Research in Germany

Materials made from domestic, renewable raw materials reduce CO₂ emissions, prevent microplastics from entering the environment, and close the material cycle. The German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are developing nature-based alternatives to synthetically produced and predominantly petroleum-based materials. Two research projects have received a prestigious Techtextil Innovation Award. NUO Flexholz and the lignin-coated material FormLig demonstrate that sustainable concepts can meet high standards of functionality and design. Both projects were carried out in close collaboration with industry.

After ten years, Dr. Jakob Lesage of Humboldt University presents the most comprehensive documentation yet of a minority language in Nigeria – based on a partnership with the local community, a model for the future study of endangered languages.

Each year, Goethe University’s Faculty of Law recognizes exceptional academic achievement through a number of prestigious awards. The 2026 Baker McKenzie Award, presented by the renowned law firm of the same name, will go to Dr. Alexander Heger and Dr. Felix-Julius Konow for their outstanding doctoral dissertations in business law.

What if Dante’s Inferno wasn’t just poetry? New research suggests the 14th-century epic may have quietly mapped the mechanics of a planetary impact, centuries before modern meteoritics existed.

The simple mechanism of ON & OFF accompanies us every day from morning until night, as we turn lights on and off, along with devices, programs and motors. Behind this lies a fundamental principle of our world: processes begin and end, states are activated or deactivated, and transitions mark change. In research, switching on and switching off are used as an essential tool – and are therefore often key to new insights, for example when genes are switched on or immune responses switched off. The latest issue of RUPERTO CAROLA, the research magazine published by Heidelberg University, shows the many different ways in which these “switching points” contribute to gaining new insights.

Embargoed until Thursday, 07 May at 17:30 CEST Vienna - New research shows extreme heat and humidity are already pushing Hajj pilgrims beyond survivability limits, with the greatest danger during Arafat and future pilgrimages expected to become more hazardous.