Research

Anyone over 50 who forgets names, appointments, or words increasingly often should be concerned about their health. Memory disorders can be a sign of early dementia. Between 4 and 6 million people in Germany are currently affected. The disease is chronic and develops gradually into pronounced dementia. However, with diet, exercise, regular social contact, and…

Little Mathilde is the star of the day: Laboratory coordinator Tom Fritzsche welcomes her and her mother.  Afterwards, Dr. Alan Langus, a member of the research group, takes them to the children’s waiting room where they have some time to rest. The photographer prepares his camera and takes some test shots. A flash lights up…

We talk to Hubert Wiggering, who is not just in demand among the scientific community as an environmental expert but also recognized as an advisor by Germany’s politicians. An environmental scientist at the University of Potsdam, Professor Wiggering was formerly Secretary-General of the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) as well as Director of…

At the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in the Potsdam Science Park, Dr. Aleksandr Savateev conducts research in Innovative Heterogeneous Photocatalysis. The field is inspired by the natural photosynthesis of plants – and may help us to conserve many scarce natural resources. Dr. Aleksandr Savateev appreciates small things. Microscopic things, even. Big, flashy…

For many decades, micro-plastics remained a scarcely researched issue. But awareness is growing, as is the realization that we, too, ingest plastic particles through food and water. Hardly anyone can estimate the consequences. PD Dr. Harald Seitz from Fraunhofer IZI-BB and Dr. Susanne Baldermann from the IGZ dare to take a closer look. They research…

Coatings protect materials from negative environmental influences. They prevent metals from rusting and wood from swelling. However, over 90 percent of coatings today are still based on synthetic petroleum products. That has negative consequences for the environment. Therefore, Dr. Christina Gabriel-Liebs has long been researching the possibilities of producing coatings from a sustainable raw material:…