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Remote control for stomatal movement. Green light can activate the GtACR1 channel in guard cells that surround an open pore (left). Active GtACR1 channels release chloride ions, which automatically also causes the efflux of potassium ions and the release of water (middle). Because of slackening of the guard cells the stomatal pores in the leaf surface close (right).

Plant researchers have a potent new tool at disposal: In the journal Science Advances, a research team from Würzburg shows how to close the stomata of leaves using light pulses.

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Do I Buy or Not?

07/08/2021
Shopping trolleys

Würzburg psychologists have studied the phenomenon of impulse buying behaviour. People who focus on enjoyment act differently than people who play it safe.

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You can imagine transcription as an obstacle race in which the RNA polymerase has to overcome a number of hurdles. It is particularly difficult for it if the "rider" - the protein SPT6 - is missing.

mRNA plays a key role in the conversion of genetic information from DNA to proteins. Their production is a delicate process. A research team at the University of Würzburg has now identified a crucial factor.

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When plants are flooded for a long time, they suffer damage. Würzburg researchers are investigating what happens in plant cells during flooding.

If plants are flooded, they lack oxygen and their cells over-acidify. A sensor protein detects this and triggers a stress response. Researchers have now presented details about this topic in the journal Current Biology.

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The bacterium Megasphaera massiliensis produces the short-chain fatty acid pentanoate in the human digestive tract. It is capable of altering certain cells of the immune system so that they can fight tumours more effectively. This also applies to CAR-T cells.

Certain metabolites of bacteria from the intestine make immune cells more aggressive as a new study conducted by scientists from Würzburg and Marburg reveals. The findings could help improve cancer therapies.

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Dr Radu Timofte

The University of Würzburg was again successful in the competition for an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship. Computer scientist Radu Timofte is set to join the university as an expert in the field of computer vision.

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A buff-tailed bumblebee and a 3D model of the bumblebee brain, based on micro-CT. The blue regions symbolise the primary olfactory centres. The yellow/orange regions process visual information from the compound eyes, the turquoise coloured visual information from the ocelli. Shown in red/orange are the mushroom bodies important for learning. The insects' inner compass, the central complex, is green.

A three-dimensional atlas of the bumblebee brain is now available. It will allow to even better research how nerve cells are interconnected and how they process information.

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In the singlet exciton fission process, a singlet exciton (blue) is created upon absorbing light and then splits into two triplets (red) on ultrafast timescales. The team tracked real-time molecular motions acompanying this process in pentacene.

The efficiency of solar cells can be significantly increased with a certain physical effect. A research team has now observed in detail for the first time how molecular movements influence this effect.

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SMN is concentrated in the Cajal bodies (left, red) in the nucleus of human cells (blue). If phosphorylation of SMN is inhibited, the concentration ceases and Cajal bodies disappear.

Some proteins concentrate in certain places in the cell nucleus. A new study with Würzburg participation now shows how this happens. The results could contribute to a better understanding of a rare disease.

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Philipp Sodmann (left) and Matthias Griebel developed a deep learning model that can evaluate microscopic images.

Microscopic images of tissue sections can now be analyzed much more easily – with an innovative digital tool. Two researchers from Würzburg have received three prizes for this.

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Beta1- and beta2-adrenergic receptors in heart muscle cells: In the left cell, beta1 receptors are labeled – they are found both on the cell surface (yellow) and in the T-tubules (green). In the right cell, the beta2-receptors are labeled – they appear only in the T-tubules (green), but not on the cell surface (which is therefore not visible in the image).

Research teams from Würzburg, Munich, Erlangen and the MDC in Berlin have identified, for the first time, where special receptors are located on heart muscle cells. Their findings open up new perspectives for developing therapies for chronic heart failure.

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The image shows a "topolectric circuit" used to realize the topological states studied here

Through a recently developed experimental platform, topological matter can be realized in a fast, cost efficient, and versatile way. Würzburg physicist have now achieved with it a breakthrough that might enable optronic technologies in the long run.

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Researchers from Jülich and Würzburg are jointly investigating new, exotic quantum states that form at interfaces between superconductors and topological materials. The image shows a quantum dot contact structure constructed at JMU from the topological insulator mercury telluride (blue), which is contacted with superconducting electrodes (green). An electrostatic gate (yellow) is used to control current conduction across the junction. Similar structures will be used in the future to investigate fundamental properties of topological qubits.

Forschungszentrum Jülich and the University of Würzburg will together investigate the quantum phenomena of topological materials and the opportunities they present within quantum computing. The Free State of Bavaria is funding the project to the tune of € 13 million.

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Microscopic picture of a CD8+ T cell in the CNS of a two-year-old mouse. The cytotoxic T cell (red labelling) is located in immediate proximity to a damaged nerve fiber (green labelling) and is, according to the described results, involved in its damage. The cell nuclei of all cell bodies in the image are labelled in blue. Scale bar: 20 µm.

Certain immune cells can cause damage to the aging central nervous system, according to a novel study by scientists of the University Hospital and the University of Würzburg.

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