EU funding for projects on medicine, space exploration, software, and biomaterials

Nine ERC Starting Grants awarded to TUM researchers

Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on earth, with many potential applications, for example as packaging material or for textiles. However, because it cannot melt like thermoplastics, it can only be used to a limited extent in mass production. The reason lies in the molecular bonds within the material: when exposed to temperatures between 240 and 350 degrees Celsius, cellulose begins to decompose, making it difficult to process as desired. The "LaserCell" project aims to address this challenge. By using infrared lasers, researchers plan to break these chemical bonds through photon energy in order to melt cellulose. They expect this approach not only to yield new insights into cellulose and develop a novel method for processing this promising, sustainable material, but also to enhance our understanding of supramolecular structures and dynamics in biomaterials.

Wenwen Fang started as Chair of Particle and Fiber Technology for Bio-Based Materials at the TUM Campus Straubing in September 2024. 

Despite its potential, artificial intelligence (AI) reinforces inequalities between different groups of people and has further negative consequences. Examples include discrimination embedded in the training of AI software, as well as a high level of resource consumption and exploitative labor practices for processing training data. In her project PARTIALJUSTICE, short for "participatory algorithmic justice," Dr. Amelia Fiske aims to collaborate with affected communities to better understand better understand who and what AI harms, but also how these harms should be addressed. Ethnographic field studies will focus on border controls in Europe, public health in Africa, and the processing of training data in Latin America. The goal of the study is to amplify the voices and concerns of those most negatively impacted by AI.

Amelia Fiske is a Senior Researcher at the Institute for History and Ethics of Medicine at TUM.

The pressure on existing software infrastructure continues to increase. On the one side, we have the exponential growth of data volumes and the need to make data centers more efficient. On the other side, the hardware landscape has embarked on a major push towards specialization. Both have major implications on software development. Prof. Jana Giceva tackles these challenges in her project “Future-Proof Data Systems” with a holistic approach that establishes the foundations of a new software infrastructure. She proposes to use a memory-centric approach that enables data-intensive jobs to be executed more efficiently on modern hardware and supports reasoning about the different trade-offs regarding performance, cost, and resource efficiency. Furthermore, to facilitate the development of future-proof data systems, she proposes replacing traditional software monoliths with a novel framework for optimization and compilation and a runtime system that is amenable to the evolving nature of modern hardware.

Jana Giceva is Professor of Database Systems. She is also a core member of the Munich Data Science Institute (MDSI).

Overweight and obesity lead to significant burdens and costs for patients, healthcare systems, and economies. Hence, all three would profit from reducing obesity within the population. However, which health policies are effective for achieving these goals is often unclear. In his project EcIMPACT, Prof. Michael Laxy aims to investigate whether two policy measures recently implemented in some countries affect dietary behavior and body weight: taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages and restrictions on junk food marketing targeted at children. Further, he studies the health and socio-economic benefits of obesity prevention measures. For this, Laxy will utilize methods from economics, public health, and epidemiology and integrate the results from his empirical analyses into computer models to simulate the long-term effects of prevention measures.

Michael Laxy is Professor of Public Health and Prevention.

Prof. Berna Özkale Edelmann's goal is to turn stem cells into heart cells and thus help people suffering from the consequences of a heart attack. For this task, Özkale Edelmann uses smart microgels. She does not work with original stem cells obtained from fertilized egg cells but with so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). These "replacement stem cells" are obtained from skin cells that have been genetically modified. Özkale Edelmann introduces these iPSCs into a cell environment she created herself. She virtually recreates the living environment of a heart with its mechanical and dynamic properties. The viscosity and other properties of the microgels can be varied and thus influence the differentiation of the stem cells. This is done on the so-called µStemGel platform, which she uses to determine which signals lead to a stem cell becoming a heart cell.   

Berna Özkale Edelmann is Professor of Nano- and Microrobotics and a member of the Munich Center for Machine Intelligence (MIRMI) and the Munich Institute of Biomedical Engineering (MIBE).

In recent decades, remote sensing observations and the analysis of returned samples have repeatedly provided evidence for the existence of water on the Moon. As there have been no direct on-site measurements to date, questions about its origin, form, and distribution remain unanswered. Prof. Philipp Reiss addresses these questions with project VOLARIS. Through a novel modeling and experimental approach, the behavior and occurrence of water within the soil, on the surface, and in the exosphere, the extremely thin atmospheric layer of the Moon, will be investigated. The research focuses on the combined physical, chemical, and thermal processes that determine the dynamic behavior of volatile water on the Moon. The insights gained will be crucial for future crewed and robotic missions, as water is not only a consumable for life support but can also be used as rocket fuel through electrolysis into hydrogen and oxygen. 

Philipp Reiss is Professor of Lunar and Planetary Exploration.

In some types of cancer, drugs gradually lose their effectiveness during treatment or fail to work from the start. This is especially common in pancreatic cancer. In her CITE project, Prof. Nicole Strittmatter aims to explore whether the cause lies in the tumor microenvironment—i.e., whether cells and microbes within the tumor itself are inactivating the drugs. To study these interactions in isolation from drug metabolism by the rest of the body, Strittmatter is developing new analytical techniques. Using advanced imaging mass spectrometry methods, she plans to map the cells in the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic tumors and develop models to analyze how drugs are metabolized under realistic conditions.

Nicole Strittmatter is Professor of Analytical Chemistry.

The increasing antimicrobial resistance is a global challenge for both human and veterinary medicine. New biopharmaceuticals derived from natural proteins can be used to fight pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The research project "PicoBody", led by Prof. Hristo Svilenov, will focus on recently discovered proteins called picobodies. Picobodies are mini proteins generated by the remarkable immune system of cows. Until now, the fundamental principles behind the function, structure and production of picobodies remain unknown. The "PicoBody" team will elucidate the basic principles of antimicrobial picobodies while establishing discovery and production methods using advanced cell culture techniques that will lay the foundation for biopharmaceutical applications and new treatments of infectious diseases. 

Prof. Hristo Svilenov has been Professor of Biopharmaceutical Technology since September 2024.

More than 90 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer have mutations in a specific gene that causes cancer cells to grow uncontrollably. As a result, there is significant hope for therapies targeting these mutations. Unfortunately, not all patients benefit, and after initially promising results, resistance mechanisms are frequent. In the ADRIP project, Dr. Sonja Wörmann aims to investigate the underlying causes of resistance. She is particularly interested in an enzyme called APOBEC3A, or A3A for short. Initial studies have shown that A3A modifies the genetic material of cancer cells, including their RNA. This could make cancer cells more resistant, diverse, and challenging to treat. The amount of A3A in the tumor tissue during the abovementioned therapies also increases. Dr. Wörmann wants to investigate the underlying mechanisms of A3A's action and identify substances that can regulate A3A.

Dr. Sonja Wörmann is a group leader and clinician scientist at the Clinic and Polyclinic for Internal Medicine II at the TUM University Hospital.

LED lamps are energy-efficient and have a long lifespan. However, their production typically relies on rare earth elements, which are not unlimited in supply and are challenging to recycle. A biological alternative could be LEDs based on fluorescent proteins. Rubén D. Costa and his team have developed such LEDs and tested them in plant cultivation for indoor farming. The prototypes have shown promising results in the laboratory. The CERES project (Crop Efficient Red Emitting Sources) now aims to explore their potential for commercial use in indoor farming. The ERC is supporting CERES with a Proof of Concept Grant. The researchers will evaluate the performance of the lamps under real working conditions and explore how the components needed for the LEDs and their production can be scaled up. Additionally, the team will conduct an analysis of the lamps' lifecycle, costs, and environmental impact.

Rubén D. Costa holds the Chair of Biogenic Functional Materials at the TUM Campus Straubing and conducts research at the Munich Institute of Integrated Materials, Energy and Process Engineering (MEP). In 2018, his research project InOutBioLight was awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant.