Science for everyone
Citizen scientists are playing an ever more pivotal role. They collect data, decipher old manuscripts and more – an invaluable resource. Read more
What is allowed in citizen science?
Citizen science projects enrich science - but a clear legal framework has yet to be established. Therapy-oriented initiatives particularly need a defined ethical and legal research framework. Biologist and lawyer Dr Timo Faltus is currently working to establish this. Read more
Genius? Plagiarist? Or both?
Georg Friedrich Handel based his compositions on the works of other artists more than almost any other musician of his era. Although such practices are often rejected as “plagiarism” or “forgery” in the modern world, they should be studied carefully in Handel’s case. The musicologist Professor Wolfgang Hirschmann reviews the research carried out so far. Read more
Time travel
Research presented in an unusual way: A graphic novel depicts how the dinosaur Europasaurus lived 154 million years ago. The book is also based on excavations by a scientist from the University of Halle. Read more
Living on a prehistoric island
Palaeontologist Dr Oliver Wings has been conducting research for years in a quarry in Lower Saxony, where bones of the giant dinosaur Europasaurus were first found in 1998. The results of this scientific work are now available in an unusual format: as a graphic novel. Read more
Do sick bees buzz differently?
In a Europe-wide project, researchers are trying to find out when a bee colony is doing well. Prof. Robert Paxton's team is testing a digital beehive for this purpose. The weight, temperature and sounds of the colony will tell beekeepers the condition of their animals via an app. Read more
Secrets of the wonder shrub
Dr Emmanuel Mfotie Njoya has come to Germany with a Georg Forster Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to research a medicinal plant against amoebic dysentery. The diarrhoeal disease kills tens of thousands of people every year. Read more
The immortal liver cell
When animal testing is to be avoided, so-called “cell lines” are often used. They serve as a model for certain types of tissue. This has so far proven to be quite a challenge with bovine liver, as the cells are difficult to cultivate. A team of researchers from the University of Halle is looking to change that. Read more
The researcher who flies through nanoworlds
The University of Halle has a special, state-of-the-art X-ray microscope that can be used to image tiny samples in 3D. This allows the structure of materials to be studied in great detail. It’s an exciting technology that is also in demand outside Halle and one that has prompted Dr Juliana Martins de Souza e Silva to make a declaration of love. Read more