Energy to go

2-15

effzett FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JÜLICH’S MAGAZINE

Energy to go Researchers are developing a new generation of batteries

SWITCH

SCRUTINY

SENSE

How light controls nerve cells

On the lookout for weapons-grade uranium

The colours of numbers

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AS W E S E E IT

What’s that flying up there?

At first glance, it looks like a giant insect from outer space searching for food.

With one eye and eight propellers in the place of wings, it hovers above the field.

But wait! The supposed alien is only hungry for data. It’s not even able to fly by itself.

Andreas Burkart, PhD student at the Institute of Bio- and Geosciences (IBG-2), controls the futuristic flying object. The octocopter’s eye is nothing more than an objective lens; its body, a camera. Burkart uses the camera to collect data from an altitude of about 100 metres on the vegetation in meadows and grain fields. Based on this data, he can determine the health of the plants and how ripe they are, as well as species diversity.

TO PI C S

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Unexpectedly similar

C OV E R S TO RY

Mental illnesses share noticeable features in the brain.

N E W S IN B R IE F

Record-breaking energy storage Being on the move demands “energy to go”. Batteries are set to become even more powerful, more efficient, and cheaper.

Attack of the ash particles

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The small difference

New ceramic coatings protect aircraft turbines.

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24

RESEARCH

SECTIONS

Glowing future

What makes our world what it is?

Kálmán Szabó and Stefan Krieg are looking for the answer.

Editorial 4

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Publication details

Nuclear detectives

What’s your research

They reveal what’s really produced in uranium facilities.

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all about?

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2.2 plus 26

Thumbs up

983164 Test, test, test!

Valentin Gordeliy controls nerve cells with light.

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Synaesthetes connect colours with numbers.

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Research in a tweet 28

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E D I TO R I A L

Fully charged Power from garden compost, sugar, or even urine? Sounds strange, but it really does work! British researchers have developed a toilet in which bacteria-driven fuel cells convert urine into energy.

A well-­frequented toilet will never be dark again. What seems far-fetched will in fact improve safety in the Third World: in unlit sanitary facilities in refugee camps, attacks, particularly on women, frequently occur.

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Creative approaches are also needed for the mobile world. Although your own urine will probably not charge smartphones and electric cars in future, perhaps the breathing battery will. Our author Katja Lüers is on the case and her report starting on page 8 looks at what super batteries could soon power our everyday devices.

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Publication details effzett Forschungszentrum Jülich’s magazine, ISSN 2364-2327

Translation: Language Services, Forschungszentrum Jülich

Published by: Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52425 Jülich, Germany

Graphics and layout: SeitenPlan GmbH, Corporate Publishing Dortmund

Conception and editorial work: Annette ­Stettien, Dr. Barbara Schunk, Christian Hohlfeld, Dr. Anne Rother (responsible under German Press Law) Authors: Marcel Bülow, Dr. Frank Frick, Christian Hohlfeld, Katja Lüers, Christoph Mann, Katharina Menne, Tobias Schlößer, Dr. Barbara Schunk, ­Brigitte Stahl-Busse, Annette Stettien, Ilse ­Trautwein, Erhard Zeiss, Peter Zekert

Images: Forschungszentrum Jülich (5, 11, 12, 17), Forschungszentrum Jülich/Ralf-Uwe Limbach (2, 3 left, top centre, 10, 15, 16, 18, 24 top), Forschungszentrum Jülich/IBS Grenoble (15 top), Forschungszentrum Jülich/Sascha Kreklau (19, 20, 22 top), © Airbus DS Geo GmbH (22 centre), alejandro dans neergaard/Shutterstock (7 right), Árni Friðriksson (3 right), Courtesy NASA/JPL Caltech (6 right), Courtesy of Diamond Light

Source (6 left), DLR/A. Minikin (26), ixpert/ Shutterstock (22 bottom), Sebastian Kaulitzki/ Shutterstock (14), Oleksiy Mark/Shutterstock (4), Nanking2012 (21), NASA (25), Nata-Lia/ Shutterstock (7 left), private (28), Rolls-Royce (24 bottom), Stadtmarketing Karlsruhe (27), Bernd Struckmeyer/SeitenPlan [illustrations] (1, 8-9, 10, 12-13) Contact: Corporate Communications, Tel: +49 2461 61-4661, Fax: 02461 61-4666,­ E-Mail: info@fz-juelich.de

N E WS IN B R IE F

B I O C H E M I S T RY

Pretty perilous They’re as impressive as fireworks in the night sky. But seeing them gives cause for concern: fibrils, clumps of protein in the brain that are no bigger than a few micrometres in size, damage nerve cells.

They are typical of Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers from Jülich and Düsseldorf observed their growth using a fluorescence microscope.

– INSTITUTE OF COMPLE X SYSTEMS –

N E U R O S C IE N C E

Taking a break makes all the difference Not only when learning but also when forgetting things, it’s important to take regular breaks. Or at least this applies to hypersynchronous nerve cells, as neuroscientists at Jülich have discovered. Using the computer, they simulated cells that send out excessive and synchronous signals. Such abnormal behaviour of brain cells occurs in people suffering from Parkinson’s or tinnitus. The cells concerned can be brought out of this synchronism if they are stimulated with a set pattern of impulses over a lengthy period of time.

The computer simulations showed that weak impulses with practically no effect may be sufficient – but only if adequate breaks are taken between the stimulations.

– INSTITUTE OF NEUROSCIENCE AND MEDICINE –

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N E W S IN B R IE F

N A N O M AT E R I A L S

Support Jülich physicists have made further progress in utilizing graphene. This special form of carbon is being studied throughout the world because graphene is harder than ­diamond, tougher than steel, and more conductive than silicon. However, before it can be implemented in applications, a supporting material or substrate is essential for the ultrathin material. But this can alter the electronic properties of graphene. Thanks to Jülich researchers, the strength of this interaction can now be determined using a simple criterion.

The decisive parameter here is the atomic distance between the graphene layer and the substrate. Equipped with this knowledge, new substrates can be sought and evaluated.

– PETER GRÜNBERG INSTITUTE –

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partners . . . … one thought: protecting the environment while on the go. This is what Forschungszentrum Jülich and seven other regional partner enterprises are working on in the project Mobil.Pro.Fit. The nationwide initiative provides advice for enterprises and organizations on what improvements could be made in areas such as business trips, company cars, and commuting to work.

New approaches could also cut costs. Mobil.Pro.Fit is part of Germany’s National Climate Initiative.

– S U S TA I N A B L E C A M P U S –

WAT E R R E S E A R C H

Measuring above, testing below Since January 2015, a new observation satellite has been orbiting Earth: Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) was developed by the American space agency NASA and measures soil moisture everywhere on Earth.

Jülich researchers compare the soil moisture calculated from the satellite data with their measurements at various sites. If there are deviations, NASA can check its calculations and adapt them accordingly. The mission aims to improve our understanding of the correlations between water, energy and carbon fluxes, and to improve the predictive capability of weather and climate models.

– INSTITUTE OF BIO - AND GEOSCIENCES –

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B I OT E C H N O LO GY

Alcohol instead of sugar Methanol is toxic and highly flammable, but is still high on the agenda – as a fuel as well as for the production of chemical substances such as acetic acid.

In future, the alcohol may also be utilized in biotechnology, providing nutrition for bacteria that produce important substances like amino acids. At the moment, sugar is mainly used as a nutrient. Scientists at Jülich have modified the bacterial strain Corynebacterium glutamicum to enable it to utilize methanol, which in turn can be produced from renewable raw materials. Before its industrial application, however, the conversion of the alcohol by the bacteria must be improved.

Attacks on cell walls A rare side-effect of the painkiller Ibuprofen is gastrointestinal bleeding. Researchers from Jülich and Munich have identified a possible explanation for this. In a model system, they used neutron scattering to show that high doses of the drug attack the cell membranes of the stomach walls.

Although these concentrations considerably exceeded normal doses, the researchers believe that such high concentrations are possible for brief periods in localized areas.

– INSTITUTE OF BIO - AND GEOSCIENCES –

– JÜLICH CENTRE FOR NEUTRON SCIENCE –

SUSTAINABLE CYCLE

ORIE NTATION RE AD - OUT

RESE ARCH FOR THE “ E NE RGIE WE NDE ”

In the Brazilian city of Goiânia, the research project PURESBio began at the end of January.

Plant researchers from Jülich are coordinating the GermanBrazilian cooperation. The project aims to sustainably use organic waste from crop cultivation and biogas production – and ideally, this should happen in a regional, closed nutrient cycle.

Researchers from Jülich, Dresden, and Strasbourg have succeeded in electrically reading out the orientation of magnetic vortices in tiny iron-silver discs.

They made use of characteristic microwaves which are emitted by two nanodiscs placed on top of each other. These devices could function as space-saving and energy-efficient data storage in future.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will provide € 6.5 million in funding for five Jülich projects aiming to develop materials for effective and affordable energy storage. Such storage is important for the transformation of the energy sector – the “Energiewende” – as it will counterbalance fluctuations in the power grid caused by the generation of power from wind and the sun.

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C OV E R S TO RY

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10 11

6 Batteries in everyday life 1 Laptop 2 Mobile phone 3 Chainsaw 4 Pedelec 5 Electric car 6 Hearing aid 7 Power wheelchair 8 Solar-powered parking meter 9 MP3 player 10 Radio device 11 Buffer storage for photovoltaic systems 12 Alarm system 13 Battery for power supply in a passenger plane 14 Space satellite

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Record-breaking energy storage Whether it’s a smartphone, cordless screwdriver, or electric car – the mobile world relies on the lithium-ion battery. But alternatives are also being explored for “energy to go”. To date, although many options are conceivable, they all have a long way to go before reaching market maturity.

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2 5

3

1

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C OV E R S TO RY

Prof. Rüdiger Eichel is head of the Institute of Energy and Climate Research – Fundamentals of Electrochemistry (IEK-9) at Forschungszentrum Jülich.

Here, the physicist and his team are investigating basic concepts for future energy storage systems and energy converters. Together with Karlsruhe nano­scientist Prof. Horst Hahn (KIT), ­Rüdiger Eichel, as spokesperson, coordinates the battery research of all Helmholtz centres on the topic of “Electrochemical storage” in the new Helmholtz programme “Storage and cross-linked infrastructures” (SVI).

T

rouble with your mobile phone battery? It’s a scenario most of us are familiar with.

Not too long ago, I was on the train, and once again, I had just sat down and started to read my emails when my smartphone simply turned itself off – battery dead. What I didn’t know was that my daughter had secretly used my phone that morning to send voice messages to her friends and to take countless photos of her sisters. The charger cable was at home on the kitchen table.

It’s at times like this that I often wonder – even as a scientist – how is it that man can fly to the moon, and yet the battery in my mobile can’t even outlast my daughter and a train journey?

And where are these super-duper batteries that everyone is always talking about? A few years ago, it felt like I could use my mobile to make calls for hours on end, but today I have the feeling that the newer the phone is, the faster the battery dies.

today, is more powerful than ever before. “No other rechargeable energy storage system can compete with it at the moment,” says the physicist. However, today’s smartphones are equipped with countless power-hungry functions. People don’t buy a mobile phone simply to make telephone calls any more; they want to be able to use it to film, take photos, and play games.

Jülich battery researcher Rüdiger Eichel grins to himself when he hears stories like this: “Such impressions are misleading.” The lithium-ion battery, which is standard in all mobile devices

Car batteries, for example, have to provide a very high current at very different temperatures; otherwise, the engine won’t start. Mobile phones don’t need these high current densities. Instead,

“The development of lithium-ion technology is without doubt a success story. But compared to the development of added features for mobile phones and cars, it’s a slow process,” says Eichel.

And the ultimate battery that can be used in all electronic devices will continue to be a pipe dream. “It’s just not viable: if we compare a car battery and a mobile phone battery, we quickly realize that each rechargeable battery must be optimized for the intended application in order to become a record breaker in its own discipline,” says Eichel.

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people want to be able to use the device for as long as possible. These are very distinct chal­ lenges and battery researchers like Eichel are working on solutions. In other words, instead of one super battery, several different types and systems will emerge, with one thing in common: they will all be cheap, durable, efficient, safe, and powerful.

velopment of lithium-ion technology. Not only are new materials required for the positive and negative poles but new electrolytes are also essential – and this is where the priority of Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS) lies. The electrolyte is the medium that is responsible for transporting the ions inside the battery between the two electrodes, namely the anode and cathode.

PUBESCENT TECHNOLOGY

In conventional batteries like the lead-acid starter battery, the configuration is not very flexible: two lead plates function as electrodes and liquid sulfuric acid as the electrolyte. These batteries provided submarines with energy during the First World War and are a standard part of every car with an internal combustion engine today.

Lithium-ion technology, in contrast, provides researchers with great flexibility: the electrolyte can be liquid, solid, or ceramic. New materials are also constantly being tested for use as electrode coatings in order to find an optimal composition for the electrochemical cell. “This potential mixture of materials is what makes the research so exciting, and the results so difficult to predict,” says Winter.

Battery researchers are further developing rechargeable batteries from two angles. The first involves optimizing lithium-ion technology. “In terms of energy content, it’s just hit puberty, and is a long way from maturity,” says Münster battery expert Martin Winter. The second approach involves completely new solutions that may one day replace “grown-up” lithium-ion technology in selected applications. “After all, it too will reach its limits eventually,” Eichel is convinced.

Many researchers believe that the range of an electric car with a lithium-ion battery will never compete with the range of a car run on petrol.

Energy-hungry smartphones are also crying out for new solutions. “These completely new types of battery will ensure an economically and ecologically sustainable supply of energy and storage in the long term,” says Winter. But it will take several years until we reach this stage.

Winter is confident that battery research will be driven over the next 15 years by the further de-

Prof. Martin Winter is founder and scientific head of the battery research centre MEET. MEET stands for Münster Electro­chemical Energy Technology. On 1 January, the chemist became director of the new Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS). HI MS is dedicated to electrolyte research for batteries and pools the expertise of Forschungs­ zentrum Jülich, RWTH Aachen University, and the University of Münster.

Most of the standard batteries available commercially today contain liquid electrolytes, some of which are toxic and highly flammable. A team of scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich headed

by Prof. Olivier Guillon recently developed a ceramic electrolyte. Replacing liquid electrolytes with a solid reduces the risk of leaks, overheating,

The most common battery systems ZINC-CARBON

ALKALINEMANGANESE

SILVER OXIDE

LITHIUM

NICKELMETAL HYDRIDE

NICKELCADMIUM

LITHIUM-ION

Voltage

1.5 V

1.5 V

1.55 V

3V

1.2 V

1.2 V

3.6 V

Negative pole anode

Zinc

Zinc

Zinc

Lithium

Water-retaining metal alloy

Cadmium

Lithium-cobalt compounds

Positive pole cathode

Manganese dioxide

Manganese dioxide

Silver oxide

Manganese dioxide

Nickel hydroxide

Nickel hydroxide

Graphite

Advantages (+) and disadvantages (-)

+ Cheap production - Limited capacity and power

+ High performance + Good leak resistance + Long shelf life

+ High energy density + Long lifetime - High production costs

+ Low self-discharge + High energy density + Long shelf life + Not sensitive to temperature - High production costs

+ Cadmium-free + High energy density + High capacity - Higher self discharge than lithium-ion batteries - L azy battery effect

+ Very durable + Fast recharging + Cold-resistant to -15 °C - Harmful to the environment - Low energy density - Memory effect

+ No memory effect + Low self-discharge + High energy density + Long lifetime - Sensitive to full discharging and overcharging

Use

• Alarm clocks • T V remote controls • Pocket calculators

• MP3 players • Torches • Smoke alarms • Blood pressure monitors

• Watches • Medical instruments (e.g. insulin pen systems)

• Digital cameras • Smart cards • Alarm and tracking systems

• Toys • Electrical toothbrushes • Cordless telephones • E -cars and e-bikes

• Emergency and alarm systems • Medical equipment • Tools

• Mobile phones • L aptops • MP3 players • E -cars • Tools

Source: “Die Welt der Batterien”, published by: Stiftung gemeinsames Rücknahmesystem Batterien, 2012

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C OV E R S TO RY

The Jülich battery

On a laboratory scale, the solid-state battery developed by scientists at Jülich performs astonishingly well. Its electrolyte is not a liquid but a special ceramic. “This reduces the risk of leaks, overheating, flammability, and toxicity,” says Prof. Olivier Guillon, Institute of ­Energy and Climate Research – Materials Synthesis and Processing (IEK-1). He and his team unveiled the new cell in spring 2015.

» The field beyond tried-and-tested technology is still largely unexplored and is simply waiting to be discovered. «

flammability, and toxicity, and also permits a high energy density. Energy density is the most important parameter for comparing different battery systems. It is the amount of energy per unit volume or mass that can be stored in the battery.

The larger the energy density, the smaller and lighter the battery for the same capacity. “The Jülich solid-state battery is still a long way from market maturity. We’re only at the basic research stage,” says Eichel.

VAST AREA – GREAT POTENTIAL

Solid instead of liquid

This basic research also involves searching for alternatives to the lithium-ion battery. “The field beyond tried-and-tested technology is still largely unexplored and is simply waiting to be discovered,” says Eichel. And that’s what he finds so fascinating and where he believes opportunities lie.

“German scientists are in an excellent position to make their mark in this field. We don’t have to catch up with anyone!”

The present spectrum of super batteries ranges from metal-air, lithium-sulfur, and magnesium-ion batteries to rechargeable “green batteries” based on organic materials – a breakthrough for commercialization has yet to occur.

Normally, a liquid electrolyte transports lithium ions during discharging from the anode to the cathode and simultaneously electrically isolates the two poles.

A solid can also fulfil this function. Suitable materials have gaps in their atomic lattice structure. Lithium ions (blue) can occupy these empty sites and move through the solid by “jumping” from one site to the other.

At Jülich, one battery type that researchers are concentrating on is the metal-air battery. These “breathing” batteries have a huge weight advantage over other types of batteries because they don’t have to store one of their main components: oxygen. “We are testing different concepts: from iron-air and aluminium-air to zinc-air and silicon-air batteries,” says Eichel. Theoretically, metal-air batteries promise an energy density that is around the same magnitude as that of petrol. However, the fact that the electrochemical reactions, which severely limit the charge/discharge cycle, are not yet fully understood is prob-

lematic. In laboratory tests, an iron-air battery, for example, can only be recharged between ten and twenty times at the moment – at least 1,000 cycles are needed for commercial applications.

Despite this, Eichel still considers this concept to be the most promising. Martin Winter is more cautious: “It will take decades before a breakthrough is achieved.” And this applies to the whole range of super batteries.

Both researchers agree that battery research as a multidisciplinary field has a long way to go.

Today’s lithium-ion batteries can store three times as much energy per unit mass than the first commercial versions marketed by Sony in 1991.

“But this took us 20 years,” says Winter.

In other words, I have to be patient. But there is hope that one day my smartphone will survive the secret “attacks” of my future grandchildren and that I will be able to use it sitting on the train afterwards – its battery fully charged while travelling from the north to the south of Germany.

K ATJ A L Ü E R S

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eeeCathode (copper)

e-

e-

Zn2+

Cu Electrolyte

e-

Zn2+

Cu2+

Zn Electrolyte

Porous part ition

e-

e-

eAnode (zinc)

How a battery works A battery converts chemical energy into electrical energy, as shown here using a zinc-copper battery as an example. When a battery discharges, zinc atoms (Zn) release electrons (e -) to the anode (negative pole).

In the process, these atoms become zinc ions (Zn2+). The electrons flow through an electrical conductor as current to the cathode, the positive pole. In this way, they can power a torch, as shown here. At the positive pole, copper ions (Cu2+) take up the electrons and become copper (Cu). Finally, the charged particles (ions) flow from the electrolyte back to the negative pole.

Research on an equal footing Until the mid-1980s, battery research and production was a source of pride for the German chemicals industry and electrical engineering. Then, there was a sharp break: consumer electronics moved lock, stock, and barrel to Asia, and with it battery know-how.

In the Federal Republic of Germany, things were quiet for almost 30 years. But now, this period of stagnation is over – thanks to the “Energiewende” and the propagation of electromobility.

“One reason for this is that new areas of ­application have opened up for batteries: they aren’t just interesting for mobile ­ devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, but also for electric cars and hybrid vehicles. The increasing electrification of drives will have a considerable impact over the next few decades on the market for ­batteries and components. Large batteries are even being discussed as stationary ­energy storage systems,” explains Martin Winter.

For Germany, this is an important development – after all, both the energy sector and automotive industry are cornerstones of the German economy. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is also prioritizing battery research for electric vehicles. Hopefully, the best batteries will come from Germany very soon. “We want to be global leaders in innovation,” says Federal Research Minister Johanna Wanka. BMBF has been funding battery research since 2007. One example is the innovation alliance “Lithium-ion battery 2015”, which has been granted funding worth € 60 million.

“German battery research is once again back on top. In some areas, we are already on par with Asia as a global player,” summarizes Winter. His colleague at Jülich confirms this.

“We are researching on an equal footing.”

New projects at Jülich within the BMBF programme on materials research for the “Energiewende”:

AlSiBat Further development and testing of aluminium-air and silicon-air batteries • Duration: until mid-2017 • Funding: € 2.3 million, of which € 0.7 million is for Jülich DESIREE Development of cathode ­materials for safe and more powerful next-generation lithium-ion batteries • Duration: until mid-2017 • Funding: € 3.4 million, of which € 1.3 million is for Jülich SABLE Combining imaging techniques with spectroscopic and microscopic ­techniques to investigate processes in electrochemical devices right down to the nanoscale • Duration: until end 2015 • Funding: € 2.9 million K ATJ A L Ü E R S

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RESEARCH

Glowing future

A new method is throwing light on thinking: optogenetics utilizes special proteins to control nerve cells in the brain with light impulses.

A structural biologist at Jülich has invented another tool for this.

When biologists fish a new bacterium out of the ocean, it rarely causes a stir outside the specialist community. This was no different when the marine bacterium Krokinobacter eikastus was discovered in 2006. But a few years later, it electrified scientists around the world: in 2013, a tiny biological pump with unique properties was discovered in its cell membrane.

Composed of a single protein molecule, this pump transports charged sodium particles – ions – out of the cell, and it does so using solar energy.

“It was immediately clear that this pump would keep us occupied,” says Prof. Valentin Gordeliy. “Such light-driven proteins have become enormously important over the last few years: they have evolved into a tool for a whole new field of research – optogenetics,” says the researcher from Jülich’s Institute of Complex Systems (ICS-6). In optogenetics, scientists implant such proteins into the membrane of nerve cells, for example. When ion pumps and channels – depending on exposure to light – transport particles with different charges into the cell, a neuron can be activated and deactivated again.

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To decipher the structure of proteins using X-ray diffraction, the molecules must be present as ­c rystals, as shown here.

International network: Prof. Valentin Gordeliy investigates the ­s tructure of proteins at Jülich, ­G renoble, and Moscow.

The proteins thus function as molecular switches. “By switching nerve cells on and off as desired, brain researchers can explore the interaction between neural microcircuits in more detail than ever before,” says Gordeliy.

However, the optogenetic toolbox is still quite modest as only a few membrane proteins have been identified as useful so far. And these proteins are only permeable to certain ions. A new addition like KR2, as the new bacteria pump is known, was therefore most welcome. However, decisive information necessary for its targeted use is still lacking: “A new protein molecule is a bit like an unknown machine – you can see what it does but initially not how it does it,” explains the researcher.

To understand the exact mechanisms, the basic structure must be known – and that of KR2 is extremely complex. It contains more than 4,400 individual atoms – and the position of every single one must be determined in order to obtain the structure as a whole.

Deciphering such structures is the speciality of Valentin Gordeliy and his team. In addition to the team in Jülich, the structural biology expert heads a research group in Grenoble and cooperates closely with his former working group in Moscow. “Despite the distance between us, all team members are continuously in contact and we work hand in hand,” says Gordeliy.

With the aid of X-ray crystallography, Gordeliy and his colleagues Vitaliy Schevchenko, Ivan Gushchin, and Vitaliy Polovinkin gained insights into the structure of KR2.

“In the high-resolution images, we noticed an unusual ­formation at the exact spot where ions are taken up inside the cell,” says Gordeliy. The researchers presume that this is the location of the pump’s filter, which only allows one type of ion past.

CUSTOMIZED PUMPS “We speculated that we would be able to create other light-driven pumps with different properties by manipulating this filter element,” says the scientist, looking back. In the laboratory at Jülich, they therefore replaced certain amino acids with mutations and found that KR2 did indeed transform into a pump for potassium ions. They confirmed their results in joint experiments with Prof. Ernst Bamberg at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt, one of the fathers of optogenetics.

This new pump is even more interesting for optogenetic applications than the original sodium pump because potassium is found some ten times more frequently in nerve cells. On top of this, under natural conditions, once potassium ions have been transported out of the cell, firing neurons return to a state of rest. The new KR2 variant could be used to control this process with light, creating an optogenetic potassium pump that would function as a semi-natural and hopefully particularly effective off-switch for nerve cells.

While some of the groups are now working on integrating the potassium variant of KR2 into cells, Gordeliy is already planning the next adaptation of the molecule. Customized pumps for calcium ions and other elements are the target. In addition, the researchers are investigating the structures of other light-activated membrane proteins. Step by step, the optogenetic toolbox is being expanded. And Jülich researchers are contributing to this.

PETER ZEKERT

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RESEARCH

Unexpectedly similar Anne is filled with panic at the thought of using the elevator; Max is so tired that he can’t get out of bed for days.

“Anxiety disorder” and “depression” are the diagnoses.

Despite their differences, the two mental illnesses share similarities in the brain.

The neuropsycho­l ogist and brain researcher Prof. Simon E ­ ickhoff works at both For­ schungszentrum Jülich and Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf.

The floor number lights up; the bell rings. Anne* concentrates on breathing deeply. Otherwise she will begin to sweat, her heart will pound, and panic will set in. Some days, she prefers to take the stairs straight up to her office on the fifth floor. For the last few months, Anne has been seeing a psychiatrist to try and control her panic attacks. Max* is also a regular patient. The biomedical researcher finds the severe fatigue that hits him during a bout of depression the most difficult thing to deal with. Sometimes, he can’t get out of bed for days on end.

THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG “Mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders or depression give rise to very different symptoms, but a pounding heart or severe fatigue are just the tip of the iceberg,” says Simon Eickhoff. The brain researcher knows that a large part of what causes the illnesses is hidden below the surface, like an iceberg – but instead of being hidden under the sea, it’s hidden behind our foreheads, deep inside our brains.

Throughout the world, scientists are researching what happens in our heads when we suffer from extreme forms of anxiety or depression. In recent years, imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have provided insights into the human control centre. Numerous studies have been published which use this method to analyse the structure and functional processes within our brains. * name changed by the editors

Working together with researchers at Stanford University in California, Simon Eickhoff collated and evaluated the results of 193 such studies in a meta-analysis (see info box).

This analysis comprised data from more than 7,300 patients suffering from various illnesses ­including anxiety disorders, depression, or schizo­phrenia, as well as data from around 8,500 healthy individuals.

The result is surprising. “As different as the symptoms of these mental illnesses are, there was one common characteristic in the brains of those suffering from the disorders: regardless of the illness, we found less grey matter in certain regions of the brain than in healthy individuals,” says the psychiatrist.

The areas of the brain involved are the dorsal ­anterior cingulate cortex as well as the right and left sides of the anterior insular cortex.

These regions mediate attention control, enabling us to concentrate on certain tasks and ignore distractions such as noises or other stimuli – for example while solving a mathematical problem or recalling our last summer holiday.

Whether the decreased cerebral matter in ­patients is the cause or result of the illnesses is not yet clear. “It’s the age-old problem of what came first, the chicken or the egg,” says Simon Eickhoff.

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Whether it’s depression or an anxiety disorder: the meta-analysis shows that patients with a mental illness have less grey matter in three brain regions than healthy people. These areas are active when we adapt our behaviour to suit our environment.

What is a meta-analysis?

EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS

Right hemisphere Left hemisphere

THOUSANDS OF DATA SETS But what impact will the results have on routine hospital practice? In the near future, not much.

“The results of the meta-analysis don’t allow us to say anything about individual patients. They are just mean values based on several thousand data sets,” Eickhoff emphasizes. He goes on to say that the diagnosis of many illnesses can be narrowed down today in the usual patient/doctor consultations. Here, the symptoms are the focus.

Often, Eickhoff continues, additional tests or organ examinations are then requested to rule out physical illnesses.

Eickhoff believes that future research work must concentrate on establishing whether the shared biological characteristics are due to similarities between the various illnesses and if this could be used as a starting point for similar therapies. At the moment, imaging techniques are not a stand-

ard method of examining patients – not least because of the high costs involved. In unclear cases or in the case of progressive illnesses, such as Parkinson’s or schizophrenia, Eickhoff believes that several examinations over a longer period of time would be beneficial.

This could also help Max. His acute depressive phases can usually be treated effectively.

However, if research continues to make progress, it may be possible in a few years to recognize certain changes in the brain, and thus determine how high the risk of another bout of depression actually is.

I L S E T R AU T W E I N

In a meta-analysis, scientists use a computer to evaluate the results of numerous research studies.

The results of a meta-analysis are more robust than the results of individual studies: as a very large amount of patient data is taken into account, a meta-analysis can determine whether a distinctive feature occurs with a disproportionate frequency or whether it is simply a one-off effect.

Simon Eickhoff from Jülich analysed data from various imaging studies of the brain using the specialized software ALE (short for activation likelihood estimation), which he also helped to develop as part of his doctoral degree. The software helps compare different images and filters out similarities.

193 studies on mental illnesses were analysed by the researchers.

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RESEARCH

0.14 percent is how much heavier the neutron is than the proton.

The small difference Our universe exists because neutrons are slightly heavier than protons. Researchers recently succeeded in calculating this minute difference in mass.

Two years: that’s how long it took the Jülich supercomputers JUQUEEN and JUROPA to ­calculate that the neutron is just 0.14 % heavier than the proton – a tiny difference of exactly 2.3∙10 -30 kg. An extremely small but decisive difference: the stability of atoms and the distribution of the chemical elements as we know them all depend on it. This is what the standard model of particle physics says. Another mass difference would probably lead to a completely different universe: more neutrons, less hydrogen, and a totally different chemical composition of matter would result.

Experiments around 80 years ago revealed the existence of this tiny difference. The fact that it can now be calculated from theoretical models is considered a milestone by many physicists.

“Our simulation is further confirmation of the standard model. The agreement between the

calculated and experimental values is within a permissible margin of error. This shows that the theoretical assumptions of the calculation were correct,” says Prof. Kálmán Szabó from the Jülich Supercomputing Centre. Both Szabó and his colleague Dr. Stefan Krieg are members of the international team of scientists from Germany, France, and Hungary that developed and performed the simulation.

HUGE COMPUTATIONAL EFFORT “In the past, we didn’t have the methods or the necessary high-performance computers to determine this tiny difference with such precision,” says Szabó. The cost of computation is enormous: diverse interactions as well as the masses of the elementary particles which make up the neutron and the proton all have to be incorporated.

“The latest supercomputer generation and the improved simulation techniques we developed are what made it possible to incorporate all theoretically predicted effects,” says the Jülich researcher.

Nobel laureate in physics Frank Wilczek is extremely optimistic about the new simulation tool: “More accurate modelling of supernova explosions and of rare objects like neutron stars are conceivable. The dream of a more refined nuclear chemistry could be within our grasp, for example improved energy storage and ultrahigh-energy lasers.” Szabó also anticipates new insights: “My aim is to apply the more precise methods to find indications of a new physics beyond the standard model; indications that the currently accepted theories are insufficient to fully describe our universe.”

K AT H A R I N A M E N N E

Patience pays off: Prof. Kálmán Szabó (left) and Dr. Stefan Krieg waited two years for supercomputers like JUQUEEN to perform their calculations.

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What’s your research all about, Ms Vossel?

Dr. Simone Vossel, BMBF group leader at the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine – Cognitive Neuroscience

“Our sense organs are continuously sending signals to our brains. But we don’t pay equal attention to all of them; some remain fuzzy. How do our brains know which signals are important at any given moment and which brain regions are involved?

That’s what I want to find out! If we understand this in healthy individuals, then we will be able to explain perception disorders in patients who have suffered a stroke for example, and help them to regain abilities that they have lost.”

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RESEARCH

Nuclear detectives One of the responsibilities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is to track down states that are covertly producing or proliferating nuclear material for weapons.

A team at Jülich is supporting these efforts.

»Trace amounts reveal whether an operator misuses his plant and produces weapons-grade uranium. « Dr. Martin Dürr

For most parents of babies and toddlers, baby wipes are indispensable – when changing a nappy or quickly cleaning little hands. The wipe that Dr. Martin Dürr is holding in his hand looks just like these gentle everyday aids. But he’s not standing at the nappy changing table; he’s in one of the meeting rooms used by the International Safeguards group at Jülich’s Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-6). “This is an important utensil for unveiling states that do not respect the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” says Dürr. Currently, 191 states are parties to this treaty and have committed themselves to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. India, Pakistan, Israel, and Southern Sudan have not signed the treaty and North Korea has withdrawn from it.

IAEA inspectors use these swipe samples in ­nuclear facilities. With the cloth, they simply wipe over twisting pipes or the shoes of employees. That these are actually cleaned in the process is not important. What is important is what the wipe collects: in addition to normal dust, this could include the tiniest trace amounts of uranium. “Such trace amounts tell us whether an operator really does use their facility for the declared purpose of producing uranium for power plants or whether they covertly use it to produce other, weapons-grade uranium,” says Dürr.

The inspectors can’t perform the complicated trace analysis on site, so they place the wipe in a small plastic bag – as carefully as the forensic police force would package a textile fibre or a shard found at the scene of an investigation. The bag is placed in a container, which the inspector then seals. This is done to ensure that nobody can

subsequently tamper with the samples. Nuclear sinners who have been caught out would otherwise seize the opportunity to question the result and claim that they are victims of a conspiracy.

The inspectors do not need to take any safety precautions against the radioactivity. “The wipe does not pose a health hazard – the amounts of radioactive material on it are extremely small,” the Jülich researcher says.

INTERNATIONALLY ACTIVE The sealed box is sent to the central laboratory of the IAEA in Vienna – to the Office of Safeguards Analytical Services. Here, the wipes received are tested for radioactive substances – initially without even removing them from the plastic bag.

Then, the IAEA experts decide how their detective work will proceed. If the initial test indicates nuclear ­material in an unusual composition, then comprehensive, in-depth analyses are requested in order to expose any possible illegal activities.

As numerous samples have to be tested, many of them are sent to one of the twelve external laboratories who belong to the global IAEA network.

Such a network has the advantage that laboratories in different countries can verify the result of an analysis if the plant operator involved or the respective government calls it into question.

The laboratories in the network consistently work on options of wringing even more information out of the swipe samples. “Normally, the material of the sample, which comes from thousands of particles on the wipe, is analysed as a whole.

Over the last number of years, laboratories in the network have been refining analysis methods mainly for individual uranium- or plutonium-­ containing particles in the swipe sample,” says

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Dürr’s boss Dr. Irmgard Niemeyer. She is in close contact with the IAEA experts and is the only German member of the Standing Advisory Group on Safeguards Implementation, which advises the IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano.

Analysing individual particles is particularly challenging. The particles are no bigger than a thousandth of a millimetre, and the method must also be capable of accurately detecting minute amounts. When the wipe tests are used, a lot of normal dust and dirt is also collected, making this procedure a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack. But this procedure provides the IAEA nuclear detectives with useful information, allowing them to determine the ratio of various heavy uranium atoms – uranium isotopes – to each other in individual particles. Based on this, they can ascertain whether the uranium in a plant has been more highly enriched with highly fissile isotopes than specified. They can also

c­ onfirm whether a different uranium material than claimed has been used in the plant from the outset.

QUALITY ASSURANCE For reliable results, it is important that the ­laboratories in the network have access to reference materials. What these materials are composed of and how they are produced is known. Such reference materials are Martin Dürr’s speciality. Together with colleagues and in cooperation with the IAEA, he has implemented a procedure at Jülich that enables uranium reference particles to be produced: all particles in a sample have identical dimensions and contain the same amount of uranium with the same composition of isotopes. These reference particles are used by the network’s nuclear detectives to test their detection methods and to calibrate their analytical devices. The Jülich particles can also be used to verify the quality of a laboratory in the

Under the scrutiny of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): the heavy-­ water reactor IR-40 near Arak in Iran. The IAEA is concerned that ­weapons-grade plutonium is produced here.

22

RESEARCH

network. The results of a laboratory’s analysis can simply be compared to the product specifications from Jülich.

“Made in Jülich” also applies to another utensil that Martin Dürr presents after laying the wipe tests aside: a seal. This seal is very different to that used by investigators in television crime series to prevent entry to apartments and contamination of crime scenes. Instead, this is a small electronic device. “This is what the device looked like when it was developed in our workshops back in the 1970s. Today, its successors are the gold standard at the IAEA,” he says. The seal has a remote readout function that allows inspectors to check via the Internet at any time whether a container has been opened – an indication that somebody wanted access the sensitive material inside. This is where securing the evidence would take over from the nuclear detectives!

FR ANK FRICK

Satellite images ­p rovide important information on nuclear plants. Dr. Irmgard Niemeyer develops computer programs for automatic image processing.

The eye in the sky It’s not only on-site inspectors who keep an eye on the activities in a nuclear facility – so too do satellites. “The IAEA uses satellite images from commercial providers,” says Dr. Irmgard Niemeyer, head of the International Safeguards group at Jülich. Her team assists the IAEA by developing computer programs that automatically process and analyse satellite images.

“In contrast to humans, computers pay equal attention to all parts of an image. And they can determine the size of the facilities and distances much faster, more accurately, and more reliably,” says Niemeyer’s colleague Dr. Clemens Listner. Satellites can sometimes also provide image data on the surface temperatures of a facility and thus on its ­operating status – data that computers can process and present in a form that humans can understand.

In addition, the programs use statistical methods to show when and how a facility has changed over time – and not just whether the vegetation around the facility turns green in spring. “Using satellite images of a uranium enrichment facility in Iran, for example, we could clearly monitor how halls for the necessary centrifuges were first built and then camouflaged, preventing them from being directly recognized from the air,” says Niemeyer.

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Test, test, test!

Synaesthetes associate different impressions with each other, for example numbers with colours or taste with shape.

But does this also work the other way around?

Are colours codes for numbers?

GRAB YOUR PENCIL ...

Psychology has some nice and simple tests. For example, this one: Please pick up your pencil and without thinking about it divide the line in half:

Dividing a line* in half is a routine test for patients who have suffered a stroke. It helps to ascertain whether the patient is suffering from the neglect syndrome. In such cases, patients only consciously perceive one half of the line and divide the line too far to the right, as shown here.

A line of 2s is therefore divided even farther left of the centre because people focus on where 2 should normally appear in a row of numbers. The person being tested neglects the right-hand side of the row of numbers and divides it where they suppose the centre to be. If greater numbers, such as 9s, are used, they divide the line more centrally or right of the centre.

Jülich scientist Eva Nießen wants to know how synaesthetes deal with the following task: Please pick up your pencil and without thinking about it divide the line in half:

“Synaesthetes have an added aptitude,” she says.

“Different sensory impressions are connected to And then there are tests that indicate how healthy each other. Some synaesthetes perceive numbers people “tick”. or words in a certain colour, others can taste or feel sounds.” For the study, Eva Nießen and her Please pick up your pencil and without thinking team selected test subjects who perceive numbers about it divide the row in half: in colour and a reference group without this association. None of the test subjects had ever heard 222222222222222222222222222222222222222 of the test requiring them to divide a line in half.

The overwhelming majority divide this row of numbers far left of the centre. Use a ruler to measure whether you have too!

ONE AFTER THE OTHER, PLEASE Prof. Peter H. Weiss-Blankenhorn, neuroscientist at Forschungszentrum Jülich, explains why: “Most people use the right half of their brain more than the left when processing spatial information, which means that their perception of objects in their left field of view is much stronger.

This is why healthy individuals often divide the simple, black line left of the centre. This phenomenon is known as pseudoneglect.”

In completing the task, all synaesthetes divided the line, the colour of which they associate with a small number, left of the centre. And they did so despite all test subjects stating that they perceive colour as colour and not as a number.

Non-synaesthetes sometimes divided the line in the centre, sometimes to the left, and sometimes even to the right.

For Eva Nießen, the result is clear: “We’re convinced that synaesthesia functions in two directions even if synaesthetes aren’t consciously aware of this.”

B R I G I T T E S TA H L - B U S S E

The effect is more pronounced for the row of numbers. People who write from left to right often perceive the numbers as being arranged in ascending order from left to right.

* Lines are longer in the real test.

2 9

1 47 6

5

83 Each synaesthete has their own individual colour code that remains the same throughout their life.

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RESEARCH

Attack of the ash particles What concentrations of volcanic ash or sand pose a hazard to flight safety? Researchers at Jülich are investigating this question with a test stand that is unique in Europe. And they are developing materials that will be able to withstand such tiny particles better than ever before.

Dr. Daniel Emil Mack tests how particles of sand or ash damage aircraft turbines and how the different parts can be protected.

Steam and ash were sputtered into the atmosphere and dispersed over kilometres. Blazing red lava shot out of the two-kilometre hole in the mountain with the unpronounceable name.

The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland

(pronounced: [ eIja fjatla jœ k Y tl︎ ]) is not just something that pilots from various airlines can remember. At the time, in spring 2010, the volcano caused enormous disruption to air travel across northern and central Europe because of a huge ash cloud that spread out over hundreds of kilometres towards the south.

European aviation authorities decided not to take any risks and banned air travel in these areas.

Later, criticism was voiced as to whether this was really necessary; the flight ban cost the economy € 150 million per day. Whether it was necessary or not is still difficult to say today. There is a lack

How ash and sand can damage aircraft turbines Molten particles attack ceramic protective coatings Compressor

Combustion chamber

Turbine Incoming particles erode the metal

Particles block the fuel feed and cooling system

of robust data on what concentrations of ash particles and exposure times cause damage to aircraft engines.

Physicists Prof. Robert Vaßen and Dr. Daniel Emil Mack are working with their colleagues at the Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-1) to determine how hazardous “silicates” such as sand or volcanic ash really are for flight safety – and how turbines can be better protected with new materials. “We have known for a long time that silicates are not good for aircraft turbines.

However, most experts believed the hazards to be manageable until the first Iraq War at the beginning of the 1990s,” says Mack. “The desert sand corroded the engines of the fighter jets to a much greater extent than expected.”

The reason for this, according to the experts, was actually technological progress in aviation. In the years preceding the war, the engineers had increased the temperature at which fuel enters the turbines of combat aircraft to more than 1,250 °C. This improves the efficiency with which the combustion energy of the gas is converted into mechanical energy – but it also causes silicates like sand that are sucked into the engine during flights to melt. And this triggers a chemical attack on the turbines. “Their metallic components are protected against heat by a ceramic coating. But when the grains of sand melt, they infiltrate these coatings like water seeping into a sponge.” The result: the sand particles attack the ceramic coatings, counteracting their protective effect or even corroding them completely. This is a problem that civil aviation also has to deal with nowadays. Today’s commercial airliners also run their engines’ turbines at temperatures above 1,250 °C. At IEK-1, the scientists are working on this problem with a test stand that is unique in Europe.

“We use it to realistically reproduce how molten silicates infiltrate the turbines,” says Mack. “We take a specimen with a diameter of three centimetres, which is made of a heat-resistant metal alloy protected by ceramic layers just like the parts of a turbine. We heat the ceramic surface to more than 1,250 °C while the metal is cooled.

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Satellite images of the eruption column of Eyjafjallajökull on 11 May 2010. The visible ash cloud stretched some 850 km from Iceland to the south.

Then, we inject our model sand, which is mainly a mixture of calcium, magnesium, aluminium, and silicon as well as iron, into the flames.” In contrast to other test stands, this simulates not only the thermomechanical effects on the material but also the chemical attack – just like would happen if an aircraft was to fly through an ash cloud or a desert storm.

In this way, the researchers can test various materials and scenarios. They heat the specimens and then cool them, simulating take-off and landing of an aircraft. And they continuously increase the influx of silicates in order to determine what concentrations begin to damage the ceramic protective coatings.

“We now know more about how silicates attack turbines and how the materials react,” says Mack.

The researchers can thus estimate the hazard potential of volcanic ash and sand. And industry is also interested in such predictions. “Many large European companies come to us to test the loading capacity of their protective coatings, and the problem is also becoming increasingly important for turbines in power plants.”

Mack and his colleagues at Prof. Olivier Guillon’s institute are also developing new ceramic materials which they then test extensively – including exposing them to attacks from molten silicates.

“We construct sacrificial coatings that can withstand the attacks long enough to ensure the safe return of the aircraft in cases of emergency.

More robust coatings would also cut the costs of maintenance because the turbines would have to be repaired less frequently,” says Mack, explaining the results to date. By the next large volcanic eruption, aviation will hopefully be better equipped to deal with the ash cloud: with robust data and robust materials.

CHRISTOPH MANN

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RESEARCH

In-flight research

15.5 km

Normally, it’s the preferred method of transport for the rich who have an appointment or want to go golfing. Converted and named HALO, this plane provides information on the atmosphere and the climate.

Researchers and instruments from Jülich are frequent flyers.

Jülich

Jülich’s campus measures 2.2 km2. But Jülich ­scientists are active beyond the campus. This section features brief r­ eports on where they conduct research. This time, we’re flying high – at an ­altitude of up to 15.5 km.

2.2

In contrast to business-class passengers, additionally use computer models to plus the atmosphere researchers are surprised predict air flows and clouds. “We then when served coffee during their eight- to know whether we need to change our flight ten-hour flights. They’re not used to it! Normally, course at short notice in order to obtain interestthey conduct their measurement campaigns with ing data. The fact that we can talk to the pilots old propeller planes with none of these comforts. and alter our flight route at any time particularA mechanic has stepped into the role of steward. ly impressed me,” says Dr. Christian Rolf. The For reasons of safety, he has to be on board and 31-year-old Jülich atmosphere researcher was on usually he has the most easygoing of jobs. board two HALO flights last year – together with Jülich instruments like FISH. The Fast In Situ The team of four to eight researchers, however, Stratospheric Hygrometer is used by scientists at is under pressure. They operate the numeraltitudes of between 8 km and 15 km to deterous measuring instruments that fill the cabin. mine the ice water content in cirrus clouds above Europe.

And they do this while consulting with their ­colleagues on the ground who also track the Securing one of the coveted seats in the aircraft measurements and weather forecasts and is difficult. For the structurally identical business jets, you simply need a lot of money. For scientists, a different currency does the talking: HALO Gulfstream G550 ­k nowing a measuring instrument inside-out RANGE HALO gives them an edge because the instruments more than 8,000 km High Altitude and Long Range must be intensively monitored throughout. And Research Aircraft WEIGHT (EMPTY) of course, each measurement campaign must be 22.23 t FUNDED BY ­excellent in its own right. A scientific steering • Federal Research Ministry committee decides whether the methods and LENGTH • Helmholtz Association 31 m aims of a proposed mission warrant take-off • Max Planck Society or not.

MAX. SPEED MAX. CRUISING ALTITUDE: 15.5 km

1,054 km/h FR ANK FRICK

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Thumbs up O N LIN E C O U R S E S

MOOCs: Study from almost anywhere Wouldn’t it be great to pursue a course of study from your living room? Or take a course abroad without having to move? What was only a pipe dream a few years ago is possible today thanks to technology. International universities are increasingly offering lectures online in the form of “massive open online courses” – MOOCs for short. Whether it’s physics, architecture, or bioeconomy – anyone who is interested in a particular course can sign up with certain online platforms and either register as a student or simply “sit in” and listen to the lectures in their chosen subject. For those eager to learn, universitylevel courses are thus accessible. The online courses and a certificate of participation are often free of charge. However, to get a grade, examinations must be taken and paid for.

– W W W. I V E R S I T Y. O R G – – W W W. C O U R S E R A . O R G –

S C IE N C E S L A M

– W W W. E DX . O R G –

Victory and fame

E X H IB I T I O N

A city on a ship Similar cargo holds contain sand and gravel, but the bilge of the MS Wissenschaft contains streets, buildings, and entire parks. The ship is part of a project aiming to bring science to the people and the ­organization team spent seven months planning the travelling exhibition entitled “City of the Future” and kitting out the interior of the cargo ship. Thirty scientific institutions are involved, all of whom have made their vision of a modern way of living a reality under deck.

It’s all about mobility and being connected, energy and climate, bringing nature back into the city, new forms of accommodation, and social developments.

The museum ship MS Wissenschaft is travelling through Germany this summer and dropping anchor at various locations along the large waterways.

– W W W. M S - W I S S E N S C H A F T. D E/ T O U R –

With martial arts displays and selfies, Dong-Seon Chang won his audience over in the FameLab heats. And then, the neuroscientist from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics went on to do it again at the German FameLab final in Karlsruhe, where he won not only the audience award but also first prize, having impressed the panel of judges in the science communication competition where competitors have three minutes to present their topic of research. With this, Chang qualified for the FameLab International Final and gave his three-minute presentation about the perception of humans and their actions in Cheltenham in the UK. Here, the best “FameLabbers” from 27 countries met for the verbal clash.

– W W W. FA M E L A B - G E R M A N Y. D E –

RESEARCH IN A TWEET When the Airbus D-AIKO lifts off, so too do our measuring instruments.

Above the clouds, they record data to calculate the climate. #IAGOS

Dr. Andreas Petzold observes the Earth’s atmosphere with the aid of civil aviation.

As part of the European climate research project IAGOS, he kitted out six commercial airliners – each with a 120-kg package containing measuring instruments. During the flights, the instruments record climate-related atmospheric data. These are essential for climate research. www.fz-juelich.de/iagos