Forschungszentrum Jülich

Why do some people remain mentally sharp into old age, while others experience cognitive impairments earlier in life? Two recent studies involving Forschungszentrum Jülich provide new answers to this question.

Dr. Eva Pfannerstill has been elected to Die Junge Akademie. Membership in this academy for outstanding young academics is one of the most prestigious honours for young scientists in the German-speaking world. For Pfannerstill, becoming a member marks another significant achievement in an exceptionally successful year.

In the future, microorganisms could help return hard-to-recycle plastics back into the recycling loop. Nick Wierckx, a molecular biologist at Jülich, explains the opportunities offered by biological recycling processes and the challenges of a truly circular economy.

An international research team led by Forschungszentrum Jülich and the IPK Leibniz Institute has developed an artificial intelligence model that predicts where regulatory proteins dock onto plant DNA to switch genes on and off – opening new ways to understand how genetic variation shapes crop performance.

Prof. Dr. Uwe Rau has been awarded the 2026 IEEE William R. Cherry Award. Presented today at the 54th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) in the United States, the award is one of the most prestigious honors in the field of photovoltaics worldwide. It recognizes Rau’s fundamental contributions to the development of more efficient solar cells—a key technology for the climate-neutral energy supply of the future.

Poor sleep has long been more than just a personal problem. Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich have proposed, for the first time, a global concept, “One Sleep Health”, which considers sleep in conjunction with climate, the environment, society, and animal health – opening up new avenues for prevention and health policy.

Why do some people remain mentally sharp into old age, while others experience cognitive impairments earlier in life? Two recent studies involving Forschungszentrum Jülich provide new answers to this question.