FIAS researchers are part of the cluster initiatives that were successful in the first application step: SCALE will develop radically new experimental techniques to map and simulate the inside of cells and predict their behaviour. TAM aims to understand fundamental processes of human perception, thought and behaviour that enable us to adapt to constantly changing conditions. The next step is the full proposal in August.

The direct observation of cosmic events such as the merging of black holes or neutron stars has long been a scientific challenge. Electromagnetic radiation (like light) can be affected by dust, gas and other objects in the universe, but gravitational waves penetrate these obstacles. This allows us to obtain more precise information about distant events.In a new study, doctoral student Shriya Soma, together with Dr. Kai Zhou and Prof. Dr. Dr. hc mult. Horst Stöcker from the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) made progress in our understanding of gravitational waves by successfully using deep learning (DL) to analyze gravitational waves from binary mergers.

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration – including the group led by FIAS Fellow Luciano Rezzolla - has released new images of M87*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy Messier 87. They confirm predictions of the general theory of relativity.

Gustavo Hernandez Mejia from Esteban Vargas' FIAS research group, supervised by FIAS Fellow Franziska Matthäus, defended his doctoral thesis on 18 December. During his doctorate, he studied affinity mechanisms of broad protection against influenza infections and developed strategies that contribute to the paradigm of personalized medicine.

The first quantum computer at Goethe University is installed under the direction of Thomas Lippert. Quantum computing is a future technology that aims to master tasks in the field of computer simulation and AI that were previously too large or even unsolvable with digital methods.

The 'ON/NO FUTURE FESTIVALS' of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Hesse on 24 November was all about the next generation. FIAS doctoral student Jonas Elpelt hosted the U20 Science Slam and successfully took part in the "Future Groove Slam".

New measurement record at the CERN accelerator, recorded with the ALICE detector. The enormous amount of data is processed by a computing cluster headed by FIAS Senior Fellow Volker Lindenstruth.

The third attempt now succeeded: Nobel Prize winner Thomas Südhof received the "Senior Fellow Laureatus" award from the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) on 8 November 2023. The award ceremony had been postponed several times due to Covid. FIAS Director Eckhard Elsen was now able to hand over the certificate and cup. The prize money of 10,000 euros was donated by the Giersch Foundation.

The conference entitled "Condensed Complexity - The Essence of Information Processing and Cognition?" was opened today by FIAS Director Eckhard Elsen. From November 6, 2023 to November 10, 2023, experts from various fields, including neuroscience, physics, molecular and developmental biology, simulation and machine learning as well as quantum computing and sensing, will come together. The aim of the conference is to uncover the common principles that connect these seemingly disparate fields of research and deepen our understanding of knowledge, cognition and information processing.

At the end of October, Manjunath Omana Kuttan successfully defended his doctoral thesis at Goethe University's Department of Physics. Omana Kuttan finalized his PhD after three and a half years in the Deepthinkers group at FIAS, supervised by FIAS Senior Fellow Horst Stöcker and FIAS Fellows Jan Steinheimer and Kai Zhou.

Can artificial intelligence be dangerous for us? Pupils from grades 7 to 12 asked FIAS postdoc Bastian Eppler and other scientists these and other questions. He was part of a panel of experts on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) from the non-profit organisation "Wissenschaft im Dialog" (science in dialogue).

Addressing a fascinated audience, the chairman of the FIAS Board of Trustees, Volker Mosbrugger, spoke about necessary changes towards sustainability - especially from the scientific world. The popular FIAS Forum thus presented hot topics again to the public after Covid break.

A detailed analysis of the eruption behaviour of the island volcanoes Stromboli, Mount Etna (Italy), Yasur (Vanuatu), and Whakaari (New Zealand) was published by Darius Fenner from Nishtha Srivastava's team together with Patrick Laumann and Georg Rümpker from the Frankfurt Institute of Advanced Studies (FIAS). Such analyses of past major and minor events can help to understand volcanic eruptions, including the underlying physical and chemical processes.

Two PhD students from FIAS each received one of the coveted poster prizes of the European Biophysical Societies' Association (EBSA) - a remarkable achievement at a conference with more than 1200 participants.

The Rudolf Steinberg Foundation supported the bioinformatician Dr Hendrik Schäfer at FIAS. Now Schäfer presented his findings on follicular dendritic cells, which form network-like structure in the lymph nodes and could possibly improve the diagnosis of lymph node tumours. The Steinberg Fund supported the career start of this outstanding young scientist for six months.

FIAS Fellow Gerhard Hummer and PhD student Serena Arghittu are significantly contributing to elucidate the structure of a novel light sensor of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS) hosted seven Ukrainian researchers after the attack on their country last year. How are they doing today?

During the metabolism of cells, aggressive oxygen compounds are formed as side products that can damage proteins or DNA. To intercept these oxygen compounds, cells use the peptide glutathione. A team of researchers from FIAS and the University of Zurich developed a novel sensor to measure the glutathione concentration in cell organelles. The sensor allows precise observation of the important molecule in cell organelles and supports research into related diseases.

This week eleven doctoral students, three postdocs and eight subproject leaders of the CMMS project spend a week in the idyllic Eifel. Two invited speakers complete the team.

FIAS congratulates its Board of Trustees Chairman! He was appointed to the FIAS Board of Trustees in 2021 and elected its chair last year. Volker Mosbrugger was born in Constance on 12 July 1953. He studied biology and chemistry for the teaching profession in Freiburg and later obtained his doctorate there. He habilitated at the Institute of Palaeontology at the University of Bonn in 1989 and followed a call to the University of Tübingen one year later. Mosbrugger investigated ecological and climatic changes in the Earth's history.