Complete your personal information for a more tailored experience for the best life sciences journalism in the industry Georg Schett has upended our understanding of autoimmune diseases have managed to put diseases like lupus into complete remission effectively making what until now have been viewed as chronic illnesses disappear His work has set off a gold rush as biopharma companies big and small aim to turn the academic achievements into approved medicines German research team’s discoveries open new possibilities for patients with autoimmune diseases Fifty influential people shaping the future of health and life sciences across biotech Reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine Ayesha Afzal is a researcher working towards the PhD at the professorship for High Performance Computing at Erlangen National High Performance Computing Center (NHR@FAU) in Germany She holds a master’s degree in computational engineering from the Friedrich Alexander University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology Her PhD research lies at the crossroads of analytic performance models performance tools and parallel simulation frameworks with a focus on first-principles performance modelling of distributed-memory parallel programs in HPC She also conducts research in multi-core and parallel architectures Ayesha contributes to scientific community events as a vice chair (p@SC24 a section lead (IEEEXtreme Region 8 Germany section) and an active speaker She has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles received the Best Short Paper Award 2023 in the PMBS (Performance Modeling Simulation) workshop at the Supercomputing Conference and scored first in the ISC PhD Forum Award 2021 She was named in the Top 100 Future Leaders Role Model List in 2022 and 2023/24 supported by Yahoo Finance and YouTube and won WeAreTheCity’s Global Award for Achievement 2023 Erlangen National High Performance Computing Center (NHR@FAU) What was your first introduction to advanced computing My introduction to advanced computing was not a linear path but rather shaped by a diverse set of interests I had a natural curiosity for solving puzzles which eventually evolved into a passion for engineering leading me to earn an EE degree in Pakistan it wasn’t until I transitioned to computational engineering for my master’s at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg that I truly realized the power of combining mathematics This interdisciplinary approach ultimately led me to HPC where I could leverage both computational power and algorithmic sophistication to solve complex The pivotal moment came during my master’s thesis “The Cost of Computation: Metrics and Models for Modern Multicore-based Systems in Scientific Computing,” which explored performance and energy models It was an eye-opening experience that connected theoretical work to real-world applications from energy-efficient supercomputing to cutting-edge research and made me truly grasp the importance of pushing computational limits This experience sparked my decision to pursue a PhD in this area I have been with NHR@FAU for several years contributing to various pivotal initiatives particularly in energy-efficient computing I have been in my current role for over six years Is there an aspect of your work that you are particularly proud of Have you had a “Eureka” moment that you would like to share Instead of a singular “Eureka” moment my work has been shaped by a series of smaller Whether it’s developing analytical models each contributes to advancing energy-efficient computing and performance engineering The smaller wins in my research have been equally rewarding and motivating earning recognition such as the Best Paper Runner-up Award at IEEE TPDS the Best Short Paper Award at the SC PMBS workshop the Best Research Poster Finalist at SC conference and the WeAreTheCity Global Award for Achievement and they continue to fuel my passion for progress and innovation in the field Who or what has influenced you the most to help you advance your career path in this advanced computing community Is there someone you would like to recognize has been profound in shaping my independent thinking and analytical mindset I’ve been inspired by the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of the HPC community I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by a network of incredible mentors many of whom I’ve met throughout my academic and professional career as well as through international collaborations particularly at events like the Supercomputing Conference These individuals have been incredibly generous with their time and guidance always pushing me to take on larger challenges and strive for excellence and I owe much of my growth to their belief in me and the encouragement I received early on I’ve learned that these experts have often faced similar challenges and are always willing to share their advice my father’s teachings instilled in me the confidence to pursue unconventional paths and challenge established norms I’ve come to embrace the idea that it’s okay not to have a clear path at the outset of a project — what matters is the learning experience throughout the journey itself combined with a willingness to step out of my comfort zone and take risks has been a key driver of my growth within the advanced computing community Whenever I encounter something I don’t know What is your passion related to your career path Solving complex real-world problems by advancing computational performance and energy efficiency the energy consumption of HPC-AI systems will grow exponentially and I’m committed to developing innovations that minimize their environmental impact I’m particularly focused on optimizing algorithms and exploring ways to improve hardware efficiency to make computational power more accessible I work on building the performance simulation framework that helps performance engineers understand the hardware-software interaction I work at the intersection of cutting-edge research and practical HPC applications playing a pivotal role in shaping how computational research aligns with the needs of both industry and academia I also organize workshops such as EESP at ISC and PERMAVOST at ACM HPDC which focus on energy and performance issues in HPC and provide a platform for researchers and industry professionals to share insights and collaborate on innovative solutions What does it take to be an effective leader in HPC and AI effective leadership in HPC and AI requires a blend of technical expertise even if they don’t have all the answers at first and are adept at collaborating across organizations and fields They understand that it takes time to identify and address root causes Leadership is about supporting others and encouraging risk-taking as what matters is how you bounce back and learn from mistakes It’s crucial to foster an environment where people feel empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and where continuous learning and innovation are prioritized Effective leaders are also open to new approaches challenge their teams to think outside the box The HPC-AI integration requires leaders with both a broad perspective and deep expertise in key areas What are your thoughts on how our countries build a stronger and deeper pipeline of talented and passionate HPC and AI professionals it must be paired with a clear understanding of how to integrate AI with HPC Building a deeper pipeline of HPC and AI talent requires a multi-faceted approach: from ensuring that educational systems prioritize computational thinking and problem-solving from an early age to fostering a more diverse workforce We need more initiatives and interdisciplinary programs that connect industry and academia providing students with hands-on experiences and real-world problem-solving opportunities it’s essential to encourage diverse perspectives eliminate restrictive criteria in these initiatives and foster collaboration across global efforts The more we highlight the rewarding and impactful nature of working in HPC and AI through visibility the more we can inspire diverse and passionate individuals to pursue careers in this field What changes or challenges do you see for the HPC-AI community in the next five-10 years the next five-10 years for the HPC-AI community will face significant challenges in managing the hyper-exponential increase in computing demand driven by AI particularly with the stagnation of Moore’s Law and the energy crisis posed by power-hungry GPUs Balancing performance needs with energy efficiency while maintaining sustainability in a resource-constrained environment will require ongoing research emerging technologies offer promising solutions and advancements in AI-HPC integration could dramatically accelerate scientific progress Strengthening information exchange between HPC and AI communities and integrating HPC expertise into AI workflows will accelerate progress in both fields ethical considerations such as fairness in machine learning algorithms and data privacy will become increasingly important The HPC and AI communities must prioritize these challenges while continuing to innovate in ways that address both technological and societal needs Would you like to share any personal information with the HPC-AI community I cherish spending time with my family — eight-month-old Ibrahim and nine-year-old Abrish I also enjoy watching movies and meeting new people — especially those passionate about making strides in STEM fields you’re either forging new paths or stuck in traffic Tier 0 doesn’t just clear the road — it builds the autobahn The MLPerf1.0 benchmark has made one thing clear … Getting the benefits of big data analytics can be challenging but it is a necessary endeavor for any organization to succeed going forward Understanding the challenges to maximizing big data analytics and DL and carefully orchestrating your infrastructure build will allow you to construct an architecture […] Germany's Bavarian State Parliament has approved funding for the expansion of the North Bavarian High-Performance Computing Center (NHR@FAU) at the Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg The new data center will be located in the south of Erlangen The government will invest more than €270 million ($283m) into the project and expand the capacity available to northern Bavarian universities to 10MW Minister Markus Blume said the new data center will support the “rapid development of AI,” adding that “massive expansion of the computing infrastructure represents a decisive leap not only for FAU The NHR@FAU was established in 2021 by the Joint Conference of Science Ministers to form a national network of eight high-performance computing centers throughout Germany the federal and state governments pledged to fund the hardware and personnel costs of the network partners for an initial period of ten years NHR@FAU currently houses three supercomputers, including Alex and Fritz which were ranked 252 and 283 respectively on the most recent edition of the Top500 list the center’s 16.94 petaflops Helma cluster ranked 79 on the list Helma is comprised of 384 Nvidia H100 GPUs with 200 of those GPUs available for researchers in Bavaria via the state’s BayernKI program "The new building is a key building block for establishing a beacon for the region with international appeal,” said Professor Gerhard Wellein from NHR@FAU in a Google-translated statement “To bring together artificial intelligence and data in a synergistic way and provide the latest IT services in these fields we need both: A modern working environment for the brightest minds and energy-efficient infrastructures for IT systems of the highest performance class." Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia She has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles, received the Best Short Paper Award 2023 in the PMBS (Performance Modeling, Benchmarking, Simulation) workshop at the Supercomputing Conference, and scored first …. [SPONSORED GUEST ARTICLE] In tech, you’re either forging new paths or stuck in traffic. Tier 0 doesn’t just clear the road — it builds the autobahn. It obliterates inefficiencies, crushes bottlenecks, and unleashes the true power of GPUs. The MLPerf1.0 benchmark has made one thing clear …. In this insideHPC Guide, our friends over at WEKA suggest that when organizations decide to move existing applications or new applications to a GPU-influenced system there are many items to consider, such as assessing the new  environment’s required components, implementing a pilot program to learn about the system’s future  performance, and considering eventual scaling to production levels. which led to Chinese hospitals cutting back orders."We assume China revenue in the first half of fiscal year 2025 to decline mid-single-digit to high-single-digit percentage points," Siemens Healthineers CFO Jochen Schmitz said in a press briefing."In the second half of 2025 after the latter grew 7.7% in the fourth quarter largely beating analyst expectations of 6.7%.($1 = 0.9294 euros)Reporting by Marleen Kaesebier and Joern Plotz; Editing by Sumana Nandy and Rashmi Aich Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Mathias Gidsel was very disappointed after the matchČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Andreas GoraThree days after reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League Füchse Berlin on Saturday night were held to a shocking 31-31 (14-16) draw against penultimate-placed HC Erlangen and could lose the lead at the top of the table on Sunday if TSV Hannover-Burgdorf get the better of Frisch Auf Göppingen The club from Berlin were made to fight hard in Franconia and trailed by three goals at 15-18 three minutes after the break To the match centre: Erlangen vs. Foxes "That hurts so much," said Berlin's Mathias Gidsel who was recently voted Best Handball player of the World and added angrily:"We have to win a game like this if we want to become champions." Melsungen one of Füchse Berlin's championship rivals with Danish profile Nikolaj Enderleit contributing seven goals in the win The win helped Melsungen close the gap to Füchse Berlin and both clubs are now tied at the top with 40 points. However, TSV Hannover-Burgdorf can overtake both teams with a win on Sunday SC Magdeburg overpowered HC Erlangen with a perfect performance laying the groundwork for a leap to the top of the handball Bundesliga SC Magdeburg beat Erlangen 30-19 in the 17th round of the 2024-25 DAIKIN men's handball Bundesliga at GETEC Arena in Magdeburg one draw and five losses (33 points) with three less games is closely chasing fifth-place SG Flensburg (34 points) by one point The stadium was crowded with full spectators and Magdeburg led the flow throughout the game amid enthusiastic support from fans SC Magdeburg's victory was thanks to the team's ace players doing their part Philipp Weber scored his team's most goals with seven goalkeeper Sergey Hernández recorded 15 saves to block the opponent's attack which dominated from the beginning of the first half made a 7-4 lead in the 11th minute of the game with Weber's goal and at one point HC Erlangen chased to 9-8 with the score of former SC Magdeburg player Maciej Gebala but widened the gap again until the end of the first half to lead 14-9 Magdeburg showed a stronger pace in the second half Christiansson's score widened the gap to 20-11 and then 24-14 The final score ended with Weber's seven-metre penalty SC Magdeburg gave home fans a cool win with a 30-19 thumping victory HC Erlangen fought hard with five goals each from Viggo Kristjánsson and three goals from Antonio Metzner but the defense collapsed and gave up the game helplessly Goalkeeper Finn Zecher responded with eight saves but it was not enough to stop Magdeburg's offensive 3 draws and 19 losses (9 points) for the season SC Magdeburg will rekindle the competition for the top spot through this victory and it is expected to rebound in the rankings depending on the results of the remaining postponement matches ※ This service is provided by machine translation tool The President meeting was held at headquarters of Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) in Germany on Tuesday December 22nd 2015 FAU is one of the NITech's International Academic Exchange Agreement Universities The attendees from FAU are President of FAU Head of the Central Office for International The attendees from NITech are President Dr Director of the NITech Europe Liaison Office Ukai expressed a deep appreciation for renewal for another 2 years of Europe Liaison Office established in the faculty of Engineering at FAU in 2013 FAU and NITech exchanged opinions about further continuous relationship and the cooperation between FAU and NITech Back to International Relations News the Executive Director (Research Strategy and Evaluation) The Director of NITech Europe Liaison Office Ken-ichi Kakimoto and 2 other Faculty Members attended the 50th Anniversary Ceremony of the Faculty of Engineering held at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) in Germany Reinhard Lerch introduced NITech as one of the most important partner within the Faculty of Engineering A booth was also setup outside to promote NITech ＜The Former Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Prof Greil and The Head of the NITech Europe Liaison Office Ken-ichi Kakimoto in front of the NITech booth＞ Metrics details Malaria occurred endemically in Germany until the twentieth century Climate change and globalization are known to promote the spreading of malaria Erlangen is a city with just under 120,000 inhabitants located in the Nürnberg metropolitan region microbiological data (local and state level) and vector surveillance data are used to estimate the risk of re-emergence and autochthonous transmission of malaria in the area of Erlangen Historical data was obtained by searching literature Climatic data were retrieved from the German Climate Data Centre Data on reported (supra-)regional infections were obtained from the Robert-Koch Institute Cases of malaria diagnosed at the Institute of Clinical Microbiology Immunology and Hygiene (University Hospital Erlangen) complement this data The citizen science project “Mückenatlas” (Mosquito Atlas) the German mosquito database (CULBASE) and the company Biogents AG provided mosquito surveillance data Malaria was highly endemic in Erlangen in the nineteenth century with 18% of hospitalized patients suffering from this disease in 1860 but disappeared during the first half of the twentieth century autochthonous ‘malaria tertiana’ (tertian malaria) occurred in neighbouring Nürnberg demonstrating the regional malaria potential the average monthly temperature increased by 1.6 °C three potential vectors of tertian malaria parasites are prevalent (Anopheles messeae which has unknown potential of Plasmodium transmission and Anopheles claviger sensu lato have been detected malaria diagnosed in Erlangen mainly resulted from travelling to Africa Plasmodium vivax accounted for only a small proportion of these cases (2010–2023: n = 5 Future autochthonous transmission of malaria parasites in Erlangen is possible although re-establishment of a natural transmission cycle is currently unlikely In order to avoid unexpected autochthonous malaria surveillance and prevention measures should be considered Patients with fever after visiting endemic areas need to be analysed for Plasmodium infection It can also be assumed that the typical clinical presentation of tertian fever was well known to medical doctors in Germany The “Erlanger Tagblatt” contained monthly overviews of infectious diseases reported by the Erlangen district office and the city of Erlangen at irregular intervals These overviews also listed the term “Wechselfieber” (intermittent fever) data from the mosquito surveillance commissioned by the neighbouring city of Fürth These data were obtained as part of a standardized investigation in the “Südstadt” district (zip code 90763; distance of the nearest traps to the border of Erlangen city district approx Biogents AG) equipped with a CO2 source were set up from April to November The captured mosquitoes were morphologically differentiated on species level Statistical analyses were performed as a two-tailed Fisher exact test using SPSS, V29.0.1.0 (IBM, Armonk, USA). Average values were calculated using Microsoft® Excel® 2016 MSO (16.0.5422.1000, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, USA). Malaria case numbers in Erlangen, 1858 to 1887. Data according to Mayr [36] Erlangen; Nürnberg: Blaesing; Schmidtner; 1890 Diagnoses of malaria at the University Hospital Erlangen, 2010–2023. Total number of patient samples tested for malaria and proportion of detection of Plasmodium parasites. Each patient was only counted once Plasmodium species detected at the University Hospital Erlangen No other than the given Plasmodium species was detected in the assessed period Schematic overview of areas with evidence for the presence of Anopheles species in/around Erlangen. Overview of the study area see Fig. 1. For a detailed list of the Anopheles species detected, see Table 4 zip code area with detection of Anopheles species; black zip code area without detection of Anopheles species; An. the possibility of a re-emergence of autochthonous Plasmodium transmission is discussed for the city of Erlangen in Southern Germany considering the local Anopheles populations View from the Neustädter church-tower on the Southwestern suburb of Erlangen. Photographer Georg Daßler, 1891. Stadtarchiv Erlangen VI.Z.b.6 View from the Neustädter church-tower to the West View from South to North with the cemetery church at the so-called Martinsbühl Cases of malaria in Bavaria, 2001–2023. P., Plasmodium. Further data, e.g. detection of Plasmodium not identified to species level, are not shown due to the low number of cases. Robert Koch Institute: SurvStat@RKI 2.0, https://survstat.rki.de The Bavarian mosquito surveillance carried out by the federal authorities the “Mückenatlas” (Mosquito Atlas) as a nationwide citizen science project and private-sector measures offer various possibilities for multi-layered mosquito monitoring Based on the potential Plasmodium vectors found so far a standardized assessment of the mosquito species occurring in the metropolitan area of Erlangen-Nürnberg could be useful in order to obtain baseline data for the identification of future changes of Anopheles populations and for an improved assessment of the risk of (re-) emerging infectious diseases like tertian malaria No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study Plasmodium vivax infection due to percutaneous exposure in non-endemic area Transmission of malaria from donors to solid organ transplant recipients: a case report and literature review Malaria transmission from patient to nurse An outbreak of Plasmodium vivax malaria among heroin users in Spain Washington DC: American Society for Microbiology Press; 2023 Malaria in Europe: a historical perspective Malaria eradication in the European World: historical perspective and imminent threats Towards malaria elimination - a leap forward [The disappearance of swamp fever in Europe: coincidence or necessity?] (in German) [The spread of indigenous malaria in Germany in the past and present (A compilation based on literature reports and official medical data)] (in German) Culicid mosquitoes as vectors of disease agents in Europe Arthropods as vectors of emerging diseases [Malaria in Germany at the time of the Second World War and the first post-war years] (in German) Würzburg: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg Endemic malaria: an “indoor” disease in northern Europe The geography of imported malaria to non-endemic countries: a meta-analysis of nationally reported statistics Airport malaria in non-endemic areas: new insights into mosquito vectors Probable autochthonous introduced malaria cases in Italy in 2009–2011 and the risk of local vector-borne transmission First autochthonous malaria case due to Plasmodium vivax since eradication A local outbreak of autochthonous Plasmodium vivax malaria in Laconia Greece–a re-emerging infection in the southern borders of Europe Genotyping Plasmodium vivax isolates from the 2011 outbreak in Greece Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Locally acquired malaria cases identified in the United States. 2023. https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2023/han00494.asp#print Plasmodium-infected Anopheles mosquitoes collected in Virginia and Maryland following local transmission of Plasmodium vivax malaria in Loudoun County Anophelism without malaria in Europe: a review of the ecology and distribution of the genus Anopheles in Europe [The role of globalization and climate change on the development of mosquitoes and their transmitted diseases in Central Europe] (in German) [The advance of malaria into Central Europe in the wake of global warming: Germany as a case study] (in German) Modelling potential malaria spread in Germany by use of climate change projections A risk assessment approach coupling epidemiologic and geostatistical measures [Bavarian local news - Erlangen] (in German) [The Malaria in Erlangen over the past 30 years] (in German) Nürnberg: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen DWD Climate Data Center (CDC). Monthly average of station measurements of air temperature at a height of 2 m in °C for Germany. https://cdc.dwd.de/portal/ The Citizen Science Project ‘Mueckenatlas’ helps monitor the distribution and spread of invasive mosquito species in Germany Flight distance of mosquitoes (Culicidae): a metadata analysis to support the management of barrier zones around rewetted and newly constructed wetlands An overview and mapping of malaria and its vectors in Iran [The situation of important infectious diseases - Imported Infectious diseases 2022](in German) Sitzungsberichte der Physikalisch-Medizinischen Sozietät zu Erlangen [The present and past occurrence of malaria and the distribution of anopheles mosquitoes in the territory of the German Reich] (in German) Arbeiten aus dem Reichsgesundheitsamte; 1927 [Endemic malaria tertiana in Nuremberg] (in German) Erlangen: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen [The distribution of Anopheles in Bavaria and its suspected importance for the introduction of malaria](in German) [Studies on entomological diversity in the Brucker Lache a special habitat that has been protected for over 50 years in the immediate vicinity of the city of Erlangen] (in German) Berichte des Kreises Nürnberger Entomologen eV [Entomological investigations in the habitat “Eisgrube” a forest section on the northern slope of the Burgberg near Erlangen (Middle Franconia [Fundamental studies on the diverse insect fauna of the Tiergarten Nuremberg with special emphasis on the Hymenoptera] (in German) [Recording the insect fauna of Nuremberg’s Imperial Castle for the “Castle Habitat” project as part of the implementation of the Bavarian Biodiversity Strategy] (in German) [Causes of malaria in Erlangen and the surrounding area] (in German) [About native endogenous malaria in Germany] (in German) “For the hungry have no past nor do they belong to a political party”: debates over German Hunger after World War II Military Government of Germany - Public Health and Medical Affairs The Anopheles maculipennis complex (Diptera: Culicidae) in Germany: an update following recent monitoring activities Updated occurrence and bionomics of potential malaria vectors in Europe: a systematic review (2000–2021) [The recurring necessity of mosquito surveillance and research] (in German) Nine years of mosquito monitoring in Germany with an updated inventory of German culicid species Anopheles (Anopheles) petragnani Del Vecchio 1939-a new mosquito species for Germany New contributions to the knowledge of two riparian mosquitoes in northwestern Spain: Anopheles petragnani and Culex mimeticus (Diptera: Culicidae) Vector potential of mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) occurring in Central Europe Mosquito-borne diseases: implications for public health Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2018 Potential malaria outbreak in Germany due to climate warming: risk modelling based on temperature measurements and regional climate models Assessing the future threat from vivax malaria in the United Kingdom using two markedly different modelling approaches Rising temperature and its impact on receptivity to malaria transmission in Europe: a systematic review Source identification of autochthonous-introduced Plasmodium vivax malaria Increase in malaria cases imported from Pakistan to Germany in 2012 Changes in malaria epidemiology in Germany Malaria in Eritrean migrants newly arrived in seven European countries Sharp increase of imported Plasmodium vivax malaria seen in migrants from Eritrea in Hamburg An update on prevention of malaria in travelers History of the discovery of the malaria parasites and their vectors Königliches Staatsministerium des Innern (ed.) [Notification of infectious diseases to the royal military authorities] (in German) Dalitz MK. [Autochthonous malaria in central Germany] (in German). Halle: Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Dissertation; 2005. https://doi.org/10.25673/2444 [Mosquitoes in renaturalized moors in Bavaria 2020 Investigation of mosquitoes on selected renaturalized and degraded moorland areas in raised bogs and fens in comparison to adjacent settlement areas] (in German) Malaria diagnosis in non-endemic settings: the European experience in the last 22 years [Malaria in Germany 1945–1947] (in German) [Malaria in Franconia during the Second World War and the first post-war years](in German) Download references We would like to thank the Erlangen City Archive and its staff for providing images of the Ludwig-Danube-Main-Canal and for support in archival research we are grateful to Gerhard Falkenhorst (RKI) Niko Zankl (Biogents AG) and Stefanie Böhm (LGL) for support in data collection Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL This research received no external funding Mikrobiologisches Institut - Klinische Mikrobiologie Universitätsklinikum Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg Institute for the History and Ethics of Medicine Federal Research Institute for Animal Health Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research SG; project administration: CB; Supervision: CB; writing of the original manuscript draft: JE; review and editing of the manuscript: CB All authors have read and approved the submitted version of the manuscript This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg on March 05 The need for written informed consent was waived Biogents AG (Silke Göttler) produces and distributes traps against mosquitoes for private and scientific use Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-025-05292-y Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article The reuse of used lithium-ion batteries from electric cars is becoming increasingly important as the vehicles become more widespread despite the considerable potential for conserving resources upcycling has not yet become established for technical and economic reasons The ‘QuaLiProM’ research project now aims to change this As part of the research project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in which the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg and the company Industrial Dynamics are involved an interdisciplinary project team has tackled questions such as: Is it possible to reuse used batteries from electric vehicles efficiently and safely Or: What technical and economic hurdles need to be overcome ‘QuaLiProM’ has set itself the scientific goal of determining the residual capacity and service life of used lithium-ion batteries in a non-destructive so that a reliable and economically viable second use is possible Lithium-ion batteries lose storage capacity over the years and their performance decreases accordingly over time The state of health of a battery is usually defined by the state of health (SoH) which describes the age-related change in the state of a cell in relation to its original state Determining the SoH is a key factor in assessing the performance and service life of batteries experimental methods such as capacity tests electrochemical impedance spectroscopy or lifetime tests have been used to determine the SoH of batteries whereas the ‘QuaLiProM’ project uses quantum magnetometry enables the health status of battery cells to be determined quickly the condition-dependent magnetisation of a battery cell can be precisely determined impurities and the state of charge can be detected using quantum sensors The ‘QuaLiProM’ project is now combining quantum magnetometry and artificial intelligence to develop a high-speed measurement method that will make it possible to classify cells based on their state of health in industrial applications lithium-ion cells are subjected to forced degradation using cyclic ageing tests The battery cells that have been transferred to defined ageing states using the ageing tests are then analysed using quantum magnetics The quantum sensor measures the magnetic field of the cells with high precision by observing the spin of a special defect in a diamond which emits different numbers of light particles depending on the magnetic field magnetic field mappings are generated that provide valuable information about possible anomalies in the battery cells This non-destructive method does not require time-consuming charging and discharging cycles and is therefore suitable for use in cell production as well as in the recycling or upcycling process The upcoming transfer of the methodology from the laboratory level to the industrial scale is one of the main objectives of the project For the AI-based analysis of the magnetic field mappings innovative deep learning methods are used to identify characteristic features which show a clear correlation to the ageing state of the cells These features are used to classify cells according to their state of health degraded but still functional cells that are no longer suitable for use in electric vehicles due to insufficient capacity can be identified By developing suitable upcycling strategies and researching new second-life applications in less demanding areas the project aims to promote the sustainable and resource-efficient use of battery cells and accelerate their transfer to industry ifam.fraunhofer.de I agree with the Privacy policy electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013 we offer comprehensive coverage of the highest quality — as a central platform for the rapid development of this technology Erlangen is the first of over 50 brand collaboration properties set to open IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world's leading hotel companies, today opens the first Holiday Inn - the niu property in Germany, Holiday Inn - the niu Cure, Erlangen marking the debut of the collaboration between Holiday Inn and the niu Anchored in a shared passion for distinctive design and memorable hospitality Holiday Inn - the niu represents an exciting opportunity to combine the niu's extensive domestic presence and unique design inspired by locality with Holiday Inn's global reputation and brand recognition Together this delivers a hotel experience that offers genuine hospitality with personal service and provides great value for people travelling for business or leisure As with all IHG Hotels & Resorts properties guests who have booked to stay in a Holiday Inn - the niu hotel will be able to earn and redeem points when they sign up for IHG One Rewards one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes Holiday Inn - the niu Cure takes its design cues from the city's well-known affiliation with medicine and medical technology The name "Cure" pays homage to the medical progress of the city which is reflected in the design ethos of the hotel a warm pine-green and wood colour palette combined with natural materials throughout the hotel's furnishings all aim to help promote relaxation and recuperation the 177 room Holiday Inn - the niu Cure is designed to be stylish and homely while providing guests with all the comforts needed to refresh and recharge - including free wi-fi blackout curtains and a hot buffet breakfast Known as one of Germany's best-preserved Baroque era cities Erlangen has plenty to offer for those looking to visit for a weekend getaway or to extend their business trip With large open squares that host daily market stalls Erlangen hosts some of the world's most renowned conventions such as Comic Salon - an annual event held for comic art and graphic literature one of Germany's oldest folk and beer festivals all Holiday Inn - the niu hotels have 'Living Lobbies' - feel-good oases to help guests unwind and relax or serve as a great co-working space The onsite bar lounge area is the perfect place to round off the day with a drink and some light bites and the hotel's 24hour Lobby Shop offers a selection of snacks available to purchase including confectionery and savoury snacks more Holiday Inn - the niu hotels are expected to open This will include locations such as Nuremburg it will be available in locations including Amsterdam and Haarlem in the Netherlands IHG and NOVUM Hospitality signed their first additional pipeline hotel for Holiday Inn - the niu This property is in addition to the initial 52 signed under this brand collaboration in April 2024 IHG Hotels & Resorts has 96* open hotels across Germany spanning multiple well-known brands including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn Express offerings guests plenty of choice when deciding where to stay for their next trip Loyalty members and guests can explore IHG Hotels & Resorts' more than 6,000 hotels and 19 brands globally via the IHG One Rewards mobile app - all in the palm of their hand Hotel website Brand OwnerIHG Hotels & Resorts Explore our comprehensive portfolio that addresses the complete care continuum for many of the world’s most threatening diseases.  Discover the stories of pioneers pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in healthcare to help improve people’s lives around the world Patient-centered innovation has been and always will be at the core of our company Dive deeper into our fascinating technologies Siemens Healthineers is opening its new Education & Development Center (EDC) in Erlangen today The open-plan building offers space for the currently 240 trainees and integrated degree program participants in Erlangen and Forchheim the new center houses training courses for customers and in-house specialists around 150 participants and users can be trained daily on medical devices The EDC is an extension of the existing education and training center with Erlangen beeing one of the company's three global training centers and the central location for education in Germany with a focus on IT Investing in in-house training is a building block in Siemens Healthineers' strategy to counteract the predicted shortage of skilled workers The construction period of the building was three years with an investment of about 60 million euros.  "We want to continue to be one of the most attractive employers in the region and in Germany Lifelong learning for our employees is our focus That's why we invest in high-quality training opportunities in an appealing working environment that benefit customers and employees alike Erlangen and the region is and will remain a global hotspot for innovative medical technology," said Elisabeth Staudinger Member of the Managing Board of Siemens Healthineers Among the approximately 80 invited guests were the Mayor of the City of Erlangen Head of the Bavarian State Ministry for Family Affairs The training and further education center was built according to the latest construction standards and is to be awarded the "LEED Gold" sustainability certificate The building is located in the "Siemens Healthineers Quarter" in the north of Erlangen opposite of the factory for magnetic resonance imaging scanners on Allee am Röthelheimpark a close integration between practical and theoretical training is ensured The 11,000 square meters of space of the EDC are spread over seven floors and has among others ten fully functional magnetic resonance imaging scanners and two angiography systems for training purposes A photon-counting computed tomograph of the latest generation is also housed in the building five large training rooms offer space for virtual courses with cameras and state-of-the-art transmission technology Siemens Healthineers also offers digital training with the support of VR glasses or simulators In the training areas on the upper floors there are five electrical laboratories a technical project room and four further training rooms Siemens Healthineers offers apprenticeships for commercial and technical professions as well as integrated degree programs in the business 185 new apprentices and dual students will start their training at Siemens Healthineers in Germany Download image Download image Download image Download image Download image VIENNA — From a dozen or so studies and sessions devoted to the role of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in rheumatic diseases at the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) 2024 Annual Meeting supporting growing evidence that drugs in this class are heading toward a paradigm shift in refractory rheumatic diseases Of the reports, an update from a 15-patient case series with at least 1 year of follow-up provides "the first long-term evidence of safety and efficacy in multiple rheumatic diseases," according to Georg Schett The high rates of activity and low relative risk for serious adverse events from the same series was published earlier this year in The New England Journal of Medicine when the median follow-up was 15 months Almost all of the patients have now completed at least 1 year of follow-up and about a third have completed more than 2 years The three rheumatic diseases represented in this series of patients all of whom had failed multiple previous immune suppressive treatments After the autologous T cells were harvested they were expanded and transfected with the CD19 CAR was administered in a single dose of one million cells per kg bodyweight all achieved the definition of remission in SLE criteria after one dose of treatment Complete resolution of all major symptom types was achieved after 6 months of follow-up all reached the American College of Rheumatology–EULAR criteria for a major response All creatine kinase levels had normalized by 3 months which occurred after 18 months of follow-up All four patients with SSc achieved a major response on the European Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) group activity index The median reduction from baseline in the EUSTAR score was 4.2 points and this has been maintained in follow-up to date These remissions were achieved and maintained after a single dose of CAR T-cell therapy despite discontinuation of all immunosuppressive therapies all remissions have persisted through follow-up to date These responses were achieved with manageable side effects The most serious adverse event was a grade 4 neutropenia that developed 4 months after receiving CAR T cells It resolved with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor treatment Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) has occurred in 10 patients but it was grade 1 in eight patients and grade 2 in the others Almost all patients have experienced an infection during follow-up but there has been no discernible pattern in relationship to the timing or types of infections The most common have involved the upper respiratory tract and have been of mild severity with cases disseminated similarly over early vs late follow-up There was one case of pneumonia involving antibiotic treatment and a hospital stay Schett acknowledged that safety is a bigger concern in autoimmune diseases than in the hematologic malignancies for which CAR T cells were initially tested but the low rates of serious adverse events in his and other early studies have supported the premise that the risks are not the same Asked specifically if CAR T cells can be considered a game changer in autoimmune rheumatic diseases One reason is the CAR T cells are a complex therapy relative to biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs that much more data are needed to confirm safety and efficacy so it is not yet clear how they will be integrated with other options he thinks the evidence so far suggests a profound effect on the fundamental drivers of autoimmune disease Their specific mechanism of benefit is still being evaluated but he considers the clinical responses consistent with a "reset" hypothesis "we are seeing drug-free remissions in some patients as long as they have been followed," Schett said Based on the fact that disease control is being observed off all other therapies "this only makes sense to me if there is some sort of immunologic reset." there were about 40 studies being performed with CAR T cells in various autoimmune diseases most of which were rheumatologic disorders He noted that funding is coming from multinational drug companies and investigator-initiated studies at academic centers all of the clinical studies were still at the level of phase 1 or 1/2 Consistent with the data presented by Schett the drugs have been nearly uniformly effective with major responses persisting in patients off other therapies Examples include a phase 1/2 multinational study with the investigational CAR T-cell therapy YTB323 (Novartis) which demonstrated acceptable safety and a strong signal of benefit in six patients with SLE but no case of CRS was more severe than grade 2 Infections did occur but were of relatively mild grades and resolved with treatment SLE symptoms as measured with the SLE Disease Activity Index began to abate at about 14 days after the single-infusion treatment Improvement on the Physician Global Assessment was also observed between 14 and 28 days C3 and C4 complement levels started to rise at about 28 days While the responses have correlated with the observed changes in biomarkers of immune function they have endured through a median follow-up that now exceeds 6 months "Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies revealed peak expansion of CAR T cells approximately 13-21 days post infusion which was accompanied by deep B-cell depletion followed by subsequent B-cell recovery," reported Josefina Cortés-Hernández a senior lecturer at Vall d'Hebron Research Institute Schett had reported the same pattern of expansion followed by a rapid elimination of detectable CAR T cells despite the sustained clinical benefit Cortés-Hernández said that the signal of efficacy in the context of acceptable safety supports an expansion of clinical studies with this CAR T-cell product in SLE and perhaps other autoimmune disorders patients with SLE who had failed multiple prior lines of therapy have been enrolled in an ongoing study with a compound CAR (cCAR) T cell This experimental proprietary product (iCAR Bio Therapeutics China) targets both the B-cell maturation antigen and CD19 the chief executive officer of iCell Gene Therapeutics With this construct, the goal is to deplete long-lived plasma cells as well as B cells in order to achieve a more complete humoral reset. While preliminary data from the phase 1 trial were published earlier this year in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases Deener focused his presentation at EULAR 2024 on 12 patients with SLE and lupus nephritis a severe form of SLE that threatens glomerular structures and can lead to end-stage liver disease B cells in the peripheral blood could not be detected within 10 days of the cCAR infusion and the immunoglobulins IgM and IgA were undetectable by day 42 "flow cytometry and B-cell receptor sequencing confirmed full humoral reset was achieved," Deener said The remission has been durable in 11 of the 12 patients after a mean follow-up of 458 days He noted that an improvement in renal function has been observed in the majority of patients he reported that treatment has been relatively well tolerated there have been no cases of CRS more severe than grade 1 the cCAR data in lupus nephritis support the hypothesis that CAR T cells are reprogramming the immune system the consistency of benefit from CAR T cells in autoimmune rheumatic diseases is good news but all of the investigators who spoke at EULAR agreed that there are still many unanswered questions it is unclear whether patients can be effectively and safely retreated when and if relapses occur Even though Schett did report a response with retreatment following a relapse he said that there is no conclusion to draw from a single patient the high rates of remissions in patients with disease refractory to other therapeutic options is highly encouraging particularly with the manageable side effects now reported by multiple investigators using different CAR T-cell products "Roughly 100 patients with rheumatic diseases have been treated with CAR T-cells and we have not seen a high-grade CRS or neurotoxicity," he said With the first clinical studies in autoimmune diseases initiated in 2021 few patients have been followed for more than 2 years Even with the high rates of response that will certainly fuel efforts to rapidly bring these treatments forward Several other abstracts reported on patients with SSc who were treated with CD19-targeting CAR T cells: Schett reported no potential conflicts of interest and the study he presented was not funded by industry Cortés-Hernández reported a financial relationship with Novartis which funded the study of the CAR T-cell therapy YTB323 which was not involved in the study she presented Deener is an employee of iCell Gene Therapeutics which provided funding for the trial he presented 2024 — Editor's note: This article was updated with additional disclosure information for Josefina Cortés-Hernández Send comments and news tips to news@medscape.net This year the festival runs from 5 to 16 June 2025 The Bergkirchweih owes its creation primarily to the same two things that are behind most German festivals: Catholic holidays and a love of cold beer since the heavily Catholic Bavaria takes seemingly every religious holiday they can to declare a public holiday and throw a party Pentecost / Whitsun happens to coincide with the beginning of pleasant spring weather in Central Europe Erlangen is in the German region of Franconia (Franken) which has the highest density of breweries in the world these breweries had to find a way to keep their beer fresh in the summer months This was more important than you might imagine since beer was safer than water and consumed by all ages The solution most brewers came up with was to store their beer in underground beer cellars (bierkeller) where the temperature is naturally cooler Erlangen happens to be next to a hill that was particularly easy to tunnel into so several local breweries built beer cellars there they and the leaders of the town decided to hold a Pentecost market on the hill as well That turned into a festival celebrating both the religious holiday and the first fresh beer of the summer season and has continued ever since the annual festival begins on the Thursday of Pentecost with a parade and ceremonial beer barrel tapping It concludes two weeks later on Sunday with a beer barrel funeral The ceremonial “last keg” is provided a funeral procession and laid to rest in the cellar 2.5 hours from Frankfurt or Stuttgart and3.5 from Kaiserslautern Limited auto parking is available in garages in town but taking public transportation from nearby Nuremberg or Bamberg is recommended but all visitors must enter through security checkpoints glass containers and any outside alcohol is strictly prohibited wearing trachten (traditional clothing) like lederhosen or dirndl is not required You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience is the heart of Valeo’s R&D activities for high-voltage electrification technologies “We strive for zero-emission mobility by developing innovative technologies for electrification We develop systems for all types of vehicles and for all car manufacturers around the world,” explains Holger Schwab VP of Valeo’s Powertrain Electrified Mobility Product Group The Erlangen site has a workshop where various samples of electrical technologies are on display and also a wide range of testing and validation facilities for electric motors The test and validation center covers the entire range of customer requirements and automotive standards with fully automated tests in continuous operation focusing on high-voltage electric mobility products such as inverters electric motors and electric axles and is capable of testing environmental and humidity conditions “The consistent quality of the systems and software delivered to our customers is critical It’s rewarding to see that my work contributes directly to improving processes and high quality products for automakers,” Geetha Somasundaram Product Development Quality Assurance Engineer Another highlight at the Erlangen site is the in-house software test center which offers fully automated and standardized software tests around the clock and is accessible via remote access from anywhere in the world The development and test data center for embedded software performs more than 30,000 tests per day and operates 200 innovative hardware systems “Our state-of-the-art laboratory in Erlangen operates our innovative and standardized systems with different levels of simulation This also includes the supply of tools for fully automated software testing and software building we provide our distributed software engineers worldwide with simulation systems available around the clock,” Manh Long Do Product Owner Software Development and Test Infrastructure explains the Software Test Centre in more detail there is also a high-tech laboratory and technology center in Erlangen focusing on the analysis and testing of powertrain components This center also acts as a support function for the analysis of all electronic parts for Valeo and external companies The Erlangen site also includes another office building in the neighboring town of Herzogenaurach “The Valeo Erlangen team has a passion to make mobility cleaner through electrification Together we are electrifying the world of mobility,” says Site General Manager Dirk Beumer Electric mobility is pulsating at Valeo Erlangen As a pioneer and trailblazer in electrification Valeo offers products that cover the entire spectrum of mobility The Erlangen team’s work contributes immensely to Valeo’s mission to make mobility safer We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences for future visits However you may visit Cookie Settings to customize your consent it may store or retrieve information on your browser your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to The information does not usually directly identify you but it can give you a more personalized web experience you can choose not to allow some types of cookies Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies but some parts of the site will not then work These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns Other cookies are those that are being identified and have not been classified into any category as yet By 2024-06-14T11:00:00+01:00 GERMANY: The latest plans for the Stadt-Umland-Bahn 26 km inter-urban extension of the Nürnberg tram network from the Am Wegfeld stop to Erlangen and Herzogenaurach have been backed by voters in Erlangen The project is being developed by a joint venture of Nürnberg An initial referendum in 2016 gave the go-ahead for the development of detailed proposals The plans were approved by 52·4% of participants in a second vote held alongside the European Parliament elections on June 9 ’This is a good signal for our business and science location and for the transport transition the citizens of Erlangen have spoken out in favour of this project — and as we know this is not a matter of course for such major projects ‘Now there is clarity and we can devote all our energy to the final step in the approval process the planning approval procedure with the Mittelfranken local authority and concrete preparations for the construction phase.’ The cost of construction is estimated at €635m at 2022 prices The promoters envisage that the majority of the cost would be funded by the federal government and the Land of Bayern running through to central Nürnberg on existing tracks It is not envisaged that people would travel the full length of the line as using regional trains for longer sections would be faster the line with 31 stops would form part of the wider transport network and improve access to destinations including Friedrich-Alexander University and major employers including Siemens An eastern branch starting in Erlangen and running via Spardorf Neunkirchen am Brand and Kleinsendelbach to Eckental is also being planned GERMANY: The further development of plans for a 15 km two-line light rail network in Regensburg was rejected by 53·6% of voters in a referendum held alongside the European Parliament election on June 9 The city council now plans to wind up the Stadtbahn Regensburg committee GERMANY: The development of plans for a further extension of Frankfurt Stadtbahn Line U5 beyond Europaviertel to the Römerhof area has been approved by the city’s transport committee GERMANY: The Berlin Senate has given the go-ahead for further work on the development of proposals to build a tram line from Jungfernheide to Reinickendorf via the Urban Tech Republic development zone on the site of the city’s former Tegel airport Site powered by Webvision Cloud © Naumann | Friedel Architekturfotografen You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) proudly represented Malaysia at the Second Erlangen Conference 2024 which took place on November 20-21 in Nuremberg This important event was organized by the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) It brought together experts and stakeholders from over 20 countries to explore the critical relationship between export control and academia provided a unique platform for dialogue among governments and academic institutions focused on the implementation of United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) This resolution emphasizes the importance of preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by managing the transfer of sensitive technologies and knowledge Discussions at the conference centered around building effective frameworks and addressing the evolving challenges posed by dual-use technologies Keynote addresses highlighted the essential role of academia in fostering a “culture of responsibility.” Notable speakers included Christopher King Chief of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Branch at UNODA Director for Export Control at Germany’s Federal Foreign Office They emphasized the need to balance academic freedom with security concerns called for enhanced regional collaboration and the development of non-binding guidelines to promote safe research practices Participants engaged in discussions on topics such as research ethics and the implications of dual-use technologies which encompass sensitive biological and chemical research Senior Researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) addressed the complexities of export controls in the context of emerging technologies and their impact on international research collaborations UTM’s participation reflects its strong commitment to responsible research and global security Facilitated by the Strategic Trade Secretariat (STS) of Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment UTM played a key role in advocating for regional collaboration and aligning research practices with international standards This involvement highlights UTM’s dedication to advancing ethical academic practices and contributing to global efforts to address the risks associated with sensitive research The conference concluded with a renewed focus on fostering sustainable networks between academia and regulatory bodies By participating in these essential dialogues UTM reaffirms its position as a leader in promoting responsible innovation and ensuring that science and technology are utilized for the benefit of humanity.