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THE BIOCENTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WÜRZBURG

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Photos of the grasshopper species Gravel Grasshopper, Green Mountain Grasshopper, and the Wart-biter.

Little is known about the food webs of herbivorous insects. A team from the Würzburg Biocenter is investigating, in Lower Franconia as well as in the Berchtesgaden Alps.

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Microscopy showing the fragmentation of mitochondria

Dormant herpesviruses induce their reactivation via a previously unknown cellular mechanism mediated by a viral microRNA. Würzburg researchers show this in the journal "Nature".

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Ein Forschungsteam hat untersucht, ob Fungizide beim Paarungsverhalten der Mauerbiene (Osmia cornuta) eine Rolle spielen könnten.

Do pesticides have anything to do with the decline in bee populations? A research team led by the University of Würzburg has investigated - and found a connection between fenbuconazole and the insects' mating behavior.

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3-Dimensional sketch of the TPC1 channel protein looking at the vacuolar pore entrance from above.

In humans, only nerves and muscle cells are electrically excitable, whereas in plants almost all cells are. This is due to a sophisticated mechanism in an ion channel of the vacuole.

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An anaesthetised Venus flytrap (above) can no longer close when stimulated (ant). Reason for this is that ether prevents the propagation of a calcium signal from the sensory hair into the trap (right).

The carnivorous Venus flytrap can be anaesthetised with ether. Some surprising parallels to anaesthesia in humans emerge.

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Bee colonies also use hollow electricity poles as nest sites (here a photo from Belgium).

In northern Spain, wild honeybees use hollow electricity poles as nesting cavities. Natural areas in the surroundings promote the colonies’ chances to survive the winter.

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Neuroblastoma cells under the microscope. The staining represents DNA damage, the more intense, the more severe and dangerous the damage. Cells on the right have no RNA exosome and are therefore much more susceptible to such damage.

The cells of a certain tumour type, called neuroblastoma, divide very rapidly. This rapid division can have potentially fatal consequences for them. A new study shows how neuroblastoma cells deal with this dilemma.

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A tethered flying monarch butterfly orients in the flight simulator with respect to a green light spot. While flying, microelectrodes record the butterflies’ brain activity.

Monarch butterflies employ a sun compass on their long-distance migration. Surprisingly, a new study shows that the compass is only established during flight.

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Intensively farmed experimental plot in a warm climate with a Malaise trap (in the background) for recording flying insects and a wild bee nesting trap (in the foreground) for recording plant-pollinator-parasite networks. The pieces of wood at the base of the nesting aid are used to determine the decomposition rate of wood.

The question of the causes of species extinction confronts science with complex tasks. Dr Sarah Redlich from the Biocentre on the challenge of creating a study design.

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The Wuerzburg Highly Cited Researchers 2021 (clockwise from top left): Hermann Einsele, Rainer Hedrich, Laurens Molenkamp, José Pedro Friedmann Angeli, Jörg Vogel.

Their work is most frequently cited in publications of other scientists. Four researchers from the University are therefore included in the Highly Cited Researchers 2021 List.

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Malaise traps are highly suitable for collecting a variety of insect species in different habitats.

Urbanisation appears to be another key factor for insect decline. This is shown by a study in which the impact of climate and land use on insects was disentangled for the first time.

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Structure of the poxvirus-polymerase in an early stage of transcription. Bound DNA is labelled in blue.

Poxviruses have found a unique way of translating their genes into proteins in the infected organism. A team of researchers from Würzburg shows for the first time how the molecular machinery involved works at an atomic level.

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Diversity matters

09/23/2021
Ecosystem with alpine vegetation at Mount Kilimanjaro.

The higher the biological diversity in an ecosystem, the better the important processes there function. A heterogeneous environment promotes this effect, while intensive land use weakens it, as a new study shows.

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