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Researchers at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) and the Göttingen Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging” (MBExC) show how the minimal change of a single ion channel increases the sensitivity of sensory cells in the inner ear. Even quiet sounds like a whisper are perceived better, but cause a persistent overload that can promote long-term hearing loss. These findings deepen the understanding of how sound information is processed in the ear. The results have been published in the journal “Science Advances”.

(pug) Like all complex organisms, every human being originates from a single cell that multiplies through countless cell divisions. Thousands of cells coordinate, move, and exert mechanical forces on each other as an embryo takes shape. Researchers from the Göttingen Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks (CIDBN), the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, and the University of Marburg have now discovered a new form of coordination in embryonic cell behavior. Molecular mechanisms previously known from hearing are involved in this process. The researchers attribute the fact that cells use the same proteins in two such different functions to their evolutionary origin. The results have been published in the journal Current Biology.

At the Göttingen Night of Science, scientific institutions open their doors to the public to provide insights into their work. It offers the opportunity to talk to researchers and participate in various activities and experiments.

Great interest in medical topics at the 6th Night of Knowledge: Staff from the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) presented over 80 exhibits to more than 8,000 visitors in the main building and five external areas of the UMG – a new record! Special highlights included the walk-in organ model consisting of liver and pancreas, as well as the production of heart muscle cells from urine.

Researchers from the Göttingen Excellence Cluster Multiscale Bioimaging (MBExC) have revealed the 3D structure of the membrane proteins myoferlin and dysferlin using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy. The insights gained enable new approaches for the development of targeted drugs to treat diseases such as muscle atrophy, hearing disorders, and certain types of cancer. The results have been published in the journal “The EMBO Journal”.

Insights into the Translation and Startup Ecosystem in Lower Saxony

A broad regional network of players from science and industry is crucial for the successful translation of innovative research into clinical use. The life science ecosystem in Lower Saxony is constantly growing, and four key players were showcased at the EKFZ Academy workshop.

KLANGLICHT – Sound of Light

What does it sound like when someone hears music for the first time after years of silence? How does it feel when new technologies make the world of sound clearer and more differentiated than ever before? These questions are addressed in the audiovisual art video titled KLANGLICHT – sound of light. This hand-animated video, with approximately 2,500 individual images, is based on an artistic idea by Jenny Blum, an audiologist at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the University Medical Center Göttingen.

Göttingen researchers, under the leadership of the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), have collaborated with audiologists and artists from film and music to translate the sound experience of an optogenetic cochlear implant into image and sound. The music video artistically conveys the restoration of “hearing with light”, a technology that promises an improved hearing experience compared to classical cochlear implants.

Musikvideo zu Hörprothesen „Ich bin taub und kann trotzdem hören.“ Von JOACHIM MÜLLER-JUNG

Der Sound einer medizinischen Revolution: Mit dem Musikvideo „Klanglicht“ haben Künstler und Hörspezialisten erlebbar gemacht, wie es ist, wenn eine Technikrevolution auf wundersame Weise das Leben verändert.

We are very pleased to welcome all project managers funded by EKFS to our second Alumni Day.

“Optogenetic therapies: opportunities and challenges“
Prof. Dr. Tobias Moser, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience &
InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen

An overview of the activities of the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation in the year in review.

A new dimension of hearing for those who are deaf or extremely hard of hearing.

On May 7^th, 2025, we kicked off the EKFZ Academy with an inspiring workshop on the ethical and legal challenges of optogenetic research, in cooperation with the NeurOPTICS research project team from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. The NeurOPTICS research project, led by Dr. Hans Zillmann, addresses ethical, social, and legal questions in neuronal optogenetics and develops recommendations for scientific and social discourse.

New Göttingen Collaborative Research Center investigates causes for better therapies

Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation (EKFS) funds new research center for optogenetic therapies with 37.4 million euros over ten years at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG).