news

Health - Pharmacology - 21.04.2020

Milestone for the early detection of sepsis
Researchers from Graz, Austria, are developing a ground-breaking method that uses biomarkers to detect sepsis 2 to 3 days before the first clinical symptoms appear. This can significantly increase the chances of survival in cases of blood poisoning by bacteria or fungi. Additional pictures for download at the end of the text Whether activating or silencing genes, breaking down defective cells or building new tissue, our body is constantly working to repair itself, even in cases of illness.

Health - Life Sciences - 05.02.2020

Targeting the cancer microenvironment
Researchers discover a novel checkpoint in immune cells with the potential to treat the cancer cell microenvironment The recognition of bacterial infections or foreign substances is mediated and controlled by the human immune system. This innate and adaptive immune system comprises the most important metabolic and cellulare processes to fight against infections and other diseases.

Life Sciences - Health - 11.10.2019

New method for quicker and simpler production of lipidated proteins
The new method developed at TU Graz and the University of Vienna is leading to a better understanding of natural protein modifications and improved protein therapeutics. Additional pictures for download at the end of the text Some of the body's proteins are not just made up of amino acids, they are also 'decorated' with lipid chains, which significantly influence the biological functions of the protein.

Health - 04.07.2019

The ancestor of the great white shark
The unique tooth structure of the great white shark gives new insights into its origin Mackerel sharks (Lamniformes) are a group consisting of some of the most iconic sharks we know, including the mako shark (the fastest shark in the world), the infamous great white shark and Megalodon, the biggest predatory shark that has ever roamed the world's oceans.

Health - Life Sciences - 18.06.2019

Antidepressants can reduce the empathic empathy
Antidepressant treatment, not only depression per se, can lead to reductions in behavioral and neural responses to pain empathy Depression is a disorder that often comes along with strong impairments of social functioning. Until recently, researchers assumed that acute episodes of depression also impair empathy, an essential skill for successful social interactions and understanding others.

Health - Life Sciences - 14.05.2019

Symbionts as lifesavers
Researchers discover new factor influencing the spread of Legionella When people fall ill from bacterial infection, the first priority is to treat the disease. But where do these pathogens come from and how do they thrive in the environment before the infection occurs' An international team led by Matthias Horn from the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science at the University of Vienna has tackled this question using an important bacterial pathogen that causes lung disease.

Life Sciences - Health - 07.03.2019

Excessive hygiene promotes resistance to antibiotics
, researchers from Graz, Austria present new perspectives to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistances in hospitals. Additional pictures for download at the end of the text. The number of people who die from antibiotic-resistant germs is increasing worldwide. The World Health Organization WHO considers the spread of antibiotic resistance and appropriate countermeasures as one of the most important global challenges nowadays.

Life Sciences - Health - 04.02.2019

Where does this contamination come from?
When bodies of water become polluted, it is important to find the cause as quickly and as economically as possible. To this end, TU Wien has now developed a new, DNA-based rapid testing procedure. Water contamination is one of the world's major health risks. In order to swiftly resolve the problem in the event of faecal contamination, it is vital that the cause is identified as quickly as possible: is it contamination from agriculture?

Health - Pharmacology - 14.01.2019

Herbal antioxidants are becoming increasingly important
Secondary plant compounds as an alternative to antioxidant vitamins and minerals The human organism is constantly exposed to so-called free radicals, which are a burden on the body. If they get out of hand, the result is oxidative stress, which can promote disease. While this has been treated in the past with the help of antioxidant vitamins and minerals, scientists are now increasingly turning to the use of phytochemicals, representing plant secondary metabolites.

Chemistry - Health - 13.12.2018

Researchers lay foundation for smart contrast medium
Under the leadership of TU Graz, an international research team has developed a contrast medium concept for MRI, promising unprecedented features in medical imaging. Molecular imaging techniques are playing an increasingly important role in medical diagnostics and developing new treatment methods. An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the fields of chemistry, material sciences, biomedicine, quantum physics and toxicology has managed to develop the foundations for a novel contrast medium for MRI in the framework of the FET Open EU excellence programme.

Life Sciences - Health - 12.11.2018

A Chip with Blood Vessels
Biochips have been developed at TU Wien (Vienna), on which tissue can be produced and examined. This allows supplying the tissue with different substances in a very controlled way. Cultivating human cells in the Petri dish is not a big challenge today. Producing artificial tissue, however, permeated by fine blood vessels, is a much more difficult task.

Health - Life Sciences - 24.09.2018

A new remedy for celiac disease
In an industrial collaboration project, TU Wien has developed a medication that can alleviate or even completely eliminate the symptoms of celiac disease. It should be available as early as 2021. Celiac disease is a fairly common disease, affecting one to two percent of the European population. It is expressed as a hypersensitivity to gluten, a protein found in cereals such as wheat, barley or rye.

Chemistry - Health - 16.08.2018

When sulfur disappears without trace
Chemists from the University of Vienna finally find a surprisingly simple reaction to make a family of bioactive molecules Many natural products and drugs feature a so-called dicarbonyl motif - in certain cases however their preparation poses a challange to organic chemists. In their most recent work, Nuno Maulide and his coworkers from the University of Vienna present a new route for these molecules.

Health - Life Sciences - 13.08.2018

Artificial placenta created in the laboratory
In order to better understand important biological membranes, it is necessary to explore new methods. Researchers at TU Wien (Vienna) have succeeded in creating an artificial placental barrier on a chip, using a high-resolution 3D printing process. The placenta has an essential and highly complex task: it must ensure the exchange of important substances between the mother and her unborn child, whilst simultaneously blocking other substances from passing through.

Health - Life Sciences - 17.04.2018

T cell antigen receptors act alone: longstanding immunological mystery solved
What happens when T cells detect suspicious activity in the body? Researchers from the TU Wien and the Medical University of Vienna have revealed that immune receptors of T cells operate in unsuspected ways. Every T cell receptor of the living T cell (left) is marked with a special marker molecule. The bottom part of the cell can be imaged with a highly sensitive microscope.

Health - Life Sciences - 16.11.2017

Veni Vidi Vici
Multidrug resistance of microbes poses a serious global threat to human health. Such resistant strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae significantly reduce therapeutic options for the treatment of Klebsiella-induced, potentially fatal pneumonia or sepsis.

Health - Life Sciences - 23.10.2017

Boost for lipid research: Graz researchers facilitate lipid data analysis
Illnesses such as cancer and multiple sclerosis may also be associated with lipids. Disorders are difficult to assess due to the diversity of lipids. Graz scientists present a new tool for the analysis of lipids. No lipids, no life. In all organisms, lipids form cell walls, store energy and release it when necessary, and play an important role in cell signalling.

Life Sciences - Health - 16.10.2017

Risk of Caesarean section is heritable
Women born by Caesarean section due to a fetopelvic disproportion (FDP) are more than twice as likely to develop FDP when giving birth than women born naturally. This is the conclusion of a study by a team of evolutionary biologists at the University of Vienna headed by Philipp Mitteroecker. Using a mathematical model, the team was able to explain the paradoxical phenomenon that natural selection did not lead to the reduction in the rates of obstructed labour.

Life Sciences - Health - 16.10.2017

Germ-free hatching eggs: An alternative to formaldehyde application
Hatching eggs in large-scale hatcheries are currently treated with formaldehyde to eliminate germs. Researchers from TU Graz, acib and Roombiotic have now developed a natural alternative. There was a Europe-wide outcry in the summer of 2017 as it emerged that hatching eggs were being treated with the insecticide fipronil, which is harmful to health.

Electroengineering - Health - 04.09.2017

Electrical current provides a look inside the lungs
A new imaging technique, Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), will soon be used to monitor important bodily functions. A collaborative project between TU Wien, the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, has enabled significant progress to be made with this technology.