Latest news from University of Vienna on News en-us Copyright 2025 News 115 31 / /images/newswise-logo-rss.gif /articles/silk-sponges-instead-of-animal-testing-how-a-3d-cell-culture-system-could-revolutionize-cancer-diagnostics/?sc=rsin /articles/silk-sponges-instead-of-animal-testing-how-a-3d-cell-culture-system-could-revolutionize-cancer-diagnostics/?sc=rsin Fri, 21 Mar 2025 05:00:34 EST An FFG-funded consortium of Austrian research groups from the University of Vienna, MedUni Vienna and Technikum Wien together with company partner DOC Medikus GmbH has developed an innovative bioanalytical test system for radiopharmaceutical drug candidates for cancer diagnosis and therapy. It does not require any animal testing at all and enables automated, fast and highly precise analyses. The new method was presented in detail in the renowned Journal of Nuclear Medicine. University of Vienna /articles/lords-of-the-molecular-rings-an-innovative-shortcut-to-high-performance-organic-materials/?sc=rsin /articles/lords-of-the-molecular-rings-an-innovative-shortcut-to-high-performance-organic-materials/?sc=rsin Tue, 18 Mar 2025 05:55:44 EST Scientists at the Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, have unveiled an innovative approach for synthesizing azaparacyclophanes (APCs), a class of highly advanced ring-shaped molecular structures with immense potential in material science. Their innovative Catalyst-Transfer Macrocyclization (CTM) method, currently published in JACS Au, streamlines the production of these complex macrocycles, paving the way for more efficient and scalable applications in organic electronics, optoelectronics, and supramolecular chemistry - such as displays, flexible solar cells and transistors. University of Vienna /articles/nature-relieves-physical-pain-pain-related-signals-in-the-brain-are-reduced/?sc=rsin /articles/nature-relieves-physical-pain-pain-related-signals-in-the-brain-are-reduced/?sc=rsin Thu, 13 Mar 2025 07:00:49 EST In a new study, an international team of neuroscientists led by the University of Vienna has shown that experiencing nature can alleviate acute physical pain. Surprisingly, simply watching nature videos was enough to relieve pain. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the researchers found that acute pain was rated as less intense and unpleasant when watching nature videos - along with a reduction in brain activity associated with pain. The results suggest that nature-based therapies can be used as promising complementary approaches to pain management. The study was recently published in the renowned journal Nature Communications. University of Vienna /articles/yawn-many-people-are-bored-by-spiritual-practice/?sc=rsin /articles/yawn-many-people-are-bored-by-spiritual-practice/?sc=rsin Thu, 06 Mar 2025 06:55:12 EST We commonly consider spiritual practices sources of peace and inspiration. A recent study led by researchers of the University of Vienna shows that they can also be experienced differently: Many persons feel bored during these practices - and this can have far-reaching consequences. University of Vienna /articles/unhealthy-eating-during-the-covid-19-lockdown-how-social-interactions-and-mood-influenced-eating-behavior/?sc=rsin /articles/unhealthy-eating-during-the-covid-19-lockdown-how-social-interactions-and-mood-influenced-eating-behavior/?sc=rsin Fri, 28 Feb 2025 07:00:34 EST During the first COVID-19 lockdown, researchers of the University of Vienna assessed the influence of stress, mood, and social interactions on "unhealthy" eating habits in nearly 800 participants across Austria, Italy, and Germany. University of Vienna /articles/the-galactic-journey-of-our-solar-system/?sc=rsin /articles/the-galactic-journey-of-our-solar-system/?sc=rsin Tue, 25 Feb 2025 05:00:28 EST An international research team led by the University of Vienna has discovered that the Solar System traversed the Orion star-forming complex, a component of the Radcliffe Wave galactic structure, approximately 14 million years ago. This journey through a dense region of space could have compressed the heliosphere, the protective bubble surrounding our solar system, and increased the influx of interstellar dust, potentially influencing Earth's climate and leaving traces in geological records. The findings, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, offer a fascinating interdisciplinary link between astrophysics, paleoclimatology, and geology. University of Vienna /articles/missing-link-in-indo-european-languages-history-found/?sc=rsin /articles/missing-link-in-indo-european-languages-history-found/?sc=rsin Wed, 05 Feb 2025 11:00:00 EST Where lies the origin of the Indo-European language family? Ron Pinhasi and his team in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Vienna contribute a new piece to this puzzle in collaboration with David Reich's ancient DNA laboratory at Harvard University. They analyzed ancient DNA from 435 individuals from archaeological sites across Eurasia between 6.400-2.000 BCE. They found out that a newly recognized Caucasus-Lower Volga population can be connected to all Indo-European-speaking populations. The new study is published in Nature. University of Vienna /articles/flipping-the-script-inverse-design-as-game-changer-in-physics/?sc=rsin /articles/flipping-the-script-inverse-design-as-game-changer-in-physics/?sc=rsin Tue, 04 Feb 2025 05:00:29 EST An international team of researchers, led by physicists from the University of Vienna, has achieved a breakthrough in data processing by employing an "inverse-design" approach. This method allows algorithms to configure a system based on desired functions, bypassing manual design and complex simulations. The result is a smart "universal" device that uses spin waves ("magnons") to perform multiple data processing tasks with exceptional energy efficiency. Published in Nature Electronics, this innovation marks a transformative advance in unconventional computing, with significant potential for next-generation telecommunications, computing, and neuromorphic systems. University of Vienna /articles/sharks-and-rays-benefit-from-global-warming-but-not-from-co2-in-the-oceans/?sc=rsin /articles/sharks-and-rays-benefit-from-global-warming-but-not-from-co2-in-the-oceans/?sc=rsin Thu, 30 Jan 2025 05:50:25 EST Sharks and rays have populated the world's oceans for around 450 million years, but more than a third of the species living today are severely threatened by overfishing and the loss of their habitat. An international research team led by palaeobiologist Manuel A. Staggl from the University of Vienna has now investigated whether and how global warming influences the diversity of sharks based on climate fluctuations between 200 and 66 million years ago. According to the study, higher temperatures and more shallow water areas have a positive effect, while higher CO2 levels have a clearly negative effect. The study was recently published in the scientific journal "Biology". University of Vienna /articles/thawing-permafrost-threatens-up-to-three-million-people-in-arctic-regions/?sc=rsin /articles/thawing-permafrost-threatens-up-to-three-million-people-in-arctic-regions/?sc=rsin Thu, 16 Jan 2025 06:15:39 EST In an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary study, an international team led by the University of Vienna and the Danish Technical University/Umea University examined the social risks for Arctic regions associated with thawing permafrost. They identified five key risks related to infrastructure, transport and supply, water quality, food security and health. The scientists found that the thawing permafrost posed an increased risk of exposure to infectious diseases and release of contaminants, and interruptions of supply routes. The study has been published in the renowned journal Communications Earth and Environment. University of Vienna /articles/cleopatra-s-sister-remains-missing/?sc=rsin /articles/cleopatra-s-sister-remains-missing/?sc=rsin Fri, 10 Jan 2025 05:55:36 EST An interdisciplinary research team led by anthropologist Gerhard Weber from the University of Vienna, together with experts from the Austrian Academy of Sciences, has analysed a skull that was found in the ruins of Ephesos (Turkey) in 1929. It was long speculated that it could be the remains of Arsinoe IV, the sister of the famous Cleopatra. University of Vienna /articles/conservation-paradox-invasive-species-are-often-threatened-in-their-native-range/?sc=rsin /articles/conservation-paradox-invasive-species-are-often-threatened-in-their-native-range/?sc=rsin Fri, 06 Dec 2024 05:00:12 EST Non-native species introduced by humans are among the main causes of global species decline - they were partly responsible for 60 percent of the species that have become extinct worldwide in recent decades. In Central Europe, non-native mammals include species such as the Norway rat, the mouflon and the mink. Now a study led by biologists from the University of Vienna and La Sapienza University in Rome shows that some of these species introduced by humans are themselves endangered in their native range. The study has been published in the current issue of the journal Conservation Letters. University of Vienna /articles/sharing-is-caring-central-europe-s-first-farmers-lived-in-equality/?sc=rsin /articles/sharing-is-caring-central-europe-s-first-farmers-lived-in-equality/?sc=rsin Fri, 29 Nov 2024 05:00:00 EST An international team of researchers led by Pere Gelabert and Ron Pinhasi of the University of Vienna and David Reich of Harvard University has produced the most complete set of Early Neolithic genetic data from Central Europe to date. The results of this study, just published in Nature Human Behaviour, reveal that the culture responsible for the expansion of agriculture in Central Europe 8,000 years ago showed no signs of population stratification. University of Vienna /articles/a-groundbreaking-new-approach-to-treating-chronic-abdominal-pain/?sc=rsin /articles/a-groundbreaking-new-approach-to-treating-chronic-abdominal-pain/?sc=rsin Fri, 22 Nov 2024 05:15:17 EST A research team at the University of Vienna, led by medicinal chemist Markus Muttenthaler, has developed a new class of oral peptide therapeutic leads for treating chronic abdominal pain. This groundbreaking innovation offers a safe, non-opioid-based solution for conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which affect millions of people worldwide. The research results were recently published in the international edition of the renowned journal Angewandte Chemie. University of Vienna /articles/parkinson-s-drug-changes-the-gut-microbiome-for-the-worse-due-to-iron-deficiency/?sc=rsin /articles/parkinson-s-drug-changes-the-gut-microbiome-for-the-worse-due-to-iron-deficiency/?sc=rsin Thu, 21 Nov 2024 06:00:56 EST In a groundbreaking new study, conducted within the framework of the FWF-funded Cluster of Excellence "Microbiomes drive Planetary Health", scientists from the University of Vienna, in collaboration with the University of Southampton, Aalborg University and Boston University, have revealed that the widely prescribed Parkinson's disease drug entacapone significantly disrupts the human gut microbiome by inducing iron deficiency. The study, published in Nature Microbiology, provides new insights into the often-overlooked impact of human-targeted drugs on the microbial communities that play a critical role in human health. University of Vienna /articles/how-marine-worms-regenerate-lost-body-parts/?sc=rsin /articles/how-marine-worms-regenerate-lost-body-parts/?sc=rsin Mon, 18 Nov 2024 05:00:00 EST Many living organisms are able to regenerate damaged or lost tissue, but why some are particularly good at this and others are not is not fully understood. Molecular biologists Alexander Stockinger, Leonie Adelmann and Florian Raible from the Max Perutz Labs at the University of Vienna have now made an important contribution to clarifying this question in a new study. University of Vienna /articles/complex-sound-patterns-are-recognized-by-newborn-brains/?sc=rsin /articles/complex-sound-patterns-are-recognized-by-newborn-brains/?sc=rsin Fri, 25 Oct 2024 06:05:45 EST A team of researchers, including psycholinguist Jutta Mueller from the University of Vienna, has discovered that newborns are capable of learning complex sound sequences that follow language-like rules. This groundbreaking study provides long-sought evidence that the ability to perceive dependencies between non-adjacent acoustic signals is innate. University of Vienna /articles/recognizing-the-strengths-of-socio-economically-disadvantaged-students-leads-to-better-grades/?sc=rsin /articles/recognizing-the-strengths-of-socio-economically-disadvantaged-students-leads-to-better-grades/?sc=rsin Mon, 21 Oct 2024 06:00:24 EST In their new study, psychologist Christina Bauer from the University of Vienna and her international team show the influence societal narratives can have on students' self-image and their performance. The researchers presented reverse narratives to socio-economically disadvantaged students: instead of portraying them as weak, they emphasized their strengths. University of Vienna /articles/chickpeas-sustainable-and-climate-friendly-foods-of-the-future/?sc=rsin /articles/chickpeas-sustainable-and-climate-friendly-foods-of-the-future/?sc=rsin Wed, 16 Oct 2024 06:00:02 EST Climate change has a negative impact on food security. An international research team led by Wolfram Weckwerth from the University of Vienna has now conducted a study to investigate the natural variation of different chickpea genotypes and their resistance to drought stress. University of Vienna /articles/checking-out-the-boundaries-milestone-in-lipidomics-achieved/?sc=rsin /articles/checking-out-the-boundaries-milestone-in-lipidomics-achieved/?sc=rsin Thu, 10 Oct 2024 06:00:39 EST Results of the first phase of a Ceramide Ring Trial have just been published in the renowned journal Nature Communications, representing a significant landmark in the field of lipidomics. University of Vienna