A “chemical ChatGPT” for new medications

AI learns chemical connections

25-Oct-2024 - Researchers from the University of Bonn have trained an AI process to predict potential active ingredients with special properties. Therefore, they derived a chemical language model – a kind of ChatGPT for molecules. Following a training phase, the AI was able to exactly reproduce the chemical ...

A further step towards decoding smell

Researchers elucidate the role of individual brain neurons in human odor perception

14-Oct-2024 - We often only realize how important our sense of smell is when it is no longer there: food hardly tastes good, or we no longer react to dangers such as the smell of smoke. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn and the University of Aachen have investigated the ...

Central mechanism of inflammation decoded

Researchers use nanobodies to elucidate pore formation by gasdermin D in cell membranes

01-Oct-2024 - The formation of pores by a particular protein, gasdermin D, plays a key role in inflammatory reactions. During its activation, an inhibitory part is split off. More than 30 of the remaining protein fragments then combine to form large pores in the cell membrane, which allow the release of ...

How the brain processes the number zero

27-Sep-2024 - Despite its importance for mathematics, the neuronal basis of the number zero in the human brain was previously unknown. Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn and the University of Tübingen have now discovered that individual nerve cells in the medial ...

Strength Training Activates Cellular Waste Disposal

Regulated degradation of damaged cell components prevents heart failure and nerve diseases

27-Aug-2024 - The elimination of damaged cell components is essential for the maintenance of the body’s tissues and organs. An international research team led by the University of Bonn has made significant findings on mechanisms for the clearing of cellular wastes, showing that strength training activates such ...

How star-shaped cells increase flexible learning

Researchers solve the hidden mystery of the role of astrocytes in learning processes and memory in the brain

19-Jul-2024 - Star-shaped glial cells, so-called astrocytes, are more than just a supporting cell of the brain. They are actively involved in learning processes and interact with the nerve cells. But what exactly is it that astrocytes do? Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of ...

New pathway in immune defense discovered

Interaction of monocytes and platelets decoded

09-Jul-2024 - Monocytes, a special type of white blood cell, secrete cytokines as inflammatory messengers that are crucial for an appropriate immune response. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have now discovered that platelets, also known as thrombocytes, communicate ...

Ointment with DNA molecules combats allergic contact dermatitis

Study shows that what are known as aptamers can be absorbed directly via the skin

08-Jul-2024 - Researchers at the University of Bonn have isolated a DNA molecule that is suitable for combating allergic contact dermatitis in mice. What is known as an aptamer binds to certain immune system messenger substances, rendering them ineffective. This even works if the active ingredient is applied ...

New mode of action in the "bacterial war" decoded: Possible alternative to antibiotics produced by bacteria

Antibacterial substance from staphylococci discovered with new mechanism of action against natural competitors

02-May-2024 - Possible alternative to antibiotics produced by bacteria – Many bacteria produce substances to gain an advantage over competitors in their highly competitive natural environment. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn and the German Center for Infection Research ...

How the immune system learns from harmless particles

Researchers demonstrate how tiny, innocuous particles strengthen the immune response

01-May-2024 - Our lungs are bombarded by all manner of different particles every single day. Whilst some are perfectly safe for us, others—known as pathogens—have the potential to make us ill. The immune system trains its response whenever it encounters such a pathogen. Yet researchers at the University of ...