Science Podcast

We proudly present the first podcast of the German Clusters of Excellence!

It regularly reports from one of the 57 clusters that are funded as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments. The journey goes right across the country, and the topics are just as diverse as the locations: from African studies to the Future of Medicine to Quantum Science. The researchers of the clusters of excellence talk to podcaster Larissa Vassilian about how they want to find scientifically sound answers to relevant topics of our time – for the society of tomorrow. The podcast concept was developed by a team of ten science communication experts from ten Clusters of Excellence – including e-conversion and two more Munich clusters, MCQST and SyNergy. You can find the German-language podcast on all popular platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music,… Or visit the website: www.exzellent-erklaert.de

Folge 48 “Syntopische Architekturen: Wie gestalten lokale Materialien das Bauen der Zukunft mit?” (Link)

In the “Syntopic Architectures” project, researchers from the Matters of Activity Cluster of Excellence want to integrate natural structures into architecture that are connected to the place where they are being built. One example of this is working with beetle wood, i.e. wood that has been attacked by the bark beetle. The consideration of materials that occur in the immediate environment and its cycles makes syntopic architecture a particularly sustainable form of building and living. If you happen to be in Berlin, you should take a look at the Activarium. This is the showroom in Berlin-Mitte where you can see and test the prototypes developed at the Cluster. These include the objects that Karola Dierichs talks about in the podcast episode.

Folge 47 “Die Physik des Lebens: Das Rätsel um nachwachsende Gliedmaßen” (Link)

There are still many mysteries to be solved in biology. For example, we do not yet understand how animals such as the axolotl manage to regrow limbs. Nor do we know how muscles are constructed and function. The Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life is trying to decipher all of this using the tools of physics. This is done partly through experiments and partly through simulations. Work is also being carried out on various scales, from the smallest with RNA, DNA, and proteins to the larger, visible scales.

Folge 46 “Energie aus Licht – Die Magie der Photoelektrokatalyse” (Link)

Energy storage is one of the major issues of our time. Photoelectrocatalysis can make a difference here. For example, solar batteries could simultaneously absorb, convert, store, and release sunlight. In this basic research, it is important to find the right materials to ensure that they work as efficiently as possible. The scientists are delving deep into the nanocosmos and identifying properties that have a huge impact on performance.

Folge 45 “Quantensimulation: Schlüssel zu Hochtemperatur-Supraleitern?” (Link)

The behavior of individual atoms and molecules can be predicted very well in quantum physics. This becomes more difficult when many particles come together, and collective effects play an important role. There are still many unanswered questions. Quantum simulation – not on the computer, but in the laboratory – should help to answer these questions. For example, the aim is to find out exactly how high-temperature superconductors work – and whether a better understanding will one day make it possible to operate these superconductors at room temperature.

Folge 44 “Virtual Touch: Den Tastsinn ins Internet bringen” (Link)

What would it be like to feel the handshake of a distant colleague or the hug of a loved one over the Internet? How close are we to making this a reality? The CeTI Cluster of Excellence at TU Dresden is doing pioneering work in researching the transmission of touch via the internet, which will revolutionize important areas of our lives.

Folge 43 “Über die Wahrnehmung von Ungleichheit” (Link)

In its Inequality Barometer, the Cluster of Excellence The Politics of Inequality regularly asks 6,000 people about their experiences of inequality. This includes, for example, income or wealth, but also health or climate change. Some of the results are very surprising, such as the fact that most people classify themselves as middle class even though they do not belong there in terms of their income. Prof. Dr. Marius R. Busemeyer explains why this is the case and what it means for political voting decisions. In the “PerFair” research project, Prof. Dr. Claudia Diehl is focusing on school students to find out whether they already have a feeling of inequality and how this arises. A total of around 3,000 young people and their parents were surveyed for this purpose.

Folge 42 “Bakterien kontrollieren – Gute Bakterien nutzen, böse bekämpfen” (Link)

What do we know about bacteria? This time, it’s about bacteria, antibiotics, and resistance. First, we talk to Prof. Dr. Hannes Link about how the metabolism of bacteria works. Because if we understand this, bacteria can be controlled and thus used specifically for our purposes or rendered harmless. The second topic is resistance and new antibiotics. Prof. Dr. Nadine Ziemert talks to us about the impending antibiotic crisis and explains how the search for new antibiotics works using state-of-the-art methods. In the search for new active substances against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, her team has succeeded in traveling back in time to a primordial antibiotic.

Folge 41 “Wie wichtig ist gemeinsames Essen bei Menschen und Bonobos?” (Link)

Food plays a major role in our world. We celebrate by eating food together. We enjoy particularly good food. And we cook for other people to do something good for them. In this episode, we have two researchers as guests who have taken a closer look at how humans and bonobos (great apes) eat and what food intake has to do with social behavior.

Folge 40 “Tätowierungen: Tattoos als Instrumente der Macht” (Link)

In South America, there are old women who have a very specific type of tattoo. They have a tattoo on their forearm showing their husband’s initials and other symbols, for example. These are women whose ancestors were brought from India to the former British and Dutch colonies as contract workers. Sinah Kloß is researching this old tattoo tradition, which is now considered outdated, which is why young women no longer wear such tattoos.

Folge 39 “Afrikaforschung jenseits des Kolonialismus neu gedacht” (Link)

For a long time, it was common practice in African research to conduct research from the global North. The Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence is breaking new ground by establishing four quasi-equal locations on the African continent alongside the Bayreuth Cluster. Together, the five centers are now launching many research projects that focus on the African perspective. For example, research is being conducted into an Islamic cultural archive and places of remembrance of the centuries-long slave trade, the consequences of which can still be seen today in the societies of Africa and other affected countries such as Brazil and North America.

Folge 38 “Günstigere E-Autos durch Natrium-Ionen-Batterien” (Link)

The POLIS Cluster of Excellence is researching batteries that work without lithium. The goal could be, for example, a sodium-ion battery that does not require critical or rare substances and can also perform even better, for example, at low temperatures in winter. But how does such a battery actually work? And what alternatives are there? And above all, what challenges do scientists face in this area?

Folge 37 “Mit Mathematik die Welt verbessern? Lösungen für die Probleme einer komplexen Welt” (Link)

In this podcast episode, MATH+ Cluster spokesperson Prof. Michael Hintermüller and junior research group leader Dr. Sarah Wolf answer the exciting question of whether mathematics can make the world a better place. They talk about how MATH+’s application-oriented mathematics is working with other disciplines on relevant issues for the future, such as sustainable energy supply and mobility, transportation planning, and battery research for longer-lasting batteries for cell phones and electric cars. They also talk about how mathematical models can be used to design pain-relieving drugs that are effective but not addictive. The variety of topics at MATH+ is incredibly broad because mathematics is much more than just arithmetic: “Mathematics is everywhere”!

Folge 36 “Neutrino-Forschung: Neues Wissen durch globale Experimente” (Link)

Neutrinos are elementary particles that occur in the standard model of particle physics, the building blocks of nature, so to speak. They are an important focus of research in the PRISMA+ cluster and are being investigated using large-scale experiments around the globe. The aim is to find out more about these ghost particles – for example, what mass they have.

Folge 35 “SimTech: Innovative Methoden für eine neue Klasse von Simulationsmodellen” (Link)

Computer simulations have many advantages: they are faster and cheaper than laboratory experiments, and some things would not even be possible in reality, for example, observations over very long periods of time in astronomy or experiments when these are very dangerous, such as crash tests. However, computer models are only as good as the methods they use to make their calculations and the data they are fed with. Conventional methods reach their limits when it comes to depicting highly complex phenomena such as environmental events or biological systems. The Cluster of Excellence Data-integrated Simulation Science (SimTech) aims to combine both: large amounts of data available from surveys, sensor measurements, experiments or simulations form the basis for innovative modeling and calculation methods. This makes it easier to make predictions and the resulting decisions. Steffen Staab and Anneli Guthke provide insights into data-integrated simulation.

Folge 34 “Science of Intelligence: Was ist Intelligenz?” (Link)

We still know surprisingly little about intelligence. For example, we do not know how it develops. The Science of Intelligence Cluster in Berlin is trying to establish fundamental hypotheses on this. To this end, they are conducting research on animals such as cockatoos and fish but are also breaking new ground and programming robots to study certain behaviors.

Folge 33 “Temporal Communities – Literatur in globaler Perspektive” (Link)

The Clusters of Excellence are not only dedicated to research questions in the natural sciences but, of course, also in the humanities. That’s why, this time, it’s literary studies and theater studies. Anna Luhn deals with the concept of literary translation. Torsten Jost, on the other hand, has dedicated himself to the theater and is researching how we receive performances and which international concepts can be combined with the stage.

Folge 32 “Dynamik – Geometrie – Struktur: Mathematik zwischen Theorie und Anwendung” (Link)

Mathematics can be found in nuclear magnetic resonance tomographs, cryptography, climate models, and GPS. But not only these and many other applications that we encounter in everyday life, mathematical theory itself is also the subject of current mathematical research. In this episode, Prof. Gustav Holzegel and Prof. Eva Viehmann from the Cluster of Excellence Mathematics Münster take a look at the huge, wide-ranging research field of mathematics. What distinguishes mathematics from all other sciences? The two researchers provide insights into their areas of specialization and their day-to-day work. They talk about their motivation, feelings of happiness and frustration when conducting research, and why it is so important in mathematics to look beyond one’s own field.

Folge 31 “Die Sprache des Lebens – Biologische Signale erkennen und nutzen” (Link)

How do the cells of a living being communicate with each other? The Cluster of Excellence CIBSS investigates the biological signals that ensure that cells and tissues in multicellular organisms work together and adapt to environmental influences. Understanding this “language of life” helps to master important societal challenges such as health and food security because many diseases are based on faulty signaling processes – and signals influence how plants react to their environment and a changing climate.

Folge 30 “Wissenschaftsfreiheit: Wenn Forschung angegriffen wird” (Link)

Science and democracy belong together. It is important that science can act freely. Researchers should be able to determine for themselves the topics on which they conduct research. They should be able to express themselves politically. However, scientific freedom is increasingly under attack worldwide. The three major challenges to scientific freedom are cultural change, economization, and alternative ways of gaining knowledge. Who threatens academic freedom and why? Are only autocratic systems threatened? What is the state of academic freedom in Germany? The Cluster of Excellence SCRIPTS is discussing this problem.

Folge 29 “Frühchen – Wie können wir sie vor gefährlichen Infektionen schützen?” (Link)

The team of the RESIST Cluster of Excellence cares for people who can be seriously harmed by bacteria and viruses – including premature and newborn babies, for example. When they become infected with a germ, their immune system often reacts far too strongly – which can lead to inflammation of the blood, lungs, and intestines. About a quarter of all babies born before the 32nd week of pregnancy develop a severe infection in infancy, which can also be life-threatening. It is not known exactly why this is so. New concepts of prevention and therapy are needed – among other things, because the time after birth also influences susceptibility to allergies and infections as well as chronic inflammatory bowel diseases later in life. “The children have to “slide into” their environment and find a balance. This is the main task of immune adaptation in the first year of life,” says Prof. Viemann.

Folge 28 “Kryptographie – Quantenresistent und menschlich” (Link)

Our data is encrypted when we surf the internet or send a message via messenger. Until now, many of these methods have been quite secure – but when the quantum computer comes along, this security will be gone. That is why the Cluster of Excellence CASA has developed encryption methods that can even withstand quantum computers. Research is also being conducted into how IT security can be implemented in such a way that it is easier for users to understand and use.

Folge 27 “Chronic inflammation – Where does it come from, can we stop it?” (Link)

Psoriasis, rheumatism, Crohn’s disease – more and more people have to live with chronic inflammatory diseases. The Cluster of Excellence PMI (Precision Medicine for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases) is searching for the causes of these diseases and striving for individualised treatments for patients. The big goal is to stop inflammatory diseases and thus prevent their progression. In the search for the causes of chronic inflammatory diseases, cluster members also study ancient DNA (aDNA) in order to understand the development of the human immune system.

Folge 26 “PhenoRob – Autonomous systems in crop production” (Link)

What will the future of agriculture look like? At the Cluster of Excellence PhenoRob in Bonn, they have a pretty clear idea. Drones fly over the fields and record the condition of the plants. On the ground, robots are on the move, specifically supplying individual crops with fertilizer or removing weeds.

Folge 25 “Hirnforschung – Vom Gedächtnis zur Erkrankung” (Link)

When we experience exciting things, our brain stores them. We have a short-term and a long-term memory. These are facts we all know about our brains. But science doesn’t yet know exactly how all this works. Only when it is deciphered how we can remember things will we also understand all the dementia diseases that have to do with forgetting. The Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure is not only concerned with memory, but also with diseases such as autoimmune encephalitis. In this disease, the body fights against itself – and thus disrupts important functions of the brain. The patients, who are often young, suffer from psychoses, hallucinations, and dementia.

Folge 24 “Fuel Science Center: Kraftstoffe für die Zukunft” (Link)

Climate change is causing a rethink in many areas. This is also important in the area of mobility. In addition to electric cars, which are charged with regeneratively generated electricity, research is also being conducted in the field of green hydrogen propulsion. But that’s not all: The Fuel Science Center is exploring many different avenues and looking for ways to produce fuels without fossil components that are at the same time sustainable, affordable, and socially acceptable. A key technology here is catalysis.

Folge 23 “Unser Immunsystem – Von Entzündungen, Impfung und Mikroplastik” (Link)

In this episode, experts from the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation² at the University of Bonn talk about our immune system. Prof. Dr. Gunther Hartmann explains what the innate and acquired immune system is all about and how we can use mRNA vaccines to specifically support our immune system in defending against viruses. Prof. Elvira Mass talks about environmental and environmental influences on the immune system. For one thing, studies have shown that we all have microplastic particles in our bodies– to what extent this harms us is what the cluster is trying to explore. She also explains how factors such as obesity in the mother are transferred to the unborn child and eventually accompany it throughout its life.

Folge 22 “Der Ozeanboden: Unerforschte Schnittstelle der Erde” (Link)

There are still many unanswered questions concerning the oceans and the ocean floor. Especially when we consider the effects of climate change on the oceans. Prof. Michal Kucera uses sediment samples to research fossil plankton and thus draws conclusions about its migration movements as well as the biodiversity of the past 100,000 years – also with the help of so-called “ancient DNA” (aDNA). Dr Miriam Römer sails the high seas once or twice a year to investigate so-called “cold springs” and to find out how much methane is bound to the seabed and will possibly escape as soon as the climate warms further. With their research, both are helping to explore the ocean floor as an interface – in the cluster The Ocean Floor – Earth’s Uncharted Interface, which is based at the University of Bremen.

Folge 21 “Dunkle Materie: Auf der Suche nach den fehlenden Teilchen” (Link)

No one has yet provided direct proof that dark matter exists. But most physicists no longer doubt that something exists in the universe that accounts for a far greater proportion of its total mass than the visible substance. In the Cluster of Excellence Quantum Universe, various approaches are being pursued to track down this mysterious matter.

Folge 20 “Grüne Chemie – Katalyseprozesse können nachhaltig sein” (Link)

Prof. Matthias Driess, a member of the Cluster of Excellence UniSysCat, is a chemist with a passion. He talks enthusiastically about green chemistry, about the idea that one day we will produce our own methane at home to fuel our cars. Green chemistry is about the cycle of things, about as little “waste” as possible in chemical processes, and about taking nature as a model.

Folge 19 “Das „ORIGINS of Life Lab“: Der Entstehung des Lebens auf der Spur” (Link)

How did life come into being? Very little is known about the beginnings of life. The Cluster of Excellence ORIGINS in Munich is trying to create life in the laboratory. The researchers do not want to trace the biological evolution reflected in the family tree of animals, plants, and microorganisms. They are thinking rather of very rudimentary forms of life: of the first molecules that were able to reproduce themselves and pass on information independently. Such units must have developed in an evolution of molecules from far simpler building blocks.

Folge 18 “Woraus ist unsere Zukunft gemacht? Aktive Materialien und bio-inspiriertes Design” (Link)

The Matters of Activity cluster is about the question of active materiality. The interdisciplinary approach they have created themselves allows the researchers to look at the central questions from different angles: How do we deal with materiality in the age of digitalization? Can other understandings of materiality lead to other modes of production or other ways of living? Other topics include sustainability and bio-inspired design, for example, textiles that use mechanisms from nature to become active materials themselves.

Folge 17 “Krebsforschung – Mit veränderten T-Zellen dem Krebs an den Kragen” (Link)

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in Germany. Among 45- to 65-year-olds, cancer is even the most common cause of death. The Cluster of Excellence iFIT is therefore researching new and innovative treatment options to get a grip on this insidious disease. An important part of this is our immune system. How do we get our own immune system to get to grips with cancer? T-cells play a crucial role. They recognize foreign proteins when they are presented on an endogenous cell. However, they cannot always perceive the tumor cells as a threat. In order for T cells to be able to recognize and kill tumor cells, junior research group leader Dr. Judith Feucht and her team are investigating a new possibility: with the help of a genetic engineering procedure, the body’s own T cells can be converted in the laboratory into chimeric antigen receptor T cells, or CAR T cells for short, and then transferred back into the human organism. Equipped with these antigen receptors, the T cells are then able to detect and fight the tumor cells in the body.

But how can we check whether the therapy is actually effective? This is where Prof. Dr. Bettina Weigelin and her research group come in. Equipped with state-of-the-art intravital microscopes, they bring to light what would not be visible to the human eye alone: How the modified T cells fight the tumor cells. Working together, the two scientists can precisely observe whether the modified T cells are doing their job and decide whether they need to be improved in the laboratory.

Folge 16 “Archäologie – Von gestern für heute lernen” (Link)

Prof. Johannes Müller and Dr. Katharina Fuchs from the Cluster of Excellence ROOTS – Social, Environmental and Cultural Connectivity in Past Societies conduct research on various issues that affect our roots. It is about climate change, sustainability, inequality & identity, mobility & migration, and conflicts. It is astonishing that upon closer examination, our current issues are not as new as they seem to us. Humans have been changing their environment for thousands of years, for example, through hunting. And migration has also always existed, as Prof. Johannes Müller points out.

Folge 15 “Computersimulationen – Per Modell zum Erkenntnisgewinn in der Optik” (Link)

In this episode, physicists from the Cluster of Excellence PhoenixD have their say: spokesperson Prof. Dr. Uwe Morgner, Dr. Oliver Melchert, and doctoral student Stephanie Willms. The three are specialists in the simulation of optical, i.e. light-based phenomena. They use computers to calculate physical laws so precisely that their predictions complement practical experiments and, in some cases, make them superfluous. This so-called third pillar of science – in addition to experiment and theory – is becoming increasingly important as computing capacities continue to grow.

Folge 14 “Zukunft des Hörens – mit Forschung und Technik gegen die Schwerhörigkeit” (Link)

Hearing loss is a widespread disease. 15 million people in Germany are affected, and from the age of 70, every second person in Germany has hearing problems. The Cluster of Excellence Hearing4All wants to find a remedy. On the one hand, it is about basic research on individual hearing, on the other hand, it is about better hearing aids and thirdly, it is about solutions so that hearing loss can be diagnosed at an early stage. Connections between hearing loss and dementia are also being investigated, as well as the possibility of operating on cochlear implants in the most minimally invasive way possible.

Folge 13 “SMARTe Pflanzen für die Sicherung unserer Ernährung” (Link)

The consequences of climate change are endangering our harvests and, thus, the nutrition of the world’s population. How can we breed crops that are high-yielding and healthy but at the same time withstand increasing heat, drought, and disease? Professor Maria von Korff Schmising and Dr Markus Stetter are researching this at CEPLAS, Germany’s only cluster of excellence in the field of plant research, in Düsseldorf, Jülich and Cologne. As guests on the podcast “Exzellent erklärt – Spitzenforschung für alle” (Excellent Explained – Top Research for Everyone), they report on the advantages that perennial crops have over annual crops and what past domestication of plants teaches us about how we obtain new crops with special nutrients and good adaptation to climate change.

Folge 12 “3D-Druck – Neue Materialien, neue Möglichkeiten” (Link)

Prof. Jochen Wittbrodt and Prof. Peter Gumbsch work in the same Cluster of Excellence 3D Matter Made to Order, but in very different research areas. What they have in common is that they are both researching applications in which more precise, faster and more powerful 3D printing opens up new avenues.

Jochen Wittbrodt and his doctoral student Christina Schlagheck are researching organoids, artificially produced organ-like cell structures. For example, a retina could one day come out of the 3D printer. Peter Gumbsch is developing metamaterials that have specifically designed properties and could also contribute to sustainability.

Folge 11 “Energieforschung – Starke Akkus für die Energiewende” (Link)

In 2030, more than ten million electric cars will populate the roads in Germany. And all of them will need a powerful, fast-charging and safe battery. How is that going to happen? In this episode, Prof. Dr. Bettina Lotsch and Sina Stegmaier provide insight into battery research. What are the problems of current rechargeable batteries? And how could they be solved? The two chemists from the Cluster of Excellence e-conversion also explain how batteries actually work and what materials are needed for a high-performance battery. And they reveal what solid-state batteries are all about, in which the automotive industry in particular has such high hopes.

Folge 10 “Mikrobiome – Mikroorganismen im (Un-)Gleichgewicht” (Link)

Exploring the microverse is all about the communication and interaction of tiny creatures with each other and with their environment. This is because they have often been living together for millions of years and are rarely found in isolation. Prof. Axel Brakhage from the Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse can imagine that the next antibiotic agent may be waiting to be discovered in our front garden. From this, in the best case, a drug can be developed that specifically attacks undesirable microorganisms and does not affect the beneficial ones.

Folge 9 “Quantencomputer – Wie nah sind wir der Anwendung?” (Link)

Michael Köhl and Sebastian Diehl research the fundamentals of quantum mechanical phenomena. At the Cluster of Excellence ML4Q (Matter and Light for Quantum Computing), they bring together their expertise in experimental and theoretical physics to create network architectures for quantum computers. There are many problems to be solved – including the question of how quantum computers can be networked, even though the quantum states they need to function are difficult to keep stable.

Folge 8 “Nachhaltiges Fliegen – Neue Flugzeugmodelle, andere Treibstoffe” (Link)

Prof. Jens Friedrichs and Prof. Rolf Radespiel from the Cluster of Excellence SE²A (Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Aviation) in Braunschweig have an ambitious goal: by 2050, aircraft should be flying sustainably. This means that they will then no longer be in the air with fossil kerosene but with either electric power, hydrogen, or synthetic kerosene. These new-generation aircraft will no longer have much in common with the ones we know.

Folge 7 “Altern – Wie können wir gesund alt werden?” (Link)

Prof. Maria Cristina Polidori and Prof. Björn Schumacher both conduct research on the topic of aging at the Cluster of Excellence CECAD (Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases). Prof. Polidori is a doctor at the university hospital with the aim of becoming active in old age before illnesses occur. Prof. Schumacher works in the laboratory where an aging clock, a genetic test, is intended to provide information on how our biological age changes – for example, through factors such as unhealthy diet or smoking. With this precise measurement method, it may soon be possible to document the success or failure of therapies at an early stage and then to readjust them.

Folge 6 “Klimawandel – Sind 1,5 Grad noch plausibel?” (Link)

Prof. Anita Engels and Dr. Christopher Heidemann conducted research at the Cluster of Excellence CLICCS (Climate, Climatic Change, and Society) in Hamburg. The Hamburg Climate Futures Outlook is a report that identifies ten key factors that are significantly involved in climate change from a sociological perspective. These include, for example, people’s consumption behavior, but also the so-called divestment movement on the financial market. Are these factors pointing in the right direction? Is it plausible, then, that we will meet our climate targets? The Outlook comes to a sobering conclusion.

Folge 5 “Quantenwissenschaft – Grundlage der Technologien von morgen (Link)

Prof. Harald Weinfurter and Prof. Kai Müller are conducting research in the field of quantum communication at the Cluster of Excellence MCQST (Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology). On the one hand, this involves transmitting quantum information over long distances. And on the other hand, it involves distributing a key for data encryption to distant partners in an absolutely tap-proof manner. But before the podcaster, Larissa Vassilian talks about the current research with two scientists, some basics of quantum physics have to be explained, for example, the principle of superposition or entanglement.

Folge 4 “Bildungschancen – Welche Rolle das Elternhaus spielt” (Link)

What is the pandemic doing to our children and teenagers? What can we do to help children, no matter what family background they come from? And how fair is our education system? These kinds of questions address the economics cluster ECONtribute (ECONtribute – Markets & Public Policy) from Bonn and Cologne. Do you want to know the answers? Then listen to the 4th episode of “Exzellent erklärt” – the podcast of the German Clusters of Excellence.

Folge 3 “Bakterien im Darm – Wie Medikamente unser Mikrobiom beeinflussen” (Link)

Did you know that the bacterial composition in your intestine is as unique as your fingerprint? Or that these little microorganisms strongly influence how you respond to pharmaceuticals? Learn more about these fascinating topics in the current episode of “Exzellent erklärt”. This time with the Tübingen Cluster of Excellence CMFI (Controlling microbes to fight infections). Dr. Lisa Maier specializes in the gut microbiome. In her group, she researches antibiotics and other drugs to find out to what extent they affect the health of our gut microbiome. Some of them have positive effects (sometimes unintentionally), while others harm the community of microorganisms in our gut. Finding out exactly which drugs cause which effects is the goal of Lisa Maier’s research.

Folge 2 “Alzheimer: Entstehung, Erkenntnisse, Forschungsfragen” (Link)

Prof. Christian Haass has been conducting research on Alzheimer’s disease for 30 years. The disease is affecting more and more people in our aging society. It is not curable – but is there a prospect of drugs against it or even a vaccination? The Cluster of Excellence in Munich SyNergy (Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology) brings together a wide variety of institutions to get to the bottom of Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases: there are SyNergy working groups at the TUM, the LMU, the DZNE, at two Max Planck Institutes, at both university hospitals and also at the Helmholtz Center. Larissa Vassilian talks to Prof. Haass about the research results so far, about the biggest problems in Alzheimer’s research and about the questions that remain open.

Folge 1 “Taktiles Internet – Intelligente Textilien, Roboter und Hilfe im OP” (Link)

In the first episode, everything revolves around the cooperation of humans and machines, in short: the tactile internet. Scientists from the Cluster of Excellence CeTI (Center for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop) in Dresden talk about their research and visions: “When I’m at home in my old age and have trouble getting out of my chair, couldn’t my trousers help me stand up?” asks Prof. Frank H. P. Fitzek, for example. At CeTI, experts from different fields explore the various possibilities of the tactile internet: Intelligent clothing is intended to help people stay independent in old age or to support them in learning new skills such as playing the piano. In the near future, it should be possible to send not only images and sound but also touches via the internet.