For successful fertilization, sperm should move forward rapidly and be shaped correctly. The unique structure of the sperm cells forms during spermiogenesis. Now, researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the Transdisciplinary Research Unit "Life & Health" at the University of Bonn have found that fertility problems in both mice and humans can be caused by loss of so-called cylicines. This causes defects in head and tail structure of sperm. The results of the study have now been published in the scientific journal "eLife".

Dermatologist Prof. Jörg Wenzel of Bonn University Hospital and University of Bonn has collaborated with Incyte, a U.S.-based global biopharmaceutical company, to develop a strategy for treating patients with severe pruritus (prurigo nodularis) with ruxolitinib cream. The University of Bonn and Incyte have now entered into an agreement whereby Incyte has acquired the rights to a related joint patent application from Bonn.

Innovations in AI-assisted social sciences, sustainable agriculture and medicine are being funded in the third round of prototyping grants by the Transfer Center enaCom at the University of Bonn. Whether an AI solution for better understanding of scientific communities, a robot that treats weeds differently depending on the species, or a preventive nasal spray - scientists from the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn are developing innovative prototypes for practical challenges of our time. With the prototyping grants, their research findings are prepared for a planned commercialization. The grants with a funding amount of up to €50,000 are regularly awarded by the Transfer Center.

The Universitätsgesellschaft Bonn (UGB) has awarded its prizes for exceptional doctorates and student engagement at its traditional winter soirée. The funding association gave out prize money totaling €19,000 to young academics.

Another big success for the University of Bonn in securing grants from the European Research Council (ERC), with three researchers receiving an ERC Consolidator Grant: Professor Jan Hasenauer of the LIMES Institute, Professor Florian I. Schmidt of the Institute for Innate Immunity and Dr. Evgeny Shinder of the Mathematical Institute.

Following last year's successful launch, the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bonn and the Medical Imaging Center Bonn (MIB) at the UKB invited researchers and representatives from industry and start-ups to the MIB Future Panel. Around 200 guests joined the pitch participants on November 16 and were informed about the latest developments in the field of medical imaging in four sessions.

Dr. Simon Haas of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin has been awarded the Lisec Artz Prize, presented as part of the Cluster Science Days event organized by the University of Bonn’s ImmunoSensation2 Cluster of Excellence. Endowed with 10,000 euros, the Prize is competitively awarded to early-career cancer researchers on the basis of a nationwide public call for nominations conducted by the University of Bonn Foundation and the University of Bonn Faculty of Medicine. 

With a total of 11 researchers, the University of Bonn is represented this year in the international ranking "Highly Cited Researchers". According to the creators of the ranking, the individuals on this list of "Highly Cited Researchers" are among the world's most influential one percent of their field.