News 2021 from the Faculty of Science

• 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.

• 22.12.2021

  Carnivores are more prone to cancer

  A new study on cancer risk across mammals in zoos shows. Researchers also find that ungulates appear resistant to the disease. Could they hold clues to natural, non-toxic cancer treatments for humans?

• 16.12.2021

  Our urine is full of medicine – soon we will be drinking medicine residues

  More and more medicine residues are contaminating our drinking water. Most of these are flushed with the urine down the toilet when we take medication, and this increases the risk of cocktail effects in our water. Therefore, there is a need for new approaches to quality assurance of the consumers’ drinking water, SDU expert emphasises.

• 29.11.2021

  Do you want to go to a museum on the computer?

  More and more cultural institutions are going online, and after the Covid-19 lockdowns, the EU wants to make our common cultural heritage more digitally accessible to the many who cannot visit the sites physically. At SDU computer scientist Stefan Jänicke is finding new digital ways to communicate cultural heritage for example with the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

• 17.11.2021

  Is it really true that evening snacks are more fattening?

  Next to the intestines, the liver is the first organ to meet all the nutrients we absorb from food. To function optimally, the liver must have proper working hours – otherwise the risk of becoming overweight and developing diabetes increases.

• 12.11.2021

  Hadal trenches continue to surprise researchers

  New study reveals certain bacteria, that are attracted to nitrogen, have relatively easily adapted to the extreme pressure 10 km below sea level.

• 27.10.2021

  Patients with Parkinson's disease deserve treatment for more than just their symptoms

  We can alleviate Parkinson's patients' ailments, but it is not yet possible to cure the disease itself. Patients continue to get worse as the disease progresses. Therefore, doctor and Ph.D. Helle Bogetofte Barnkob dedicates her career as a researcher to finding out how to stop the disease from evolving.

• 22.10.2021

  Article about gorillas and COVID-19 has been withdrawn

  Researchers conducting the study on how COVID-19 can affect the population of wild gorillas have discovered an error within the study and has chosen to withdraw the scientific publication. Therefore, SDU has also chosen to withdraw the article about the study as of 6 December 2021.

• 20.10.2021

  New EU project: Quicker Diagnosis for Rare Disease Patients

  Genetic Newborn Screening and Artificial Intelligence are important tools in new 25 million Euro project. Associate Professor Richard Röttger from SDU is part of the project.

• 12.10.2021

  New center. New technology. New horizon. Research field is elevated to new heights!

  With the inauguration of the Nikon Center of Excellence for Molecular Biomedical Imaging at the University of Southern Denmark, SDU will be able to contribute with more groundbreaking knowledge and new insights in health areas such as obesity, neuro and cancer research for the benefit of future patients.

• 08.10.2021

  SDU researchers are able to remove pesticides from drinking water

  No one wants to drink water containing pesticide or chemical residues. Nevertheless, a record number of Danish groundwater wells now show traces of the unwanted contaminants in the groundwater. SDU researchers have found a scientific solution that can neutralise and remove the toxic residues.

• 13.09.2021

  Now more GMOs are reaching the consumers

  More genetically modified foods are on their way to the consumers after the EU granted permission to import GM maize, soya, rape and cotton. But are the genetically modified crops safe? And should we grow them in Denmark?

• 23.08.2021

  Is radiation from pylons and electronics dangerous?

  We are constantly surrounded by electronics and telecom masts that emit radiation. While all of these comply with the authorities’ rules for exposure levels, many people are nevertheless concerned. What does the expert think?

• 11.08.2021

  Loss of eelgrass - a severe threat to climate account

  Eelgrass is disappearing in many places in the world, and with it disappears nature’s own effective binding of carbon and nitrogen.

• 01.07.2021

  Supercomputer to help researchers develop more sustainable tires

  Every year, an estimated 1.3 billion tons of particles are worn off car tires and roads in Europe. A significant portion of this ends up in the environment as microparticle pollution. SDU Researchers and tire manufacturer Continental are now working together to find a solution.

• 24.06.2021

  IMADA is experiencing strong success with the retrieval of research funds

  In the past six months, IMADA has succeeded in applying for and obtaining a number of crucial research grants. Most recently, the Novo Nordisk Foundation has granted DKK 46.2 million to Daniel Merkle's project MATOMIC.

• 16.06.2021

  We cannot cheat ageing and death

  Philosophers, artists and scientists - and probably all the rest of us – have long obsessed over the key to human immortality. Now, a new study gives us evidence for our inevitable death.

• 08.06.2021

  Porpoises seem to cooperate in sophisticated group hunting

  Drone footage shows that porpoises may be more social and cooperative than previously thought.

• 07.06.2021

  Songbirds can control single vocal muscle fibers

  Singing is crucial for the recognition, sex life and speciation of songbirds. New research published in Current Biology shows songbirds have extremely high-resolution control over their vocal output and can even control single muscle fibers.

• 28.04.2021

  Mangroves and seagrasses absorb microplastics

  Microplastics do not just end up in the open sea – in fact, a lot also end up in the ecosystems of the coastal zones, a new study shows and this may threaten wildlife.

• 21.04.2021

  Goodbye industry, hello immersion

  René Holm is leaving the pharma industry to have more time for research at SDU

• 16.04.2021

  A new look at evolution in the oceans

  The primeval ocean – or at least parts of it – may have been more reminiscent of the oceans of today than previously thought.

• 13.04.2021

  Esteemed mathematician to SDU

  American Professor Vivek Shende establishes a research group at the University of Southern Denmark. He is funded by three Danish foundations as part of their efforts to attract international capacities to Denmark. Most recently the Villum Foundation has granted him 25 mil DKK. to research the mysteries of superstrings.

• 25.03.2021

  Danish students will launch their own satellite next summer

  The Danish Students CubeSat Program, DISCO, will, in collaboration with the Danish company Space Inventor, launch its first satellite on a Falcon-9 rocket in the summer of 2022.

• 19.03.2021

  New drug candidate against COVID-19

  There are no drugs that can cure people who are infected. But researchers at SDU have now developed a substance that can form the basis for the development of drugs against COVID-19.

• 10.03.2021

  SDU intensify focus on space in SDU Galaxy

  To ensure that students have the best skills to seize the opportunities available in the new golden age of space travel, the University of Southern Denmark bring together research and development in space and space-related technology in the SDU Galaxy network.

• 10.03.2021

  Women in research: Carolin Löscher

  On the occasion of the International Women’s Day on 8 March, please meet some of our women researchers from SDU and learn their perspectives on being a woman in research.

• 10.03.2021

  Face masks are a ticking plastic bomb

  Every minute of the day we throw away 3 million face masks. Many end up as potentially toxic micro- and nanoplastic or carriers for other toxicants in the environment, researchers warn.

• 08.03.2021

  ‘I always feel listened to’

  SDU's first woman dean, Marianne Holmer, took office as Dean at the Faculty of Science a year ago. She certainly feels different from her male colleagues but believes it’s as much due to her personality as her gender.

• 04.03.2021

  Frogs’ lungs help them find a mate

  Male frogs call to attract females, but how can females tell that it is a male of the same species calling? Green tree frogs use the same principle as in noise-cancelling headphones – and they are far better at it.

• 02.03.2021

  Will this solve the mystery of the expansion of the universe?

  Physicists’ new proposal that a new type of extra dark energy is involved is highlighted in scientific journal.

• 11.02.2021

  Aaaargh, this is driving me nuts!!!

  Most digitisations are intended to make everyday life easier for users but can also lead to frustration and powerlessness.

• 09.02.2021

  New weapon against resistant bacteria

  Researchers have developed a new antibiotic that can help in the fight against resistant bacteria, and they hope it will reach the patients.

• 01.02.2021

  Scientific investigations of the believed remains of two apostles

  A Roman church has since the sixth century AD held relics, believed to be the remains of two apostles. Now, they have undergone scientific analysis, casting light on their age and origin.

• 25.01.2021

  DKK 35 million for new type of research in neuro diseases

  Professor Martin Røssel Larsen has received DKK 35 million from the Lundbeck Foundation to cultivate and research mini-brains.

• 20.01.2021

  Boost for the development of new, advanced materials

  New instrument improves analysis of high-tech nano materials

• 14.01.2021

  Why does breast cancer often spread in obese women?

  Every year, approx. 5,000 Danish women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Obesity makes the cancer cells more aggressive, so they spread to other parts of the body. This is the focus of Rasmus Siersbæk’s research and he hopes to be able to find better treatment methods for this disease.

• 12.01.2021

  The Danish culture of trust is a problem for cybersecurity

  Cybersecurity is a global challenge, and in Denmark the level of security does not differ significantly from other countries. However, there are culture-based challenges that are particularly prevalent in Denmark according to the researcher behind a new report.