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» Published on 26. Oktober 2021

Celebrating five years of Bielefeld University’s higher education programme for refugees

Goal: Study programme – over 1,000 refugees supported

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the higher education programme for refugees. Since winter semester 2016/17, Bielefeld University has been mentoring refugees on their journey to university studies. The range of services is diverse: German courses, counselling, orientation and preparation courses make it easier for prospective students to get started. More than 1,000 refugees have been supported since the programme started in 2016. Over the past five years, the programme has received around 3.5 million euros in funding.

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» Published on 25. Oktober 2021

Study identifies Sars-CoV-2 variant with a deletion in its genome

Existing analysis software fails to detect missing gene building blocks

Gruppenbild (v.li.): Dr. Christiane Scherer vom Evangelischen Klinikum Bethel, Prof. Dr. Jörn Kalinowski und Prof. Dr. Alexander Sczyrba, beide von der Universität Bielefeld
Automated gene analyses of Sars-CoV-2 samples consistently miss gene segments in the virus genome that have undergone deletion due to mutations. This is revealed in a new study by researchers at Bielefeld University’s Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec) and the Evangelical Hospital Bethel (EvKB), one of the supporting hospitals of Medical School OWL. The research team was able to show that a large part of the ORF8 gene segment was missing in the samples it analysed. This gene region is thought to contribute to delaying defensive reactions in the human body. If it is missing, there is a chance that the virus will become less pathogenic, meaning that it will cause less serious disease. The research team has published its findings in the journal ‘Viruses’.

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» Published on 25. Oktober 2021

Joint signing of Data Literacy Charter

Bielefeld University, Paderborn University and Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences advocate teaching data literacy

Person sitzt in Hörsaal und blickt auf Notebook-Bildschirm
The Data Literacy Charter highlights data literacy as an essential part of general education. Its signatories share a common understanding of data literacy and its importance for educational processes. Bielefeld University, Paderborn University and Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences have now jointly signed the Data Literacy Charter. The two universities and the University of Applied Sciences have been involved in the DataLiteracySkills@OWL project to teach data literacy since 2019. By signing the charter, the two universities and the University of Applied Sciences commit to taking measures to spread the understanding of data literacy and to strengthen the associated competencies.

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» Published on 24. September 2021

Stigmatization prevents lessons from the HIV pandemic

Bielefeld researchers look at the consequences for Covid-19 in ‘Science’

Prof. Dr. Oliver Razum und Dr. Yudit Namer, Bilder der Personen
The HIV pandemic hit the LGBTQI+ community particularly early: people who were already stigmatized. This stigmatization prevented the lessons of the HIV pandemic from being adopted by broader parts of society—with consequences for dealing with the Covid 19 pandemic, argue researchers from the School of Public Health at Bielefeld University. In the journal Science, they show how society could learn better from the experiences of stigmatized communities. Their contribution is part of a project at the Research Institute Social Cohesion (FGZ) funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

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» Published on 21. September 2021

Tiny nanoparticles improve charge transport

Bielefeld researchers publish study on topological insulators

Prof’in Dr. Gabi Schierning und Sepideh Izadi forschen zu Nanopartikel-basierten Quantenmaterialien. Foto: Universität Bielefeld
Three-dimensional topological insulators are materials that can conduct electric current without resistance—but only on their surface. However, this effect is difficult to measure. This is because these materials usually have little surface area in relation to their volume, which means their transport properties are dominated by bulk charge carriers. Bielefeld University physicists have now succeeded in developing topological insulators based on tiny nanoparticles and have thus been able to demonstrate charge transport on the surface. The study was conducted in cooperation with researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen and the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden. The scientists have published their results today (21.9.2021) in the journal Small. The European Research Council ERC funded the study with a Consolidator Grant.

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» Published on 13. September 2021

How genetic islands form among marine molluscs

International study appears in the research journal Science Advances

Das Bild zeigt Napfschnecken, die aufeinanderklettern.
Usually, the individuals of a population of marine species that have the potential to disperse over long distances all share a similar genetic composition. Yet every now and then, at small, localised sites, small groups of genetically different individuals suddenly appear within populations for a short period of time. A new study explains how this chaotic formation of genetic islands can occur in marine molluscs. Scientists from Bielefeld University and the British Antarctic Survey collaborated on the research. Their study has appeared in Science Advances.

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» Published on 13. September 2021

How turbulence from a tidal turbine structure affects terns

Drones used for the first time to map tidal currents and foraging flights

Sandwich Tern in front of SeaGen tidal power plan
Tidal energy converters use strong tidal currents to power underwater turbines in much the same way as wind turbines. Hardly any research has so far been conducted on how their turbulent wakes may impact the marine environment. A recent international study shows: the wake of a tidal energy structure influences how terns search for food. Researchers from Bielefeld University, Queen’s University Belfast (Northern Ireland), and the University of Plymouth (England) collaborated for the study. For the first time, drones have been used to simultaneously track the movements of terns and the turbulent wake of a tidal turbine structure. The research team presents their analysis of the extensive data in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 

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» Published on 10. September 2021

THE Ranking: Bielefeld University among the world’s best 200 universities

The ranking includes more than 1,600 institutions across 99 countries

Tower of the main building of Bielefeld University against a blue sky
The British academic magazine ‘Times Higher Education’ (THE) has published its World University Ranking 2022, which lists Bielefeld University among the top 200 universities in the world. In Germany, it is one of the 20 best-rated universities.

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» Published on 8. Juli 2021

New study: Lack of consideration of sex and gender in Covid-19 clinical studies

Publication in Nature Communications 


Although Covid-19 affects men and women differently, the large majority of current clinical studies of SARS-CoV-2 and Covid-19 makes no mention of sex/gender. Indeed, only a fraction, 4 percent, explicitly plan to address sex and gender in their analysis, concludes a new analysis of nearly 4,500 studies. 21 percent only take this variable into account when selecting participants while 5.4 % go as far as planning to have sex-matched or representative subgroups and samples. The article is published in Nature Communications. The study is conducted by researchers at at Bielefeld University, Nijmegen's Radboud University Medical Center, Aarhus University, and University of Copenhagen.

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» Published on 7. Juli 2021

The reproductive advantages of large male fish

Bielefeld University researchers publish systematic review and meta-analysis on mosquitofish 

Ein Moskitofischmännchen (Gambusia holbrooki) versucht das größere Weibchen zu besamen. Foto: Andrew Kahn
In mosquitofish, of the genus Gambusia, male fish are smaller than females – sometimes only half the size. Biologists had previously assumed that smaller male mosquitofish had at least some reproduc-tive advantages. Researchers from the transregional collaborative research cen-tre NC³ at Bielefeld University have shown in a systematic review and meta-analysis that larger mosquitofish are actually more successful at reproduction: they can, for instance, better challenge their rivals; they produce more sperm; and they are preferred by female fish. The re-searchers are presenting their findings today (07.07.2021) in the Journal of Animal Ecology.

 

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