News Archive 2016
Nobel Laureate HellYIN Lecture No. 4 with Nobel Laureate Stefan Hell

Optical microscopy has overcome the resolution-limiting diffraction barrier of light. For developing Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Microscopy, Stefan W. Hell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2014. After a couple of years spent abroad, in 1997, he got the chance to prove his theories as a group leader at the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen where he still works as director today. Thus, he connected to the YIN members not only as a scientific role model but also through a similar career paths.

YIN Lecture Series
(Picture: Jacobs University / Khaleel Assaf)Fass-Form für gezielten Transport von Steroiden

Eingebettet In Hohlräume gelangen Wirkstoffe über synthetische Träger in den Körper. Fassförmige Moleküle erhöhen dabei die notwendige Wasserlöslichkeit, um steroid-basierte Medikamente gezielt freizusetzen. In Magensäure und Blutserum bleiben sie hingegen relativ stabil und wirken als Wirkstoffspeicher. Verglichen mit ringförmigen Trägern verringern sich dadurch die erforderliche Dosis und die Nebenwirkungen, wie Forscher in ACS berichten - darunter Emmy-Noether-Gruppenleiter Dr. Frank Biedermann.

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YIN speakersYIN celebrates change of representative speakers

The YIN member assembly elected Julia Syurik and Achim Rettinger as new representative speakers of the network. They succeed Stefanie Speidel and Christian Greiner whom YIN thanks for their great ideas, their enthusiasm and their dedication. As a sign of recognition and appreciation also from the KIT presidential board, they received the YIN acknowledgement signed by the current representative speakers and KIT Vice President Oliver Kraft.

YIN extended board
Perowskit-CIGS-Tandem-Solarmodul (Picture: imec/ZSW/KIT)Tandem solar module harvests most light waves

Two complementary absorber materials increase the power conversion efficiency to 17.8 percent: A semi- transparent upper perovskite layer absorbs the high-energy portion of the solar spectrum while the infrared parts are converted by a lower CIGS layer. The interconnection can be laser-processed, allowing industrial scaling to stacked modules of several square meters. The young investigators group of Ulrich W. Paetzold optimizes light trapping and energy efficiency in these modules.

Corinna Hoose, KITERC Starting Grant for YIN Alumna Corinna Hoose

Clouds are crucial for weather and climate:Depending on height and composition, they either shield the earth from solar irradiation and have a cooling effect or contribute to warming. Whether clouds consist of liquid water, ice, or both, is in the research focus of YIN Alumna Corinna Hoose, who was appointed professor at KIT. For the next five years, her  project will be funded by a starting grant of the European Research Council (ERC) in the amount of EUR 1.5 million.

press info
YIN Lecture mit Harald zur Hausen (Quelle: KIT)Online: video recording lecture zur Hausen

Red meat and milk from dairy cows are risk factors for cancers and neurological diseases. Nobel laureate Prof. Harald zur Hausen talks about newly discovered viruses and their link to colon and breast cancer as well as multiple sclerosis. Zur Hausen is emeritus professor at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), where he had been scientific director for 20 years until 2003. The complete lecture is now available on YouTube.

YIN Lecture on YouTube
Martin Dienwiebel/KITHeisenberg professorship for YIN alumnus

The German Research Foundation (DFG) awards YIN alumnus Martin Dienwiebel with a Heisenberg professorship for Applied Nanotribology at KIT. At this newly installed chair, the material scientist investigates the mechanisms that lead to friction and wear in mobile devices, such as combustion engines or turbines. For this position, the YIN continuing education program has prepared him well, says Dienwiebel.

Profile Dienwiebel
Helmholtz Horizons, HGF Two talents from YIN at Helmholtz Horizons

Dynamics trough talents: At the symposium “Helmholtz Horizons”, 23 September, selected junior and senior scientists present their research. With the YIN members Stefanie Speidel and Damian Cupid, two innovative minds represent KIT. Their topics: computer assistance in the OR of tomorrow and advanced lithium batteries for energy storage. A final podium discussion addresses new ideas, talent management and an innovative environment.

Helmholtz Horizons
Kugelkalotte (KIT/wbk)Mikro milling for space mission LISA Pathfinder

Transporting experiments into space undamaged requires high-precision work. Special holding mechanisms must fixate them during take-off and later on release them into vacuum without causing abrasion or adhesion. For this, Frederik Zanger and his team milled curved components with a specific surface roughness from the carbide iridium with micrometer accuracy. These spherical calottes have proved reliable on the first test flight.

KIT-Kompakt
YIN trifft Cerf in LindauYIN at 66 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

Vinton G. Cerf, a „father of the internet“, as well as 29 Nobel Laureates spoke on the topic of Physics in Lindau. 400 young scientists from 80 countries listened to the talks, among them Dr.-Ing. Katrin Schulz and Dr. Stefanie Betz. The two YIN members got to talk to internet pioneer Cerf in person. Also among the guests was Prof. Stefan Hell, Nobel Laureate in chemistry, who will give a YIN lecture at KIT in December.

Nobel Laureate Meeting
YIN Portfolio at KIT Venture FestYIN portfolio for industry debuts at KIT Venture Fest

From liquid glass to biomimetic ultra-white films and aluminum based quantum circuits: For technology transfer, YIN relies on cooperations with industry. The new YIN portfolio presents industry-relevant projects and competences of 22 YIN members from various academic fields. The portfolio made its successful debut at the KIT Day of Innovation, the Venture Fest, and is now available online.

YIN Portfolio
Synthesechemie auf kleinstem Raum (KIT)Nature Comms: synthesis chemistry in tiniest space

Testing 5,000 chemical reactions per square centimeter: The cLIFT process systematically embeds optional molecules in nanometer thin layers of material and stacks them up. “Heating starts the reactions which proceed simultaneously as in thousands of little test tubes,” says Dr. Felix Löffler. Small amounts of expensive source materials suffice to try a multitude of potential ways for synthesis. Löffler et al. report.

doi:10.1038/ncomms11844
EFFEKTE Kick-Off with S. Speidel/IMHOTEPScience Festival EFFEKTE: Kick-Off with YIN speaker

"At the next artery, turn right!" How virtual 3D models of organs can help surgeons in the OR is the focus of Dr. Stefanie Speidel’s research. On June 7, the public may learn more about it at the start of a lecture series leading up to the science festival EFFEKTE 2017. In addition, directors from the Municipal Clinic will talk about computer-assisted brain surgery and higher precision through computer navigation. 19:30, Tollhaus. Free entry.

EFFEKTE Series
Liquid Glass (Rapp/KIT)Liquid glass: cast, separate and bake prototypes

In the scientific journal Advanced Materials, the young investigator group of Bastian Rapp introduces a novel material: Liquid Glass is a at room-temperature viscous glass polymer composite that is UV-curable and burns to pure glass in a kiln. It is simply processed using soft lby soft lithography replica molding and common casting processes. Thus, the scientists can for example produce microfluidic chips for 50 Eurocent a piece.

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EYE2016YIN at the European Youth Event 2016 in Strasbourg

Kathrin Valerius joined the panel discussion on “Research matters: New jobs on the horizon”. As the youngest researcher and the only female, she shared her experience as an aspiring scientist in Europe. The other parties were Gianfranco Visentin, Head of the section Automation and Robotics of the European Space Agency, and Mir Wais Hosseini, Head of the Molecular Tectonics divisiont at the French National Centre for Scientific Research.

EYE 2016
BundesprofessurJunge Akademie pleads for federal professorships

Excellent research depends on clever minds and long term perspectives. With federal professorships, the Junge Akademie recommends individual-related support for outstanding junior scientists. Existing funding opportunities including third-party-funding, in contrast, were strongly project-related and prevailingly led to temporary positions. YIN alumnus Prof. Wolfram Pernice has co-authored the current position paper by the Junge Akademie.

Position paper
Nobel laureate zur Hausen (DKFZ/T. Schwerdt)May 10: YIN Lecture with Nobel laureate zur Hausen

Red meat and milk from dairy cows are risk factors for cancers and neurological diseases. Nobel laureate Prof. Harald zur Hausen will talk about their likelihood and about the discovery of new viruses and their link to colon and breast cancer as well as multiple sclerosis. Zur Hausen is emeritus professor at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), where he had been scientific director for 20 years until 2003.

YIN Lecture Series
YIN Lecture with Chad MirkinYIN Lecture: full hall for nano expert Prof. Mirkin

As a world leading expert in nanoscience, Prof. Chad Mirkin is best-known for his discovery and development of spherical nucleic acids and the invention of dip-pen nanolithography. He talked about nanomaterials as well as the synthesis and engineering of DNA and RNA with applications in immuno therapy, in genetic detection and cell manipulation. Mirkin is currently director of the International Institute for Nanotechnology and professor at the Northwestern University.

YIN Lecture Series
Cavitation bubble between heterogenous surfaces. (Image: KIT)Simulation reveals positive effect of vapor bubbles

Fluids form bubbles when local changes in surface chemistry occur. Science Advances has published this novel finding, co-authored by Dr. Lars Pastewka. By specifically tailoring the surface chemistry, the scientists want to improve the interaction between surfaces and lubricants. In a model simulation, the bubbles functioned as buffers and increased the separation between two contacting surfaces by 10%.

Science Advances full text
Workshop Hund, GreinerFirst YIN-PEBA-Workshop at the Pforzheim University

For the young scientist congress „24 hours for resource efficiency”, the University Pforzheim asked YIN speaker Dr. Christian Greiner und Alexandra Hund (PEBA) to hold a workshop on “Managing personnel in research groups”. Greiner successfully leads an Emmy-Noether group, continuously develops his leadership skills further, and thus,  has formidable practical knowledge to convey. The cooperation with Pforzheim will continue next year.

YIN honors (modus gmbh)Six out of 15 awardees of external prizes link to YIN

At the KIT Ehrenabend, the Presidential Committee honored 15 recipients of external prizes in 2015. Among them were the YIN-members Dr. Stefanie Betz (Wrangell), Dr. Christian Greiner (DGM Masing Memorial Award), Dr. Lars Pastewka (Emmy-Noether), Dr. Bastian Rapp (GMM-Prize) and Dr. Martin Weides (ERC) as well as the YIN alumnus Dr. Pavel Levkin (Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize). Congratulations once again!

3D biomolecules (KIT, Schug)Google Faculty Research Award for Alex Schug

Biomolecules such as proteins or DNA function as miniature machines in cells. Depending on their 3D-shape, they transport oxygen, repair genetic damages or utilize nutrients. The group of Dr. Alexander Schug developed an algorithm to predict the spatial structure by statistically analyzing vast amounts of experimental data. Google now supports the project with a Faculty Research Award.

press info
AVAREZDF heute: Stefanie Betz on data privacy profile

Be aware - smartphone apps or tracking programs collect personal data and commercialize user profiles. YIN member Dr. Stefanie Betz and her team develop the software privacy AVARE which makes sure each device only shares information previously acknowledged by the user.

ZDF heute
Dr. Dagmar Höppel, LaKoGGuidelines for fair appointment procedures

As a state representative of equal opportunity in higher education and editor of the handbook “Fair appointment procedures“, Dr. Dagmar Höppel is a recognized expert in her field. At a YIN fireside chat, she talked about her experience with appointment commissions and gave first-hand recommendations.

LaKoG handbook
Dr. Katrin SchulzYIN member in Wrangell habilitation programme

Dr. Katrin Schulz was chosen for the Margarete von Wrangell habilitation programme. In remeberance of the first female professor in Germany, the BW ministry for Science, Research and Arts, therewith, supports excellent young female scientists. The YIN members Dr. Stefanie Speidel and Dr. Stefanie Betz also profit from the initiative.

ministry press info