The Week at TU Braunschweig │17.12.2021 Our Newsletter for all Employees
Topics: New Year’s Message + Quantum Magnets + Omicron + Mobile Robots + UFO Plants + Destructive Microbes
Editor: Mark Winter, Lisa Ryll
► Season’s greetings from TU Braunschweig President Angela Ittel
In her video message, President Prof. Angela Ittel expresses her gratitude to all members of the TU Braunschweig and wishes them a relaxing winter break.
► Corona tips for the winter break by Prof. Melanie Brinkmann
In the video with President Prof. Angela Ittel, virologist Prof. Melanie Brinkmann of the Institute of Microbiology gives tips on how to protect yourself and your family in the Corona pandemic to celebrate Christmas safely.
► Microscopic insights into quantum magnets
In modern magnetic materials, magnetic structures often deviate from simple arrangements – with far-reaching consequences for the material properties. Physicists led by the Institute of Condensed Matter Physics have now studied a system of this kind in a laboratory in France.
► Serum samples tested with new corona variant
Does the rapid spread of the Omikron variant succeed by bypassing immune defences or by better binding to human cells and thus easier infection? The study by a team of Braunschweig researchers suggests that the new virus variant can bypass detection in vaccinated and recovered individuals.
► Aircraft construction and maintenance: Automated with mobile robots
In order to make flying more environmentally friendly and climate-friendly in the future, not only the planes but also production, maintenance and repair should be optimized. In the Hi-Digit-Pro 4.0 project, researchers from the TU and DLR have developed a new assembly process. The student scientific working group for studio and broadcasting issues has documented it in a video.
► Growing plants in a spaceship on the Oker
An aquaponic raft has landed near the Wendentor Bridge, built by architecture students Julian Tesche, Philip Schreiner and Kilian Schrader in cooperation with the Protohaus. The aim is to use hydroponic plants to remove the excess nutrients from the river Oker and return the purified water.
► Who wants to have visions…
…should dare to think out of the box. Accordingly, our Cluster of Excellence QuantumFrontiers will be exploring the potential of new collaborations and interfaces in the coming year. For example, with a vision workshop.
► Innovation in Higher Education Foundation appoints Prof. Simone Kauffeld
Prof. Simone Kauffeld has been appointed by the Innovation in Higher Education Foundation to a new committee in which she decides on the funding of innovative teaching and learning projects together with experts from universities and science as well as representatives of the states and the federal government.
► Funding in the humanities and social sciences
The program of the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) funds Franco-German research projects in the humanities and social sciences. Proposals for funding can be submitted until March 17.
► Test licenses for e-learning courses
The postdoc programme offers e-learning licences as a test phase to complement the continuing education programme. Among them: Courses on Design Thinking or Presentation Skills in Science. If you are interested, please send an e-mail to postdoc-programm@tu-braunschweig.de.
► Microbes in book culture
The online exhibition “The Contaminated Library” of the interdisciplinary research project MIKROBIB opens up a completely different world of books. Anyone who wants to find out what we can learn from the “language of microbes” between the pages should pay it a visit.
► Darling of the week
Our darling of the week is actually two darlings this time. Prof. Melanie Brinkmann, as Vice Chairwoman, and Prof. Michael Meyer-Hermann have been appointed to the advisory Corona Expert Council of the Federal Government. Congratulations!
► Digital bouquet of flowers
This “week”, the colleagues of the University Library are presenting a digital bouquet of flowers to Ramona Peschke, employee of the Studentenwerk and “Fairy Godmother” of the food truck. With this, they would like to express their sincere thanks for her extremely friendly personality, her unwavering cheerfulness and the great catering.
► On our own behalf
Elisabeth Hoffmann leaves for Cologne, and the “week” goes into its Christmas break. We wish you all happy holidays! And we are already looking forward to the next “week”, which will be out on 14.01.2022.