MPT

Medicine is pinning its hopes on nanoparticles. These are used in cancer treatment, as MRI contrast agents and in vaccine development. But what exactly do these tiny particles do inside the body? In a project funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), researchers at h_da are exploring this very question by developing tiny model kidneys and dispatching nanoparticles of various shapes – sometimes round, sometimes star-shaped, sometimes spiky – through them. The aim is to gain a better understanding of how nanoparticles work in the body and to minimise side effects. (Text: Christina Janssen, Translation: Sharon Oranski, Photography: Samira Schulz)

Read more at impact.h-da.de

A new helium pycnometer was commissioned at the Research Centre for Materials and Process Engineering (fz mpt) on Thursday 19 March 2026. The instrument was jointly requested by the Building Materials Laboratory (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) and the Plastics Technology Group (Department of Mechanical and Plastics Engineering).

Germany aims to become climate neutral by 2045. For this to succeed, researchers must show inventive genius and a pioneering spirit in many areas. One example of how a good idea might make a real impact is a project at h_da’s Faculty of Mechanical and Plastics Engineering, where an interdisciplinary team is working to develop a new type of turbine that combines two technologies and could make a substantial contribution to our future power supply. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg is the project coordinator. (Text: Christina Janssen)

Read more at impact.h-da.de