News

IGB has been honoured with the TOTAL E-QUALITY award. This renowned award recognises the Institute's equal opportunities strategy, which meets the TOTAL E-QUALITY standards in various fields of action.

Researchers from the Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources in Xiamen and the IGB have identified a natural fungus-bacteria consortium that metabolises nitrate particularly efficiently and consistently. This could be crucial for the further development of biotechnological approaches in water treatment and provides further evidence of the important role of fungi in aquatic ecosystems.

Parasites can significantly reduce the food intakeof their host animals. In a meta-analysis, IGB researchers have now quantified that parasitized animals consume on average a quarter less food than their non-infected conspecifics.

Two outstanding IGB researchers, Professor Jonathan Jeschke and Professor Justyna Wolinska, were honoured with the "Teaching Award" by the students of Freie Universität Berlin on 13 July. The prize is awarded annually by students of biochemistry, biology, chemistry, and pharmacy to recognise highly committed members of the teaching staff.

Reeds are dying in many of Europe's lakes. The causes are manifold. Researchers from IGB and the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin (HU Berlin) have now identified high sulphate concentrations as a result of mining in Lusatia as one of the causes of the decline of reeds in Berlin's lakes. They analysed data from 14 lakes in the Berlin catchment area for the period 2000 to 2020. Rising sulphate concentrations are associated with a decline in the reed beds.

Microplastics are found in lakes and reservoirs around the world. Pollution reaches even the most secluded places where human influence is minimal. Moreover, concentrations of microplastics in freshwaters are sometimes higher than in subtropical gyres, the marine areas where large amounts of waste accumulate. These are the findings of an international study of 38 lakes and reservoirs led by the University of Milan-Bicocca in Italy, with the participation of IGB, and published in the journal Nature.

A team of behavioural ecologists from IGB and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU Berlin) is investigating how animals hunt in groups. Animals in water hunt differently than animals on land, which is partly due to the different size ratio between predator and prey. One example is striped marlin, which belong to the billfish family. Motivation may play a greater role than dominance hierarchy during resource division, but the large fish get out-competed by sea lions when the two predators attack the same prey.

The IGB has commented on the draft National Biodiversity Strategy 2030 from a research perspective and is also making the analysis public here.