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Prof. Dr. Jana Eccard. Photo: Thomas Roese

Every Individual is Different – Biologists explore the individual behavior of small mammals

In the ancient fables of the Greek poet Aesop, animals have a character. The rural mouse is careful and has problems being around people. The urban …
Students of the iGEM-Team. Photo: Thomas Roese.

Boston Calling – Potsdam students take part in an international biotechnology competition

They establish their own research team, set themselves an ambitious goal and meticulously plan extensive experiments. Students of the University of …
Rädertierchen

Interplay of Nature – How biodiversity relates to ecological dynamics

Biodiversity is rapidly declining worldwide, on land and in the water. In Germany alone, a quarter of all plants and a third of all animal species are …
Foto: Prof. Dr. Katja Hanack. Photo: Karla Fritze.

Cozy in the Petri Dish – Bioscientists at the University of Potsdam are breaking new ground in antibody production

They are the weapons of our body against unwanted invading microorganisms. Antibodies bind to the surface of viruses and bacteria. Specialized …
Markus Grebe looks at an eight-week-old Arabidopsis thaliana in the plant room. Photo: Thomas Roese.

Everything in Its Right Place – Plant physiologists examine control mechanisms in cell plants

Whether in plants, animals, or human beings, cells are the buildings blocks of life. Their interiors are little organisms in themselves, consisting of …
Prof. Dr. Dirk Wagner. Photo: Karla Fritze.

Quite Warm, Quite Cold – Geomicrobiologist Dirk Wagner researches the smallest lifeforms in extreme environments

The Arctic, deserts, and volcanos: Life exists in very unexpected places – and on a surprising scale. Geomicrobiologist Prof. Dr. Dirk Wagner tracks …
Porpoise. Photo: Wikipedia.org/Ecomare.

The Dolphin’s Shy Relative - Genetically analyzing endangered cetaceans in the Baltic Sea

You need some luck to see them. Porpoises are shy and inconspicuous. These two-meter animals flash their dark fins above the water only to immediately …
Prof. Dr. Michael Hofreiter. Photo: Karla Fritze.

Fishing for DNA – A drilling core reveals the history of an entire ecosystem

How wild horses and chickens were bred thousands of years ago, which species were closely related to the long-extinct European straight-tusked …
Prof. Dr. Elke Dittmann. Photo: Thomas Roese.

Old as the Hills and Still in Top Form – Cyanobacteria are survival specialists – and the research focus of Elke Dittmann

It could have all turned out differently. Looking back, Prof. Dr. Elke Dittmann attributes her success in becoming Professor of Microbiology at the …
Hare. Photo: Wiebke Ullmann

Movement in the Fields - Biologists research interactions between biodiversity and movement patterns

A good 50% of Germany’s land – about 18 million hectares – is used for agriculture. This land is subject to rhythms of plowing, sowing, harvesting, …