Environmental protection

28. February 2024

Extreme habitats on earth

Thriving at the limits of life

There is hustle and bustle on our planet – even in quite uncomfortable places. We accompany biologists of the University of Vienna to some of the most extreme environments: from the deep sea and the open ocean to hot springs and alkaline salt lakes. What can we learn from their inhabitants?

24. January 2024

Environmental sciences

PFAS: Chemicals for eternity?

Made to last forever, used on a daily basis and often highly toxic: PFAS, a group of extremely stable industrial chemicals, are seen as the next big environmental problem of our time. We asked environmental scientist Thilo Hofmann: Is there still hope?

25. September 2023

Guest article by

Thilo Hofmann

Rudolphina Experts: Sustainable Agriculture

Can we feed the world population of 2050 without plastic in agriculture?

In this article, environmental geoscientist Thilo Hofmann from the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science explores the role of plastic in modern agriculture and its potential ramifications on our planet.

14. September 2023

Guest article by

Bernd Lenzner

Rudolphina Experts: Insights from the World Biodiversity Report

Battling biological invasion

Invasive alien species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. In this article, ecologist Bernd Lenzner explains the whys and hows, and shares his insights into the making of a milestone global report on invasive alien species.

24. May 2023

Presenting… Psychologist Jana Köhler

For a healthier planet: Climate activism must be rewarded

The current discussion around the climate protests show that the social perception of environmental activists is often very negative. With her research, Jana Köhler wants to help promote climate- and environmentally-friendly behaviour among the population.

27. April 2023

Inorganic chemistry

The influence of structure

Materials chemist Jia Min Chin is researching how the structures of materials affect their function and how chemistry can influence the sustainability of future materials.

21. March 2023

Presenting … Ecologist Constanze Englisch

Looking into the "invisible"

In cities like Vienna, various stress factors, such as rising temperatures affect the groundwater. Constanze Englisch is investigating the effects of these increased temperatures on microorganisms and animals. Together with her team, she develops ideas for using the heat of groundwater sustainably and economically, as she explains in the video.

13. March 2023

Microorganisms

Research for the next nitrogen revolution

Petra Pjevac, Holger Daims, Michael Wagner and their teams are targeting microbes: At the University of Vienna, they investigate how the tiny organisms function and interact. Microbes could be key to a 'nitrogen revolution': a new solution to counteract dangerous nitrogen losses in agriculture and feed the growing world population – without harming the planet.

28. February 2023

Marine ecosystems

The urgent need to protect marine ecosystems

Climate change, pollution, overfishing: they are all changing the world, having a huge impact on the seas. The global network Q-MARE, under the co-leadership of Konstantina Agiadi from the University of Vienna, studies past changes in order to provide guidelines for a more effective protection of our oceans.

9. March 2022

Guest article by

Lisa Schipper

IPCC Climate Report

Adaptation on climate change and its limits

The new chapter of the IPCC climate report is clear: Climate change affects the planet, biodiversity, our lives in a severe way. Lisa Schipper in her guest article about adaption on climate change.

21. May 2021

Cellulose

Foam without plastic

The production of degradable materials, ranging from packaging to insulating material, is one of the major challenges of our time. In an EU project, Alexander Bismarck from the Department of Materials Chemistry is developing polymer foam made from cellulose – using the cultural technique of bread baking.

11. May 2021

Permafrost

"What we are doing right now is completely irresponsible"

Andreas Richter conducts research at a place where it is (still) cold: In the Arctic and the Alps, global warming is progressing at the fastest rate – here, researchers can examine essential mechanisms and collect data required to determine the speed at which the Earth is heading towards irreversible change.

14. April 2021

Presenting... Biologist Johannes Herpell

Rethinking Agriculture

Johannes Herpell is a member of the Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution. In his PhD thesis, he aims to strengthen plants with the help of bacteria instead of pesticides. The video gives an insight into his research.