The University of Bonn has come up with an innovative way to explore its campuses and the city it calls home, wherever in the world you happen to be: its new 360-degree tour, which is now available online. The interactive tour has been launched in time for the start of the new semester. Providing a bird’s-eye view and a wealth of information about the University, the tour aims to help prospective students get to know it better, make life easier for new starters and much more besides.

The UK-based magazine “Times Higher Education” (THE) has compiled its internationally renowned THE World University Ranking, which compares some 1,900 universities, for the past 20 years now. The University of Bonn came in 91st globally and 6th in Germany, putting it in the world’s top 100 universities. One noticeable aspect was that, compared to other institutions, a change to the methodology used in the rankings had virtually no impact on the University’s excellent results.
 
 

When two, three or four apples are placed in front of us, we are able to recognize the number of apples very quickly. However, we need significantly more time if there are five or more apples and we often also guess the wrong number. In fact, the brain does actually register smaller numbers of things differently than larger ones. This has been demonstrated in a recent study by the University of Tübingen, University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn. The results were published in the magazine “Nature Human Behaviour.” 
 
 

The University Hospital Bonn welcomed a delegation from the University of St Andrews on 21stof September. The visit focused on existing joint projects and plans to expand the strategic partnership.

A great many criteria determine whether or not we get seriously ill from COVID-19. Besides our age and any previous or existing conditions, they also include genetic factors. Right from the start of the pandemic, the “COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative” has been investigating the links between genetic factors and severe COVID-19. The international research consortium has now discovered 28 new risk factors, pushing the total number of candidate genes identified by the initiative up to 51. Its findings have now been published in the prestigious journal “Nature.” 

Every year some 75,000 people die from bacterial blood poisoning, or sepsis, in Germany alone. Survivors of sepsis often struggle with secondary and concomitant conditions due to the resulting impairment of the immune system, the so called “Immunesuppression”. The International Center for Clinical Research (ICRC) at St. Anne's University Hospital (FNUSA) Brno (Czech Republic) has founded the research consortium “BEATSep”. HORIZON EUROPA is funding it with around 6,9 million euros over the next five years. The project aims to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms causing the immune suppression in sepsis survivors. Prof. Dr. Bernardo S. Franklin, Institute for Innate Immunity of the University Hospital Bonn and member of the ImmunoSensation2 Cluster of Excellence of the University of Bonn, is involved in the project. He receives about 800,000 euros from the EU funding.

How are bacteria on our mucous membranes affected by type-A antibodies (IgA)? Assistant professor Dr. Tim Rollenske works at University Hospital Bonn to study specific immune system effects on the intestinal tract. Dr. Rollenske is leader of an Emmy Noether Research Group newly formed at the University of Bonn, which he believes will open the door to a professorship. The German Research Foundation (DFG) will be providing up to two million euros in funding for the project over the next six years. The research results could lead to more effective vaccination strategies for the mucous membranes and support efforts to counter antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

More and more bacterial pathogens are developing resistance. There is an increasing risk that common drugs will no longer be effective against infectious diseases. That is why scientists around the world are searching for new effective substances. Researchers from the University of Bonn, the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Utrecht University (Netherlands), Northeastern University in Boston (USA) and the company NovoBiotic Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge (USA) now have discovered and deciphered the mode of action of a new antibiotic. Clovibactin is derived from a soil bacterium. This antibiotic is highly effective at attacking the cell wall of bacteria, including many multi-resistant “superbugs.” The results have now been published in the renowned journal “Cell.”