The German Research Foundation (DFG) has extended funding for two Collaborative Research Centres (SFBs) at Ulm University. SFB 1506 鈥淎geing at Interfaces鈥�, now entering its second funding phase, investigates the molecular mechanisms of ageing at biological interfaces. The DFG has also greenlit the third funding phase of . The Transregional Collaborative Research Centre (TRR) run by Ulm University and the University of Jena is dedicated to light-driven catalysis, in which solar energy is used for sustainable hydrogen production.
鈥淲e are delighted with this double funding success. It is the result of years of scientific excellence and strengthens our profile as a research university in the fields of 鈥楪reen Energy鈥� and 鈥楲ife Long Health鈥�. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all participating scientists for their outstanding work and perseverance,鈥� says University President Professor Michael Weber.
Understanding ageing processes at the molecular level
In Collaborative Research Centre 1506 鈥淎geing at Interfaces鈥� at Ulm University, scientists from 20 life science disciplines are researching the molecular processes of ageing. The overarching goal is to halt ageing processes and prevent age-related diseases from developing. Research focuses in particular on biological interfaces which coordinate the exchange of information between molecules, cells and organs. The researchers are particularly interested in organs such as the brain, skin, lungs and bones, which are shaped by age-related diseases and act as pacemakers of organic ageing, as well as stem cells and the immune system. The DFG is funding the Ageing SFB, which is supported by Ulm University Hospital, with around 14 million euros until the end of 2029.
鈥淎geing is not a fixed biological programme, but a malleable process that can be influenced genetically, pharmacologically and by environmental factors,鈥� emphasise the Ulm-based SFB co-spokespersons Professor Hartmut Geiger and . The research from Ulm is intended to inform new anti-ageing strategies and personalised therapies. 鈥淥ur findings will help doctors make the best therapeutic decisions,鈥� say the two researchers.
Promising findings have already emerged from the first funding phase 鈥� for example, from stem cell research 鈥� regarding key regenerative mechanisms that provide clues to the fundamental molecular mechanisms of ageing. In addition to Ulm University and the University Hospital, other Ulm hospitals as well as research partners from Munich, T眉bingen and Aachen are involved in the Ulm SFB on Ageing.
鈥楪reen鈥� hydrogen modelled on nature
Scientists at Ulm University and the University of Jena are investigating how energy from sunlight can be converted and stored chemically, modelled on the process of photosynthesis, as part of . The Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 鈥淐ataLight 鈥� Light-driven molecular catalysts in hierarchically structured materials鈥� has been funded since 2018 and is now entering its third and final funding phase. The DFG is providing around 12 million euros for this purpose. The chemical process at the heart of CataLight is the division of water into hydrogen and oxygen using sunlight. Light-driven catalysis is a key process in the production of 鈥榞reen鈥� hydrogen, which can be used for a climate-friendly energy supply.
The first two funding phases have already yielded successes: for instance, researchers have succeeded in embedding photocatalytic processes within polymeric materials to protect and stabilise them. Progress has also been made in the search for sustainable materials and the development of self-repairing photosystems. Added to this are 鈥榮olar batteries鈥� that can release stored solar energy at the touch of a button. In the upcoming funding phase, researchers aim to link catalytic sub-processes that have previously been studied in isolation, and investigate how different half-reactions best interact.
鈥淲e want to harness sunlight as an energy source for chemical catalysis to enable a sustainable future for our society,鈥� said Professor Sven Rau from Ulm University and from Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The two chemists form the spokesperson team for the third phase of the CataLight SFB. Other research institutes in Jena, as well as partners from Leipzig, Braunschweig, Gie脽en, Munich, M眉nster, Greifswald and Berlin, are also involved in the Collaborative Research Centre.
Further information on SFB 1506 鈥淎geing at Interfaces鈥�
Prof. Dr Hartmut Geiger (Spokesperson), Head of the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Ulm University, email: hartmut.geiger(at)uni-ulm.de // Prof. Dr. Karin Scharffetter-Kochanek, (Deputy Spokesperson), Medical Director of the Department of Dermatology and Allergology at Ulm University Hospital, email: Karin.Scharffetter-Kochanek(at)uniklinik-ulm.de
Further information on
Prof. Dr Sven Rau (Spokesperson), Head of the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry I at the University of Ulm, email: sven.rau(at)uni-ulm.de
Prof. Dr Felix H. Schacher (Co-Spokesperson), Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry at the University of Jena, email: felix.schacher(at)uni-jena.de
Text and media contact: Andrea Weber-Tuckermann