Rivers and streams are centres of biodiversity and vital for humans. Water bodies are affected by our actions in many ways, and this does not leave animals and plants unscathed. RESIST aims to understand how different pressures, individually and in combination, affect the biodiversity and functions of watercourses, and how previously stressed ecosystems recover.

A broad range of methods is used to investigate the effects of multiple stressors on all components of the stream food web (from viruses to fish) and on four ecosystem functions. The focus of the investigations is on the effects of three globally relevant stressors: temperature increase, salinisation and hydromorphological degradation, as well as the combination of these forms of stress. The aim is to understand and predict the effects of degradation and recovery on stream biodiversity and functions.

In addition to 15 researchers from the UDE, teams from the universities of Bochum, Köln, Kiel and Koblenz Landau and Institute of Freshwater Ecologie and Inland Fisheries (IGB Berlin) and environmental research centre Halle-Leipzig (UFZ) take part.

• von Birte Vierjahn 
• 25.11.2019

State-of-the-art functional materials, such as strong permanent magnets for use in wind turbines and electric motors, or magnetic materials for efficient cooling, are needed to transition to a low emissions future. The German Science Foundation (DFG) has therefore granted €12 million for a new Collaborative Research Center (CRC) called “HoMMage”. This centre started in January 2020 at the Technische Universität Darmstadt and UDE, with two projects from our faculty (A11: Stephan Barcikowski, B08: Bilal Gökce) addressing materials development for 3D printing of next generation magnets.

Non-equilibrium states can be induced in condensed matter by means of ultra-fast external stimuli such as light, pressure, electrical voltage, or particles. The special research area (SFB) for “Non-equilibrium dynamics of condensed matter in the time domain” aims to develop a microscopic understanding of such non-equilibrium states spanning different materials. To this end, innovative methods of experimental and theoretical physics are developed to describe the process from the moment of stimulus to a state close to equilibrium in time and space. Our faculty is involved in two projects (A04: Sebastian Schlücker, C04: Eckart Hasselbrink) on spectroscopy of molecular adsorbates.  

The research focuses on fundamental catalytic mechanisms, which are investigated using modern experimental and theory- and computer-based techniques. (Spokesperson: Prof. Dr Malte Behrens, University of Duisburg-Essen; also applying: University of Bochum). The Max Planck Institutes for Chemical Energy Conversion and Coal Research in Mülheim/Ruhr and the Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin are also involved.

The SFB “Supramolecular chemistry on proteins” interlinks teams of researchers from the Faculties of Chemistry, Biology and Medicine. The chemists involved use their knowledge and the methods of supramolecular chemistry to construct new gripping tools for protein molecules. With their help, the biologists are elucidating biochemical mechanisms not previously understood, while medical scientists are developing new approaches to fighting diseases. The new special research area (SFB 1093) is currently in its second phase of funding (spokesperson: Prof. Thomas Schrader).

The special priority programme SPP 2122 is coordinated by Prof. Dr-Ing. Stephan Barcikowski from our faculty.

Within the framework of the research network Academic learning and study success in the entrance phase of scientific and technical programmes, five sub-projects continue the work of the ALSTER research group.