Goethe-Universität — Press releases

Goethe University PR & Communication Department

Sep 8 2025

11:49

Launched 10 years ago – Alumni represent the success of the program

Anniversary cruise on the “J. W. von Goethe”: 10 Years of the Part-Time Pharma MBA at Goethe University

With a cruise on the River Main, more than 80 guests celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Master of Pharma Business Administration (MBA) program. The Pharma MBA was developed in 2015 by Goethe Business School together with the House of Pharma & Healthcare, Goethe University, and renowned practitioners from the pharmaceutical industry, and has been continuously refined ever since. In the meantime, more than 200 students, most of them working in various sectors of the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare, have enrolled in or completed the program.

FRANKFURT. Under the evening sky of August 29, 2025, the passenger ship “J. W. von Goethe” set off on a three-hour round trip on the River Main. As Frankfurt’s skyline drifted past the ship’s windows, the 80 guests on board – students, alumni, lecturers, and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare, and related service companies – looked back on the beginnings and milestones of the Pharma MBA at Goethe Business School.

Dr. Christian Jansen, Managing Director of Goethe Business School, said: “The Pharma MBA is Europe’s leading MBA program with a dedicated focus on the pharmaceutical industry. We are proud that so many of our alumni are still closely connected to us today. And it also reflects their success in using the Pharma MBA to qualify for further leadership roles. Our concept works: the unique combination of classical management knowledge and cutting-edge, industry-specific content supports the careers of ambitious professionals in the pharmaceutical sector.”

The part-time program begins annually in October and can be completed within four semesters. Graduates receive a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Department of Economics (accredited by the US agency AACSB) and from the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Pharmacy at Goethe University Frankfurt.

Further information:
The Pharma MBA program at Goethe Business School
https://www.goethe-business-school.de/en/master-programs/pharma-mba

Picture download:
https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/177808363

Caption: The anniversary ship: More than 80 guests celebrated the 10th anniversary of the part-time Pharma MBA program of Goethe Business School on the passenger ship “J.W. von Goethe.” Photo: Stefan Wildhirt for Goethe Business School gGmbH

Contact:
Ulrike Lachmund
Director of Marketing
Goethe Business School gGmbH
Tel.: +49 (0)69 798-33503
marketing@gbs.uni-frankfurt.de
https://www.goethe-business-school.de/en
Bluesky: @goetheuni.bsky.social
Linkedin: @Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, @Goethe Business School

Sep 4 2025

11:56

New research projects at Goethe University are investigating the reasons for the extinction of prehistoric shark species and developing a new method for analysis of large biomolecules using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Two ERC Grants for Goethe University: Why a sharks becomes extinct and how to study the dynamics of biomolecules

Two outstanding researchers at Goethe University have each successfully secured a prestigious fellowship from the European Research Council (ERC) for their pioneering research projects: Geoscientist Dr. Jeremy McCormack, within the framework of his ERC Starting Grant, is investigating to what extent the ecology of prehistoric sharks increased their risk of extinction. Chemist Dr. Andrei Kuzhelev is advancing an ultra-high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study the dynamics of complex biomolecules in nanoliter-sized samples. The grant are each endowed with around 1.5 million euros.

FRANKFURT. Professor Enrico Schleiff, President of Goethe University, congratulated the two researchers: “The research projects of Jeremy McCormack and Andrei Kuzhelev are impressive examples of how we at Goethe University continue to push the boundaries of what can still be measured—whether it is atomic traces of sharks' diets preserved in their teeth, or an innovative spectroscopic tool for investigating the dynamics of large biomolecules. I am delighted that the European Research Council is funding these forward-looking projects."

SHARKS: In the midst of the sixth great mass extinction in Earth's history – today – geoscientist Dr. Jeremy McCormack is focusing in his ERC project on sharks, a quarter of whose species are threatened with extinction, mainly due to overfishing. Using new methods for analyzing zinc, calcium, and nitrogen isotopes in fossil teeth of various prehistoric shark species, he is investigating how the ecology and especially the diet of these predators may have contributed to their extinction. This is possible because the ratio of different isotopes within their teeth shifts depending on the level of the food chain from which a shark's prey originated. These insights are expected to shed light on the causes of extinction of prehistoric shark species and contribute to conservation strategies for today's endangered sharks.

LiquidStateDNP: In his ERC project, Dr. Andrei Kuzhelev will develop nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for biomolecule solutions at a nanoliter scale. For this, he is using a specialized NMR technique – Liquid-State Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) – available at the Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance Center (BMRZ) at Goethe University, which offers globally unique analytical possibilities: Unlike similar methods, which require shock-freezing of biomaterial samples, it allows the study of even the smallest sample quantities in liquid phase, much closer to their natural state. Kuzhelev will significantly advance this method to reveal not only the structures and dynamics of small, but also of large, complex biomolecules – a decisive technological step forward for various applications ranging from materials science to the development of medical drugs.

ERC Starting Grants support outstanding researchers in the first years after their doctorate who wish to establish their own research team and gain a foothold in the scientific community with a promising research project. For their projects, they receive up to 1.5 million euros over a period of up to five years.

The European Research Council (ERC) is a body established by the European Commission to fund frontier-oriented basic research.

Picture download:
https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/177675356
Dr. Jeremy McCormack, Goethe University Frankfurt. Photo: Jürgen Lecher

https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/177675328
Dr. Andrei Kuzhelev, Goethe-University Frankfurt. Photo: private

Aug 28 2025

09:03

Technology developed by a team led by researchers from Goethe University Frankfurt helps in the search for genes with certain functions

How plants rot: New method decodes hidden decomposers of wood and leaves

When millions of tiny organisms decompose dead plant material, they keep the global carbon cycle going. Together with colleagues from the Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research (SGN) and Justus Liebig University (JLU) in Giessen, researchers from Goethe University Frankfurt have developed a new method to identify the molecular tools that different species use for this process. Their analysis of over 18,000 species brought surprising discoveries to light: In addition to fungi and bacteria, some invertebrates also evidently have a whole range of such tools at their disposal, while the one or other fungus lost them when it became parasitic.

FRANKFURT. When a tree dies, it forms the foundation for new life: In a slow, invisible process, leaves, wood and roots are gradually decomposed – not by wind or weather but by millions and millions of tiny organisms. Fungi thread their way through the dead wood and degrade cell walls. Tiny animals such as insect larvae and mites gnaw through the tissue. And something very important happens in the process: The carbon stored in the plant is released, ultimately placing it at the disposal of plants again for the purpose of photosynthesis. But what exactly is responsible for performing this task in the global carbon cycle? And which molecular tools do the organisms use for it? To answer these questions, the researchers have developed a new bioinformatics-based method, which they have now presented in Molecular Biology and Evolution.

18,000 species in the spotlight
This method, called fDOG (Feature architecture-aware directed ortholog search), makes it possible to search in the genetic material of various organisms for genes that have evolved from the same precursor gene. It is assumed that these genes, known as “orthologs”, encode proteins with similar functions. For the current study, the scientists searched for the genes of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes (PCDs). Unlike previous methods, fDOG not only searches through masses of genomic information but also analyzes the architecture of the proteins found – i.e. their structural composition, which reveals a lot about an enzyme’s function.

“We start with a gene from one species, referred to as the seed, and then trawl through tens of thousands of species in the search for orthologous genes,” explains Ingo Ebersberger, Professor for Applied Bioinformatics at Goethe University Frankfurt. “In the process, we constantly monitor whether the genes we find perhaps differ from the seed in terms of function and structure – for example, through the loss or gain of individual areas relevant for function.”

The research team used this method to search for more than 200 potential PCD candidates in over 18,000 species from all three domains of life – bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes (plants, animals, fungi). The result is a detailed global map – with unprecedented accuracy – of enzymes capable of degrading plant cell walls.

Surprising discoveries among fungi and animals
The researchers devised special visualization methods to analyze the vast amounts of data and detect patterns. This revealed characteristic changes in the enzyme repertoire of the fungi under study, indicating a change in lifestyle of certain fungal species: From a decomposing lifestyle – i.e. the degradation of dead plants – to a parasitic lifestyle in which they infest living animals. Such evolutionary transitions are mirrored in characteristic patterns of enzyme loss.

A special surprise in the animal kingdom was the discovery that some arthropods possess an unexpectedly wide range of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes. These enzymes presumably originated from fungi and bacteria and entered the genome of invertebrates via direct gene transfer between different organisms – i.e. horizontal gene transfer. This suggests that they might be able to degrade plant material independently and are not reliant on the bacteria in their intestines, as was previously assumed. In another case, however, it emerged that the potential PCD genes in the analyzed sequence could be ascribed to microbial contamination – an important sign that such data need to be checked very carefully.

New insights into the global carbon cycle
The study shows how fDOG can be used to systematically map biological capabilities across the entire tree of life – from broad-scale overviews to detailed investigations of individual species. With this method, it is possible both to track evolutionary trajectories and to identify players previously overlooked in the global carbon cycle. Since soils contain large amounts of dead plant material and therefore constitute the largest terrestrial carbon sink, the decomposition of plant material is an important driver of the global carbon cycle. “Our method gives us a fresh view of how metabolic capacities are distributed across the tree of life,” says Ebersberger. “We can now conduct multi-scale analyses and in the process detect both recent evolutionary changes and large patterns.”

Publication: Vinh Tran, Felix Langschied, Hannah Muelbaier, Julian Dosch, Freya Arthen, Miklos Balint, Ingo Ebersberger: Feature architecture-aware ortholog search with fDOG reveals the distribution of plant cell wall-degrading enzymes across life. Molecular Biology and Evolution (2025) https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaf120

Picture download:
http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/177406412

Caption: A recent bioinformatics-based study conducted by Goethe University Frankfurt has investigated which organisms possess the enzymatic tools necessary for degrading cellulose in dead wood and leaves. (Photo: Markus Bernards)

Further Information:
Professor Ingo Ebersberger
Head of Working Group for Applied Bioinformatics
Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience
Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany
Tel. +49 (0)69 798-42112
ebersberger@bio.uni-frankfurt.de

Aug 8 2025

09:06

Frankfurt physicists observe coupled quantum zero-point motion of a molecule’s atoms

Molecules in the Spotlight: Snapshots Reveal the Eternal Dance of Particles

Researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt have, for the first time, directly visualized the so-called quantum zero-point motion in a larger molecule. This motion is exhibited by particles even at absolute zero temperature. In a collaborative experiment with the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, the University of Hamburg, the European XFEL, and other partners, they managed to make this “eternal dance" of the atoms visible. The discovery was made possible by the COLTRIMS reaction microscope developed in Frankfurt, which is capable of reconstructing molecular structures. The findings have now been published in the journal Science.

FRANKFURT. Most of us find it difficult to grasp the quantum world: According to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, it's like observing a dance without being able to see simultaneously exactly where someone is dancing and how fast they're moving – you always must choose to focus on one. And yet, this quantum dance is far from chaotic; the dancers follow a strict choreography. In molecules, this strange behavior has another consequence: Even if a molecule should be completely frozen at absolute zero, it never truly comes to rest. The atoms it is made of perform a constant, never-ending quiet dance driven by so-called zero-point energy.

First direct measurement of correlated zero-point motion
For a long time, these patterned zero-point movements were considered impossible to measure directly. However, scientists at Goethe University Frankfurt and partner institutions have now succeeded in doing precisely that at the world's largest X-ray laser, the European XFEL in Hamburg, Germany. They captured the “dance of the atoms" by shining a “spotlight" on individual molecules and taking snapshots of their atoms – revealing each atom's precise choreography.

Professor Till Jahnke from the Institute for Nuclear Physics at Goethe University Frankfurt and the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg explains: “The exciting thing about our work is that we were able to see that the atoms don't just vibrate individually, but that they vibrate in a coupled manner, following fixed patterns. We directly measured this behavior for the first time in individual medium-sized molecules that were also in their lowest energy state. This zero-point motion is a purely quantum mechanical phenomenon that cannot be explained classically." Instead of choreography, physicists speak of vibrational modes. While the motion patterns of molecules with two or three atoms are fairly easy to follow, it quickly becomes complex with medium-sized molecules – like the studied iodopyridine, which consists of eleven atoms. Iodopyridine features a whole repertoire of 27 different vibrational modes – from ballet to tango to folk dance.

“This experiment has a long history," says Jahnke. “We originally collected the data in 2019 during a measurement campaign led by Rebecca Boll at the European XFEL, which had an entirely different goal. It wasn't until two years later that we realized we were actually seeing signs of zero-point motion. The breakthrough came through collaboration with our colleagues from theoretical physics from the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science in Hamburg. Benoît Richard and Ludger Inhester, in particular, came up with new analysis methods that elevated our data interpretation to an entirely new level. Looking back, many puzzle pieces had to come together perfectly."

Explosion reveals molecular structure
But how can you capture an image of dancing particles? Using a technique called Coulomb Explosion Imaging, molecules are triggered to undergo a controlled explosion by ultrashort, high-intensity X-ray laser pulses, allowing high-resolution images of their structure to be generated. The X-ray pulse knocks many electrons out of the molecule, causing the atoms – now positively charged – to repel each other and fly apart in a fraction of a trillionth of a second. The fragments are recorded by a special apparatus that measures their time and position of impact, enabling the reconstruction of the molecule's original structure. This COLTRIMS reaction microscope has been developed over the past decades by Goethe University's Atomic Physics group. A version tailored specifically to the European XFEL was built by Dr. Gregor Kastirke during his PhD work. Seeing the device in action is something special, Kastirke says: “Witnessing such groundbreaking results makes me feel a little proud. After all, they only come about through years of preparation and close teamwork."

New insights into the quantum world
The results provide entirely new insights into quantum phenomena. For the first time, researchers can directly observe the complex patterns of zero-point motion in more complex molecules. These findings demonstrate the potential of the Frankfurt-developed COLTRIMS reaction microscope. “We're constantly improving our method and are already planning the next experiments," says Jahnke. “Our goal is to go beyond the dance of atoms and observe in addition the dance of electrons – a choreography that is significantly faster and also influenced by atomic motion. With our apparatus, we can gradually create real short films of molecular processes – something that was once unimaginable."

Publication: Benoît Richard, Rebecca Boll, Sourav Banerjee, Julia M. Schäfer, Zoltan Jurek, Gregor Kastirke, Kilian Fehre, Markus S. Schöffler, Nils Anders, Thomas M. Baumann, Sebastian Eckart, Benjamin Erk, Alberto De Fanis, Reinhard Dörner, Sven Grundmann, Patrik Grychtol, Max Hofmann, Markus Ilchen, Max Kircher, Katharina Kubicek, Maksim Kunitski, Xiang Li, Tommaso Mazza, Severin Meister, Niklas Melzer, Jacobo Montano, Valerija Music, Yevheniy Ovcharenko, Christopher Passow, Andreas Pier, Nils Rennhack, Jonas Rist, Daniel E. Rivas, Daniel Rolles, Ilme Schlichting, Lothar Ph. H. Schmidt, Philipp Schmidt, Daniel Trabert, Florian Trinter, Rene Wagner, Peter Walter, Pawel Ziolkowski, Artem Rudenko, Michael Meyer, Robin Santra, Ludger Inhester, and Till Jahnke: Imaging collective quantum fluctuations of the structure of a complex molecule. Science (2025) DOI: 10.1126/science.adu2637

Images for download:
https://www.puk.uni-frankfurt.de/176440809

Caption: Ultrashort, high-intensity X-ray laser pulses trigger controlled explosions of molecules – making it possible to capture high-resolution images of molecular structures (image: Till Jahnke).

Further information
Prof. Dr. Till Jahnke
Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics Heidelberg
and
Institute for Nuclear Physics
Goethe University Frankfurt
+49 (0)69 798 47023
till.jahnke@xfel.eu
https://www.atom.uni-frankfurt.de/

Editor: Dr. Phyllis Mania, Science Editor, PR & Communications Office, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Tel +49-(0)69 798-13001, Fax 069 798-763-12531, mania@physik.uni-frankfurt.de

Jul 29 2025

11:50

Major Research Network on Religious Coexistence – LOEWE Research Cluster on Tissue Self-Regulation – Joint LOEWE Research Cluster on Medical Technology with TU Darmstadt

Goethe University Awarded Hessen’s Only LOEWE Center in the Current Funding Round

Goethe University Frankfurt has been successful with several proposals in the Hessian State Offensive for the Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence (LOEWE): the religion research project “DynaRel" will receive €19 million in funding over the next four years as the only LOEWE Center in the 18th funding round. The new LOEWE Research Cluster “Lipid Space," which investigates the role of lipophilic substances in tissue self-regulation, will also receive €4.3 million over four years. Goethe University is also a partner in the medical technology LOEWE Research Cluster “MultiDrug-TDM", led by TU Darmstadt, and will also receive funding in the LOEWE-Exploration line for a physics project on the structure of water in nanopores.

FRANKFURT. “This is a significant success – for our colleagues, for our university as a whole, and for the strategic Rhine-Main Universities alliance," said Goethe University President Prof. Enrico Schleiff. “This success highlights both the breadth of research conducted at Goethe University and how we are addressing the major questions of our time. I am extremely pleased that the long-term preparation has borne fruit in the form of a LOEWE Center. The funding is a strong signal: In addition to acknowledging the outstanding work of those involved, the decision also confirms the trust in and the strategic further development of the humanities – which deliver such essential contributions to understanding and shaping our coexistence. 'DynaRel' strengthens our 'Universality and Diversity' profile area and firmly establishes the socially and politically relevant topic of interreligious relations as a central research focus at our university. I am proud of my colleagues and look forward to implementing the project – even more so since it also reinforces RMU thanks to our link to Mainz.

“An innovative research approach in the life sciences is also being funded," Schleiff continued, adding that, “'Lipid Space' builds new connections between molecular basic research and our Clusters of Excellence CPI and SCALE. This fits perfectly into our 'Science for Health' profile area and develops it strategically. The funding of the LOEWE Research Cluster 'MultiDrug-TDM', which is led by TU Darmstadt and in which Goethe University is involved, also underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration across university boundaries: groundbreaking medical technology is being developed here that could significantly improve life-saving therapies. All of this – including the funding of a LOEWE-Exploration project by our physicists – illustrates just how broad and well-networked our research is."

The LOEWE Center “DynaRel – Dynamics of the Religious: Ambivalent Neighborhoods between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in Historical and Contemporary Contexts" is the only center in Hesse to be funded in the current round and the second LOEWE Center with its spokesperson located at Goethe University (the other one is the “Frankfurt Cancer Institute"). “DynaRel" investigates the diverse and complex religious, cultural, and political dynamics between the three major monotheistic religions. Central to this approach is the concept of “ambivalent neighborhoods": the project is based on the premise that it is only by addressing the close historical spatial and cultural interconnections between the religions that current questions at the intersection of religion and politics can be adequately addressed. In addition to exploring conflicts between religions, the researchers at the new center also examine how religious traditions can provide resources for engaging constructively with diversity and difference in today's pluralistic, post-migrant societies. The center also develops innovative educational concepts – and maintains a focus on multireligious coexistence in the state of Hesse and the Rhine-Main region.

Scholars from a wide range of disciplines – from religious studies to social sciences, educational sciences, as well as language and cultural studies – cooperate in the new LOEWE Center headed by Goethe University. The Universities of Marburg and Giessen are also involved, along with numerous international research institutions and non-university partners.
Funding Period: January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2029: ~ €19 million
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Christian Wiese, Protestant Theology, Goethe University Frankfurt, c.wiese@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Co-Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Armina Omerika, Language and Cultural Studies, Goethe University Frankfurt, omerika@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Co-Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Antje Röder, Sociology, Philipps University Marburg, roeder@uni-marbuerg.de

The LOEWE Research Cluster “Lipid Space – Temporally and Spatially Resolved Regulation of Tissue Homeostasis by Lipids in the Micro- and Nano-Environment" investigates how lipids – such as those forming cell membranes – and smaller fatty acids function as signaling molecules and contribute to tissue self-regulation. The scientists aim to understand how cells, e.g. in the heart or blood vessels, use lipids to communicate with neighboring cells, how this communication operates on the molecular level, and what causes and consequences disruptions have. The goal is to identify potential targets for the development of novel therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases, various types of inflammation, and cancer. The LOEWE Research Cluster, led by Goethe University Frankfurt, brings together researchers from the University of Giessen, the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, and the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies.
Funding Period: January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2029: ~ €4.3 million
Spokesperson: Prof. Ingrid Fleming, PhD, Vascular Signaling, Goethe University Frankfurt, fleming@vrc.uni-frankfurt.de
Co-Spokesperson: Prof. Dr. Andreas Weigert, Inflammatory Immunology, University of Heidelberg, andreas.weigert@medma.uni-heidelberg.de

Goethe University is also participating in the LOEWE Research Cluster MultiDrug-TDM – “Personalized Medical Technology for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring at the Point-of-Care in Pediatric Oncology." The research cluster focuses on the development of diagnostic blood tests that can be performed directly at the bedside of children and adolescents with cancer. The aim of MultiDrug-TDM is to develop a measurement system capable of determining the required levels of various pharmaceutical agents from minimal blood volumes. The researchers hope this will allow for much faster adjustment of drug dosages.
Funding Period: January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2029: ~ €4.3 million

Goethe University is also receiving funding in the LOEWE-Exploration funding line for the project: The Most Important Liquid of Life: How Do Nanopores Lead to Ordered Structures in Water? The study of water inside carbon nanotubes is of interest for several reasons: the tubes are considered for use in water purification, but also as miniature reactors for chemical processes. They also serve as simplified model systems for molecular biological pores. Research on these tubes – which are 50,000 times thinner than a human hair – has shown that water behaves differently inside them than it does in its “free" form. Theoretical studies suggest that this is due to a different, specifically ordered structure of the water molecules. The project aims to experimentally verify this high degree of molecular ordering.
Principal Investigator: PD Dr. Mark Thomsen, Institute of Physics, Goethe University Frankfurt
Funding period: 2 years; Funding amount: €300,000

The State of Hessen's LOEWE Research Funding Program
The State Offensive for the Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence – abbreviated by its German acronym LOEWE – includes several funding lines. The aim of funding LOEWE Centers is to further develop already established research alliances at universities and other research institutions into internationally visible research hubs. LOEWE Research Clusters [LOEWE-Schwerpunkte] support research areas in which existing expertise is to be consolidated, expanded, and further developed, with the goal of evolving into long-term research focuses. The LOEWE-Exploration funding line is designed to give researchers the freedom to pursue novel, innovative research ideas and to test hypotheses.
Further information: https://wissenschaft.hessen.de/forschen/landesprogramm-loewe