A team headed by the TUM physicists Alexander Holleitner and Reinhard Kienberger has succeeded for the first time in generating ultrashort electric pulses on a chip using metal antennas only a few nanometers in size, then running the signals a few millimeters above the surface and reading them in again a controlled manner. The technology enables the development of new, powerful terahertz components.

Microelectrodes can be used for direct measurement of electrical signals in the brain or heart. These applications require soft materials, however. With existing methods, attaching electrodes to such materials poses significant challenges. A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now succeeded in printing electrodes directly onto several soft substrates. Researchers from TUM and Forschungszentrum Jülich have successfully t...

A research team led by physicists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed molecular nanoswitches that can be toggled between two structurally different states using an applied voltage. They can serve as the basis for a pioneering class of devices that could replace silicon-based components with organic molecules. The development of new electronic technologies drives the incessant reduction of functional component sizes.

Developers from Bosch and scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are using neutrons to analyse the filling of lithium ion batteries for hybrid cars with electrolytes. Their experiments show that electrodes are wetted twice as fast in a vacuum as under normal pressure. One of the most critical and time-consuming processes in battery production is the filling of lithium cells with electrolyte fluid following the placement the o...

Nanotechnology, robotics, virtual reality, artificial intelligence – how will today’s technologies change the world of tomorrow? Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are now presenting seven future scenarios as part of the FUTURO 50/50 exhibition running until March 18, 2018 at the Pinakothek der Moderne. The results will presented there on Tuesday, 6th March, at 6 p.m.

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a visual communication system for hearing-impaired employees in logistics. Data glasses display information relevant to the work process in the employee's field of view. AR, which unites the real and virtual worlds, has long been a research focus area at the TUM Chair for Materials Handling, Material Flow, Logistics, says Prof. Willibald Günthner.

Many chemical processes run so fast that they are only roughly understood. To clarify these processes, a team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now developed a methodology with a resolution of quintillionths of a second. The new technology stands to help better understand processes like photosynthesis and develop faster computer chips. An important intermediary step in many chemical processes is ionisation.

Nerve fibres are surrounded by a myelin sheath. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now made the first-ever 'live' observations of how this protective layer is formed. The team discovered that the characteristic patterns of the myelin layer are determined at an early stage. However, these patterns can be adjusted as needed in a process apparently controlled by the nerve cells themselves.

The almost complete silence of the motors used in electric cars may pose a hazard to inattentive pedestrians. As a result, starting in summer 2019 all new electric and hybrid vehicles will have to be equipped with an acoustic warning system. Psychoacousticians at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are developing the corresponding sounds. It's supposed to sound similar to a vehicle – but not exactly the same as a diesel or gasolin...

An international team of researchers lead by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has discovered a reaction path that produces exotic layers with semiregular structures. These kinds of materials are interesting because they frequently possess extraordinary properties. In the process, simple organic molecules are converted to larger units which form the complex, semiregular patterns.

Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a novel electric propulsion technology for nanorobots. It allows molecular machines to move a hundred thousand times faster than with the biochemical processes used to date. This makes nanobots fast enough to do assembly line work in molecular factories. The new research results will appear as the cover story on 19th January in the renowned scientific journal Science.

The volume of digital data produced and stored by companies is growing. Cloud technology offers a convenient solution: IT service providers offer storage space or software which enables data to be saved remotely. But how can companies be sure that their data is protected against unauthorised access or deletion? Researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have studied this issue and developed a model which allows service providers to...

In search of new strategies against life-threatening tuberculosis infections, a team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), as well as Harvard University and Texas A&M University in the USA have found a new ally. They discovered a substance that interferes with the mycomembrane formation of the bacterium. It is effective even in low concentrations and when combined with known antibiotics their effectiveness is improved by up to 100-fo...

Biofilms are generally seen as a problem to be eradicated due to the hazards they pose for humans and materials. However, these communities of algae, fungi, or bacteria possess interesting properties both from a scientific and a technical standpoint. A team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) describes processes from the field of biology that utilise biofilms as ‘construction workers’ to create structural templates for new m...

When lithium-ion batteries are charged too quickly, metallic lithium gets deposited on the anodes. This reduces battery capacity and lifespan and can even destroy the batteries. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Forschungszentrum Jülich have now presented a process that, for the first time ever, allows this so-called lithium plating process to be investigated directly. This puts new strategies for quick-charging ...

It is the double strands of our genes that make them so strong. Using a technique known as DNA origami, biophysicist Hendrik Dietz has been building nanometer-scale objects for several years at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Now Dietz and his team have not only broken out of the nanometer realm to build larger objects, but have also cut the production costs a thousand-fold. These innovations open a whole new frontier for the ...

Medications which block enzymes belonging to the kinase family, are among the most effective pharmaceuticals for targeted cancer therapies. Scientists at the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have examined 243 kinase inhibitors which are either approved drugs or have been tested in clinical trials. According to results published in Science, some of these may have more applications than previously thought.

Concrete components are traditionally made by casting. But the mold needed places significant limitations on design possibilities. 3D printing now provides new freedom in shaping. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are experimenting with various processes, including selective binding. This technology has made it possible for the first time to create intricate, bionic structures from real concrete.

A healthy heart beats about two billion times during a lifetime – thanks to the interplay of more than 10,000 proteins. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB) and the German Heart Centre at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now determined which and how many individual proteins are present in each type of cell that occurs in the heart. In doing so, they compiled the first atlas of the healthy human heart...

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security (AISEC) celebrated a cornerstone ceremony on October 26, 2017, for a cybersecurity research centre at the Garching campus. Established in 2008, Fraunhofer AISEC is led by two professors from the Technical University of Munich (TUM): Prof. Claudia Eckert and Prof. Georg Sigl. The new facility will allow TUM and AISEC to further strengthen and expand upon their joint R&D activities in...