Nishtha Srivastava

September 2, 2020

Seismology and artificial intelligence

New research group started at FIAS within the BMBF guideline for the promotion of female AI junior scientists

Among all forces of nature, earthquakes are considered one of the most devastating threats. They cause enormous human and structural losses worldwide. Even though analysis and measurement methods have been further developed over the past decades, reliable predictions are still not possible today. Although many indications of an increased earthquake probability are known, they do not allow an exact prediction of the location and time of catastrophic earthquakes. Over the next four years, the research group at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), headed by Dr. Nishtha Srivastava will be funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BmBF) with more than 1.6 million euros as part of the "Promotion of female AI junior scientists" program. Nishtha Srivastava will use methods of artificial intelligence (AI), the application of which in the geosciences, especially in seismology, is still in an early stage of research, to expand our understanding of the origin of earthquakes and improve predictions.

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Covino Protein Spikes
© Sikora et.al

August 26, 2020

New insights into the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

The "gate opener" on the virus surface is unexpectedly mobile

The search for a suitable vaccine is a central research area in the fight against the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. An important step towards this is to understand how the virus penetrates the cells. The protein responsible for this is the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein on the virus surface which allows the virus to enter the host cell.

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Thomas Sokolowski

August 10, 2020

8 questions to Thomas Sokolowski

Or, which mechanisms "keep randomness in check" and how one can better understand them.

Thomas Sokolowski joined the FIAS in April 2020 as part of the LOEWE focus CMMS. In an interview he explains how he uses stochastic methods and fundamental physical laws to describe complicated biochemical processes on the cell and tissue level efficiently and as accurately as possible.

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Enrico Schleiff
© Alex Schwander

July 8, 2020

Enrico Schleiff becomes president of the Goethe University

The chairman of the FIAS, Enrico Schleiff, was elected by the extended senate with an absolute majority.

Prof. Dr. Enrico Schleiff, Senior Fellow and Chairman of the Board of the FIAS was elected President of the Goethe University by the extended Senate on Wednesday (July 8). The term of office is six years and will begin on January 1, 2021, following his appointment by the University Council. The former Vice President and Professor of Molecular Cell Biology of Plants at Goethe University was elected by an absolute majority of 18 votes out of the 34 members of the Senate.

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© C. Otto, GSI

June 29, 2020

The Green IT Cube receives the Blue Angel eco-label.

Innovation at the FIAS makes research in the state of Hesse strong.

The FAIR and GSI high-performance computing center developed in cooperation with FIAS is particularly energy-efficient thanks to its special cooling system. This makes it the first computer center to be awarded the Federal Government's eco-label. With the Green IT Cube, one of the most powerful scientific computing centers in the world was built at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt. The novel cooling technology was developed by FIAS board members Volker Lindenstruth and Horst Stöcker.

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Thomas Lippert
© Forschungszentrum Jülich

June 10, 2020

Expert for quantum computing Thomas Lippert has been appointed Senior Fellow

The physicist and computer scientist Thomas Lippert comes to Frankfurt.

Prof. Thomas Lippert, expert for high-performance and quantum computing, is a new Senior Fellow at FIAS. The physicist and computer scientist will also occupy the newly created professorship for "Modular Supercomputing and Quantum Computing" at the Institute for Computer Science at Goethe University Frankfurt from August 1, 2020.

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CMMS Fellows

May 18, 2020

New Fellows in the Life and Computer Science departments

Three new young investigators group leaders have started their research at FIAS

Within the new LOEWE focus "Center for Multiscale Modeling in Life Sciences" (CMMS), the FIAS was able to recruit three new group leaders as Fellows.

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Stoecker Academia Romana

April 20, 2020

Horst Stöcker becomes honorary member of the Academia Română

The certificate was now handed over by post

The Romanian Academy of Sciences (Academia Română) has appointed Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Horst Stöcker as honorary member in recognition of his work on hot, dense elementary matter in heavy ion research and astrophysics, as well as his many years of commitment to the international scientific community. He is thus one of 91 foreign scientists who are entitled to bear this title.

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Amblyiopia boy

March 3, 2020

How we learn to see

Active efficient coding explains the development of binocular vision and its failure in amblyopia.

Using a new model, scientists from the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) and Goethe University can explain the development of binocular vision, which is the joint vision of the right and left eye. In doing so, they show how amblyopic visual impairment can occur.

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Test Tubes
© Photo by Martin Lopez from Pexels

February 28, 2020

Current information about the coronavirus

In connection with the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the Goethe University provides information on mobility and health care. We refer to recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute and the Federal Foreign Office.

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XF-IJRC Signing

November 1, 2019

Signing of the Xidian FIAS International Joint Research Center

Joint research laboratory established with Xidian University

​In October 2019, during the Sino-German Conference for Science, Technology, Innovation and Cooperation in Berlin, representatives of Xidian University and FIAS signed the founding documents of the XF-IJRC.

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Teaser Politechnikerreihe

October 10, 2019

Frankfurt's cutting-edge research explained in a understandable way

The Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS), a think tank unique in Germany for networking the natural sciences, is organizing a new series of lectures this fall in cooperation with the Polytechnic Society Foundation.

August 15, 2019

Journal Club "Machine Learning" launched

New exchange platform for young scientists

Numerous working groups at FIAS work with methods of machine learning. In order to intensify the scientific exchange between the many scientists involved, the FIAS PhD students and Postdocs have created an exchange platform on their own initiative with the installation of the Journal Club.

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© Mao, Xidian University

May 29, 2019

Spring visit of FIAS delegation to Xi'An (China) for future cooperation

Considerations on the joint establishment of a research laboratory in AI research are taking shape

The FIAS and the Chinese Xidian University have confirmed the idea to establish a 'Joint Research Center' in AI research during a visit of the FIAS delegation under the leadership of the chairman of the FIAS board of directors, Prof. Dr. Enrico Schleiff.

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Cognitive Computing Cover

March 4, 2019

The brain as a role model

Book Cognitive Computing published by Springer

With his article "Model Brain - Boundary Conditions for a Cognitive Architecture" FIAS Senior Fellow Christoph von der Malsburg has contributed a chapter to the book "Cognitive Computing - Theory, Technology and Practice" recently published by Springer Verlag.

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© music4life@pixabay

February 1, 2019

Research on Energy Networks

FIAS Research Systems of Renewable Energies and Network Analysis receives further funding

Efficient power grids are an essential prerequisite for a successful conversion of the energy system. In order to support work on the power grids of the future, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is extending the funding of an interdisciplinary research project by three years, in which seven institutes, including the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies with Professor Stefan Schramm, are involved. The joint project is funded by the BMBF with a total of 2.5 million euros.

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© Veronika Hohenegger, LRZ

November 6, 2018

Computing time for simulations...

... for more accurate models of merging double star systems

FIAS Senior Fellow Prof. Luciano Rezzolla will receive 102 million CPU hours next year at the supercomputer superMUC of the Leibniz Computing Center in Garching near Munich, which he will use for the simulation of neutron star double systems at Goethe University Frankfurt.

September 27, 2018

Competition among synapses

When resources become scarce, neighboring synapses compete, say Frankfurt Neuroscientists

FRANKFURT. How do neighboring synapses interact during learning? Frankfurt scientists have proposed a new mathematical model describing a competition of neighboring synapses for limited resources during learning. The scientists report their findings in the current issue of eLife.

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Neutron Star Frankfurt
© L. Weih

June 26, 2018

Frankfurt physicists set limits on size of neutron stars

Comparison of theoretical models with gravitational waves results in the answer to an old riddle

How large is a neutron star? Previous estimates varied from eight to sixteen kilometres. Astrophysicists at the Goethe University Frankfurt and the FIAS have now succeeded in determining the size of neutron stars to within 1.5 kilometres by using an elaborate statistical approach supported by data from the measurement of gravitational waves. The researchers’ report appears in the current issue of Physical Review Letters.

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Vovchenko Prize
© U. Dettmar

June 25, 2018

Volodymyr Vovchenko receives award for best dissertation in the natural sciences

The award ceremony took place on Friday, 22.06.2018, in the Römer in Frankfurt.

Every year, the Friends of the University award prizes for the best PhD theses from various fields. The prize for the best scientific dissertation was awarded this year to former FIAS doctoral student Volodymyr Vovchenko.

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