Research news

Professor Wolfgang Wahlster, long-serving Chair of the Executive Board at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), has been awarded the prestigious Konrad Zuse Medal by the German Informatics Society (GI) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to computer science. The award honours the exceptional scientific achievements and the remarkable commitment of an outstanding researcher who has profoundly shaped AI research in Germany and across Europe. [...]

Just like on motorways, traffic in the body no longer flows smoothly when the 'roads', such as cellular microtubules, are damaged. These tiny tubes play a key role in the cytoskeleton, providing stability and serving as transport routes within the cell. A team of biophysicists in Saarbrücken has now redefined the role of a microtubule protein that not only stabilizes but also supports the repair of damaged microtubules. The scientists have published their findings in Nature Physics.
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Ultra-flat, featherlight, and compact – these are the hallmarks of the next-generation cooling units being developed by Professor Paul Motzki at Saarland University. Backed by a prestigious ERC Starting Grant from the European Research Council, Motzki is pushing the boundaries of elastocaloric technology – a cutting-edge, climate-friendly method of cooling and heating – by combining two breakthrough smart material systems. [...]

A research team at Saarland University has demonstrated in a clinical study that a widely used anti-allergy nasal spray containing the active ingredient azelastine can significantly reduce the risk of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The results of the placebo-controlled trial involving 450 healthy participants have now been published in the leading US medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine. [...]

An international team of researchers, including mathematician Jonas Haferkamp from Saarland University, has discovered a new phenomenon in the world of quantum physics. States that appear to be purely random, without actually being so, are generated much faster than previously thought. This could significantly improve many quantum physics applications. Due to their fundamental importance, the findings were published in the journal Science.
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For centuries, physicists have believed that ice melts on slippery surfaces due to the effects of temperature, pressure and friction. But a research team led by Martin Müser, Professor of Materials Simulation at Saarland University, has now shown that this long-standing belief is mistaken. Using advanced computer simulations, the team discovered that molecular dipoles—tiny charged regions within molecules—play a decisive role in disrupting the crystalline structure of ice. [...]

Scientists at Saarland University’s Homburg Campus have developed a pioneering robot-assisted procedure for joint replacement surgery. Their approach removes the need for bone pins and external infrared cameras in procedures such as knee replacement surgery. Led by Professor Stefan Landgraeber, Director of the Department of Orthopaedics at the University Medical Center, and research associate Philipp Winter, the project seeks to make orthopaedic surgery both safer and less invasive. [...]

Every time a muscle contracts or a thought forms in the brain, calcium plays a crucial role in triggering the process. Once the signal has been transmitted, the calcium must be rapidly cleared from the cell, so it is ready for the next signal. This task is performed mainly by plasma membrane calcium pumps, which, it turns out, operate at a transport rate more than 100 times faster than previously thought. [...]

Satellite images, social media and barcode scanners in shops offer a wealth of data that has so far been little used in the social sciences. New AI-supported methods are helping with the evaluation, but they require a great deal of IT expertise and legal and ethical consideration. This interdisciplinary expertise is now to be pooled in a competence centre called ‘Societal Observatory Using Novel Data Sources (SOUNDS)’. [...]

Joint press release by the Health.AI Saar network, Saarland University and the Saarland Ministry of Economic Affairs:
Following a successful interim evaluation, the Health.AI Saar research network has been awarded approximately €14 million in funding. Numerous partners within the network are conducting a wide range of research projects exploring how artificial intelligence can enhance healthcare and medical practice. [...]