Press Releases / Pressemitteilungen

Synergy Grant of the European Research Council: Research project 2DPolyMembrane receives 10 Million Euro

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle, TUD Dresden University of Technology, and Leiden University receive the prestigious Synergy Grant of the European Research Council to work jointly on 2DPolymembrane.

Published on Tue, 05 Nov 2024 in PRESS RELEASES

group photo of prof Xinliang Feng (MPI Halle), dr Grégory Schneider (Leiden University), and prof Thomas Heine (Dresden University of Technology) — Xinliang Feng (MPI Halle), Grégory Schneider (Leiden University), and Thomas Heine (Dresden University of Technology) - © MPI of Microstructure Physics, Halle

[Press release by Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle - November 05, 2024]

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded a prestigious €10 million Synergy Grant to 2DPolymembrane, a research project aiming to develop ultra-thin, high-precision two-dimensional polymer membranes with transformative applications in energy and environmental science.

Prof. Xinliang Feng, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle, acts as the corresponding Principal Investigator in this new research project, which unites research teams from the Technical University of Dresden and Leiden University in the Netherlands. “2DPolyMembrane” will be funded by the EU for six years, beginning in April 2025.

“This ERC Synergy Grant is a tremendous recognition of the collaborative work we’re doing to push the boundaries of 2D polymer membrane-based technologies. Our approach opens the door to breakthrough applications in energy storage and power generation. This research will push the boundaries of what’s possible, offering solutions that can lead to significant advancements in sustainability and performance across multiple sectors.”, said Feng looking into the future.

TU Dresden aims to expand cutting-edge research and submits six full proposals for Clusters of Excellence

Press Release of TUD - Dresden University of Technology from Aug 23, 2024

Published on Mon, 26 Aug 2024 in PRESS RELEASES

Speakers of the submitted full applications: Prof. Frank Fitzek – CeTI, Prof. Matthias Vojta – ctd.qmat, Prof.in Yana Vaynzof – REC², Prof. Victor Mechtcherine - CARE, Co-Speaker Prof. Katharina von Kriegstein - BiC, Prof. Otger Campàs - PoL. © Sven Ellger/TUD

On August 22, 2024, TUD Dresden University of Technology (TUD) submitted both the full proposals for the three new Cluster of Excellence initiatives called for in February 2024 and the follow-up proposals for continued funding of the three existing Clusters of Excellence to the German Research Foundation (DFG). TUD is thus entering this decisive phase of the competition for millions in funding from the Federal and State governments for Cluster of Excellence research with a total of six full proposals.

Evidently Efficient: Self-organization of Informal Bus Lines in the Global South

Press release Tuesday, July 2, 2024, TUD Dresden University of Technology /// Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed)

Published on Tue, 02 Jul 2024 in PRESS RELEASES

The picture shows a turbulent traffic scene in Africa (Ghana) with a crowded minibus taxi in the foreground. — Crowded Trotro in Accra, Ghana. Photo: @lucianf on flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

[Deutsche Version unter read more]

Public transport systems vary widely around the world. Developed countries in the Global North usually have centrally-planned public transport systems with fixed routes and timetables. In contrast, in the developing countries of the Global South, making up more than 80 % of the world's population, public transportation is mostly provided by informal transport services featuring ad hoc routes, e.g. in the form of privately organized minibus services. Due to their seemingly chaotic operation, such informal transport services are often considered as inefficient from an outside perspective. Due to a lack of data a systematic comparison was not possible so far.

In a new scientific paper recently published in Nature Communications, Kush Mohan Mittal, Marc Timme and Malte Schröder from the Chair of Network Dynamics at TU Dresden analyze and compare the structural efficiency of more than 7,000 formal and informal bus lines across 36 cities and 22 countries. One of the central, surprising findings is that the routes of informal transport self-organize in a way that reaches or even exceeds the efficiency level of centralized services.

Branching Out: Understanding the Intricate Patterns of Diatom Silica Formation

Published on Thu, 07 Mar 2024 in PRESS RELEASES

A series of colourful patterns emerge from a single central seed, which is a young diatom valve. These grow outwards and form a halo of branches around the centre — A colourised image displaying the characteristic silica rib pattern of a nascent T. pseudonana valve. © PoL / Friedrich Group

By studying silica morphogenesis in diatoms, the Friedrich and Kröger groups at PoL have proposed a mathematical model to explain the formation of branching rib patterns.

The formation of minerals by living organisms is a widespread biological phenomenon. This includes bone, teeth, seashells, and also the cell walls of tiny microalgae, called diatoms, which are key contributors to global photosynthetic CO2 fixation and oxygen production. Yet, little is known about the physical mechanisms that shape their architecture, which often combines features on many different scales. Diatoms are unicellular alga found in all aquatic habitats, and produce intricately patterned cell walls made predominantly of amorphous silica (SiO2). However, the principles governing the formation of their silica patterns are still largely unknown.

Prof. Xinliang Feng is elected as a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina

Published on Fri, 01 Mar 2024 in PRESS RELEASES

Prof. Xinliang Feng, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle, is elected a full member of the Chemistry Division of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

[Press Release by Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, March 01, 2024]

Prof. Xinliang Feng, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle Halle and Professor at the Dresden University of Technology (TUD), has been elected as an ordinary member of the Chemistry Division of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Xinliang Feng was elected as a new member by the Division and the Presidium of the Leopoldina in a multi-stage process. Feng's future tasks will include providing scientific policy advice and contributing to politically and socially relevant issues.