Biomedical research at the Faculty aims to identify disease mechanisms at the molecular level and to develop biotechnological methods that can be used to influence these processes in order to develop more precise diagnostics and novel active substances.

The focus of the working groups on "Water Research" is on questions relating to the development, changes and restoration of aquatic biodiversity from the level of genes and species communities to ecosystems and their function. In addition to basic research, the focus is on interdisciplinary, application-oriented research projects.

The research focus on subject-related empirical teaching and learning research investigates questions relating to the learning and teaching of biology at school, at university or at extracurricular learning venues. In cooperation with other working groups in subject didactics and teaching-learning research, they also investigate interdisciplinary questions. They are integrated into the Interdisciplinary Center for Educational Research (IZfB) and the Center for Teacher Education (ZLB).

Frontiers Planet Prize and research grant in the amount of one million Swiss francs awarded for his work on rivers and streams

Senckenberg aquatic ecologist Prof. Dr. Peter Haase was honored today as an “International Champion” with the Frontiers Planet Prize from the Frontiers Research Foundation. At one million Swiss francs – the equivalent of around 1.05 million euros – it is one of the world’s most highly endowed awards for pioneering nature research. The prize recognizes a study by Haase and his team on the biodiversity of streams and rivers throughout Europe. The researchers’ analyses revealed that, on average, the diversity of species and ecological functions in rivers has increased over the last 50 years, but that this positive trend has come to a halt since 2010. Based on these results, measures for the recovery of freshwater biodiversity can be identified to improve the important functions of river ecosystems.

Top researcher Dana Branzei has been selected by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for the Humboldt Professorship 2025.
The internationally renowned expert in molecular biology is currently researching the mechanisms of DNA repair at the Research Institute of Molecular Oncology in Milan, thereby contributing to the fundamental understanding of cancer development and therapy.
She is to be appointed to the Research Center One Health Ruhr of the Research Alliance Ruhr at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

The Surveillance System of Cell Division

• von Birte Vierjahn
• 04.06.2024

Several million cells divide every second in our bodies. During nuclear division (mitosis), the genetic material must be distributed correctly and completely between the daughter cells - errors in this process can lead to defective developments or genetic disorders, and many cancer cells are also characterised by unequal numbers of chromosomes. Therefore, if errors in the division process become apparent, the cell can stop it. Biologists at the University of Duisburg-Essen have been able to elucidate this process at a molecular level. The scientific journal ‘Current Biology’ has published their findings.

For more information

Examines streams and rivers

The water quality of large rivers such as the Rhine, Neckar and Danube is regularly tested. But what about the small streams that meander through meadows and fields? We know very little about them. The ecological condition of our streams is rarely recorded, even though they make up around 70 percent of our 500,000 km of flowing waters. In the ARD join-in campaign #UnsereFlüsse, presenter Jessy Wellmer calls on us to close this knowledge gap together. Professors Florian Leese and Daniel Hering from the UDE are supporting the campaign as scientific advisors.

Anyone can take part in the ARD join-in campaign. Take a questionnaire with you, go to the nearest stream in the woods or meadow and examine the little river. Does it flow freely and in curves, are the banks natural? The questionnaire guides the participants through a systematic analysis of the river. The stream assessments will be published on a map of Germany at DasErste.de/unsereFluesse. In addition, 30 streams will be selected from this map and examined by the UDE team with regard to their biodiversity.

This year, the biology department at the University of Duisburg
Essen took part in city cycling again. 22 hard-working cyclists cycled almost
7000 km by bike in the period from 4.5.24 to 24.5.24. In the process
1156 kg of CO2 could be saved. In the overall ranking of the city of Essen
the team took 38th place and in the team size M (groups of up to 25
cyclists) we were even among the top 10.

If you would like to find out more about this great campaign
the information under the link. Here you can also find the
evaluation of all teams!

https://www.stadtradeln.de/essen

And maybe we will see each other again next year in the
UNI DUE Biology" team again next year!

Dr Sabina Marks from the Faculty of Biology and junior research group leader Dr Lisa Voskuhl from the Faculty of Chemistry were invited to the final of the "Forum Junge Spitzenforscher" 2024 competition on the topic of "Resource-efficient circular economy". With their presentation on their research project "Nature's oil warriors", the two scientists took fourth place, which came with prize money of €2000. The competition was organised by TU concept GmbH at TU Dortmund University with the support of the Industrial Research Foundation.
In their research, Dr Marks and Dr Voskuhl investigate microbial and ecological processes in natural oil leaks and films on water and soil. Using samples they have taken themselves from natural oil leaks in Germany, they are analysing the composition of algae and bacterial communities adapted to oil as well as their role and speed in oil degradation. Previous results show that algae bacteria isolated from natural oil leaks can support and accelerate the degradation of man-made oil contamination.