpiece, tool clamping systems are well positioned to capture process-relevant parameters and generate meaningful data. Continuous process monitoring, combined with targeted data analysis and clear visualization, can stabilize production and improve process predictability. A retrofit solution jointly developed by Fraunhofer IWU and a clamping system manufacturer is now...

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Peanut consumption affects the lipid profile circulating in the blood

New findings from an intervention and cohort study suggest that the fatty acids provided by peanuts do more than just contribute calories. Researchers at the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE), together with colleagues at the University of Barcelona, have demonstrated that a specific "Peanut Lipidomic Signature" (PeLS) is associated with a reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes. The...

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The nuclear clock has begun ticking

We now have a real clock. That, in essence, is the message behind not one, but two papers published in the journal Nature. In these articles, the research team led by Ekkehard Peik of the German National Metrology Institute (PTB) and Thorsten Schumm at the Technical University of Vienna (TU Wien) reports on its latest results, which are not only spectacular in themselves but were also achieved much sooner than...

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Concern over European biotech: the window for change is narrow – and closing fast

A new report by ESMT Berlin reveals an urgent need for action. Germany and Europe have only a very limited window of opportunity to close their structural gap in biotechnology. If they fail to do so, they risk permanently losing capital, talent, and companies. The pressure to act stems not from a single shortcoming, but from several structural bottlenecks along the entire innovation chain. What matters is whether...

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Triple Steps and Pirouettes: How Cultural Background Shapes Our Perception of Dance

An international research team led by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, conducted an in-depth study of our experiences when watching dance. The results show that our acculturation to a particular culture influences how we interpret emotions in a dance and perceive beauty and meaning in movement. This study comprises three publications in academic...

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How Much Are the World’s Oceans Warming?

+++ RESEARCH TICKER UNIVERSITY OF BONN: Researchers Calculate Heat Absorption by the Oceans+++ The world’s oceans behave like a thermometer: As the water warms, it expands and sea levels rise. Geodesy researchers at the University of Bonn are able to measure this and determine how much the oceans are warming. For individual ocean basins, their method has revealed significant deviations from model calculations—in...

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