Together with theory and experiment, computer simulations form the third pillar of research work. They allow us to obtain insights and knowledge that has been previously inaccessible for physical, technical, financial or ethical reasons. Scientists use supercomputers to investigate the atmosphere and climate, biologically important substances, basic material properties and also chemical processes that cannot be recreated in the laboratory. In doing so, they profit from the continuously increasing computing capacity of the Jülich supercomputers. In this way, researchers will be able to study more complex processes and structures in future.

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Neutron research is a key technology for many fields of science and permits an unusual glimpse into the interior of matter. It is therefore one of the central tools in both modern materials science and the life sciences. Neutron research helps to develop the of tomorrow, or to decipher biological processes of drugs. To this end, Jülich researchers work at the world’s most powerful neutron sources.

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With the Ernst Ruska Centre (ER-C), Forschungszentrum Jülich and RWTH Aachen University operate a centre of excellence for atomic-resolution electron microscopy and spectroscopy on the highest international level.

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The new accelerator centre FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) in Darmstadt will provide novel insights into the structure of matter and evolution of the universe for research with antiprotons and ion beams. Within the billion-euro project, Forschungszentrum Jülich is responsible for construction of the high-energy storage ring (HESR) and will contribute its know-how in handling protons and antiprotons as well as its experience with accelerator and hadron physics from the COSY accelerator at Jülich. Physicists hope to acquire new insights about processes between elementary particles, such as quarks and gluons.

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Biotechnology uses microbiological, biochemical, genetic, and computer-assisted methods to develop microbial processes for the conversion of matter and the development of new biocatalysts. It thus performs research in industrial or white biotechnology, a core area of the bioeconomy.

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Structural biology is concerned with the structure, function and molecular mechanisms of biologically and medically relevant molecules, above all proteins, which are important for understanding the underlying mechanisms of life. This concerns all levels from the molecule to organelles, cells and tissue up to and including the whole organism. Jülich scientists are, moreover, deciphering the signalling pathways in the sensory and nerve cells and are investigating the molecular switching and transport properties in the ion channels and receptors involved.

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