Research and Transfer at Leipzig University 2020 Foreword

RESEARCH AND TRANSFER AT LEIPZIG UNIVERSITY 2020 FOREWORD

On its path to becoming a leading higher education institution in Europe, Leipzig University can rely on a diverse range of subjects and interdisci plinary research and teaching. We are concentrating our research strengths in the three strategic research fields

——Sustainable Principles for Life and Health ——Changed Order in a Globalised World ——Intelligent Methods and Materials

Our university’s research fields form the interface for intensive coopera tion with 22 scientific institutions in Leipzig. Besides Leipzig University Hospital, these include three Max Planck Institutes, two Fraunhofer Institutes, four Leibniz Institutes, one Helmholtz Institute and one Helm holtz Centre. Rooted in an outward-looking city, our university is part of an international scientific community. We conduct research together with partners from Germany and all over the world. Leipzig University also makes its knowledge accessible and usable outside of university settings, thereby ensuring its long-term impact. As a pioneer of innovation in civil society, culture and the private sector, it transfers research findings to various areas of society. In the future, it aims to continue its direct and proactive contribution to economic prosperity, open democratic discourse, social advancement and cultural diversity. Leipzig is the ideal place for this: the city is known for its prospering economy, excellent scientific ins titutions, vibrant start-up scene, active local community and many venues where academia and society meet. This publication presents selected research projects and institutions that illustrate Leipzig University’s three strategic research fields – as well as their significant relevance beyond academic contexts. STRATEGIC RESEARCH FIELDS

Sustainable Principles for Life and Health

This strategic research field unites research into the foundations of life and health in humans, nature and the environment. Researchers from the life sciences, natural sciences, economics, humanities, social sciences and computer science work in close cooperation to conduct basic and applied research as well as to promote transfer into society.

Changed Order in a Globalised World

This strategic research field is dedicated to the study of globalisation processes such as global connections and the exchange between world religions and the development of human orders. Scholars from regional, cultural, social and historical sciences conduct research in cooperation with the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL) and the Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO).

Intelligent Methods and Materials

In this strategic research field, researchers investigate the properties of molecules up to complex nanostructures and cell mechanics, work on topics related to language and communication in the digital age, and deal with questions of physics, earth sciences, chemistry, mineralogy, the life sciences, mathematics, computer science and medicine. LEIPZIG UNIVERSITY IS PART OF A HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE NETWORK

Facts and figures*

465 27 professor- patents 3 ships Humboldt granted professorships

35 22 start-ups WISNA professorships LEIPZIG

24 6 GS DFG CRCs/ Programmes UNIVERSITY Transregios

175 M 1 6 external funding DFG Research ERC Grants Centre

14 Heisenberg/ 4 DFG RTGs Emmy Noether 5 DFG FORs 6 Leibniz Institutes

Max Planck School of Cognition (MPS Cog)

3 Helmholtz institutions

Saxon Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Leipzig (SAW)

3 federal research institutions 10 higher education institutions

3 Max Planck Institutes (MPI) 2 Fraunhofer Institutes

RESEARCH IN THE LEIPZIG REGION

*Information from 2019 COMPREHENDING THE CLIMATE Transregio Collaborative Research Centre 172: Arctic Amplification (AC)³ Funding periods: 2016 – 2023 (2nd funding period since 2020) Participating institutions: Universities of Leipzig, Cologne and Bremen, Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (Tropos) Spokesperson: Professor Manfred Wendisch, Leipzig Institute for Meteorology

How can we explain the particularly pronounced global warming observed in the Arctic, known as Arctic amplification? By studying the increase in near-surface air temperature recorded in recent decades, the researchers hope to identify, investigate and evaluate the mechanisms and feedback processes contributing to Arctic amplification. To this end, they are exploring the sea ice in the central Arctic with the icebreaker Polarstern, two polar aircraft operated by AWI, and the research aircraft HALO. In the first funding phase (2016 – 2019), local processes were observed with three elaborate campaigns and reproduced by models. The investigation focused in particular on the different effects of clouds. Clouds are an important factor for understanding Arctic amplification. In the second phase (2020 – 2023), the investigations will be extended to the central Arctic – and an observation period of a whole year – to allow the quantification of seasonal differences. The aim is to better understand the interplay between the various feedback mechanisms responsible for the unusually strong Arctic warming and the dramatic decline of sea ice. The project’s main hypothesis still holds true: clouds play a major role in Arctic amplification. www.ac3-tr.de

„Meteorology is a deeply physical science, with exact equations and interesting questions. It is fun to be involved in this exciting scientific field. There is worldwide cooperation and you get the feeling that you are doing something really useful for society. Professor Manfred Wendisch

PROFILING OBESITY Collaborative Research Centre 1052: Obesity Mechanisms Funding periods: 2013 – 2020 (3rd funding period in preparation) Participating institutions: Leipzig University, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel) Spokesperson: Professor Matthias Blüher, Faculty of Medicine

Why are almost one in three people worldwide overweight or obese? In search of causes, treatments and preventive measures, the scientists are investigating the complex mechanisms of obesity as a multifactorial and highly socially relevant disease in children, adolescents and adults. Their research focuses on overeating, fat deposition and inflammation of adipose tissue. An important goal in unravelling the causes of this major modern-day disease is the development of a model of how obesity occurs. Such a model will provide the basis for identification of those risk factors which need to be modified in the prevention of obesity in young people. The research focuses on three key areas: why are people eating more than they can expend? How does overeating lead to maldistribution and inflammation of adipose tissue? Which signals from adipose tissue are responsible for complications and secondary diseases in people with obesity? The researchers’ goal is to understand obesity in its biological and social context and derive individual treatment therapies and preventive measu res from this. www.sfb1052.de

„The main objective of our research is to better understand the phenomenon of obesity in biological but also social terms. Professor Matthias Blüher INVESTIGATING EARTHWORMS

Project sWORM – A global soil biodiversity database Experimental Interaction Ecology Working Group at the German Cen- tre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Funding periods: 2012 – 2020 (3rd funding period expected to be 2020 – 2024) Project head: Professor Nico Eisenhauer, iDiv

How do environmental changes affect the structure and biological diversity of ecosystems? The working group investigates the interrela tionships between biodiversity, ecosystem functions and various factors of global change. The aim is to understand the complexity of habitats on our planet. To this end, the scientists are analysing interactions between above-ground and underground organisms and within the food chain of an ecosystem. This can be achieved through a combination of field obser vations, targeted field and laboratory experiments and global data syn thesis. The study »Global distribution of earthworm diversity« describes how climate change is affecting the distribution of earthworms and their functions for certain habitats: the researchers have found that there are more earthworms and earthworm species in temperate latitudes than in the tropics, that biodiversity differs significantly above and below ground, and that the climate plays a decisive role in this. These novel insights into the global distribution of soil biodiversity were made possible by the cooperation of more than 140 scientists around the world. The working group has succeeded in compiling the world’s largest data set on soil biodiversity with information from over 9000 sites in 57 countries. www.uni-leipzig.de/sworm

„Climate change could lead to major changes in earthworm communities and the ecosystem services they drive. Professor Nico Eisenhauer SCRUTINISING CELLS Collaborative Research Centre 1423: Structural Dynamics of GPCR Activation and Signaling Funding period: 2020 – 2023 (2nd funding period expected to be 2024 – 2027) Spokesperson: Professor Annette G. Beck-Sickinger, Institute of Biochemistry

How do cells exchange information with each other? Cells communicate with each other and their environment via receptors. Located in the cell wall, these receptors recognise external signals and transmit them inside the cell, which causes a particular reaction. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest group of these membrane receptors and found in almost all living organisms. GPCRs have a pivotal role in medicine: approximately 30 per cent of all prescription drugs act via these receptors, but so far the potential of only a small GPCR group has been exploited. CRC 1423 is researching them further: the new knowledge acquired can then contribute to the development of novel drugs. Since 2019, an Alexander von Humboldt Professorship has been reinfor cing research in this field: with the chemist and bioinformatics resear cher Professor Jens Meiler, Leipzig University was able to appoint an internationally distinguished expert in the field of computer-aided drug discovery. www.uni-leipzig.de/sfb1423

„We want to investigate how peptide receptors and adhesion receptors – GPCRs that have so far been the subject of little research – interact with their partners. By elucidating their dynamic structural states, it will be possible to understand how they function. This will ultimately enable us to develop novel drugs for this group of GPCRs as well. Professor Annette G. Beck-Sickinger DISSECTING DIETS Competence Cluster for Nutrition and Cardiovascular Health (nutriCARD) Halle-Jena-Leipzig Funding periods: 2015 – 2021 (2nd funding period since 2018) Participating institutions: Universities of Leipzig, Halle, Jena and 80 project partners Project head at Leipzig: Professor Peggy G. Braun, Institute of Food Hygiene

Why are cardiovascular diseases so dangerous? They are the most fre quent cause of death in Germany. Many deaths could be prevented by a healthier diet. In the interdisciplinary competence cluster nutriCARD – a collaborative project of the universities of Leipzig, Halle and Jena – more than 40 scientists are investigating the mechanisms of nutritional and age-related diseases and in turn developing heart-healthy food to prevent them. By offering consumer awareness courses, they aim to improve nutritional knowledge and behaviour in the general population. The aim is to significantly reduce the incidence of cardiovascular diseases in the population through more heart-healthy food, holistic nutritional concepts and reliable communication strategies. A nutriCARD smart phone app has been developed for consumers, providing precise data on ingredients, nutritional values and potentially unhealthy additives. In 2019, Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer awarded the rese arch alliance a special prize for outstanding contributions to the Central German food sector. www.nutriCARD.de

„On the one hand, we would like to reduce the salt, fat and sugar content of popular traditional foods while preserving their taste, shelf life and microbiological safety. On the other, the aim is to use new communication channels to convince consumers to adopt healthier diets. Professor G. Peggy Braun CHAMPIONING CHICKS In ovo sexing Professor Almuth Einspanier, Institute of Physiological Chemistry Professor Maria-Elisabeth Krautwald-Junghanns, Clinic for Birds and Reptiles

When will the ethically unacceptable killing of chicks be stopped for good? Every year some 50 million day-old male chicks are routinely culled in Germany for economic reasons. Two Leipzig University resear chers hope to put an end to the mass killing – by using two independent methods to determine the sex of the chicks before they hatch. The endocrinological in ovo sexing method, established by Professor Almuth Einspanier, has already become a market success! In October 2018, the supermarkets REWE and Penny began been selling »respeggt« eggs from laying hens – which are produced without killing male chicks. After non-invasively collecting embryonic urine, a rapid test is used to identify female and male eggs. Only the female eggs are then hatched, which can then lay eggs as adult hens. As part of an initiative funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agri culture, Professor Einspanier is currently researching another procedure for determining the sex of chicks before they hatch. Professor Maria-Elisabeth Krautwald-Junghanns is testing an alternative method: near-infrared Raman spectroscopy. Spectroscopic sex determina tion makes use of the different size of the sex chromosomes of male and female chicks. After three days of incubation, small blood vessels develop which can be used to determine a chick’s sex. www.uni-leipzig.de/brutei www.uni-leipzig.de/inovo

„Our goal is to make shredding male chicks a thing of the past as soon as possible. Professor Almuth Einspanier

RETHINKING SPATIAL ORDERS

Collaborative Research Centre 1199: Processes of Spatialization Under the Global Condition Funding periods: 2016 – 2024 (2nd funding period since 2020) Participating institutions: Leipzig University, Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO), Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL), TU Dresden Spokesperson: Professor Matthias Middell, Global and European Studies Institute

Does globalisation make borders porous or remove them completely? In fact, the processes by which borders and boundaries are dissolved are invariably accompanied by a respatialisation of the world, with new economic regions emerging, state alliances being forged, value and com modity chains spanning continents, and migration regimes controlling people’s movements. Once established, however, these spatial orders are subject to the tensions resulting from the challenges brought about, for instance, by financial crises or pandemics. The researchers of the CRC 1199 are investigating the negotiation processes underlying these newly emerging spatial orders. Examining long-term developments since the eighteenth century and comparing the effects of such processes on different continents, a series of publications offer insights into the newly discovered spatial formats and spatial orders. To such an end, they combine methods from the social sciences, anth ropology, history, and the many regional studies represented at Leipzig University, from African to Chinese studies. www.uni-leipzig.de/sfb1199

„Globalisation is a flashy term with plenty of definitions – and plenty of drawbacks. If at all, we prefer to speak of globalisations. Professor Matthias Middell

DRIVING DIALOGUE Study: Strangers in Your Own Country? Changeability of National Narratives Using Political Laboratories (PoliLab) Funding period: 2018 – 2021 Project head: Professor Rebecca Pates, Institute of Political Science

Who are »we« in Germany and how does migration change this »we«? The PoliLab research project investigates the narratives of a common social identity and the extent to which social cohesion is possible across different cultural codes. The multi-stage research project began with an analysis of ideas of collective identity in different social groups. Partici pant observations and interviews were conducted in four federal states – Saxony, Thuringia, Berlin and Schleswig-Holstein. This has resulted in a broad understanding of contemporary narratives about »nation«, »commu nity« and »society«. The results of the analysis are discussed and reflected upon throughout Germany in meetings with members of the public, so-called political laboratories (PoliLabs). Many societies are divided by arguments about migration and asylum. In the current debate, however, the prototypical nature of open or closed images of society is at stake, with each side claiming to be the »real Germ ans«. But this causes us to forget that it is possible to talk about migration without automatically being a bad or a good German. This project is about dispelling these certainties. The intention is to start a discussion about the different aspects of a common social identity. www.uni-leipzig.de/polilab

„Collective identities convey ideas of order, but also demands on and ideas about economic, social and affective affiliations. Professor Rebecca Pates PhD EXPLORING SECULARITIES Centre for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences 2344: Multiple Secularities – Beyond the West, Beyond Modernities Funding periods: 2016 – 2024 (2nd funding period since 2020) Spokespersons: Professor Christoph Kleine, Institute for the Study of Religions, Professor Monika Wohlrab-Sahr, Institute for the Study of Culture

How and by whom was and is religion distinguished from other spheres of activity in different societies in history as well as in the present? How is the relationship of ›religion‹ to these other spheres determined? Which mechanisms are at work, and what consequences arise from this distinction? These processes of conceptual distinction and structural differentiation are being analysed as ›secularities‹ by the Centre’s researchers. Starting from the assumption that the (self-)distinction of ›religion‹ is neither originally Western nor exclusively modern, the Centre initially focu sed on (modern and pre-modern) societies in Asia and the Islamicate world. In doing so, the researchers could show how the way in which the boundaries between the religious and the non-religious were drawn in pre-modern and non-Western societies influenced the later appropri ation of hegemonic Western concepts of order. Currently, the Centre is widening its focus to the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, Israel as well as to Eastern and Western Europe, thus also shedding light on the diversity of »Western« secularities. Given that the Centre’s work mainly consists in the close collaboration of scholars from multiple disciplines (e.g. area studies, study of religion, sociology, history, anthropology, theology, political science, and law) and regions from all over the world, it is one of the most interdisciplinary and international research centres at Leipzig University. www.uni-leipzig.de/msr

„Secularity is not just a characteristic of the West, and religion was not ›everywhere‹ in pre-modern times either. Professor Monika Wohlrab-Sahr CONCEPTUALISING COHESION

Research Institute for Social Cohesion Funding period: Since January 2019 Participating institutions: Network of eleven university and research institutes Spokespersons at Leipzig University: Professor Matthias Middell, Global and European Studies Institute; Professor Dirk van Laak, Depart- ment of History; Professor Gert Pickel, Institute of Practical Theology

How can social cohesion succeed? »Social cohesion« is a controversial concept in both theory and practice. This is not only because it is regu larly instrumentalised in political debates in an effort to gain approval for particular demands, but also because of its ambiguity. Together with ten other institutions, Leipzig University is developing an interdiscipli nary concept for a decentralised research institute for social cohesion. At Leipzig, the challenges of social cohesion are explored through populist movements and regimes from the late nineteenth century to the present. To this end, the researchers are involved in regional comparative data collection on indicators of social cohesion, in a multifaceted transfer of knowledge, and in participatory research with officials, teachers and media stakeholders. The aim is to formulate proposals for reconstituting social cohesion under the conditions of an open, internationally networ ked and rapidly changing society. www.uni-leipzig.de/igs

„The realities of urban and rural life are changing and at times drifting apart. New media are changing the culture of communication. In our pluralistic society, different questions are arising than before when it comes to belonging and identity. And citizens care about this. Anja Karliczek Federal Minister of Education and Research LOOKING AT LANGUAGE Research Training Group 2011: Interaction of Grammati- cal Building Blocks (IGRA) Funding periods: 2014 – 2023 (2nd funding period since 2019) Spokesperson: Professor Gereon Müller, Institute of Linguistics

How do grammatical building blocks interact? The IGRA Research Trai ning Group is pursuing this central question, focusing on the phonology, morphology and syntax of natural languages. While the study of these form-related components of grammar has been neglected in Germany in recent years, modern developments have earned it enormous international attention. However, there has still yet to be a comprehensive systematic study of the possible interactions of grammatical building blocks from various theoretical perspectives based on detailed empirical analyses of phonological, morphological and syntactic phenomena from typologically different languages. Grammatical building blocks of any provenance – rules, operations, constraints, schemes, extra-linguistic factors – always interact per se, and it is the goal of the Research Training Group to work out the possibilities and limits of this interaction from different theoretical perspectives and to systematically analyse the nature and interaction of the grammatical building blocks. www.uni-leipzig.de/igra

„Language is a human faculty that qualitatively distinguishes us from all other living beings; grammar is the core of language; and grammatical building blocks form the core of any individual language’s grammar, for they alone determine the well-formedness of linguistic expressions of any complexity. This defines an extremely exciting field of study at the interface of research in the humanities, human and natural sciences. Professor Gereon Müller SAVING LIVES Collaborative project: MOMENTUM (Mobile Medical Techno- logy for Integrated Emergency Care and Accident Medicine) at the Innovation Center Computer-Assisted Surgery (ICCAS) Funding period: 2019 – 2022 Participating institutions: Leipzig University, University of Lübeck, Leipzig and Schleswig-Holstein university hospitals and ten other partners Project head: Professor Thomas Neumuth, ICCAS

What is particularly important at the scene of an accident? When the emergency services are called out, time is of the essence – from the initial medical treatment at the scene to the transfer of all relevant information to doctors at the accident and emergency department. The MOMEN TUM project aims to better coordinate procedures at the scene of the accident and in the hospital, making patient treatment more efficient. It uses 5G infrastructure to synchronise equipment in the ambulance and send important data to the hospital before the patient arrives. One aim is to shift diagnostic tests to the scene of the accident, for example so that paramedics can perform ultrasound examinations – and send the images directly to the hospital. From there they can receive remote support for further treatment at the accident site. During the first stage of the project, the researchers are analysing the current situation by visiting various accident and emergency departments. Together with medical professionals, they are identifying which techno logies are useful and potentially beneficial to emergency medical teams. Once developed, the system will then be tested in emergency scenarios. www.uni-leipzig.de/momentum

„On the one hand, we are developing a technology that allows all medical devices in the ambulance to communicate with each other. On the other, we can transfer patient data to the relevant accident and emergency department in no time at all. Professor Thomas Neumuth

COMBATING CANCER ERC Advanced Grant »HoldCancerBack – What Holds Cancer Cells Back?« Funding period: 2017 – 2022 Project head: Professor Josef A. Käs, Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics

What properties must a cancer cell have in order to metastasise in the body? When is a cancer cell inhibited and when can it »flow« in a dense microenvironment? For decades, the majority of cancer research has concentrated on the genetic and molecular level. To complement this knowledge, the research team focuses on the collective behaviour of cancer cells in cell clusters and in the extracellular matrix. The starting point is the idea that changes in the material properties of a cancer cell determine its metastatic potential. The aim is to create a predictive map of cellular and tissue properties for the spread of cancer cells in the body. These results could show surgeons where tumours grow and allow indivi dual predictions of tumour aggressiveness. Considered a pioneer in the field of the physics of tumour cells, the Leip zig cancer researcher Professor Josef A. Käs also organises the annual Physics of Cancer symposium. In late 2019, as part of a research team led by the Berlin Charité, he succeeded in unravelling a previously unknown basic physical principle of the growth of tumours in the brain. www.uni-leipzig.de/cancerback

„Knowing when cancer cells can move could allow us to create an atlas for the body – showing the regions where they can and can’t easily spread. Such a ›roadmap‹ could allow surgeons to treat advanced tumours that would currently be inoperable. Professor Josef A. Käs MULLING MATTER Transregio Collaborative Research Centre 102: Polymers Under Multiple Constraints Funding periods: 2011 – 2023 (3rd funding period since 2019) Participating institutions: Leipzig University and Martin Luther Uni- versity Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM), Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems (IMWS), Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Wissenschafts- park Leipzig Spokesperson: Professor Thomas Thurn-Albrecht, MLU Halle-Wittenberg

To what extent can polymers be influenced by constraints? Polymers are ubiquitous in everyday life as macromolecular basic building blocks. They are indispensable as components of organisms in the form of proteins or cellulose, but also as synthetically produced plastics. In the Transregio Collaborative Research Centre 102, scientists investigate processes of structure formation and self-assembly in macromolecular systems, in which molecular structure and dynamics are influenced by additional constraints. Examples of such constraints are specific internal interactions, external forces, geometric constraints, high concentrations and topological interactions. The research group headed by Professor Frank Cichos draws its expertise from the fields of physics, chemistry and materials science. The sub-project »Interactions of single polymer chains and amyloid fibrils in a thermophoretic trap« focused on investigating the molecular causes of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. www.uni-leipzig.de/sfbtrr102

„A variety of new experiments are now possible in this field, allowing us to take paths that were not possible before. Professor Frank Cichos Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics

EXPLOITING AI »Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelli gence« (ScaDS.AI) Dresden/Leipzig (formerly ScADS) Funding periods: 2014 – 2022 (since Nov. 2019 as ScaDS.AI) Coordinators: Professor Wolfgang E. Nagel, Centre for Informa- tion Services and High Performance Computing (ZIH) Dresden; Pro- fessor Erhard Rahm, Institute of Computer Science, Leipzig University

What role does artificial intelligence (AI) play in the transformation from the analogue to the digital age? From pioneering technology to »the rise of the machines« – artificial intelligence is one of the great buzzwords of our time. At ScaDS.AI, researchers are tackling important questions in order to bridge remaining gaps between the efficient use of mass data and the availability of advanced AI methods as well as the representation and use of knowledge. Besides new methods of machine learning and artificial intelligence, key research topics include trust, privacy protec tion, transparency, protection of minors, and the traceability of AI-based decisions. One particular strength of ScaDS.AI is its integrated approach to the challenges of big data and artificial intelligence as well as its focus on transferring AI expertise to practical applications through a dedicated service and transfer centre. ScaDS.AI Dresden/Leipzig is one of a total of six artificial intelligence centres funded under the German federal gover nment’s AI Strategy. In addition, the Free State of Saxony is supporting ScaDS.AI in setting up eight new AI professorships. www.scads.de

„Artificial intelligence is the key technology that will change our world faster and more comprehensively than any technology before it. We want Saxony to become a leading German and European centre of AI research and AI application. Our ultimate goal is to use AI for the benefit and well-being of humankind and the environment. Sebastian Gemkow Saxon State Minister of Science THE LEIPZIG WAY

In 2018, Leipzig University presented its University Development Plan, describing our strategic goals up to the year 2025 in research, teaching, transfer, and administration as well as in the areas of internationalisa tion, equality and diversity, and digitisation. Known as the Leipzig Way, this strategy pursues the dynamic further development of our successful research activities, interdisciplinarity, and the formation of alliances for research excellence. Three overarching themes have emerged from the strategic research fields: biodiversity and climate, modern diseases, and globalisations. These will be bundled in internationally visible research centres (iCen tres) and integrate the humanities and social sciences, the life sciences, medicine and the natural sciences in approximately equal parts. Leipzig University is not alone in tapping new interdisciplinary fields of research: as part of the Leipzig Science Network, we cooperate closely with non-university research institutions in and around Leipzig, but also with the HE institutions in the Halle-Jena-Leipzig Central German Uni versity Alliance. Our strategic research fields offer significant potential for the development of competitive and excellence-oriented research clusters. By 2025, we will have succeeded in further developing our most important research fields to such an extent that they transcend the collabo rative character of individual Collaborative Research Centres.

4 iCENTER PHASE INTEGRATIVE CENTER

NG SI CU FO LEIPZIG LAB 3 PHASE NET 1 EMERGING PHASE FIELDS AGGREGATING COMPETENCE EF EF P EF P EF

2 COLLABORATIVE P1 PHASE RESEARCH P2 A S G A Partners G E R D E I G P F A O T L IO H2020 N O FOR CRC PO RTG TRR

Further information about the Leipzig Way can be found at www.uni-leipzig.de/leipziger-weg COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND PARTNERSHIPS

At Leipzig University, collaborative research and inter-university coopera tion are an integral part of our national and international network strategy and the basis for successful interdisciplinary research transfer. As an outward-looking university, we are committed to playing an active role in a variety of research and cooperation alliances – thus having a regional, national and international impact on science and society.

RESEARCH NETWORKS DFG Research Centre —— German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Collaborative Research Centres and Transregios —— CRC 1052: Obesity Mechanisms —— CRC 1199: Processes of Spatialization under the Global Condition —— CRC 1423: Structural Dynamics of GPCR Activation and Signaling —— Transregio/CRC 102: Polymers Under Multiple Constraints: Restricted and Controlled Molecular Order and Mobility —— Transregio/CRC 172: Arctic Amplification: Climate-Relevant Atmospheric and Surface Processes, and Feedback Mechanisms (AC)³ —— Transregio/CRC 67: Functional Biomaterials for Controlling Healing Processes in Bone and Skin – From Material Science to Clinical Application Priority Programmes —— SPP 1294: Atmospheric and Earth System Research with the High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO) —— SPP 1782: Epithelial Intercellular Junctions Research Training Groups (selection) —— RTG 2011: Interaction of Grammatical Building Blocks —— RTG 1763: Quantitative Logics and Automata —— RTG 2522: Strong Dynamics and Criticality in Quantum and Gravitational Systems —— RTG 2324: TreeDi – Tree Diversity Interactions: The Role of Tree-Tree Inter- actions in Local Neighbourhoods in Chinese Subtropical Forests DFG Research Units (selection) —— FOR 2149: Elucidation of Adhesion-GPCR Signalling —— FOR 2177: Integrated Chemical Micro Laboratories —— FOR 2344: Multiple Secularities – Beyond the West, Beyond Modernities —— FOR 2857: Copper Iodide as Multifunctional Semiconductor —— FOR 5000: Biotic Interactions, Community Assembly, and Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics as Drivers of Long-Term Biodiversity–Ecosystem Functioning Relationships BMBF projects —— Research Institute for Social Cohesion —— ScaDS.AI: Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence NETWORKS Leibniz Institutes —— Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) —— Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (IOM) —— Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL) —— Leibniz Institute for Jewish History and Culture – Simon Dubnow (DI) —— Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe (GWZO) —— Leibniz ScienceCampus »Eastern Europe – Global Area« (EEGA) Helmholtz institutions —— Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) —— Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Adiposity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) —— Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) Fraunhofer Institutes —— Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI) —— Fraunhofer Center for International Management and Knowledge Economy (IMW) Max Planck Institutes (MPI) —— Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA) —— Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (MPI-CBS) —— Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences (MPI-MIS) Max Planck School of Cognition (MPS-Cog) Federal research institutions —— Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Leipzig branch —— Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum (DBFZ) —— Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), Leipzig branch University networks (selection) —— German U15 —— Arqus European University Alliance —— Utrecht Network —— Halle-Jena-Leipzig Central German University Alliance —— European University Association (EUA) Inter-university research and cooperation platforms —— Forum for the Study of the Global Condition —— Leibniz ScienceCampus »Eastern Europe – Global Area« (EEGA) —— International Max Planck Research School: »The Leipzig School of Human Origins« (IMPRS LSHO) —— Minerva Center —— nutriCARD: Competence Cluster for Nutrition and Cardiovascular Health —— Mentoring programme for female postdocs —— Central German Archive Network IMPRINT Concept and design: Office for University Communications Editing: Office for University Communications

Copy deadline: 5 May 2020

Photos: BMBF, Fotozentrum Leipzig, ICCAS, Marcus Held, Christian Hüller, Carlos Jasso (Reuters), Leonie Lang, Thomas Neumuth, Swen Reichhold, Sächsisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft, Kultur und Tourismus, Stephan Schön, Stefan Straube

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