Research

Controlled movements at the nanoscale are fundamental to a variety of biological processes, such as ATP synthesis – the universal energy carrier in our cells or cell deformations necessary for muscle contraction. All these processes are made possible by biological molecular machines that convert che...

Researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) and the Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications provide important guidance for designing novel functional materials for triplet sensitizers and fluorescent sensors. Intersystem crossing is a significant photoph...

An international team of researchers including the Chair of Medicinal Chemistry (Prof. Dr. Peter Gmeiner) has succeeded in “filming” the activation of an important receptor. They froze the involved molecules at different points in time and photographed them under the electron microscope. They were t...

An interdisciplinary team of doctoral students from the FAU Profile Center Solar has won this year's Graduate School Molecular Science (GMSM) research project competition. The young scientists took part in the GSMS Winter School, which took place in Kirchberg, Austria, in January 2024. The aim of th...

Diseases are usually restricted to a certain organ or tissue in the human body. However, medications are typically not only administered to the site of disease but to the entire body. This can damage healthy tissue and cause unwanted side effects. To overcome this problem photopharmacology aims to d...

Grignard reagents are by far the most well-known organometallic compounds. Although more than hundred years old, these reagents are still today essential in organic synthesis and large scale industrial processes. These complexes are based on the metal magnesium but there is increasing interest in re...

Molecular photoswitches are only nanometers in size and can change their structure and properties when exposed to light. Molecular photoswitches are of great importance in many applied areas ranging from the development of light-controlled drugs, solar energy harnessing, to the creation of optically...

Spray-drying is a method that has gained in importance and recognition especially due to its use as a drying tool in engineering or in multiple processes in pharmaceutical and food industry. This procedure is based on the encapsulation of various components in the confined space of a liquid droplet ...

Materials are the fundament of our physical world, whereas information and its exchange are the centerpieces of the digital world. Their fruitful synergy offers countless opportunities for realizing innovative concepts that aim at a more sustainable use of our natural resources. Examples of such con...

Functional nanomaterials could soon control the activity of neurons in the brain. By using this minimally-invasive method, Prof Dr. Danijela Gregurec, Professor for Sensory Sciences at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, hopes to revolutionize the treatment of neurological disorders such as de...