This focus includes research activities on the development of organic photovoltaic technologies and photocatalytic water splitting as well as projects in the field of air and water pollution control.
Drop of water on a lake
Image: Adobe StockThe ThWIC future cluster focusses on technological and social innovations that enable a sustainable, safe and affordable water supply. The aim is to develop solutions for the sustainable use of water. The transfer of innovative technologies into socially relevant applications (e.g. for analysing and purifying water or for data-supported prediction of water quantity and quality) is just as much at the centre of ThWIC as the development of social innovations (e.g. for water assessment or the fair distribution of access to resources).
ThWIC is coordinated by the University of Jena and brings together 28 project partners. These include research groups from the fields of natural and engineering water research, data science and Sociology as well as industrial partners, associations and civil society actors.
Spokesperson: Prof Dr Michael Stelter, Institute of Technical and Environmental Chemistry
Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
More information: www.thwic.uni-jena.de
iDiv Fieldwork Bad Lauchstaedt
Image: iDivThe iDiv was founded in 2012 and is dedicated to researching biodiversity and its importance for ecosystems and human society. The aim is to deepen our understanding of the loss of biodiversity, its causes and consequences, and to develop strategies for the protection and sustainable use of nature.
iDiv acts as an interdisciplinary platform that brings together scientists from different departments to conduct holistic research into the complex nature of biodiversity. By combining basic research with applied perspectives, iDiv strives to provide evidence-based recommendations for policy and society, thus contributing to the conservation of biodiversity and the safeguarding of natural livelihoods.
iDiv is a consortium of three universities and eight non-university facility|institution|(structural) units. Within the University of Jena, the Faculty of Biological Sciences and the Institute of Ecology and Evolution are primarily involved in iDiv's work. Researchers from the Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences are also involved in the iDiv's work.
Spokesperson (at the University of Jena): Prof Dr Ulrich Brose, Institute of Ecology and Evolution
Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
More information: www.idiv.deExternal link
AquaDiva: Groundwater sampling in the Hainich Critical Zone Exploratory.
Image: Johann KarlAquaDiva is dedicated to researching the interactions between the Earth's surface and the hidden life underground. The aim is to gain an in-depth understanding of the dynamics between biological diversity below the Earth's surface, the water balance and geochemical processes.
AquaDiva places particular emphasis on deciphering the role of microbial communities and their influence on water quality and material cycles in soil and groundwater. By integrating various scientific disciplines such as microbiology, hydrology, geochemistry and ecology, the CRC offers innovative approaches for overcoming ecological challenges and thus contributes to the protection of water as a vital resource. AquaDiva is thus a central project for understanding the biological and chemical foundations of our environment.
AquaDiva has been based at the University of Jena since 2013. Also involved are: Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT), Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (MPI-BGC).
Spokespersons: Prof. Dr Kirsten Küsel, Institute of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Prof. Dr Kai Uwe Totsche, Institute of Geosciences, Prof. Dr Susan Trumbore, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
funded by the German Research Foundation
More information: www.aquadiva.uni-jena.de/
In the Laser lab
Image: Jan-Peter Kasper (University of Jena)CataLight is concerned with the development of innovative solutions for the utilisation of light to activate chemical processes, inspired by natural photosynthesis. The aim is to explore new ways of efficiently converting light energy into chemical energy in order to develop sustainable energy sources and environmentally friendly chemical synthesis processes.
Through interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers from the fields of Chemistry, Physics and Materials Science, CataLight strives to understand the mechanisms of light catalysis and to create efficient light-activated catalysts. This should contribute to reducing the carbon footprint and open up new perspectives for green technologies.
CataLight was facility|institution|(structural) unit in 2018 as a Transregional Collaborative Research Centre of the Universities of Jena and Ulm. Also involved are: University of Mainz, University of Vienna, Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research.
Spokesperson: Prof. Dr Felix H. Schacher, Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences
funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Further information: www.catalight.uni-jena.de/
ChemBioSys focusses on chemical communication processes in ecological systems. The main goal is to understand how chemical signals control coexistence and interactions between organisms.
By studying chemical diversity and bioactive compounds in natural habitats, ChemBioSys strives to gain fundamental insights into the biological complexity and dynamics of ecosystems. This knowledge should enable new approaches for environmental protection and the sustainable use of biological resources.
ChemBioSys was facility|institution|(structural) unit at the University of Jena in 2014. The universities of Leipzig and Potsdam as well as the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology, the Hans Knöll Institute and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology are also involved.
Spokespersons: Prof. Dr Christian Hertweck, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Prof. Dr Georg Pohnert, Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences
funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Further information: www.chembiosys.de/en/welcomeExternal link
Do you have any additions? Would you like your research project to be mentioned here? We look forward to hearing from you at nachhaltigkeit@uni-jena.de!