The theme of this year’s BioCity Symposium, immunology, has sparked great interest. Over 400 people have registered for the Symposium that is organised on 25–26 August. The keynote speaker is Sir Peter Ratcliffe, the Nobel Prize Laureate in medicine 2019.
The University of Turku Nature2100 fund (Luonto2100-rahasto) that was established last year under the Turku University Foundation has bought its first forests close to Kurjenrahka national park. The two areas that are situated in Pöytyä’s Yläne region constitute altogether 25 hectares. The aim is to enhance the biodiversity and carbon sink of the areas, as well as the possibilities for recreational use.
The University of Turku is offering two new international Master’s degree programmes as a part of the European EC2U Alliance. The students selected for the programmes have a freedom to customise a personalised study path for themselves which is focused on either language, culture, and society, or sustainable cities and communities. The students also have a chance to obtain a degree from several Alliance universities at once.
This year BioCity Symposium is arranged on-site in Mauno Conference Centre, BioCity, together with InFLAMES Research Flagship 25–26 August 2022, with the title Solution is in Immunity. Registration is now open until 11 August 2022.
Radio observations made by Metsähovi, Finland’s only astronomical radio observatory, and Caltech's Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) in California have revealed that radiation from the remote PKS 2131-021 quasar is subject to periodic variation. Researchers at the University of Turku participated in the analysis of the observational data.
Researchers from the University of Turku analysed the contents of a medieval latrine to study the life and diet of people who lived in the 15th and 16th century Turku. One of the most interesting finds was melegueta pepper, which grows in Africa and was used as a spice similar to black pepper. The research shows that, in addition to using the resources of the surrounding nature, the citizens of medieval Turku also had contacts abroad.
The Climate University network has formed a teaching cooperation contract between 18 universities. With these new contracts, a majority of Finnish university students can take the network’s climate and sustainability -themed courses.
Why Latin America Matters is a collection of essays making the case for the importance of Latin America as a crucial region in global politics and development. Several researchers from the University of Turku have contributed to this book's theme on environment and sustainability.
Parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera) are one of the most species rich animal taxa on Earth, but their tropical diversity is still poorly known. Now, scientist have discovered the Dolichomitus meii and Polysphincta parasitoid wasp species previously unknown to science in South America. The new species found in the rainforests entice with their colours and exciting habits. Researchers at the University of Turku have already described 53 new animal species this year.