News

The lens of the human eye comprises a highly concentrated protein solution, which lends the lens its great refractive power. Protective proteins prevent these proteins from clumping together throughout a lifetime. A team of scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now uncovered the precise structure of the αA-crystallin protein and, in the process, discovered an important additional function.

Duchenne type muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common hereditary muscular disease among children, leaving them wheelchair-bound before the age of twelve and reducing life expectancy. Researchers at Technical University of Munich (TUM), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) and the German Research Center for Environmental Health (Helmholtz Zentrum München) have developed a gene therapy that may provide permanent relief for those suffering from DMD.

A research team from the Fraunhofer Society and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) led by chemist Volker Sieber has developed a new polyamide family which can be produced from a byproduct of cellulose production – a successful example for a more sustainable economy with bio-based materials.

European Union Directives stipulate a reduction in nitrate levels in groundwater. Digital techniques developed by researchers at the TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan under the aegis of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have proved useful in achieving this goal.

Nanoscience can arrange minute molecular entities into nanometric patterns in an orderly manner using self-assembly protocols. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have functionalized a simple rod-like building block with hydroxamic acids at both ends. They form molecular networks that not only display the complexity and beauty of mono-component self-assembly on surfaces; they also exhibit exceptional properties.

Today blood stem cells are frequently used in therapy to treat leukemia and lymphoma. But decades of research were necessary before the first successful applications in treatment. On January 21 in the series "Tech-Histories Alive", Prof. Christian Peschel will take a look at the decisive steps in researching stem cell biology, exploring the path to successful application and potentials for further stem cell therapies.

What is the appropriate role for science and engineering in a world where political certainties are dissolving while global problems such as climate change need solutions? How do research and education need to adapt? Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann, the President of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), will address these issues on January 20 in the "Munich Talks" series at the Bavarian School of Public Policy / TUM School of Governance.

1.9 billion people in the world are overweight. Of these, 650 million people are obese, which increases the risk of secondary diseases such as high blood pressure or cancer. Professor Martin Klingenspor and his team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) examine how our fat metabolism affects our body weight and overall health. In cooperation with professor Bart Deplancke’s systems biology group from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the team has now uncovered an entire network of genes that could turn energy storing fat into beneficial calorie burning fat.

Using cosmic lenses an international team of astrophysicists determined the universe's expansion rate, completely independent of any previous method. The researchers' result further strengthens a troubling discrepancy between the expansion rate calculated from measurements of the local universe and the rate as predicted from background radiation of the early universe. The new study adds evidence to the idea that new theories may be needed to explain the underlying physics.

We wish all students, staff members, alumni and friends of our university a Merry Christmas and a good start into the new year. At the same time, we would like to thank everyone who supported us throughout an eventful and highly successful year 2019. To all of you, a joyful holiday season and a healthy and happy 2020!