Current news from TUM about Covid-19 and the coronavirus Sars-CoV2: How we are researching solutions, informing the public and advising politics, supporting society with our own initiatives - and how we are keeping university operations running during this pandemic.
The protein neuropilin-1 facilitates SARS CoV-2 cell entry. A research team including Prof. Mikael Simons of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) recently published these findings in the journal "Science". Because neuropilin-1 is expressed in the mucous membranes of the olfactory and respiratory tract, the findings may be important for understanding the spreading of SARS CoV-2.
How have the eating, drinking, and exercise habits of children changed since the beginning of the Corona pandemic? Experts from the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine (EKFZ) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have devoted themselves to this topic. According to their research, approximately half of the children between 10 and 14 years old are less active than before the pandemic. Furthermore, especially among the older children, the eating of sweets and salty foods has escalated since the lockdown. The study marks the starting point for the new thematic focus “Nutrition in Childhood” at the EKFZ.
The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is starting five new research projects that focus on the coronavirus and the search for new active ingredients. For example, the use of algorithms could ensure a more precise classification of the illness in the future. New therapeutic methods and the targeted prevention of the long-term effects will also be researched in other projects. The Bavarian Research Foundation (BFS) is funding the projects with around € 1.5 million.
Kinexon, the start-up founded by graduates of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), develops hardware and software that traces the movements of athletes, but which can also be used to automate production processes in industry. A new contact tracing technology developed by the company is now playing a role in the restart of the major US sports leagues.
The digital transformation in companies is being accelerated by the corona crisis – current trends towards greater sustainability and a changed economic order are likely to be only temporary, however. This prognosis is the result of a survey of more than 200 experts on digitization, artificial intelligence and technology in Germany by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Münchner Kreis.
The historical challenges of the coronavirus pandemic also harbor opportunities for social progress. This insight inspired 90 authors to formulate stimulating ideas on how to shape a sustainable future. Their texts have now been released in an essay collection published by the Emeriti of Excellence of the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
The new research project "COVID Kids Bavaria" will investigate the situation of children during the pandemic. The six university clinics in Bavaria, including the TUM Klinikum rechts der Isar, will evaluate, among other aspects, the number of children infected and whether they show symptoms.
The current Corona outbreak affects nearly all aspects of medicine and of everyday life in general. In this context, questions about the importance of nutrition arise frequently; these include questions about how the right diet could protect you from contracting a COVID infection or about the influence nutrition could have on the progression of the disease. Hans Hauner, Professor for Nutritional Medicine at the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), provides some insight in this interview.
The Corona crisis changed the working world in no time at all: Home office, web meetings and hygiene measures are now part of our everyday routine. Prof. Klaus Bengler of the Chair of Ergonomics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) investigates what we can learn from these experiences.
The latest regulations require restaurants to record the contact details of their guests to help the authorities to issue warnings in case of covid-19 infections. A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed an IT service that simplifies the registration and contact tracing process while protecting personal data. The service could complement the coronavirus warning app launched by the German Ministry of Health and might also be used at locations where contact lists are not mandatory.