Goethe-Universit盲t 鈥� Press releases

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Oct 8 2025

14:45

Joint project by 看片软件 Frankfurt and the University of Cologne investigates prehistoric agriculture in the Rhineland and Hesse

Diversified Cereal Cultivation in the Early Neolithic Period

Already in the early Neolithic period, farmers in what is now the Rhineland and Hesse diversified their grain cultivation, i.e. they cultivated different types of cereals. Agricultural innovations, introduced earlier than previously assumed, made food supplies more resilient and flexible. Initial findings from the joint research project by 看片软件 Frankfurt and the University of Cologne have now been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

FRANKFURT. 鈥淒iversification and Change 鈥� Analyzing settlement patterns and agricultural practice during the 5th millennium BC in Central Europe鈥� 鈥� this is the title of the interdisciplinary project conducted by 看片软件 Frankfurt and the University of Cologne. Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the project brings together the disciplines of prehistoric archaeology, archaeobotany, vegetation history, archaeozoology, and dendroarchaeology. The research team, led by Professor Dr. Silviane Scharl and Dr. Astrid R枚pke (both from the Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology at the University of Cologne) and Associate Professor Dr. Astrid Stobbe (看片软件 Frankfurt), discovered that farming societies already began to integrate new grain varieties into their crop spectrum nearly 7,000 years ago. The researchers gained deeper insights into the underlying processes and were able to place these agricultural innovations in chronological order. The results of the study, titled 鈥淒ynamics of early agriculture 鈥� multivariate analysis of changes in crop cultivation and farming practices in the Rhineland (Germany) between the 6th and early 4th millennium BCE,鈥� have been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

The first farmers in Central Europe belonged to the so-called Linear Pottery Culture, which populated the continent between about 5400 and 5000/4900 BCE. They cultivated almost exclusively the ancient wheat varieties emmer and einkorn, both spelt grains. With these cereals, the grain kernel must be freed from its outer husk before processing (dehusking). It was previously known that new types of cereal such as naked wheat (which does not require dehusking) and barley were introduced during the Neolithic period 鈥� more precisely, during the so-called Middle Neolithic period (ca. 4900 to ca. 4500 BCE) 鈥� although the exact timeline and processes were previously unknown. To better understand these processes on a regional level, the research team collected and analyzed data from archaeobotanical macro-remains found at 72 Neolithic sites in the Rhineland (Germany). The samples consist of charred remains of seeds and date from the late 6th to the early 4th millennium BCE. They were recovered from settlement pits of Neolithic farmers.

Using multivariate statistics, the researchers were able to demonstrate significant differences between the Neolithic phases. Surprisingly, the study revealed that agricultural changes characteristic of the Middle Neolithic period were already recognizable at the beginning of this era. 鈥淭he integration of new types of grain made agriculture more resilient and flexible. It enabled not only the cultivation of winter crops but also summer crops and the potential use of a greater variety of soils as well as a possible reduction in labor,鈥� says Professor Scharl. A steady increase in cereal diversity was also confirmed by a diversity analysis, which shows that Neolithic farmers reached the greatest diversity in their cultivation spectrum around 4350 BCE. After that, it declined markedly, indicating a renewed transformation of the agricultural system, which is the subject of further research. Some evidence suggests that livestock farming 鈥� especially cattle rearing 鈥� increased during this subsequent period.

The current study illustrates that Neolithic farmers gradually developed agricultural techniques and practices that allowed them to respond flexibly to regional and changing environmental conditions. In regions with more challenging environments, they cultivated cereals that could yield harvests even under such conditions. This demonstrates that farmers had a profound understanding of their local environments and adapted their food production strategies accordingly. The studies conducted by 看片软件 Frankfurt, as well as those still in progress on landscape changes in Hesse during this period, also show that people made strategic use of the land around their settlements and, depending on available resources, found different ways to feed their livestock.

Publication:

Image for download:

Caption:
Charred emmer grains from a storage find at a Linear Pottery Culture settlement near Werl, North Rhine-Westphalia. (Photo: Tanja Zerl, University of Cologne)

Further Information
Apl. Prof. Dr. Astrid Stobbe
Institute of Archaeological Sciences 鈥� Prehistory and Early European Archaeology
Laboratory for Archaeobotany
看片软件 Frankfurt
E-Mail stobbe@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Tel. +49 (0)69 798-32109

Oct 8 2025

14:34

New Koselleck Project at 看片软件 Frankfurt: Neurobiologist Prof. Amparo Acker-Palmer Secures 鈧�1.25 million for Neurovascular Research

How Blood Vessels Influence Brain Development聽聽

Blood vessels are more than just pathways for oxygen and nutrients; they also host communicative processes that guide brain development and sustain its function. These vascular-neuronal interfaces are at the core of new research led by Prof. Amparo Acker-Palmer, which will receive 鈧�1.25 million as a German Research Foundation (DFG) Koselleck Project.

FRANKFURT. Within blood vessels, specialized endothelial cells, which form the inner lining of all vessels, exchange signals with neurons and glial cells that decisively influence the formation of brain circuits and the development of brain architecture. Disruptions to this exchange can result in developmental disorders or neurodegeneration. In her newly approved, DFG-funded Koselleck Project, Prof. Amparo Acker-Palmer aims to explore the hidden functions of vascular-neuronal interfaces. Using cutting-edge imaging techniques, molecular profiling, and genetic models, she seeks to uncover where and how endothelial cells interact with neurons and other brain cells, as well as the principles by which these interactions shape brain connectivity and structure. A particular focus is on the cerebellum, which plays a key role in movement and certain cognitive processes, and on the role of blood vessels in brain folding, a process that diversifies and enhances brain functions. Defects in brain folding can lead to neurological disorders, including intellectual disabilities, epilepsy, and motor impairments.

鈥淏y bringing together vascular biology and neurosciences, we are opening a new chapter in neurovascular research. Understanding how blood vessels regulate brain development is crucial not only for fundamental biology but also for developing new therapeutic strategies to address diseases caused by disrupted communication between vessels and neurons,鈥� says Professor Acker-Palmer, adding that the study has the potential to revolutionize neurovascular biology and unlock previously unknown therapies. Acker-Palmer holds the professorship for Molecular Neurobiology at 看片软件 Frankfurt and is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking research on neurovascular communication. Her work has earned her several prestigious awards, including an ERC Advanced Grant.

Acker-Palmer鈥檚 lab is distinguished by its collaborative and interdisciplinary approach, bringing together vascular biologists and neuroscientists to ensure seamless knowledge exchange, innovation, and discovery. According to the neurobiologist, this creates an ideal environment for tackling the ambitious project. The project aligns well with the overarching goals of the German Research Foundation鈥檚 (DFG) Koselleck Program, which aims to support visionary, high-risk research with the potential to open entirely new scientific fields.

The Reinhart Koselleck funding line, awarded since 2008, is named after Reinhart Koselleck (1923鈥�2006), one of the most important German historians of the 20th century and a co-founder of modern social history. Reinhart Koselleck Projects are awarded to 鈥渞esearchers distinguished by outstanding scientific achievements.鈥� The prerequisites for approval are particularly innovative research approaches and a certain degree of risk.

Images for download:

Image captions:
Neuroscientist Amparo Acker-Palmer has secured a Koselleck project grant from the DFG. The project focuses on the connections between blood vessels and brain development. (Copyright Till Acker) (1)

3D reconstruction of blood vessels in the cerebellum of a mouse, rendered using artificial intelligence from iDISCO+. (Image: Marta Parilla Monge and Jimena Redondo Nectal铆, Acker-Palmer AG) (2)

Further Information
Prof. Dr. Amparo Acker-Palmer
Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience
看片软件 Frankfurt
Tel.: +49 (0)69798-42563
E-Mail: acker-palmer@bio.uni-frankfurt.de

Oct 6 2025

14:00

Theoretical physicists at 看片软件 Frankfurt describe the origin of powerful jets using complex simulations

How Black Holes Produce Powerful Relativistic Jets

A hundred years before the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration released the first image of a black hole in 2019 鈥� located at the heart of the galaxy M87 鈥� astronomer Heber Curtis had already discovered a strange jet protruding from the galaxy鈥檚 center. Today, we know this to be the jet of the black hole M87*. Such jets are also emitted by other black holes. Theoretical astrophysicists at 看片软件 have now developed a numerical code to describe with high mathematical precision how black holes transform their rotational energy into such ultra-fast jets.

FRANKFURT. For nearly two centuries, it was unclear that the bright spot in the constellation Virgo, which Charles Messier had described in 1781 as 鈥�87: Nebula without stars,鈥� was in fact a very large galaxy. As a result, there was initially no explanation for the strange jet discovered in 1918 emerging from the center of this 鈥渘ebula.鈥�

At the heart of the giant galaxy M87 lies the black hole M87*, which contains a staggering six and a half billion solar masses and spins rapidly on its axis. Using the energy from this rotation, M87* powers a particle jet expelled at nearly the speed of light, stretching across an immense 5,000 light-years. Such jets are also generated by other rotating black holes. They contribute to disperse energy and matter throughout the universe and can influence the evolution of entire galaxies.

A team of astrophysicists at 看片软件 Frankfurt, led by Prof. Luciano Rezzolla, has developed a numerical code, named the Frankfurt particle-in-cell code for black hole spacetimes (FPIC), which describes with high precision the processes that convert rotational energy into a particle jet. The result: In addition to the Blandford鈥揨najek mechanism 鈥� which has so far been considered responsible for the extraction of rotational energy from the black hole via strong magnetic fields 鈥� the scientists have revealed that another process is involved in the energy extraction, namely, magnetic reconnection. In this process, magnetic field lines break and reassemble, leading to magnetic energy being converted into heat, radiation, and eruptions of plasma.

The FPIC code simulated the evolution of a vast number of charged particles and extreme electromagnetic fields under the influence of the black hole鈥檚 strong gravity. Dr. Claudio Meringolo, the main developer of the code, explains: 鈥淪imulating such processes is crucial for understanding the complex dynamics of relativistic plasmas in curved spacetimes near compact objects, which are governed by the interplay of extreme gravitational and magnetic fields.鈥�

The investigations required highly demanding supercomputer simulations that consumed millions of CPU hours on Frankfurt鈥檚鈥淕oethe鈥� supercomputer and Stuttgart鈥檚鈥淗awk.鈥� This large computing power was essential to solve Maxwell鈥檚 equations and the equations of motion for electrons and positrons according to Albert Einstein鈥檚 theory of general relativity.

In the equatorial plane of the black hole, the researchers鈥� calculations revealed intense reconnection activity, leading to the formation of a chain of plasmoids 鈥� a condensation of plasma in energetic 鈥渂ubbles鈥� 鈥� moving at nearly the speed of light. According to the scientists, this process is accompanied by the generation of particles with negative energy that is used to power extreme astrophysical phenomena like jets and plasma eruptions.

鈥淥ur results open up the fascinating possibility that the Blandford鈥揨najek mechanism is not the only astrophysical process capable of extracting rotational energy from a black hole,鈥� says Dr. Filippo Camilloni, who also worked on the FPIC project, 鈥渂ut that magnetic reconnection also contributes.鈥�

鈥淲ith our work, we can demonstrate how energy is efficiently extracted from rotating black holes and channeled into jets,鈥� says Rezzolla. 鈥淭his allows us to help explain the extreme luminosities of active galactic nuclei as well as the acceleration of particles to nearly the speed of light.鈥� He adds that it is incredibly exciting and fascinating to better understand what happens near a black hole using sophisticated numerical codes. 鈥淎t the same time, it is even more rewarding to be able to explain the results of these complex simulations with a rigorous mathematical treatment 鈥� as we have done in our work.鈥�

Publication: Claudio Meringolo, Filippo Camilloni, Luciano Rezzolla: Electromagnetic Energy Extraction from Kerr Black Holes: Ab-Initio Calculations. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2025)

Picture download:

Caption: A chain of plasmoids is created on the equatorial plane along the current sheet, where the particle density (left part) is higher. Here, magnetic reconnection takes place, accelerating particles to very high energies (right). Particles also reach relativistic speeds along the spin axis and eventually form the jet powered by the Blandford鈥揨najek mechanism. Gray: Magnetic field lines. Image: Meringolo, Camilloni, Rezzolla (2025)

Contact:
Professor Luciano Rezzolla
Institute for Theoretical Physics
看片软件 Frankfurt
Phone: +49 (69) 798-47871
rezzolla@itp.uni-frankfurt.de

Sep 16 2025

18:33

Prize Winners鈥� Discovery of Genomic Imprinting Opened the Door to Epigenetics

Davor Solter and Azim Surani Awarded the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize 2026

Developmental biologists Davor Solter and Azim Surani will receive the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize 2026, the Scientific Council of the Paul Ehrlich Foundation announced today. The prizewinners discovered the phenomenon of genomic imprinting. In mammals, this means that the genetic materials of eggs and sperms are functionally different. In addition to their genetic information, some genes carry a molecular mark that prevents their genetic information to be active in the embryo. This why we need the full genetic input from both mother and father. This discovery shook the foundation of classical genetics and opened the door to the vast field of modern epigenetics.

FRANKFURT. The genes that carry our genetic information are packed together in the chromosomes of the cell nucleus. There are 22 autosomes as well as the sex chromosomes X and Y. Each germ cell contains a single set of 23 chromosomes. Each somatic cell contains a double set of chromosomes 鈥� one inherited from the mother's egg, the other from the father's sperm. This means that all body cells contain two copies of each gene. These copies, which can occur in different versions (alleles), are both used as blueprints for producing RNA molecules that are then translated into proteins. Both gene copies can influence a child's appearance (phenotype). If one copy is mutated or damaged, the other usually compensates and takes over its function. Solter and Surani partially upended these basic principles of classical genetics when they discovered that mammalian parents apparently pass on only one active copy of some genes to their offspring. 鈥淭his discovery was a turning point in modern genetics," explains Prof. Thomas Boehm, Chair of the Scientific Council. 鈥淚t showed that our phenotype is not determined by genotype alone, but also shaped by epigenetic marks. That fundamentally changed our understanding of health and disease."

In the early 1980s, Davor Solter in Philadelphia (USA) and Azim Surani in Cambridge (UK) set out 鈥� independently and simultaneously 鈥搕o solve a fundamental genetic puzzle: Why is a virgin birth (parthenogenesis) not possible in mammals? After all, female ants, bees, lizards or snails, for example, can reproduce without a male contribution, allowing their offspring to develop from unfertilized eggs. Solter and Surani answered this question by independently applying a technique Solter had previously developed and refined, namely the transplantation of germ cell nuclei. After fertilization, the nuclei of egg and sperm remain temporarily separate 鈥� at this stage, they are called pronuclei. Solter and Surani then replaced one of the two pronuclei with that of a donor from another mouse strain, generating embryos with either two maternal or two paternal pronuclei. Unexpectedly, none of these embryos survived. In combinations of two paternal pronuclei, the embryonic tissues developed poorly, whereas the placental tissues were largely unaffected. Conversely, in combinations with two maternal pronuclei, the placental tissues failed to develop normally, leading to malnourishment of the embryo.

Only embryos in the control group, arising from one male and one female pronucleus, developed into healthy mice. The two researchers concluded that in mammals, maternal chromosomes contribute essential information that is missing in the paternal chromosomes 鈥� and vice versa. Both parental chromosome sets must be transmitted in their entirety for offspring to develop normally. Surani coined the term genomic imprinting to describe the phenomenon that some genes are transmitted in active form only by the mother and others only by the father. Soon afterwards, researchers discovered that the molecular markers involved in imprinting consist primarily of tiny methyl groups attached to one of DNA's four bases.

Seven years after the discovery of the two prizewinners, in 1991, the first imprinted genes were identified: IGF2R, a growth-inhibiting gene expressed only from the maternal allele, and IGF2, a growth-promoting gene expressed only from the paternal allele. This supported the idea that genomic imprinting evolved as a mechanism to regulate fetal growth in the womb, helping to maintain a healthy balance between the interests of the embryo to grow and that of the mother to prevent excessive contribution of her own bodily resources. Evolution may have introduced this strategy to make uterine development in mammals possible in the first place. In fact, most known imprinted genes 鈥� they make up around one percent of our genome 鈥� are involved in balancing growth signals and brain development. In Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, the growth processes of individual organs become imbalanced, or they develop asymmetrically during embryogenesis; Angelmann syndrome results in severe neurological impairments, while other imprinting disorders are thought to contribute to autism and epilepsy. Even in adults, imprinted genes remain part of signal cascades that influence health and disease. Disorders of genomic imprinting acquired in the course of life are associated with diseases such as colon cancer, glioblastomas and Wilms tumors (pediatric kidney cancer).

The discovery of genomic imprinting and research on DNA methylation opened the door to an experimentally grounded epigenetics. Since then, thousands of researchers have passed through this door, opening up and cultivating a field that is proving to be highly fertile for biomedical research. Thanks to the pioneering work of Solter and Surani, epigenetics is now thriving as the science of molecular biological mechanisms that regulate gene expression independently of changes to their DNA sequence.

Davor Solter, a U.S. citizen born in 1941, is Director Emeritus of the Department of Developmental Biology at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology in Freiburg, Germany, which he led from 1991 to 2006. He now lives in Bar Harbor, Maine (USA) and is Visiting Professor at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand, and the University of Zagreb in Croatia.

Azim Surani, a British citizen born in 1945, is Director of Germline and Epigenetics Research at the Gurdon Institute at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge.

Photos of the award winners can be downloaded at .

Detailed background information entitled 鈥淣ot without both parents" can be found

The prize will be awarded on March 14, 2026, 5 p.m. in Frankfurt's Paulskirche by the Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Paul Ehrlich Foundation. We kindly ask you to take this into account when planning your schedule. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

For further information please contact
Press Office Paul Ehrlich Foundation
Joachim Pietzsch
Phone: +49 (0)69 36007188
j.pietzsch@wissenswort.com

The Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize is the most prestigious medical prize in Germany. It is endowed with 120,000 euros and is traditionally awarded on Paul Ehrlich's birthday, March 14, in Frankfurt's Paulskirche. It honors scientists who have made outstanding contributions in the field of research represented by Paul Ehrlich, particularly in immunology, cancer research, hematology, microbiology and chemotherapy. The prize, which has been awarded since 1952, is financed by the Federal Ministry of Health, the German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies and earmarked donations from the following companies, foundations and institutions: Else Kr枚ner-Fresenius-Stiftung, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, C.H. Boehringer Sohn AG & Co KG, Biotest AG, Hans und Wolfgang Schleussner-Stiftung, Fresenius SE & Co KGaA, F. Hoffmann-LaRoche Ltd, GSK GlaxoSmithKline GmbH & Co KG, Gr眉nenthal Group, Janssen-Cilag GmbH, Merck KGaA, Bayer AG, Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH & Co KG, B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co AG. The prize winners are selected by the Scientific Council of the Paul Ehrlich Foundation. A list of the members of the Scientific Council is available on the Paul Ehrlich Foundation's website.

The Paul Ehrlich Foundation is a legally dependent foundation administered in trust by the Association of Friends and Sponsors of 看片软件. Professor Dr. Katja Becker, President of the German Research Foundation, who also appoints the elected members of the Scientific C Council and the Board of Trustees, is Honorary President of the Foundation, which was established by Hedwig Ehrlich in 1929. The Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Paul Ehrlich Foundation is Professor Dr. Thomas Boehm, Director Emeritus at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees is Professor Dr. Jochen Maas. In his function as Chairman of the Association of Friends and Sponsors of 看片软件, Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Bender is also a member of the Scientific Council Trustees of the Paul Ehrlich Foundation. In this function, the President of 看片软件 is also a member of the Board of Trustees.

Publisher: Joachim Pietzsch / Dr. Markus Bernards, Science Communication Officer, PR & Communication Department, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt, Tel. +49 (0)69 798-12498, bernards@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Sep 11 2025

14:40

看片软件鈥檚鈥淚nterCare鈥� research project seeks participants

Between Studies and Caregiving聽

Balancing studies or vocational training with the responsibility of supporting or caring for a relative or friend requires remarkable organizational skills. A new study at 看片软件 aims to better understand this reality 鈥� and is now seeking participants: both young people in education or training, as well as the individuals they provide support or care for.

FRANKFURT. How can education and caregiving be combined? What challenges does this dual role create? And what can be done to improve the situation of young people who take on such responsibilities? These are the questions driving the 鈥淚nterCare鈥� research project, led by sociologist Dr. Anna Wanka.

The study is looking for both young people aged 18鈥�30 who are enrolled in university, training, or further education and at the same time provide support or care for an older person, as well as individuals who receive such support or care and are at least 20 years older than their caregiver.

If you would like to share your experiences and contribute to the study, please contact Dr. Anna Wanka at wanka@em.uni-frankfurt.de.

Further Information
Dr. Anna Wanka
Institute for Social Pedagogy and Adult Education
看片软件 Frankfurt
Tel.: +49 (0)69 798 36393
E-Mail wanka@em.uni-frankfurt.de

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