Latest news
27.11.2023
SDU students win gold medal and Best Integrated Human Practices at iGEM 2023
A group of students from the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Science at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) achieved a remarkable feat at the iGEM 2023 competition, clinching the gold medal as well as Best Integrated Human Practices.
new eating habits
24.11.2023
More seaweed on the menu in Northern Europe
Seaweed and algae are a sustainable and healthy alternative to animal foods, and there is an abundance of it in the seas around us. A new German/Danish project, led by SDU, has received ca. 14 million DKK to make consumers more interested in eating seaweed and algae and to make the products more accessible to them.
Programming
23.11.2023
EU grant to revolutionise the programming of connected computer systems
With an EU grant of about 2 million Euros, computer science professor Fabrizio Montesi can now significantly advance his dream of creating a new programming system that improves the exchange of data between connected computers. This will result in better operation and security when we log into apps and systems.
Climate resilience
22.11.2023
Grants of DKK 43 million to make the Danish/German border region more climate resilient
The EU's Interreg program has granted support for two projects led by SDU Climate Cluster, aiming to strengthen collaborative climate efforts in the region.
liver diseases
16.11.2023
Hormones have the potential to treat liver fibrosis
Researchers have discovered previously unknown changes in a specific type of liver cells, potentially opening avenues for a new treatment for liver fibrosis, a potentially life-threatening condition. Currently, there are no drugs available to treat liver fibrosis.
plant demography
09.11.2023
Wealthy countries' research skews our knowledge of plants
Data on the world´s plants can be found in many databases, and they are valuable for researchers trying to calculate how plants will respond to climate change. However, the world's plant data is primarily collected in and by wealthy countries, while there is a shortage of data on plants in poor and tropical parts of the world. This is a problem, biologists warn in a new study.
deep sea
31.10.2023
Deep-sea pressure preserves food for microbes in the abyss
Dead algae and other organic material at the surface of the sea disintegrates when they begin to sink to the bottom. But at some point, the water pressure becomes so high that disintegration stops and nutrients are preserved, providing food for the bottom's multitude of microbes and small animals.
evolution
27.10.2023
Evolutionary chance made this bat a specialist hunter
It is generally believed that, for millions of years, bats and the insects they hunt at night have adapted to each other in an evolutionary arms race to become better at finding or avoiding each other. Now, a new study shows that this may not be the case at all.
Migration
26.10.2023
Frodo the humpback whale goes on an adventure
A new study confirms that humpback whales most often return to the same breeding and feeding grounds on their annual migrations through the world's oceans. But then there is Frodo; he did not swim back to the same place but ended up 11,261 km away.
zoo life
18.10.2023
Marine mammals in zoos and aquariums now live 2-3 times longer than in the wild
Just as humans are now living longer lives as a result of advances in medicine and care, so too are marine mammals in modern zoos and aquariums according to a new study
doctoral thesis
09.10.2023
New Doctor of Pharmacy wants to make life better for patients
Profile of Professor René Holm on the occasion of his doctor's thesis, which builds on 25 scientific publications.
research
09.10.2023
New Study Points to New Possibilities for Treating Lung Cancer Patients
A new mouse study indicates that it is possible to reduce the risk of metastasis formation from lung cancer and improve the effectiveness of the medication Cisplatin, often administered to lung cancer patients. The agent is the substance propionate, which is currently being tested as a treatment for obesity and diabetes.
chemistry
05.10.2023
The Medicine of the Future Could Be Artificial Life Forms
Imagine a life form that doesn't resemble any of the organisms found on the tree of life. One that has its own unique control system, and that a doctor would want to send into your body. It sounds like a science fiction movie, but according to nanoscientists, it can—and should—happen in the future.
BREAKTHROUGH
04.10.2023
Possible breakthrough in the production of artificial spider’s web
A team of researchers from SDU NanoSYD has developed a method that seems promising in relation to the production of artificial spider’s web.. Behind the breakthrough is a multi-year collaboration between the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Science at SDU.
Particle physics
29.09.2023
Huge computer simulation will show us how elementary particles dance with each other
The elementary particles are the smallest building blocks we know. The way they interact with each other is crucial to how you, your dog, the Earth and everything else in the universe is created. Now a gigantic computer simulation will take a snapshot of elementary particles dancing with each other.
chemistry
19.09.2023
New project will study molecules to understand why you are exactly you
Throughout your life, various influences can turn on and off many of your genes, creating the variations that make you uniquely you. Chemistry professor Jasmin Mecinovic wants to delve into the molecular world to understand these processes.
Cyber security in SMEs
11.09.2023
Researchers want to safeguard small businesses against cyber threats
The changing threat landscape increases the need for companies to upgrade their cyber security, and a new research project at SDU will help small and medium-sized enterprises with this task.
invasive species
07.09.2023
New expert group to address potential threat from invasive species impacting marine ecosystems
Invasive speces - both plants and animals - can pose a serious threat to biodiversity, UN states. As a response, a group of SDU researchers now form an expert group.
Pharmacy
30.08.2023
New research to reduce the risk of eye injections
With age, the risk of eye diseases increases, and consequently, so does the need for injections into the eye. Professor of Pharmacy, René Holm, aims to help reduce this risk and has now received support to develop eye drops that will remain on the eye for a longer duration.
New animals in Denmark
28.08.2023
The dolphins are coming!
Bottlenose dolphins and orcas are increasingly finding their way to Danish waters. At the same time, we want to build gigantic offshore wind farms. Do we have room for both more marine mammals and more wind farms?
Space Travel
25.08.2023
5 major scientific discoveries that make it possible to send Danish Andreas Mogensen on a space mission
In 2015, Andreas Mogensen became the first Danish astronaut in space when he spent 10 days on the International Space Station. Now he is going again – this time for six months.
orcas
17.08.2023
Researchers find 20,000 years old refugium for orcas in the northern Pacific
During the last ice age, orcas had to leave their habitats and seek ice-free waters. Some of them found a refugium near Japan, and their descendants have lived there ever since. A new study of orca colonization of the North Pacific contributes to understanding the complex social lives of orcas.
20.07.2023
New collaboration on experimental particle physics
What is out there in the universe, and how can we describe it? These are questions that theoretical physics often seeks to answer. Now, University of Southern Denmark physicists are joining forces with Europe's second-largest particle physics laboratory, hoping to capture elementary particles.
climate
18.07.2023
Saltwater or freshwater? Difference is large for the climate when we flood low lying areas
SDU researchers find large methane emissions: "Do not flood low-lying areas with freshwater”. Their studies find that freshwater lakes emit much more methane than saltwater lagoons, bogs and wet meadows.
spiders
20.06.2023
New details about the strongest spider silk in the world
The golden orb-web spider produces silk stronger than steel and Kevlar, but how does it do it? Two SDU researchers are now one step closer to unraveling the secret.
experiment
23.05.2023
Physicists to search for traces of dark matter in new experiment
No one knows what dark matter is made of, but it could be some kind of elementary particles. A candidate is the superlight axion that SDU physicist Manuel Meyer and his colleagues now hope to capture in an underground experiment.
archaeometry
17.05.2023
New study: Surprising diversity of ethnic groups in the US Virgin Islands before Columbus
For the first time, pottery shards from St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas have been chemically analyzed for dating. Contrary to previous theories, the results indicate there were many different ethnic groups on the islands in the time before Columbus discovered America.
magic mushrooms
02.05.2023
How hallucinogenic substance in psilocybin mushrooms works on the molecular level
Once it was hot research. Then it was banned. Now, research on psychedelic substances is both hot and legal. There is a revival in psilocybin research in labs and clinics all over the world, including at SDU.
Stem cell research
25.04.2023
New insight into dying cells in Parkinson's disease
New stem cell research provides a better understanding of what goes wrong in Parkinson's patients' brain cells, and thus the possibility of developing more effective treatments.
Urban heat
18.04.2023
Streams and rivers get warmer in urban areas
Temperatures are generally higher in urban areas, and this also applies to the water that flows through urban areas, biologists from SDU find in a new study. "Warmer streams and rivers are never good", says head of research, Sara Egemose.
Deep-sea expedition
17.04.2023
Environmental toxin PCB found in deep sea trench
Researchers on a deep-sea expedition have found PCB in sediment samples from the more than 8,000-meter-deep Atacama Trench in the Pacific Ocean. "It is thought-provoking to find man-made toxins in one of the world's most remote and inaccessible environments," says expedition leader Ronnie N. Glud.
eScience Center
13.04.2023
SDU eScience Center becomes part of the HALRIC consortium
EU Interreg Öresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak (ÖKS) has approved a 3-year project grant (2023-2026) for the Hanseatic Life Science Research Infrastructure Consortium (HALRIC).
Animals in captivity
23.03.2023
Why do we have to keep animals in captivity?
Confined animals give us important knowledge about behavior that we can use to protect animals in the wild, says biologist Kirstin Anderson Hansen. To ensure that animals in captivity thrive, there are several things you should keep in mind, she explains.
New professor
17.03.2023
New professor Mads Toudal Frandsen wants to develop physics at SDU: »We need to show how important physics is«
Physics is important when we are to solve the challenges of the future. Now, we need to show of the strong physics research and education we have at SDU. That is the wish from Mads Toudal Frandsen, who has recently been appointed professor. Astro- and space physics, biophysics and collaborations with the Faculty of Engineering, the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and the SDU Climate Cluster will open up new opportunities, he believes.
New National Portal
15.03.2023
Danish researchers get easier access to supercomputers with new national portal
The portal provides simpler options for using different supercomputer systems in Denmark and EU.
The animal kingdom
13.03.2023
Do animals have a sense of time?
There is a growing scientific awareness that animals may have cognitive abilities and that they are not just biological machines driven by instinct. Biologists from SDU are now investigating dolphins' and porpoises’ understanding of time.
High seas
07.03.2023
New UN treaty on the protection of the high seas: What does it mean?
The UN has adopted a historic agreement to protect 30% of the high seas. SDU ocean expert Jamileh Javidpour recommends to first protect areas where biodiversity is most threatened; for example seamounts and migration corridors for large predators, which rely on specific routes for their annual migrations.
AI
06.03.2023
What is artificial intelligence - and what influence will the technology have in our society?
We asked our expert in artificial intelligence, researcher and associate professor Luís Cruz-Filipe, who is also head of the Bachelor's programme Artificial Intelligence at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, to answer that question.
Nature
02.03.2023
Toothed whales catch food in the deep using vocal fry
Toothed whales, such as dolphins, killer whales and sperm whales communicate and catch food exclusively with sound. Now researchers have for the first time found they evolved a new sound source in their nose.
Climate research
21.02.2023
Nature can help when extreme weather hits
Floods, heat waves, storms and droughts are becoming more common as temperatures rise, so we need to find new ways to protect our cities and communities. Nature itself offers many solutions, and we must learn to make better use of them, say the researchers behind a new elite center for climate research at SDU.
VIRUS FINDINGS
08.02.2023
Newly discovered virus in local creek can kill resistant bacteria
The Danish creeks, Odense Å and Lindved Å, have surprised researchers and students at SDU by containing previously unknown virus species.
Climate change
07.02.2023
Animal life is getting messy
Globalization is not just for humans: animal species that have lived in isolation from each other are increasingly starting to mate and new hybrids are emerging. What are the implications for biodiversity?
Satellite
06.02.2023
Student satellites can contribute with important knowledge in the fight against climate change
A group of students from The University of Southern Denmark are together with students from several other Danish universities developing two satellites that can contribute to our understanding of the climate changes. Soon, they will send the first satellite into space.
Brain Cancer
31.01.2023
Radioactive drugs to track down cancer cells in the brain
There is no effective treatment for the aggressive brain cancer, glioblastoma, but researchers from SDU and OUH will now try to develop one. The idea is to load radioactive cancer-killing isotopes of certain metallic elements into specifically designed molecules that target cancer cells. This idea is supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation with DKK 15 million.
Universe
31.01.2023
The bubbling universe
What happened shortly after the universe was born in the Big Bang and began to expand? Bubbles occurred and a previously unknown phase transition happened, according to particle physicists from SDU and Nordita in Stockholm.
26.01.2023
Astrophysics: Is it time to replace the old model?
Physicists' best model of how the universe works is more than 100 years old and it needs an update because it can no longer explain all our astrophysical observations. Astrophysicist Sofie Marie Koksbang has received DKK 6 million DKK from the Villum Foundation to contribute to working out what that update should be.
New BSc
20.01.2023
New BSc in Artificial Intelligence
We asked an artificial intelligence to write this press release about our new bachelor's programme in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Southern Denmark
Research Award
18.01.2023
Rocks and oceans lead him back to ancient times
Donald Canfield uses chemistry and biology to study the Earth's past. His work often causes the rewriting of textbooks on the history of the oceans - and thus also the history of life. He is the 2023 recipient of the Villum Kann Rasmussen Annual Award in Science and Technology.
Deep-sea trenches
21.12.2022
Carbon, soot and particles from combustion end up in deep-sea trenches
New research shows that disproportionately large amounts of carbon accumulate at the bottom of deep-sea trenches. The trenches may thus play an important role for deep-sea storage of organic material - and thus for the atmospheric Co2 balance.
The primordial sea
14.12.2022
When was the first time life began to predate on each other?
In the early oceans billions of years ago organisms lived peacefully side by side. Today, there are predators among us - when and how did this change happen? New research indicates that our single-celled ancestors began to feed on each other almost a billion years earlier than previously thought.
Arctic
05.12.2022
New life emerges as the ice melts in the Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth and is headed towards being ice free in the summer. However, this provides opportunities for new ecosystems to develop, biologist Karl Attard argues.
Sound frequency
29.11.2022
Bats growl like death metal singers and Mongolian throat singers
Bats produce an extreme range of sound frequencies far exceeding human ability. Now researchers have for the first time directly filmed how they produce their extraordinary range of sounds.
Food waste
22.11.2022
Less mold, more food
Foods like fruit, vegetables and dairy products often get attacked by mold or fungus and therefore must be discarded. If we can extend the shelf life just a few days, we can save a lot of food from being thrown out. SDU researchers are trying to contribute to that.
Sustainable chemistry
04.11.2022
Nobel Prize chemistry in a more sustainable version
Nobel Prize chemistry in a more sustainable version This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to the discoverers of click chemistry – an invention used every day by chemists all over the world. This technique can be carried out more sustainably, SDU researcher reports.
Multi-resistant
31.10.2022
Will this yeast fungus become the world's next big health problem?
In a race against time, SDU researchers are trying to understand how to combat the dreaded yeast fungus Candida auris.
New species found
12.10.2022
New, blue fish found in deep-sea trench
Snailfish live at the deepest parts of the ocean. Now an expedition has found a new species; it is small, blue and looks anything but a deep-sea monster.
Digital security
02.09.2022
With quantum computers, hackers can access all your sensitive information
Quantum computers are coming, and they will benefit society. But they also have a downside: their superior computing power can break today’s protection of sensitive electronic information on conventional computers. Help is on its way.
25.08.2022
Study finds microbes with a surprising appetite
Researchers have discovered a new player in aquatic environments that thrives on nitrate.
Wildlife
19.08.2022
Which animals can best withstand climate change?
A new study investigates how different mammals react to climate change. Animals that live for a long time and produce less offspring – like bears and bison - are more resilient than small animals with a short life – like mice and lemmings.
Astrophysics
16.08.2022
New details from the black hole's backyard
Details are beginning to emerge as researchers work their way through image data from the black hole M87. Now a sharp ring of light, created by light particles whipping around the back of the supermassive black hole, has been discerned.
Keep it simple
12.08.2022
Here's the secret of man's ability to speak clearly
No other animal can speak and sing like humans, and there is especially one reason for that: Evolution has simplified our larynx.
Virtual gut system
27.07.2022
Can math help us understand the gut system of obese people?
Obesity has become a global epidemic and there is no effective cure yet. Some evidence indicates that the bacterial composition of our intestinal system plays a role. A new research project will use advanced math and computer science to investigate.
Ageing
23.06.2022
Humans can’t, but turtles can…
Reduce weakening and deterioration with age. Evolutionary theories of ageing predict that all living organisms weaken and deteriorate with age and eventually die. Now, researchers show that certain animal species, such as turtles and tortoises, may exhibit slower or even absent senescence when their living conditions improve.
Antibiotic resistant bacteria
21.06.2022
Can we save more lives if we let resistant bacteria live?
Every day, people die of simple inflammation because bacteria can no longer be killed with antibiotics. So what do we do? Maybe we should spend less energy on killing them and more on "only" making them harmless while they are in our body, researchers suggest.
Green chemistry
10.06.2022
Bacteria to wear protection
Bacteria can contribute to a more sustainable production of chemicals, so providing a good working environment for them is a good investment. Now SDU- researchers present a nano protection suit, developed for bacteria, in Nature Communications.
Climate
08.06.2022
Nitrous oxide-emitting bacteria can help us predict climate impacts
Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas, but we know very little about how much is actually emitted. A new research project, supported by the Independent Research Fund Denmark, seeks to change this by measuring nitrous oxide emissions in coastal areas and studying the bacteria that produce the gas.
Underwater hearing
23.05.2022
Who hear best underwater - human or seal?
We humans do better on land than under water - also when it comes to our hearing. But now a new study shows that we actually have better underwater hearing than previously thought - at certain frequencies we hear just as well as the seal.
Water quality
12.05.2022
New, healthy lakes in Denmark
Many new lakes are being established in Denmark in these years, and with that comes, of course, a desire for them to be healthy and have good water quality. SDU biologists show the way.
Astronomers reveal
12.05.2022
This is the first image of the black hole at the heart of our galaxy
Astronomers have unveiled the first image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own galaxy, The Milky Way. This result provides overwhelming evidence that the object is indeed a black hole and yields valuable clues about the workings of such giants, thought to reside at the center of most galaxies.
Better treatment
02.05.2022
How do you make stem cells?
Many have probably heard about stem cells and their enormous potential because of their ability to renew themselves over and over – and replace exactly the type of cells you may need. But where do stem cells actually come from? And how can scientists make new stem cells? We put these questions to stem cell expert Helle Bogetofte Barnkob.
The ice is melting
02.05.2022
Will The Arctic Ocean flourish with new life when the ice melts?
The Arctic Ocean is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth and is headed towards being ice free in the summer. However, this provides opportunities for new ecosystems to develop, biologist Karl Attard argues.
Harmful effects
25.04.2022
Offspring weakens, when parents are given antibiotics
New study shows the immune system of zebrafish weakens if one parent has been exposed to antibiotics. Antibiotics can have unwanted effects for several generations, researchers discover.
Shallow lakes
06.04.2022
Lakes are threatened by rising temperatures
Lakes in cold and temperate climates are important tools for sequestering carbon. But with rising temperatures, we are losing this tool, a new study shows. Instead, we should look for other places to store carbon, says expert.
medicinal chemistry
05.04.2022
Revolutionary tool could meet future pandemics with accelerated response
A new tool speeds up development of vaccines and other pharmaceutical products by more than one million times while minimizing costs.
Obituary
04.04.2022
Obituary for Professor James W. Vaupel
On Sunday 27 March 2022, Jim Vaupel died following an unexpected and brief illness. Thus, our university and Denmark, indeed the whole world, lost a leading demographer and researcher on ageing.
Low-land soils
04.04.2022
Forget about biodiversity for the first 10-20 years
If we stop cultivating low-land fields and let nature take over, we will get more biodiversity, we often hear. Correct, says expert: but the best thing we can do for biodiversity is to harvest everything that comes up for the first 10-20 years.
Ocean mystery
30.03.2022
Do Danish oceans release or absorb CO2?
Denmark is surrounded by seawater, which can absorb CO2 and thus reduce emissions to the atmosphere - but seawater can also release CO2. According to biologists Christian Furbo Reeder and Jakob Bang Rønning, we have no idea whether Danish waters absorb or release more CO2. So now they prepare to map CO2 emissions from Danish waters.
Good news
21.03.2022
Finally, the eelgrass is coming back
Scientists’ effort to bring the eelgrass back to Danish waters has proven very successful: After 2 years, there are now 70 times more eelgrass shoots in Horsens Fjord in Denmark.
ERC Consolidator Grant
17.03.2022
Do climate changes spur microbes to produce more methane?
More and more mineral particles released by climate change events (like land erosion or desertification) and anthropogenic activities (like industrial soot) are being transported worldwide. Certain microbes thrive on these particles, producing methane – a potent greenhouse gas. A new project aims to understand how microorganisms interact via mineral particles and how these interactions may affect the methane cycle.
Secret refuge
11.03.2022
What happened in this forgotten cave in the Holy Land?
Due to both coincidences and political circumstances, several boxes of finds from a cave on the west bank of the Dead Sea ended up in a museum cellar, where it was forgotten for 40 years. Now new scientific analyzes provide insight into 5,000 years of human presence in the cave.
Curiosity
07.03.2022
How do genes make us sick with diabetes and obesity?
When we get sick with life style diseases, some kind of gene activity has led to changes in, for example, our metabolism. But which genes? And what are the factors that trigger this altered gene activity?
Cyber-attacks
02.03.2022
Cyber expert: Hackers can increase Russians' awareness of the war in Ukraine
Opinion of cyber security expert after Ukraine has urged hackers around the world to help: The Russian army in Ukraine is a difficult target for hackers. Hacking of systems affecting ordinary Russians daily life may have greater effect.
Oceans full of carcasses
24.02.2022
“There hasn’t really been much interest in the dead”
Our oceans are filled with tiny, dead animals and jellyfish. But that is not bad news: without all these carcasses, the planet would not be a very nice place to live on, scientists are discovering. As all these carcasses seem to play an important role in the transportation and recycling of carbon and nitrogen on our planet.
burning fat
15.02.2022
The immune system also helps a healthy body
Were you also under the impression that the immune system only kicks in when you get sick? In fact, new research shows the immune system is also busy when you’re perfectly healthy. For instance, it helps you convert fat into energy when you’re fasting.
Reptile hearing
09.02.2022
Put a gecko-inspired robot on the teachers’ heels: More lively lectures
Lizards like geckos and agamas have inspired scientists to develop a new robot-controlled camera that can make streamed lectures less dull.
Astrophysics
18.01.2022
Students challenge 40-year-old theory of galaxy dynamics and the dark universe
No known physical laws can explain how stars move in galaxies. Now physics students from SDU show that a 40-year-old theory can be ruled out.
Groundbreaking
10.01.2022
Will this new superpower molecule revolutionize science?
In a new study, researchers report the creation of an artificial molecule with superpowers. It has the potential to revolutionize nanotechnology – and it also explains one of Nature’s intriguing enigmas; why do we have a right hand and a left hand?
Aquatic environment
06.01.2022
Microbes produce oxygen in the dark
There would be no oxygen on Earth were it not for sunlight; the key component in photosynthesis. Now researchers have made the surprising discovery that oxygen is also produced without sunlight, possibly deep below the ocean surface.
