Research Profile of the MIN Faculty
The research strength of the MIN Faculty is reflected in its research foci, potential areas and transdisciplinary research fields.
Research foci
Main areas of research include successfully acquired large research alliances such as Clusters of Excellence, Collaborative Research Centres, research training groups and administrative leads in EU or BMBF projects and joint projects with non-university partners:
Climate, Earth, Environment
In the research area "Climate, Earth, Environment", scientists investigate climatic changes. The research focuses not only on the dynamics of the climate system, but also on the interactions between humans and the environment. Research teams combine basic research with computational models, they develop case studies and concrete adaptation scenarios as well as foundations for decision making in business and politics.
The topic "Climate, Earth, Environment" is also reflected in the universitywide research profile as a research focus. Further information is also available in the form of this video in German (in the settings an automatic translation to English can be found).
Key programs and collaborative projects
- Cluster of Excellence „Climate, Climatic Change, and Society (CliCCS)“
- TRR 181 Energy transfers in Atmosphere and Ocean
- FOR 1740 Atlantic Freshwater Cycle
- Priority Program (SPP) Regional Sea Level Change and Society
- BMBF-Project HD(CP)2 - High definition clouds and precipitation for advancing climate prediction
- BMBF-Project MiKlip II – A national research project on decadal climate prediction
- Regional Atlantic Circulation and Global Change (RACE)
- Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL)
- Climate change and European Aquatic RESources (CERES)
- UrbMod – Developing a multi-sector urban development impact model
Particle, Astro- and Mathematical Physics
What is dark matter made of? What structure do space and time have? What are the origin and history of our universe? Scientists of the research area "Particle, Astro- and Mathematical Physics" want to answer these questions. To do so, they use methods from observational, experimental and theoretical research and combine basic research in particle physics with astronomical and mathematical problems.
The topic "Particle, Astro- and Mathematical Physics" is also reflected in the universitywide research profile as a research focus. Further information is also available in the form of this video in German (English subtitles are provided).
Key programs and collaborative projects
- Cluster of excellence „Quantum Universe“
- SFB 676 Particles, Strings, and the Early Universe
- Research Training Group 1670 Mathematics inspired by String Theory and Quantum Field Theory
- BMBF-FSP 104 Physics with the CMS experiment (in German only)
- Helmholtz Alliance for Astroparticle Physics (HAP)
- Helmholtz Alliance Physics at the Terascale
Photon and Nanosciences
The scientists of the research area "Photon and Nanosciences" work on questions ranging from magnetism research, laser and quantum physics to nanochemistry and biophysical problems. Potential applications of this research work are manifold: research with laser beams enables, for example, the development of precise medical technology or the development of novel storage media, while research on nanoparticles opens up new therapeutic approaches in medicine.
The topic "Photon and Nanosciences" is also reflected in the universitywide research profile as a research focus. Further information is also available in the form of this video in German (English subtitles are provided).
Key programs and collaborative projects
- Cluster of excellence CUI: „Advanced Imaging of Matter“
- Cluster of excellence CUI (Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging)
- SFB 668 Magnetism from the Single Atom to the Nanostructure (project end: Dec. 2017)
- SFB 925 Light induced dynamics and control of correlated quantum systems
- SFB 986 Tailor-Made Multi-Scale Materials Systems (participation)
- ERC Frontiers in Attosecond X-ray Science: Imaging and Spectroscopy (AXSIS)
- ERC Frontiers in Quantum Materials’ Control (Q-MAC)
- International Max Planck Research School for Ultrafast Imaging & Structural Dynamics (IMPRS-UFAST)
- BMBF project Free-Electron Lasers (LoKoFEL) (in German only)
- BMBF project Time-resolved X-ray and electron spectroscopy with free-electron lasers (TREXES)
- BMBF project Hadamard crystallography as a method for time-resolved investigation of the structural dynamics of biomolecules
- PIER Helmholtz Graduate School
Infection Research and Structural Biology
Ebola, EHEC and influenza - infections in human, animal and plant systems are at the centre of public attention. In the research area "Infection Research and Structural Biology", scientists are investigating all facets of infections, from their spread and treatment to their prevention. The focus is set in particular on research of cellular processes and the mechanism of action of pathogens.
The topic "Infection Research" is also reflected in the universitywide research profile as a research focus.
Key programs and collaborative projects
- CRC 1328: Adenine Nucleotides in Immunity and Inflammation
- CRC 841: Liver Inflammation: Infection, Immunity Regulation and Consequences
- CRC 1192: Immune-Mediated Glomerular Diseases—Basic Concepts and Clinical Implications
- KFO 296: Feto-Maternal Immune Cross Talk: Consequences for Maternal and Offspring’s Health
- KFO 306: Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (only in German)
- FOR 1805: Ribosome Dynamics in Regulation of Speed and Accuracy of Translation
- Infections Control: Structure and Dynamics in Infections Processes
- Pregnancy-Acquired Health and Disease in Mother and Child
- Mechanisms of Cell Communication in Infection
- Cellular Mechanisms of Infection
- Interactions Between Metabolism and Inflammatory Processes: Molecular and Cellular Signals in Organs and Organoids
Liver: Tolerance and Autoimmunity - EPILOG, Epigenetic Long-Term Consequences of Viral and Bacterial Infections
Cognitive Systems
The research area "Cognitive Systems" is focussed on the understanding of complex learning processes, which can become the basis for new autonomous systems. The scientists' work is a key to autonomous systems such as robots, which can provide assistance in health care and nursing, manufacturing and the service industry. The research concentrates on three pillars: cross-modal learning, interdisciplinarity and intercultural cooperation.
The research area "Cognitive Systems" is reflected in the University of Hamburg's emerging research field "Neurosciences and Cognitive Systems".
Computing and Data Science
Measuring instruments and computers are becoming more and more powerful in the generation and analysis of data. Data Science concerns with major challenges at different stages of the data lifecycle, from data management, data analysis and visualization, to the long-term preservation and utilisation of data. Scientists in the research area "Computing and Data Science" work on all these aspects of Data Science.
Ecology and Biological Resources
Research teams around the world record biodiversity patterns as well as their changes over time, create sustainable uses of biological resources and develop processes to make renewable raw materials usable as chemical base materials. How do organisms react to environmental changes? What role do plants, animals and microorganisms play in Earth's climate system? These fundamental questions are addressed by scientists in the research area "Ecology and Biological Resources".
Potential Areas
The following future-oriented research topics, in which small collaborative projects with leading roles are being funded or a substantial contribution was made to a large collaborative project, have been identified as potential areas:
Information Governance Technologies
In the potential area "Information Governance Technologies", scientists develop new interdisciplinary research topics with a focus on the technical, legal, economic and social aspects of the use of information technology. This involves not only technical concepts, but also processes which, from the outset, also include the social, ethical and legal questions of the use of information technology.
Hybrids
The crossbreeding of species, called hybridisation, is an important process of evolution. Hybrids often show increased vitality compared to their parents, which can cause considerable problems in natural ecosystems. In the potential area "Hybrids", scientists investigate the consequences resulting from crossbreeding for the individual organism, the ecosystem and at the genome level.
Transdisciplinary Research Fields
Transdisciplinary fields of research include topics that are relevant across departments and faculties:
Material Science
The focus of the transdisciplinary research field of material science is the synthesis of so-called templates, with the most diverse properties, and their analytics. Participating research groups come from the fields of Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Nanostructure Research as well as Wood Science, together with the modelling expertise from Applied Mathematics.
Network and Cooperation
A high degree of networking exists between the MIN departments Biology, Chemistry, Earth System Sciences, Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics and other faculties, such as the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences.
In addition, there are cooperations with other national and international institutions as well as with the following major non-university research institutions: cooperation partners.