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News by Supplier: Max Planck Society The research institutes of the Max Planck Society perform basic research in the interest of the general public in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. In particular, the Max Planck Society takes up new and innovative research areas that German universities are not in a position to accommodate or deal with adequately. These interdisciplinary research areas often do not fit into the university organization, or they require more funds for personnel and equipment than those available at universities. The variety of topics in the natural sciences and the humanities at Max Planck Institutes complement the work done at universities and other research facilities in important research fields. In certain areas, the institutes occupy key positions, while other institutes complement ongoing research. Moreover, some institutes perform service functions for research performed at universities by providing equipment and facilities to a wide range of scientists, such as telescopes, large-scale equipment, specialized libraries, and documentary resources. Expression of a membrane protein in peripheral tissue linked to cancer: A novel tumour marker 13 May 2007 - Max Planck Society Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, in collaboration with the Department of Pathology at the Medical School of the Georg August University in Göttingen and the National Institute for Cancer in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, have found a strong correlation of high expression of Eag1 potassium channels with multiple malignant tumour types. First Quantum Teleportation between light and matter 13 May 2007 - Max Planck Society Researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching and the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen have succeeded in transferring a quantum state of light to a material object, an ensemble of atoms. A boost for solar cells with photon fusion 12 May 2007 - Max Planck Society Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz have developed a process with which longwave light from a normal light source can be converted to shortwave light. Novel methane consuming microorganisms discovered at Haakon Mosby Mud Volcano in Arctic 11 May 2007 - Max Planck Society Not lava, but muds and methane are emitted from the Arctic deep-water mud volcano Haakon Mosby. When it reaches the atmosphere, methane is an aggressive greenhouse gas, 25-times more potent than carbon dioxide. Fortunately, some specialised microorganisms feed on methane and thereby reduce emissions of this greenhouse gas. For the first time, a German-French research team showed which methane consuming microorganisms thrive in the ice-cold Arctic deep-sea. Max Planck scientists develop new methods for the controlled initiation of membrane fusion 10 May 2007 - Max Planck Society Using fast digital imaging, scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany, together with researchers from Collège de France, have succeeded in developing two different protocols by which one can initiate the fusion process in a controlled manner and observe the subsequent fusion dynamics with a temporal resolution in the microsecond regime. For both protocols, the opening of the fusion necks was found to be very fast, with an average expansion velocity of centimetres per second. This velocity indicates that the initial formation of a single fusion neck can be completed in a few hundred nanoseconds. From Garching innovation to Max Planck innovation 09 May 2007 - Max Planck Society 'Max-Planck-Innovation, Connecting Science and Business' is replacing the name of Garching Innovation to better reflect the close affiliation of the technology transfer unit with the Max Planck Society as well as its intermediary role between science and industry. Why biological loads do not get caught up when being transported through cells 08 May 2007 - Max Planck Society Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, along with a colleague from the University of Florida in the United States, have been carrying out research into how transport proteins can move in cells without bumping into or sticking to anything. H.E.S.S. - drastic variations of gamma rays from central engine of giant elliptical galaxy M 87 07 May 2007 - Max Planck Society The astrophysicists of the international H.E.S.S. collaboration report the discovery of fast variability in very-high-energy gamma rays from the giant elliptical galaxy M 87. The detection of these gamma-ray photons, with energies more than a million million times the energy of visible light, from one of the most famous extragalactic objects on the sky is remarkable, though long-expected given the many potential sites of particle acceleration (and thus gamma-ray production) within M 87. Much more surprising was the discovery of drastic gamma-ray flux variations on time-scales of days. Molecular mechanism which controls the distribution of chromosomes when cells divide 06 May 2007 - Max Planck Society When cells divide, control mechanisms ensure that the genetic material, in other words the chromosomes, is correctly distributed to the daughter cells. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin have now explained the molecular principles of these control processes. New details about the Molecular Post Room in Cells 05 May 2007 - Max Planck Society Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and the University of Heidelberg have shown in previously unachieved high resolution new details of the complex biological protein sorting process in the cell. Beetle feet stick to their promises 04 May 2007 - Max Planck Society Mushroom-shaped microhairs are the secret of a new adhesive material which scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research in Stuttgart have developed. Inspired by the soles of beetles’ feet, and therefore biomimetic, the special surface structure of the material allows it to stick to smooth walls without any adhesives. Researchers has used computer simulations to explain how cells adhere so firmly to blood vessel walls 03 May 2007 - Max Planck Society With the aid of complex computer simulations, scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam and at the University of Heidelberg have discovered how the shape and distribution of certain sticky areas on the cell affect its adhesion in blood vessels. Pan-European infrastructure for climate research has been included in first European roadmap 02 May 2007 - Max Planck Society In Brussels, the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures announced their first recommendation for promising new large-scale research infrastructures in Europe. Its selection in the field of environmental research was the plan for an integrated carbon observation system. Proof established of direct computation of optical flow fields between 2 hemispheres 01 May 2007 - Max Planck Society For the first time, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology in Martinsried near Munich have been able to show how two nerve cells communicate with each other from different hemispheres in the visual centre. This astoundingly simple circuit diagram could at a later date provide a model for algorithms to be deployed in technical systems. Solar System Research is participating in experiments on the NASA space probe STEREO 30 April 2007 - Max Planck Society Two space probes from the STEREO mission were launched from the American space centre at Cape Canaveral, ushering in a new era in solar research. The Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Katlenburg-Lindau is playing a major part in representing Germany on this international mission. Thanks to new 3-dimensional observation technology, the project is intended to improve our understanding of the processes on the sun’s surface and their effect on the earth’s atmosphere ('space weather'). Max Planck researchers in Heidelberger film fast molecular motion for the first time 29 April 2007 - Max Planck Society Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg have visualised vibration and rotation in the nuclei of a hydrogen molecule as a quantum mechanical wave packet. What is more, this has been achieved on an extremely short spatio-temporal scale. Novel construction principle at the nanoscale which prevents bones from breaking at excessive force 28 April 2007 - Max Planck Society Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces have found a new design principle at the nanoscale which is responsible for the enormous stability and deformabilty of bone. They found that a piece of bone stretches more than the fibres and much more than the mineral it is composed of. Max Planck scientists establish valuable database for analysing phosphorylated proteins 27 April 2007 - Max Planck Society Cell signaling mechanisms often transmit information via protein modifications, most importantly the reversible attachment of phosphate, the so-called protein phosphorylation. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried have now developed a technology to identify and quantify the specific sites in proteins that get phosphorylated in answer to certain stimuli in living cells. Wielding the subtle weapons of a fungus 26 April 2007 - Max Planck Society It doesn’t look appetizing: when Ustilago maydis attacks a maize plant, its cobs bear hideous tumours rather than crunchy niblets. So far, no effective means of combating the maize smut pathogen has been found. However, an international team has now made significant progress in the search for a solution. Max Planck researchers in Leipzig decode one million base pairs of the Neandertal genome 25 April 2007 - Max Planck Society The Neandertal people are humanity’s closest extinct relatives. Their genome could supply the key to the genetic changes that have taken place during the development of modern humans. Using specially developed technology, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig and from the 454 Life Sciences Corporation in the US have now found the first million base pairs of the Neandertal genome. Researchers working with scientist arrangement of atoms in manganese cluster of photosystem II 24 April 2007 - Max Planck Society Coal, oil or natural gas: all fossil fuels contain the energy of sunlight, stored with the aid of photosynthesis in energy-rich chemical compounds. A researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry in Mülheim on the Ruhr working with colleagues from the Technical University in Berlin, the Free University in Berlin and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has shed light on an important detail in this process. Control mechanism for biological pattern formation decoded 23 April 2007 - Max Planck Society A team of researchers in Freiburg have revealed the molecular mechanism which regulates pattern formation in the spacing and density of hair follicles. How are simple embryonic structures able to produce the varied and complex manifestations of living nature? Scientists in Freiburg have now identified proteins which regulate the pattern of hair formation in mice. A method using salt content and temperature to control permeability of microcapsules 22 April 2007 - Max Planck Society Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces have presented a new method with which to precisely control the permeability of microcapsules using the salt content and the temperature of the solution. In order to accomplish this, the researchers developed a theoretical model which exactly describes the processes in the polymer shell of the capsules. Bacterium Salmonella typhi & warn of an increased spread of resistant strains 21 April 2007 - Max Planck Society In a study published in the latest issue of Science, an international consortium from the Max-Planck Society, Wellcome Trust Institutes in Britain and Vietnam, and the Institut Pasteur in France have elucidated the evolutionary history of Salmonella Typhi. Typhi is the cause of typhoid fever, a disease that sickens 21 million people and kills 200,000 worldwide every year. Max Planck researchers in Halle present new methods for manufacturing nanowires from silicon 20 April 2007 - Max Planck Society Silicon nanowires can help to further reduce the size of microchips. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Microstructure Physics in Halle have for the first time developed single crystal silicon nanowires that fulfil the key criteria to this end. The researchers used aluminium as a catalyst to grow the nanowires. To date, scientists have usually deployed gold for this purpose. Max Planck researchers discover new possibilities for magnetic storage 19 April 2007 - Max Planck Society Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Metals Research in Stuttgart have discovered a new mechanism with which it is possible to use weak magnetic fields to reverse tiny magnetic structures, called vortex cores, quickly and with no losses. Up until now, very strong magnetic fields have been necessary to accomplish this, requiring highly complex technology. The new method might open up new possibilities for magnetic data storage. Max Planck researchers in Halle observe self-organization of atoms in circular atomic pens 18 April 2007 - Max Planck Society It has long been known that it is possible to confine electrons or atoms in atomic structures in the same way as sheep can be shut in a pen. Physicists at the Max Planck Institute for Microstructure Physics in Halle have now discovered a strange thing: if the atomic fences have the right shape and the substrate, temperature and other parameters are adjusted appropriately, then randomly vapour-deposited atoms arrange themselves in regular structures within the circular fencing, as if they were sheep arranging themselves neatly in a pen. Researchers finds that natural radioactivity could provide microbes in Deep Biosphere with vitality 17 April 2007 - Max Planck Society An international team of researchers from the USA and Germany has published an explanation for life in the Deep Biosphere in the magazine 'Science'. Using a bunch of the latest technologies from biogeochemistry, molecular biology and microbiology, the scientists collected a wide range of samples from the bottom of the sea. Max Planck scientists reveal the molecular details of regeneration in news 16 April 2007 - Max Planck Society When a newt loses a limb, the limb regrows. What is more, a newt can also completely repair damage to its heart. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim have now started to decode the cellular mechanisms in this impressive ability to regenerate and have discovered the remarkable plasticity of newt heart cells. As mammals, and therefore also humans, do not have this ability, the findings could contribute to new cell therapies for patients with damaged organs. Researchers in Heidelberg are investigating communication between memory areas during sleep 15 April 2007 - Max Planck Society If I can’t remember this morning where I put my car keys last night, it’s due to my memory failing me again. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg have been investigating how memories might be consolidated. Ebola-outbreak kills 5000 Gorillas 14 April 2007 - Max Planck Society Over the last decade human outbreaks of the deadly Ebola virus in Africa have been repeatedly linked to gorilla and chimpanzee deaths in nearby forests. Hotly debated has been whether these wild ape deaths were isolated incidents or part of a massive die-off. New research published in the journal Science puts this debate to rest, providing strong evidence that Ebola killed at least 5,000 gorillas at a single site. The study also provides new hope for controlling the devastating impact of Ebola on wild gorilla and chimpanzee populations. When reputation matters, punishment may be reduced to the extreme cases 13 April 2007 - Max Planck Society In human societies, social misconduct for personal gain is restrained by the withdrawal of social support and additional direct punishment is desired to discipline the worst social loafers. Small molecule which allows stem cells in the laboratory to reproduce much faster than before 12 April 2007 - Max Planck Society A small molecule makes stem cells able to reproduce and change. This simply structured moecule called SC1, which researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster and their colleagues from California have discovered, encourages stem cells in the laboratory to renew themselves. Giant radio telescope can deliver high-resolution images showing the cosmic mass distribution 11 April 2007 - Max Planck Society The stars and gas which are seen in galaxies account for only a few percent of the gravitating material in the Universe. Most of the rest has remained stubbornly invisible and is now thought to be made of a new form of matter never yet seen on Earth. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics have discovered, however, that a sufficiently big radio telescope could make a picture of everything that gravitates, rivalling the images made by optical telescopes of everything that shines. Scientists examine flexibility in flight behaviour in marine iguanas on the Galápagos Islands 10 April 2007 - Max Planck Society Marine iguanas on the Galápagos Islands live without predators, at least this was the case up until 150 years ago. Since then they have been confronted with cats and dogs on some islands of the Archipelago. For scientists, they are therefore a suitable model of study in order to discover if such generally tame animals are capable of adapting their behaviour and endocrine stress response to novel predation threats. Intelligent software solutions to better understand biological processes 09 April 2007 - Max Planck Society Three year collaboration between Transinsight GmbH and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden. Transinsight GmbH enters into a three year collaboration with the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden in the area of knowledge-based image analysis. Research team discovers potential link between ultraviolet vision & urine scent marks in rodents 26 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Humans and most other mammals cannot see ultraviolet light, whereas some rodents can. A Chilean-German research team has now reported UV vision in the South-American degu, a distant relative of the guinea pig. In a search for behaviourally relevant UV signals in the habitat of these rodents, the researchers found that fresh degu urine reflects the UV parts of the spectrum most strongly, while dry old urine has only marginal UV reflectance. Chaos in the Heart 26 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Scientists at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society in Berlin and the University of Barcelona have discovered that chaotic behavior in chemical reactions and heart fibrillation can be selectively influenced and suppressed. Building block created for quantum-computing, secure communication and quantum Internet 26 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany have achieved unprecedented control over the creation of single photons. By using a tightly trapped single calcium ion, localized between two ultra-high reflectivity mirrors, and subjecting it to an external laser pulse, the scientists could emit photons one by one. The emission time and the pulse shape of each photon were completely user-controlled. New quantum state of matter revealed by scientists in Munich and Mainz 26 November 2006 - Max Planck Society There are two fundamentally distinct families of particles in nature: bosons and fermions. Being a boson or a fermion has profound consequences on the ‘social behaviour’ of a particle when it meets other partners. Whereas bosons tend to socialize and want to be as close to each other as possible, fermions are very independent and like to be on their own. The new single-bonded nitrogen phase could serve as a high-energy storage material 25 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Nitrogen, the major constituent of air, usually consists of inert molecules where two atoms are strongly triple-bonded. Now, researchers of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry have synthesised a polymeric cubic form of nitrogen where all atoms are connected with single covalent bonds, similar to carbon atoms in diamond. A two-lane road to ruin 25 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Tumor cells or virally infected cells are a danger to our lifes, but fortunately killer cells of the immune defense system which are armed with different specialized digestive enzymes, called granzymes, eradicate these cells in many instances. The granzymes A and B, two of these proteases, are highly efficient triggers of intracellular cell death inducing (cytotoxic) cascades. Scientists have discovered elusive channel that converts mechanical energy into electrical signals 25 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Mechanical stimuli such as sound and movement are perceived by the specialized receptors of the inner ear. These mechanical receptors are called sensory hair cells because of a tuft of hairs or specialized processes present at the top of the cell. When sound or movement causes the hairs to shear or deflect, ions flow into the cells, thereby transducing the mechanical energy into electrical energy. Realization of quantum memory for light allows the extension of quantum communication far beyond 100 km 25 November 2006 - Max Planck Society In the macroscopic classical world, it is possible to copy information from one device into another. We do this everyday, when, for example, we copy files in a computer or we tape a conversation. In the microscopic world, however, it is not possible to copy the quantum information from one system into another one. It can only be transferred, without leaving any trace on the original one. Seeing cells in multicolour 24 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The triangle in the picture is a microscope, and the little strands that look like strings, well, they're DNA, perhaps the single most important substance in your body for making you exactly who you are. You'd probably want to know, then, what your DNA looks like for real. Well, here it is. Technological breakthrough in silicon photonics 24 November 2006 - Max Planck Society A technique for tailormaking silicon nanocrystals on 4-inch wafers has been developed and submitted for patent (German patent number: DE 101 04 193 A 1) by Dr. Margit Zacharias and colleagues of the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle(Saale), Germany. Following a standard procedure in silicon technology, a thermally unstable silicon compound in the form of an ultra-thin layer (only two to five nanometers) is first deposited on a substrate. New insight into the cosmic renaissance epoch 24 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Using the ESO Very Large Telescope, two astronomers from Germany and the UK have discovered some of the most distant galaxies ever seen . They are located about 12,600 million light-years away. Researcher in Cologne, Germany, unravel mechanism of resistance to fungal infection in Barley 24 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Powdery mildew is a typical fungal infection in crop plants and only the regular application of fungicides prevent huge yield losses in agriculture. Some crops, however, hold a natural resistance against powdery mildew like cultivars of the European barley with a mutation in the Mlo gene. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne have collaborated with colleagues from Great Britain, France and Denmark to solve the mystery of the resistance mechanism and to highlight the cultural history of plant. New models shed light on enigmatic explosions 23 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Researchers at the Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics have developed new relativistic models which allow predictions of so far unknown properties of short gamma-ray bursts. Their simulations will come under scrutiny by the Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer. Scientists discover conditions under which cracks can propagate supersonically in brittle solids 23 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Glass breaks, rubber bursts, there are numerous ways in which materials can fail under extreme conditions. Many of the atomic mechanisms of materials failure however still remain a mystery. Some materials harden when they are stretched, others soften under large deformation. Important self-defence mechanism in the brain on the basis of cannabinoid receptors 23 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The cells of our brain intensively exchange information among each other using electrical and chemical signals. This is a prerequisite for the brain to work properly. However, if the intensity of this information exchange exceeds a certain threshold, 'stormy activities' can occur, as for example during epileptic seizures in humans. Together with colleagues from the University of Mainz and teams from Heidelberg, Naples and Madrid, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich showed that the brain's cannabinoid receptors together with the body's own cannabinoids constitute a system which protects the neurons from such hazardous excessive activities. How a nose from Mainz Sniffed out water on Mars 23 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Water on Mars means, maybe, life on Mars. Now, as you know, we haven't found little green men on the red planet. But this year, a Mars rover took a small step on the planet's soil and made a giant leap for Mars exploration: very strong evidence that, in the past, at least part of Mars was 'drenched with water.' Molecular probes for biology research and drug discovery 22 November 2006 - Max Planck Society While the field of genetics investigates and influences the life’s processes by modifying the genes themselves, the field of chemical genetics pursues this goal using chemical compounds that modulate the functioning of the gene and its products (proteins, RNA, etc.). Therefore, chemists, biochemists and biologists from six Max Planck Institutes will work together in the new 'Chemical Genomics Centre' in Dortmund in the search for small molecules that allow the study of fundamental life-science processes and the involved biological macromolecules. The Max Planck Society invests a total sum of 5 million euro. NETs protect against pathogenic bacteria 22 November 2006 - Max Planck Society White blood cells can kill bacteria by trapping them in net-like extracellular structures, report scientists in Arturo Zychlinsky’s lab at the Max-Planck-Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin. A new hope for heavy metal contaminated soils 22 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Heavy metal pollution resulting from mining, smeltering and military activities is widespread and poses a threat to drinking water resources, food chain safety and air quality. The clean-up of metal-polluted soils is thus of great interest economically as well as for the protection of human and environmental health. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam and at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry in Halle have now made pioneering progress in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that enable some plant species to accumulate metals specifically in their leaves while thriving on metal-polluted soils. The gears of your biological clock 22 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Your biological clock has no hands, no cuckoo, and it doesn’t chime on the hour. But it ticks, in its own way. In fact, it marks time with a more subtle system than the best Rolex, because it adjusts your body to your environment: for example, to the amount of light outside. Unlike any mechanical clock, your biological clock automatically gives you energy when you should wake up, and takes energy away at bedtime. Germany starts clinical development of a new tuberculosis vaccine 21 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Federal-financed German research initiative organizes clinical testing of a highly promising vaccine candidate which has been developed in the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology. Researchers use nanotechnology to visualize cellular processes crucial for development of cancer drugs 21 November 2006 - Max Planck Society With the help of semiconductor nanocystals, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Goettingen, Germany, and their collaborators at the Universidad de Buenos Aires are now able to capture movies of signal transmission processes involved in the control of gene expression. This breakthrough is expected to speed up the development of new cancer-curing drugs. Quantum Dots can be used as nano-sized markers to visualize DNA sequences, proteins, or other molecules and track them in the cell. Hope for genetically defective hearts 21 November 2006 - Max Planck Society It’s a natural dream, given what scientists say about genes being the building blocks of life, the things that form our individual bodies and personalities. Genes even help decide what kinds of illnesses we’ll get. Institute for Infection Biology & MOLOGEN initiate development of new tuberculosis subunit vaccine 21 November 2006 - Max Planck Society A cooperation agreement to initiate the development of a new type of preventive DNA subunit vaccine against tuberculosis has been signed by the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology and MOLOGEN AG in Berlin. Subunit vaccines are composed of defined molecular immunogenic modules. Reconstructing neural circuits in 3D 20 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Understanding how the brain processes and stores information depends in large part on knowing which neurons are involved in a particular process and how they're organized into functional networks. Each of the 10 billion or so neurons in the brain has thousands of connections to other neurons, sending (via axons) or receiving (via dendrites) the signals that allow us to think. Each neuron can transmit signals to both local and distant neurons, and it is by mapping these networks that neuroscientists can discern correlations between neural connectivity and physiological responses and ultimately unveil the computational algorithms underlying brain function. X-rays have become laser-like 20 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Radiologists and biologists have been dreaming, ever since the discovery of lasers, of a compact laboratory source emitting X-rays in one direction in a laser-like beam. Such a source would permit X-ray images to be recorded with far higher resolution at vastly reduced dose levels, allowing early-stage cancer diagnosis at dramatically reduced risk. Researchers snare new cilia genes 20 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have used a combination of brainpower and computer power to identify a multitude of new genes that control the formation of tiny, hair-like cilia that stipple the surfaces of many organs in a wide variety of creatures. Cannabinoids spell relief in colon inflammation 20 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The development of chronic inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract such as Crohn’s disease and Colitis ulcerosa has not been understood yet, but medication to treat and alleviate these diseases are in high demand. In the current issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation a researcher team from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry and from the Ludwig-Maximilans-University Munich were able to show that mutant mice lacking the cannabinoid receptor are much more prone to experimentally induced colon inflammation as compared to wild-type control mice. Max Planck scientists from Berlin, Germany discover a new immunotherapeutic approach against anthrax 19 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, headed by Prof. Dr. Stefan H.E. Kaufmann, have developed a new therapeutic strategy against anthrax using defensins, well known bacteriocidal defence molecules of our body. These investigations also revealed a novel biological function of defensins. Reprogramming stem cell research 19 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Stem cell research has, as you probably know, been filled with ethical controversy. Until now, it’s involved destroying a human embryo, a small one, of course, just a few hundred cells. But in nine months, that embryo could be a healthy human baby. Not everybody is going to agree that a scientist should be allowed to do that, even if it helps us develop treatments for cancer, paralysis, and heart disease. Newsimulation methods to observe single events of membrane fusion with molecular resolution 19 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The fusion of membranes is essential for many processes in the human body, for instance, in the communication between nerve cells. A single fusion event occurs on the nanometer scale and takes less than a millisecond. Using computer simulations, scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces have now been able to observe single fusion events with molecular resolution. Researchers measure velocities near speed of light in vicinity of cosmic mass monsters 19 November 2006 - Max Planck Society European astronomers succeeded for the first time to confirm the signatures predicted near Black Holes by Albert Einstein's theory of Relativity in the light of the cosmic X-ray background. The group of scientists led by Günther Hasinger, director at the Max-Planck-Institute for extraterrestrial Physics in Garching near Munich could identify the spectral fingerprint of iron atoms. They observed a strong, relativistically smeared iron line in the average spectrum of roughly 100 active galaxies, whose X-ray light had been emitted when the Universe was less than half of its current age. Max Planck scientists develop fundamentals for new microfluidic and nanofluidic devices 19 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The labs of the future will be 'labs-on-a-chip', i.e., integrated chemical and biochemical laboratories shrunk down to the size of a computer chip. An essential prerequisite for such labs are appropriate microcompartments for the confinement of very small amounts of liquids and chemical reagents. Researchers establish a new law allowing unlimited optical resolution in fluorescence microscopy 18 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Max Planck researchers have succeeded in overcoming the law postulated by Ernst Abbe in 1873 for diffraction limited resolution in light microscopes. Stefan Hell and his co-workers have established a new law that promises unlimited resolution in fluorescence microscopy. Future applications range from the imaging of cell interiors to the measuring of lithographic structures in microchip manufacturing, and substantial improvements in the quantification of the reaction kinetics of organic molecules. Researchers determine optimal parameters for biomimetic transport systems based on molecular motors 18 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Molecular motors are nanoscale engines which move along very thin rod-like filaments and, in this way, drive the heavy traffic of molecular cargo within biological cells. Both motors and filaments can be isolated from the cells and used to construct biomimetic transport systems. In order to increase the flux of the cargo transport, it would be necessary to increase the number of motors that contribute to this transport but, at the same time, avoid the build-up of traffic jams. European project started for the development of a new platform for walking in virtual worlds 18 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The development of a walking platform which will allow unconstrained movement in virtual worlds is the goal of the CyberWalk project, initiated by scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tuebingen, Germany, together with their colleagues from the Technical University Munich, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland and the University Roma, Italy. Max Planck Researchers shed light on the immune defense behaviour of Microglial cells in the brain 18 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg and the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Goettingen (Germany) have uncovered the behaviour of microglial cells in the brain. In the current online edition of Science they report on the busy action of these immune defense cells in the normal brain and their rapid response to cerebral hemorrhage in the first few hours following injury. Their imaging approach is transferable to other models of disease, and monitoring microglia behaviour under such circumstances promises to substantially enhance our knowledge about brain pathologies. Max Planck Scientists discover unusual dynamic properties of activity patterns on scale-free networks 17 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The biosphere contains many scale-free networks. Prominent examples are provided by the functional networks within the human brain. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces have discovered that activity patterns in such biomimetic networks have unusual dynamic properties, which are controlled by a few, highly connected nodes. Scientists have found the optimal size with which viruses & nano-particles are able to enter cells 17 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The nanoscale size of many viruses may have evolved to minimize their time to enter cells via a process called receptor mediated endocytosis, according to new research conducted by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research and Brown University. While it has been previously assumed that the endocytosis of viruses is associated with the formation of clathrin coats at the cell membrane, recent experiments have shown that influenza viruses can enter cells even if the formation of clathrin coats are inhibited. Cutting through the clutter: How the brain learns to see 17 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Most of us don't have much trouble recognizing what we see. Whether it is a face in a crowd, a bird in a tree, or papers on a desk, our brains expertly distinguish the target from the clutter. It is a simple skill most of us take for granted, but object recognition is not hard-wired. New dynamics for space-conscious high performance computing 17 November 2006 - Max Planck Society IBM announced that The Max Planck Society will use a cutting-edge IBM supercomputing system to double its computing power, allowing research and experiments which before were not possible. The system is based on 86 units of IBM's newly announced IBM eServer(TM) p5-575 systems and will bring the Max Planck Society's supercomputing power to over 10 Teraflops, doubling their existing installed pSeries compute power. Algal protein in worm neurons allows remote control of behavior by light 17 November 2006 - Max Planck Society By introducing expression of a special green-algae gene into neurons of the tiny, transparent nematode C. elegans, researchers have been able to elicit specific behavioral responses by simply illuminating animals with blue light. The work paves the way for better understanding of how neurons communicate with each other, and with muscles, to regulate behavior in intact, living organisms. Scientists show how plants ensure that flowers are formed at right time and place 16 November 2006 - Max Planck Society A breakthrough in understanding how flowers form, is reported by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tuebingen, Germany, and the John Innes Centre in Norwich, UK. In an article published in the international journal 'Science', they show how a small molecule that is made in leaves is able to induce the formation of flowers at the growing tip of a plant. Because flowers in turn make fruits and seeds, including cereal grains, this new knowledge could have important applications in crop plants. Breakthrough: Structure of membrane protein described by Hebrew University, German researchers 16 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Membrane protein research is at the forefront of modern biological study, with great potential consequences for development of new medicinal treatments and genetic engineering of plants. Researchers have found that the two primary areas of the human brain appear to age 16 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The cortex used in higher-level thought undergoes more extensive changes with age than the cerebellum, which regulates basic processes such as heartbeat, breathing and balance. Researchers discover mechanism by which adult stem cells are integrated into skeletal or heart tissue 16 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Embryonic and adult stem cells are thought to become a chance for new therapeutic approaches, making the regeneration of damaged tissue and organs possible. An increasing line of indications suggests that these cells may have the potential to repair damaged tissue. Researchers show that for electrons from nitrogen molecules, the wave-particle exists simultaneously 15 November 2006 - Max Planck Society In something akin to a double-slit experiment, scientists at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, in co-operation with researchers from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, have shown for the first time that electrons display characteristics of both waves and particles at the same time and, with virtually the push of a button, can be switched back and forth between these states. Researchers have discovered small new details in the structure of mother-of-pearl 15 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Mother-of-pearl, also known as nacre, is not just an iridescent substance whose optical characteristics impress the observer and which is often used for jewellery. It is also an excellent material for working with. Nacre consists of 97 percent lime, but has a thousand times higher breaking strength. The reason has to do with the layer composition of mother-of-pearl. A Biomolecule as a light switch 15 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Switchable fluorescent proteins, able to switch themselves reversibly back-and-forth between an 'on' and 'off' state, have been known for only a few years. However, they already hold promise for a large number of novel applications, from cellular biology to data storage. A slight difference and significant similarities 15 November 2006 - Max Planck Society There is little difference between the composition of the genetically produced potatoes known as fructan potatoes and that of conventionally bred varieties. They only differ in the new substances intentionally incorporated with gene technology. This conclusion has been reached by scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology and their colleagues from the University of Wales in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The scientists used a method developed at the Institute to identify substances in plants. New vaccine protects more effectively against tuberculosis 15 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The team of Prof. Stefan H.E. Kaufmann at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin has designed a novel tuberculosis vaccine with high vaccine efficacy. The vaccine has been licensed to the Vakzine Projekt Management who will test it in clinical trials. The responsible mechanisms for the high efficacy of this vaccine has now been deciphered. First Light for the Large Binocular Telescope 14 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The two mirrors of the Large Binocular Telescope have produced their first scientific images of space. The event, known among astronomers as ‛first light’, is a major milestone in the launch of the largest and most modern single telescope in the world. The LBT will be able to see more clearly and more deeply into the universe than any of its predecessors. Led by the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, five German institutes participated, garnering a total of 25 percent of the observation time. Among them were the Max Planck Institutes for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching, and for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, as well as the Landessternwarte (state observatory), part of the Centre for Astronomy in Heidelberg. Researchers in Cologne have discovered how protein kinases in plants regulate adaptation 14 November 2006 - Max Planck Society All life on earth depends on photosynthesis, a process in which light energy is used to build organic substances. When the amount and proportion of light changes, a plant has to adapt; we distinguish between three different kinds of adaptation. The plant makes changes to its photosynthetic machinery and important 'protein gears'. In the journal Nature, Max Planck researchers have explained how two protein kinases, that is, enzymes which transfer phosphate groups to other proteins, regulate how different kinds of photosynthetic machinery do this adapting and make it possible for the plant to adjust itself better under various lighting conditions. Germany research how the brain integrates auditory and tactile information in the auditory cortex 14 November 2006 - Max Planck Society When sense perceptions from various sense organs are processed in the brain, this information is integrated, for example, when we are watching a ventriloquist, our brain combines information pertaining to both language and vision. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany have showed that the integration of auditory and touch information takes place in the 'hearing centre' of the brain, the auditory cortex, and thus at an earlier point than has traditionally been assumed. Max Planck scientists identify essential control parameters for the assembly of filament bundles 14 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Biomimetic systems that are composed of rigid polymers or filaments and crosslinking molecules can be used to assemble filament networks and bundles. The bundles represent `nanoropes' and exhibit material properties that are primarily determined by the number of plaited filaments. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany have now shown that this assembly of filaments into bundles is prevented by the thermal motion of the filaments, unless the crosslinker concentration exceeds a certain threshold value. Ray the foundations for a distributed quantum computer with 'quasipermanent' storing of an atom 14 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Complex computing operations could be greatly accelerated through massive parallel processing in a quantum computer. The smallest units of information are known as quantum bits, which could be realized using atoms or molecules, if one can manipulate their position, quantum state, and interactions with other particles. Controlling single atoms in an optical resonator is now one decisive step closer to becoming reality for the research team led by Professor Gerhard Rempe of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching, near Munich, Germany. Researchers uncover how a nanoscale compass inside bacteria orients them to the Earth's magnetic field 13 November 2006 - Max Planck Society It is not only migratory birds that orient themselves to the magnetic field of the Earth. Also bacteria, supposedly 'simple' organisms, have evolved to be able to take advantage of the magnetic field in their search for optimal living conditions. Such 'magnetotactic'microorganisms use a miniature, cellular compass made of a chain of single nanomagnets, called magnetosomes. Plants have a double line of defence 13 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Plants are exposed to many different pathogens in the environment. Only a few of these pathogens, however, are able to attack a species of plant and 'make it sick'. If a particular pathogen is unable to attack a plant, that means that the plant is resistant to it - in other words, it cannot host the pathogen. This durable type of immunity of a plant to parasites is called nonhost resistance. Scientists show that cooperation of small number of molecular mo-tors yields cargo transport large distances 13 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Processive bio-molecular motors, which move actively along cytoskeletal filaments, drive the cargo traffic in cells and in biomimetic systems. A single motor molecule is sufficient for continuous transport of cargoes such as vesicles or latex beads over a few micrometers. Researchers discover a protein which is deadly for anthrax bacteria 13 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin discovered why lung, but not skin, anthrax infections are lethal. As reported in the newest issue of PloS Pathogen Neutrophils, a form of white blood cells, play a key role in anthrax infections. They can kill Bacillus anthracis by producing a protein called alpha-defensin. This discovery might now pave the way towards the development of new therapies for the fatal lung form of anthrax. MPI researchers have for first been able to map the activity of brain by 12 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Scientists from the MPI for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen have developed a new procedure which accurately maps the activity in primate brains by means of the BOLD-Signal (Blood Oxygen Level Dependent Signal). The combination of electrical microstimulation and FMRT promises substantially more precise insights into the functional organisation or the brain and its circuitry. Gene expression becomes heterogeneous with age in humans and rats 12 November 2006 - Max Planck Society In a study of the effects of aging on gene expression, researchers have found that variation in gene expression among individuals tends to increase with age. The findings, which impact our understanding of the molecular forces that govern age-related changes, are reported in the May 23rd issue of Current Biology by Mehmet Somel and colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and the University of Cambridge. Laser wave steers electrons in chemical bonds 12 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Ultrashort laser pulses in the femtosecond range have proven to be effective tools in driving photochemical reactions: under the influence of light, electrons change their energy quantum states, followed by the breaking of existing chemical bonds or the formation of new ones. Max Planck researchers precisely examine the characteristics of an exotic ion 12 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The positronium ion is the most simply built negative ion imaginable, made of just two electrons and a positron. This exotic combination is unstable: after just a few fractions of a billionth of a second it decays into gamma rays. Scientists discover a new structural class of enzyme inhibitors 12 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Natural products have always been an important source for the development of chemical tool compounds or drugs respectively in chemical biology and pharmaceutical research. Researchers frequently build up what are known as 'combinatorial libraries' based on the structural characteristics of natural products. New infrared interferometer at VLT to get surprising views of cosmic disks of dust and gas 11 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Two international teams of astronomers, among them researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, have captured new views of the immediate environment of stars, where new planets form from gas and dust. The researchers used a new instrument called AMBER, part of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer at the European Southern Observatory. The World’s fastest measurements of molecular vibrations 11 November 2006 - Max Planck Society When atoms or molecules are subject to a short, intense laser pulse, they emit high-frequency ultraviolet radiation. If you compare the spectra of isotopes that are of different masses but otherwise similar, you can use this measured radiation to determine the motion of the atoms. The research team used this method, with single, extremely short laser pulses, to make the fastest measurements of how a molecule changes over time. Why nerve cells work faster than the theory allows 11 November 2006 - Max Planck Society It is generally known, that nerve cells communicate with each other by sending out and receiving electrical impulses. For a while it has become clear that the majority of these signals remain unanswered in the living brain. Every second, a typical cell of the cerebral cortex receives thousands of signals from other nerve cells. New potential drug target in tuberculosis 11 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Tuberculosis remains one of the deadliest threats to public health. Every year 2 million people die of the disease, which is caused by the microorganism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Roughly one third of the world's population is infected and more and more bacterial strains have developed resistance to drugs. Researchers found an abstinence rate of more than 50 percent among the patients studied 11 November 2006 - Max Planck Society ADs appear to play a major psychological role in relapse prevention. Studies investigating the long-term outcomes of alcoholism treatment are rare and inconsistent. A nine-year study in the January issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research investigates the occurrence of abstinence, lapse, and relapse among chronic alcoholics while exploring the role that 'alcohol deterrents', specifically, disulfiram and calcium carbimide, may play. Results indicate that ADs can help achieve an abstinence rate of more than 50 percent. Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg make a surprising discovery 10 November 2006 - Max Planck Society In the last few years, more and more research has focused on the biosphere; particularly, on how gases which influence the climate are exchanged between the biosphere and atmosphere. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics have now carefully analysed which organic gases are emitted from vegetation. Egg cells have simple shapes, yet they have built-in asymmetries 10 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Egg cells have simple shapes, yet they have built-in asymmetries that can profoundly affect early steps in development. The football-shaped egg cell, or oocyte, of fruit flies contains a precisely laid mosaic of maternal molecules with the potential to induce different cell fates. As the fertilized oocyte divides, the resulting cells inherit distinct sets of maternal components, which endow them with different abilities to form head or tail, gut, muscles, or nerves. The spherical egg of frogs is also divided into areas that shift cells toward gut, muscle, or neural fate. A German-Italian team of researchers shows that when plant tissue is eaten by insects 10 November 2006 - Max Planck Society When an Egyptian cotton leafworm eats the leaves of a lima bean plant, the natural voltage at the membranes of the plant’s cells changes in a matter of seconds. This insight is the result of investigations by scientists led by Professor Massimo Maffei of the University of Turin, Italy, and Professor Wilhelm Boland, of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena. Max Planck researchers map out numerous areas in the brain where sound frequencies are processed 10 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The brain filters what we hear. It can do this in part because particular groups of neurons react to specific frequencies of sound. Neurobiologists from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen have now created a 'frequency map' for numerous areas of the brain. They used magnetic resonance imaging to identify which neuronal fields are activated by single frequencies and by mixtures of frequencies. Researchers in Munich discover a cellular mechanism that can protect against tumours 10 November 2006 - Max Planck Society When protective mechanisms in cells fail, certain genes can cause tumours, and cancer. One of these oncogenes is Bcl-3, which can lead to leukaemia, among other diseases. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, Germany, working with colleagues at the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, have discovered a mechanism which activates and regulates Bcl-3. Germany expand the tool kit of colloid particles and make new coloured finishes possible 10 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces have used ion bombardment and gold metallisation to produce a new family of particles whose bonding behaviour can be chemically tailored. With these particles, scientists hope not only to be able to perform better research on the dynamics of solids and molecules. The discovery could also bring about, among other things, the development of new finishes which change their colour with temperature. EU supports research towards the construction of nanomotors 09 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Within an initiative aimed at supporting visionary research projects, the European Union has set aside research funds for the development of biological nanomotors. An international consortium of scientists, co-ordinated by Prof. Helmut Grubmüller at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, envisages many applications for the results of this research, primarily in the field of biological medicine. The foundations for this will be laid by the creation of a 'construction kit' of tailored nanomotor components. New insights in brain tomography 09 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Neuroscientists use functional neuroimaging for everything from understanding how the brain thinks to investigating illnesses. Recently it has also helped to diagnose neurological and psychological disturbances, and even to plan neurosurgery. Scientists from Stuttgart demonstrate how carnivorous plants set traps using an ingenious material design 09 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Plants are able, using organic substances, to achieve effects that we otherwise mostly know only from technical materials. One example of this is the carnivorous pitcher plant, as researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Metals Research and the University of Hohenheim have shown. These plants catch insects and hold them using traps with a double layer of crystalline wax. Carl Zeiss and Max Planck researchers develop technology for the world’s largest space telescope 09 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Carl Zeiss Optronics, in Oberkochen, Germany, and the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, are developing the main fine mechanical optical technology for two instruments to be part of the James Webb Space Telescope . Over the next eight years, under administration of the European Space Agency and NASA in the USA, the JWST (with a mirror of 6.5 metres) will shape up to be the successor to the legendary HUBBLE Space Telescope. Carl Zeiss and the Max Planck Institute signed a contract on November 29 to co-operate in their work on the MIRI and NIRSpec instrumentation of the JWST. Researchers in Cologne discover signals between plant embryos and their endosperm 08 November 2006 - Max Planck Society A large portion of plant seeds is endosperm. It has the important task of nourishing the plant embryo during the early stages of its development. In flowering plants, there is a complicated double-fertilisation mechanism that arises among embryos and endosperm. American-German research team finds interstellar organic materials in meteorites 08 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Once again, meteorites are turning out to be scientific treasure chests. Primitive meteorites do not only contain stellar dust that formed at high temperatures, they also contain traces of pristine organic substances, often in their original state, or sometimes just slightly altered. They built up at low temperatures in the interstellar gas and dust cloud that formed our solar system billions of years ago. These are the results of a study by researchers at the Carnegie Institute in Washington, Harvard University in Cambridge, and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany. Breakthrough in cell and developmental biology 08 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Stem cells are versatile all-rounders. In the medical field, high hopes are resting on these miracle workers. However, we still understand very little about them. Why adult stem cells sometimes begin to divide in an uncontrolled way is a mystery, as also is the fact that many stem cells lose this ability to divide under certain circumstances. Has man inherited these remarkable cells through an “invention” by his ancestors in the realm of the invertebrates? Zoologists at Kiel can now make the stem cells of a simple organism controllable. New radio map shows distribution of star forming regions in great detail 08 November 2006 - Max Planck Society A new radio frequency map of the Andromeda galaxy has been made by a German-French research team of the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn and the Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique in Grenoble. The map shows the first detailed distribution of cold gas in a neighbouring galaxy, revealing the sites where new stars are born. The motions of this gas were also obtained. With more than 800 hours of telescope time this study is one of the most extensive observational projects in millimetre radio astronomy. Researchers in Potsdam demonstrate an pattern in nanoparticle crystallisation & self-organisation 07 November 2006 - Max Planck Society In order to survive, biological systems need to form patterns and organise themselves. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam, Germany, have now combined self-organisation with chemical pattern formation. They coupled an oscillating chemical reaction with polymer-controlled crystallisation and self-organisation in barium carbonate. Scientists show adhesion of cell membranes strongly depends on switching rates of adhesion molecules 07 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The adhesion of cells is a fundamental process in immune defence and tissue development. Cell adhesion is mediated by adhesion molecules that are located on the cell surfaces. Cells can switch some of their adhesion molecules between active and inactive 'conformational states'. Brain researchers discover the evolutionary traces of grammar 07 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The bases of the human language faculty are now being investigated by means of highly specialised measurement techniques and with increasing success. Why can we understand complex sentences, while our nearest cousins, apes, only understand individual words? Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig have discovered that two areas in the human brain are responsible for different types of language processing requirements. Max Planck researchers discover how special motor proteins identify microtubule ends 07 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Max Planck scientists have identified a new strategy which motor proteins use to move. The research was carried out by Prof. Jonathon Howard and Stefan Diez at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden. The motor protein Mitotic Centromere Associated Kinesin goes into action at the end of microtubules where it disassembles them. An international research team determines how toxins attach to potassium channels 06 November 2006 - Max Planck Society If you get bitten or stung by snakes, spiders, or scorpions, you could die. They release poison, toxins, into your body, and these attach to ion channels in cell membranes. Until now, scientists did not understand exactly how this happens. Researchers from Düsseldorf unveil first three-dimensional electron microscope 06 November 2006 - Max Planck Society It is the world’s first electron microscope for simultaneously and automatically investigating in three-dimensions the phase content, crystallographic texture, and crystal interfaces of materials, co-designed and put into service at the Department of Microstructure Physics and Metal Forming at the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research in Düsseldorf, Germany. Rostock scientists show that in face of demographic change work needs to be re-distributed 06 November 2006 - Max Planck Society The population of Europe is aging. A growing number of elderly is facing a declining share of the young. Taking Germany as an example, scientists of the Rostock Center for the Study of Demographic Change show in an article published in 'Science' (Vol. 313, Edition 5782) that the total number of hours worked will be reduced soon, should the low participation of the elderly in the labor market continue. Researchers in Berlin explains synthesis & sorting processes for secretory & membrane proteins 06 November 2006 - Max Planck Society For most proteins, there is a particular place inside a cell where they carry out their function. But how do they get there? Scientists from the Charité Berlin, the University of Heidelberg, and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin have now been able to visualize the structure of a 'molecular machine' involved in protein sorting using cryo-electron microscopy and single particle analysis. Scientists have determined how plants regulate how many stem cells they have 06 November 2006 - Max Planck Society Totipotent stem cells allow plants to build new organs throughout their whole life. But it has been unclear how hormones and genetic factors work together to prevent plants from having growth that is either stunted, or uncontrolled and tumor-like. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology have now uncovered a feedback mechanism, involving a growth-enhancing hormone and a regulatory protein, which controls the number of stem cells the plant produces. The results are of great importance for all of stem cell research. European research team strives to make robotic systems more decisive</