Chemists at LMU Munich have synthesized a novel class of compounds that make it possible to activate and inhibit neurons – by using light. These molecules might serve as the basis for therapies treating some forms of blindness and other diseases.  [more] The HIV/AIDS virus continues to ravage populations worldwide. Using a novel combination of optical techniques, LMU Munich researchers visualize how virus particles assemble and are released from infected cells to find new victims – knowledge which could lead to new technologies for inhibiting this process.  [more] A long forgotten fossil skull in the collections of the Natural History Museum in London has now provided crucial clues to the early stages of the lengthy evolutionary history of Tyrannosaurus rex and related large carnivorous dinosaurs.  [more]