Candida albicans on the human mucosa
The FungiNet research group investigates how pathogenic fungi interact with human hosts. One of these organisms, which can transform from a commensal to a pathogenic organism, is the fungus Candida albicans. The fungus is in general living as a commensal meaning harmless microorganism on the human mucosa, such as the mouth, gut or vagina. Once the microbial balance on mucosal surfaces is disrupted, Candida albicans shifts to a pathogenic form and causes infection. Especially, the interaction between Candida and epithelial cells in the gut resisting translocation of the fungus is of interest. Accordingly, the translocation of the fungus is replicated and visualized in the laboratory to quantify the resistance of the epithelial cells and to develop therapeutic options that render Candida albicans harmless to humans.

Nano_bio_photonics
Research group Nanobiophotonics focuses on plasmonic nanoparticles, which are usually made of noble metals such as gold, silver, or platinum. They can be shaped in various geometric shapes that are only visible at the nanoscale using electron microscopic methods. On a larger scale, such nanoparticles form colorful colloids due to the selective light absorption within the visible spectrum. Manipulating the optical properties via the material, size, and shape of nanoparticles is essential for applying them as optical signal converters in sensor technologies. Moreover, functional nanostructures based on biomolecular components and plasmonic nanoparticles, such as plasmon nanoantennas, can be used for the targeted manipulation of biomolecules, catalysis or materials processing.

Tension – Chronic stress
The impulse working group investigates how lifestyle and aging change the response to stress. Although stress is by definition a subjective event, it leads to measurable changes in the brain and body that can be replicated in mouse models. The stress response is studied at the molecular, neuroanatomical and behavioral level, all of which are closely interrelated.

World – Brain Tensions
In the department of Biological Psychology and Cognitive Neurosciences, one of the questions being investigated is in which respect tension arises from the discrepancies between the reality surrounding people and the world perceived by the individual. In general, the human brain processes its environment according to certain rules, which depend, for example, on prior experiences and one's own level of knowledge. However, the divergence between the existing reality and the reality processed by the brain leads regularly to tensions. The predictive coding theory is currently trying to explain these tensions and is used to investigate which neuronal processes take place when personal expectations of the observed world are subverted.

Tension in glas
The Deutsches Optisches Museum (D.O.M.) and its depot of antique optical apparatus are currently undergoing a phase of renovation and reorganization, the exhibition is scheduled to reopen in 2025. Optical and photonic phenomena will be explained with real-life experiments within the new exhibition, in addition current research topics will be presented. In this very context the museum is dedicated to the communication and visualization of tension in glass. The latter being a challenge to overcome in optical systems. One means to analyze tension in glass is to characterize it between crossed polarizers. Here the birefringence leads to defined colored interference patterns. This will be exhibited and explained within the new exhibition at D.O.M. The “Künstlerische Tatsachen” project is to happen in the UNESCO International Year of Glass 2022.

How pneumonia-inducing bacteria learn from their human host
Human pathogenic bacteria pose a great threat to society because we do not yet fully understand how they interact with our bodies to cause diseases. As a most acute problem, the infection mechanisms of pneumonia-inducing bacteria, where the existing vaccines have limited availability and affordability, especially in developing countries, is studied at the HKI. To find more accessible ways to fight these infections, the scientific approach of Cláudia Vilhena and Zoltán Cseresnyés and their colleagues at the HKI turns things around: instead of only trying to understand how the human system reacts to the pathogen, they examine how the pathogens learn from us as they interact with the human body. During these studies high-resolution microscopy and computer-aided image analysis are used, where one has to address the challenges of visualizing 3-dimensional structures that represent the bacterial membrane. By utilizing a combination of shape, size and color, and building them into animations as well as computer models, structural and functional details about the bacteria that help us build better defense strategies against pathogen-related diseases are revealed.

Neuroscience: Development and maintenance of mental illnesses
The Department of Clinical Psychology investigates the conditions for the development and maintenance of mental illness from a neuroscientific perspective. One research focus is on interoceptive perception, which is the conscious or unconscious perception of internal bodily processes, such as heartbeat, respiration, etc. Those processes represent how the body adjusts to the external environment. In general, the body's ability to regulate itself in response to external circumstances is studied. With regard to panic disorders, for example, the extent to which the body adapts and is placed in a strong state of tension is investigated.

The science of science or: What does scientific actually mean?
One of the main tasks of the Center for Research on Right-Wing Extremism, Democracy Education and Social Integration (KomRex) is the transfer of scientific findings to the public, the media and political decision-makers. In terms of science communication, two aspects can be distinguished: One is the communication of findings on a specific phenomenon, such as the emergence of radicalization processes among young people. A second aspect concerns the communication of concepts and methods of knowledge production. This consideration is by nature abstract and initially independent of the research content. However, it is significant when misconceptions and expectations prevail in the public or in politics, thus hindering the transfer of scientific content and, in extreme cases, devaluing or ignoring scientific knowledge. Therefore, this project is dedicated to the production and dissemination of knowledge as well as its evaluation, i.e. the presentation of empirical social science studies and the question "What can science achieve?"