Chemistry (Environment and Climate)

 

Four people are standing in an industrial hall wearing black hoodies with logos. Next to them is a blue barrel and technical equipment.

Start-up “Minerva Carbon” receives €1.8 million in funding through EXIST Transfer of Research I programme. more

Microbiologist Charles Uhlmann
is testing the effects of various
Humify products in combination
with biostimulant bacteria on
lettuce. This allows potential
synergistic effects on yield and
soil carbon sequestration to be
investigated.

The start-up Humify has developed a technology that can reactivate soil as a carbon sink – a potential climate saver. more

Geese walk in a row across an area of sparse grass and herbs, with shrubs and fields in the background.

A mixture of different ingredients offers an alternative to foie gras thanks to treatment with a goose enzyme more

bright yellow-orange glowing spot with oval outline

The year 2024 saw Max Planck scientists publishing exceptional research across disciplines. We have selected twelve highlights to share more

Close-up of a rock slab. The rock is dark gray to black. A complex pattern of light gray, almost white, branching, and interconnected structures is visible across the surface of the slab. These structures resemble a network or a colony of small, interconnected organisms. A small, light-colored, somewhat circular area near the center appears to be different from the surrounding patterns, potentially a part of fossilized remains embedded in the rock matrix. A scale bar,in the lower right corner of the image indicates about 1 centimeter.The edges of the slab are irregular and broken. The lighting is even, casting no significant shadows. The rock slab is presented against a plain white background.

Analysis of nitrogen isotopes provides evidence of the earliest known photosymbiosis in corals of the Devonian more

Smoke from multiple fires extends over the ocean, visible from above, with land on the left.

Huge smoke-charged vortex doubles aerosol burden in the middle stratosphere and buffers ozone depletion more

Javier Mateos (left), Tim Schulte and Tobias Ritter discuss their project in the lab.

The chemical industry has been using a reaction with explosive chemicals for over 100 years - now Mülheim scientists have discovered a safer alternative. more

Harnessing hydrogen at life’s origin

Researchers gain new insights into how the first cells on Earth were able to use hydrogen gas as an energy source more

Aerial view of a mountain massif with a basin in the foreground, glaciers stretching to the horizon behind the mountain.

Microplastic fibers are settling substantially slower than spherical particles in the atmosphere more

View over the sea with the wind turbines of an offshore wind farm staggered at a great distance to the horizon.

A new catalytic concept is laying the foundations for the methanation of carbon dioxide on an industrial scale more

Show more
Four people are standing in an industrial hall wearing black hoodies with logos. Next to them is a blue barrel and technical equipment.

Start-up “Minerva Carbon” receives €1.8 million in funding through EXIST Transfer of Research I programme. more

Microbiologist Charles Uhlmann
is testing the effects of various
Humify products in combination
with biostimulant bacteria on
lettuce. This allows potential
synergistic effects on yield and
soil carbon sequestration to be
investigated.

The start-up Humify has developed a technology that can reactivate soil as a carbon sink – a potential climate saver. more

Geese walk in a row across an area of sparse grass and herbs, with shrubs and fields in the background.

A mixture of different ingredients offers an alternative to foie gras thanks to treatment with a goose enzyme more

Close-up of a rock slab. The rock is dark gray to black. A complex pattern of light gray, almost white, branching, and interconnected structures is visible across the surface of the slab. These structures resemble a network or a colony of small, interconnected organisms. A small, light-colored, somewhat circular area near the center appears to be different from the surrounding patterns, potentially a part of fossilized remains embedded in the rock matrix. A scale bar,in the lower right corner of the image indicates about 1 centimeter.The edges of the slab are irregular and broken. The lighting is even, casting no significant shadows. The rock slab is presented against a plain white background.

Analysis of nitrogen isotopes provides evidence of the earliest known photosymbiosis in corals of the Devonian more

Javier Mateos (left), Tim Schulte and Tobias Ritter discuss their project in the lab.

The chemical industry has been using a reaction with explosive chemicals for over 100 years - now Mülheim scientists have discovered a safer alternative. more

Harnessing hydrogen at life’s origin

Researchers gain new insights into how the first cells on Earth were able to use hydrogen gas as an energy source more

Aerial view of a mountain massif with a basin in the foreground, glaciers stretching to the horizon behind the mountain.

Microplastic fibers are settling substantially slower than spherical particles in the atmosphere more

View over the sea with the wind turbines of an offshore wind farm staggered at a great distance to the horizon.

A new catalytic concept is laying the foundations for the methanation of carbon dioxide on an industrial scale more

At the right, you can a hand holding a round glass flask. The flask contains a yellowish liquid and a brownish coarse-grained powder that has settled at the bottom.

The Max Planck-Cardiff Centre Funcat lays the foundations for the systematic development of chemical reaction accelerators more

Enhanced ocean oxygenation during Cenozoic warm periods

Earth’s past warm periods witnessed the shrinkage of the open ocean’s oxygen-deficient zones. more

Show more
bright yellow-orange glowing spot with oval outline

The year 2024 saw Max Planck scientists publishing exceptional research across disciplines. We have selected twelve highlights to share more

“Global warming doesn’t stop when the emissions stop”

Thorsten Mauritsen from the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology has worked out how much time we have left to reach the Paris climate goal more

The irresistible fragrance of dying vinegar flies

Bacterial pathogens cause infected flies to produce more sex pheromones and so expand their deadly reach more

Plastics: not simply garbage

Plastics are accumulating in increasingly large quantities in the oceans but are difficult to replace due to the advantages they offer more

The curse of durability

Can microorganisms help combat the vast amounts of plastic being disposed of in the sea? more

Amazon rain helps make more rain

In the Amazon region, downdrafts bring aerosol particles from higher altitudes to the atmospheric layer where clouds form. more

Suspense in the movie theatre air

Cinemagoers' exhaled breath reveals the scene that is playing more

Plants defend their territory with toxic substances

Plant toxins block histone deacetylases of neighboring plants and influence their growth negatively more

Modified enzymes enable efficient hydrogen production more

Show more
Go to Editor View