Healthy growth of wheat, maize and other crops is not possible without the plant's own hormones. Professor Ulrich Hammes is investigating the proteins that help the hormones reach their sites of action.

Plants adapt their water consumption to environmental conditions by counting and calculating environmental stimuli with their guard cells. Plant researchers from Würzburg report this in ‘Current Biology’.

Using optogenetics, Würzburg researchers have detected a new acid sensor in plant cells that is addressing a cell-internal calcium store, as they report in the journal "Science".

Plants in which an ion channel of the vacuole is hyperactive are extremely stressed and grow poorly. But the broad bean is an exception, as Würzburg researchers have discovered.

The DFG is providing 2.2 million euros for Tom Beneke’s Emmy Noether Junior Research Group at the University of Würzburg. He is investigating how Leishmania parasites, transmitted by sand flies, spread throughout the body.

Professional bioacoustics in your pocket: The new BirdNET Live app is revolutionising the monitoring of animal calls. Its AI works without an internet connection and recognises more species than other apps.

Europe is hindering its own efforts to protect bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Researchers warn of serious consequences for biodiversity and food security.

How can viruses be effectively tackled despite their constant evolution? The newly established international doctoral network VirION aims to address this question. Researchers at the University of Würzburg are investigating how specific cell organelles are altered during viral infection and which new targets may emerge from these changes for broadly effective antiviral therapies.