Research News

What makes spider silk so extraordinarily strong and elastic at the same time? This was the focus of recent investigations carried out by researchers from the University of Greifswald, the University of Bonn and the Museum of Natural Science in Buenos Aires. In material and behavioural analyses,…

Drained peatlands in the EU emit around 232 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent every year - almost twice as much as the EU member states have so far declared to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This is the conclusion of a study now published in Nature Communications with the…

Male nursery web spiders (Pisaura mirabilis) use the sense of smell in their legs to find mates. Researchers at the University of Greifswald used an electron microscope to discover “olfactory hairs” on the legs of adult males. Behavioural studies prove it: these hairs help the spiders to perceive…

Why do some earthquakes release more energy than others? A research team led by Prof. Dr. Armin Dielforder from the University of Greifswald has managed to demonstrate a clear physical connection between the energy released during earthquakes and the solidity of the rock deep in the earth's crust.…

When extreme periods of drought persist over several years, there is a significant increase to the negative effects on plant productivity. This is the conclusion of an international study published in Science, which also included research results from the Dune Heath on Hiddensee. The working group…

The "CONCENTRATE" Collaborative Research Centre was launched at the University of Greifswald on Thursday, 2 October 2025. The project was successful in the nationwide application process, gaining the highest level of funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) - a significant success for…

Biologists at the University of Greifswald have discovered that bats are reacting to the effects of climate change by hibernating for longer and longer periods. With the help of 13 years of continuous monitoring, they were able to show that Daubenton’s bats (Myotis daubentonii) now start their…

According to a new research study by researchers from Greifswald and Canada, black widows (Latrodectus hesperus) use a unique scent strategy to find their mate. A chemical pheromone slowly decomposes on the female's web, creating an attractant that lasts for weeks, attracting males and governing…

Physicists at the University of Greifswald are developing an innovative approach that will significantly improve the energy efficiency of computers. They take their inspiration from the human brain.

In the evolutionary arms race between predator and prey, prey animals often use chemical defence mechanisms to protect themselves. A team led by biologist Dr. Andreas Fischer from the University of Greifswald and colleagues from Simon Fraser University, Canada, has now discovered that the common…