News
Birds, bees and bats working together means more macadamia nuts
An international research team led by the universities of Göttingen and Hohenheim in Germany has gained new insights into how the interaction of birds, bees and bats significantly increases the quantity and quality of macadamia nuts. Furthermore, the effectiveness of their ecosystem services – pollination and biological pest control – depends on the altitude of the area and whether it provides natural habitats.The results were published in Ecological Applications. more…
Islands are key to protecting plant biodiversity
From Tasmania to Madagascar to New Guinea, islands make up just over five per cent of Earth’s land. Yet, new research reveals that islands are home to over 31 per cent of the world’s plant species, and of all plants classified as threatened worldwide, more than half are unique to islands. This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of plants – such as trees, shrubs and grasses – which are both native and endemic to marine islands worldwide. Their findings were published in Nature. more…
New approaches to synthesize compounds for pharmaceutical research
Junior Professor Johannes Walker, University of Göttingen, has been awarded an Exploration Grant from the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation. Walker teaches and carries out research at the Institute for Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry. The award of 180,000 euros will enable Walker and his team to develop new approaches to synthesizing new compounds. more…
More resources needed to protect birds in Germany
Researchers at the Göttingen University and Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten (DDA) developed citizen science platforms as a new data source to evaluate the effectiveness of the 742 protected areas for birds across Germany. This research shows that although these areas are well placed, their effectiveness varies greatly. When protected areas were compared with unprotected sites that showed similar geographical characteristics, only a few species thrived better inside these areas. more…
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Further news
Millions in funding for interstellar astrochemistry research
Professor Alec Wodtke, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Göttingen and Director at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Natural Sciences in Göttingen, is involved in a Synergy Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). The EU is funding the IRASTRO project for six years with a total of around twelve million euros. In addition to Wodtke, three other European scientists are involved. more…
Culture Award goes to Professor Metin Tolan for outstanding communication achievements
Professor Metin Tolan, President of the University of Göttingen, is awarded the Cultural Award of the Eduard Rhein Foundation, which is endowed with €10,000. more…