Venus flytraps are capable of detecting the movements of even the smallest insects. This mechanism protects the plant against starving from hyperactivity as a new study conducted by scientists from Würzburg and Cambridge reveals.

Plants that can manage with less water could make agriculture more sustainable. This is why a research team at the University of Würzburg is investigating how plants control their water balance.

Scientists at the Universities of Würzburg and Bielefeld in Germany have discovered an unusual new light sensor in green algae. The sensor triggers a reaction that is similar to one in the human eye.

The plant hormone jasmonic acid also performs a function that was previously unknown. It ensures that the leaf pores close when leaves are injured. For the plant, this could be an emergency signal.

New technologies are needed to combat climate change. Now bioinformatics specialists from Würzburg might have found a way of enabling plants to store more carbon dioxide.

Krankheitserreger können bei Insekten die Evolution sozialer Verhaltensweisen vorantreiben. Das zeigen Forscher aus Bern und Würzburg am Beispiel von Ambrosiakäfern, die zu den Borkenkäfern gehören.

The Faculty of Biology will pay tribute to the extraordinary scientific achievements of Prof. Rino Rappuoli, Siena, by awarding him the degree of an honorary doctorate.

Vaccinia viruses serve as a vaccine against human smallpox and as the basis of new cancer therapies. Two studies now provide fascinating insights into their unusual propagation strategy at the atomic level.