Ambrosia Beetles Have Developed Sophisticated Social Systems
They belong to the bark beetle family, and they are the only animals in nature, along with leaf-cutter ants and some termites, that practice agriculture:…
University of Würzburg
Researchers in Bavaria, Germany Reduce Nitrogen With Boron and Beer
Humankind is reliant on the ammonium in synthetic fertilizer for food. However, producing ammonia from nitrogen is extremely energy-intensive and requires the use of transition…
“Invisible Chimney” Phenomenon Explained: Spinning Black Hole Powers Jet by Magnetic Flux
A new letter has been found in the mysterious alphabet of black holes. Two astrophysicists share this discovery in the journal Nature Communications. Black holes…
Meningococci Bacteria Use a Small Protein With Big Pathogenic Impact
Meningococci are bacteria that can cause life-threatening meningitis and sepsis. These pathogens use a small protein with a large impact: The RNA-binding protein ProQ is…
Intriguing Genetics That Flipped the Food Chain to Allow Carnivorous Plants to Hunt Animals
Plants can produce energy-rich biomass with the help of light, water and carbon dioxide. This is why they are at the beginning of the food…
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV-1) Genetically Decoded
Until now, scientists had assumed that there are about 80 so-called open reading frames (ORFs) in the genome of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). These…
Sturgeon “Methuselah Fish” Genome Sequenced – Important Piece of Evolutionary Puzzle
Sometimes referred to as the “the Methuselah of freshwater fish,” sturgeons and their close relatives are very old from an evolutionary point of view. Fossils…
Physicists Develop a Light Funnel Using Non-Hermitian Skin Effect
Physicists of the University of Würzburg, in a joint collaboration with colleagues from the University of Rostock, have developed a light funnel apparatus. It could…
Nano Antennas for Data Transfer – Could Allow Processor Cores to Exchange Data at Speed of Light
For the first time, physicists from the University of Würzburg have successfully converted electrical signals into photons and radiated them in specific directions using a…
New Spectroscopic Methods to Observe Energy Flow in the Nano Range
It is crucial for photovoltaics and other technical applications, how efficiently energy spreads in a small volume. With new methods, the path of energy in…
New Research Finally Explains Why Spider Silk Is So Incredibly Tough
Scientists from the University of Würzburg have discovered that spider silk contains an exceptional protein. It generates high bonding strength by making use of an…