News
Trees in extreme drought in Germany
Forests in many regions of the world are increasingly under stress caused by drought as a result of climate change. Even forest ecosystems traditionally considered to be water-rich are being affected by prolonged periods of drought with increasing frequency. Since 2021, researchers from the University of Göttingen, in collaboration with the nearby Lauterberg Forestry Office, have been investigating how soil moisture affects the vitality of beech trees in the Harz Mountains in Germany. more…
Zooming in: electron orbitals photographed in 3D
Fundamental particles, such as electrons, cannot be pinned down to one single location. Instead, a particle is described by its “wavefunction”. The electron wavefunctions within a molecule, known as “molecular orbitals”, carry information about how the molecule interacts with its surroundings so imaging the wavefunction is a major challenge. Researchers managed to image the 3D wavefunction of a nanometer-sized organic molecule by combining state-of-the-art photoelectron spectroscopy with powerful mathematical algorithms. more…
Drought alters pest infestations
Drought creates increasing challenges for agriculture: as well as affecting the growth of crops, it also affects interactions with pests. A research team at the University of Göttingen has investigated how different levels of drought affect the susceptibility of sugar beet to damage caused by the beet leaf miner (Pegomya cunicularia) – a fly whose larvae create visible tunnels inside the leaves. more…
Fine-flavour cacao: high yields and income for smallholder farmers
Plantations of native fine-flavour cacao in countries like Peru have become rare due to the dominance of high-yielding cacao varieties for mass production. This threatens the valuable native cacao crop’s genetic diversity. An international research team studied the use of selected genotypes of a native variety, known by local farmers for its high productivity, for grafting fully grown cacao trees. more…
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Further news
AI research for more precise particle-physics simulations
The University of Göttingen has been awarded around 1.8 million euros for a new AI research group in the programme “KI-Forschungsgruppen Niedersachsen” funded by zukunft.niedersachsen. The five-year project “Production-ready AI for unbiased simulation in high energy physics” will be led by Dr Timo Janßen at the Institute for Theoretical Physics. more…
Text+: Research Data Infrastructure for Text- and Language-Based Research Enters Next Phase
The Joint Science Conference (GWK) has approved approximately €6 million in funding for the Text+ research data infrastructure for a further two years. The Göttingen State and University Library (SUB Göttingen), which participated as a co-applicant institution during the first funding phase, will now serve as the applicant institution on behalf of the University of Göttingen, assuming responsibility for the financial, organisational, and strategic development of the initiative. more…