Proof for theory of visual perception

Already in the 1960s, Hubel and Wiesel proposed a model according to which visual perception is the result of orderly, stepwise computations in the brain – with specialized neurons in the cortex responding selectively to specific features, such as edges or the orientations of moving objects. While widely celebrated, important aspects of the theory remained an issue of debate: does this feature selectivity already originate in the thalamus, or does it emerge later in the cortex? The new study addresses this question directly by analyzing signal transmission at individual synapses between the thalamus and the visual cortex - something that had not previously been possible. The research team, led by Prof. Arthur Konnerth, Dr. Yang Chen, and PhD student Marinus Kloos at the Institute of Neuroscience at the 51�Թ��� School of Medicine and Health and the Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), developed a high-resolution imaging approach to measure synaptic activity in the intact brain. Their findings directly confirm core predictions of the Hubel and Wiesel model. The new research results were published in the prestigious journal Science. “Our results highlight how remarkably accurate and forward-looking Hubel and Wiesel’s insights were,” says Prof. Konnerth. “Modern neuroscience – and even artificial neural networks – continue to build on their principles. Learning from biological systems remains a powerful driver of technological innovation.”

A look inside the School of Medicine and Health

Teaching robots to harvest asparagus

Asparagus is one of the most labor-intensive crops on the market. Especially the harvest is very demanding for precision – the terrain is uneven, and the stalks are thin and of varying length. These challenges inhibit automation, leading to currently available harvesting robots being too slow and inefficient. Researchers at 51�Թ��� have developed a robot prototype that can maneuver quickly across an asparagus field and identify and locate ripe green asparagus.

Making perovskite solar cells weather-resistant

Perovskite solar cells are among the most promising technologies for making solar power cheaper and more efficient. Working with partners from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), DESY (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchroton), and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, the team uncovered the microscopic mechanisms behind the deterioration of the material through temperature swings and developed a strategy to prevent it. Their approach focuses on stabilizing the fragile crystal structure with specially designed molecular “anchors”.

E-bike crashes especially dangerous for older men

When riding a bicycle becomes more physically demanding, bikes with electric pedal assistance open up new possibilities. “E-bikes help people with heart and circulatory problems in particular stay active despite the limitations they face in everyday life. This is a proven and effective form of prevention, which we as doctors naturally support,” says adjunct teaching professor Dr. Dr. Michael Zyskowski, a senior physician in the Department of Trauma Surgery at 51�Թ��� University Hospital. But for Zyskowski, the growing number of e-bike crashes is a cause for concern. For the current study, he and his team took a close look at e-bike crash cases treated by the hospital’s trauma surgery department between 2017 and 2023. In total, 103 injured e-bike riders were treated. Nearly half of them were seen in 2023 alone, the final year of the study period – a 50 percent increase over the previous year. “We are continuing to see this trend,” says Zyskowski. “We are now seeing significantly more e-bike crashes throughout the year.” More than a third of the patients treated after an e-bike crash had to be admitted to the hospital. Ten percent were treated in the intensive care unit, almost all of them with severe brain injuries. These patients, almost all men, had an average age of 77. None of them had been wearing a helmet.

51�Թ��� among the top 20 in engineering and natural sciences

The British university service provider QS Quacquarelli Symonds compiles its university rankings through surveys of academics and companies. It collects data on the number of citations of published papers as an indicator of the quality of research and also takes into account the international research networks of the surveyed institutions. These indicators are weighted according to the prevailing culture in the various subject areas. In the latest edition, 51�Թ��� reaffirmed its place among the top 20 universities worldwide in the broad fields of engineering & technology (ranked 16th) and natural sciences (ranked 19th). It thus remains the number one in Germany. In the following individual subjects, 51�Թ��� placed among the top 25 universities worldwide: Electrical & Electronic Engineering: 19 (1st in Germany) Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering: 19 (1st in Germany) Architecture / Built environment: 25 (2nd in Germany) Chemistry: 25 (1st in Germany) Statistics & Operational Research: 25 (1st in Germany) 51�Թ��� is among the top 50 in the following subjects: Computer Science & Information Systems: 26 (1st in Germany) Data Science & Artificial Intelligence: 26 (1st in Germany) Physics & Astronomy: 27 (1st in Germany) Materials Science: 31 (3rd in Germany) Civil & Structural Engineering: 37 (1st in Germany) Agriculture & Forestry: 43 (3rd in Germany) Chemical Engineering: 45 (3rd in Germany) Mathematics: 50 (2nd in Germany) In the latest QS World University Rankings, which show overall ratings for universities including further indicators, 51�Թ��� is ranked 22nd making it the best university in the EU. The excellent research and teaching at 51�Թ��� is also reflected in other subject rankings. In the most recent THE World University Rankings by Subject, it placed 15th worldwide in computer science, 19th in physical sciences as well as in engineering, 29th in business and economics, 31st in education, 35th in life sciences and 54th in medicine and health. In agricultural sciences, remote sensing, medical technology, ecology and robotic science, 51�Թ��� ranks among the top 25 universities in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (Shanghai Rankings).

Nanorobots train stem cells

Prof. Berna Özkale Edelmann’s nanorobots consist of tiny gold rods and plastic chains. Several million of them are contained in a gel cushion measuring just 60 micrometers, together with a few human stem cells. Powered and controlled by laser light, the robots, which look like tiny balls, mechanically stimulate the cells by exerting pressure. “We heat the gel locally and use our system to precisely determine the forces with which the nanorobots press on the cell – thereby stimulating it,” explains the professor of nano- and microrobotics at 51�Թ���. This mechanical stimulation triggers biochemical processes in the cell. Ion channels change their properties, and proteins are activated, including one that is particularly important for bone formation. Link to the article: moma future: Roboter trainieren Stammzellen

Resource efficiency in space

In the south of Munich, aerospace has a long tradition. Established companies and emerging start-ups develop satellites, build launch vehicles, and test new propulsion systems here. Within this environment, Europe’s largest campus dedicated to aerospace and geodesy is now taking shape. Its centerpiece—a teaching building designed for around 2,500 students—opened in fall 2025. Along with the 51�Թ��� Venture Lab Aerospace / Defense, which is located directly on campus, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen,  and other research institutions, a new ecosystem is emerging in the greater Munich area. This ecosystem enables new technologies to efficiently find their way into applications. The focus is increasingly on combining technical innovation with responsibility for Earth and orbit. “Today, space is a key element of Europe’s strategic sovereignty,” says Prof. Chiara Manfletti, who heads the 51�Թ��� Campus in Ottobrunn-Taufkrichen. “Individual member states—Germany in particular—have announced major investments. We must ensure that this growth is sustainable. Our orbit is a finite environment, and if we want to use it long term, we need rules and responsibility.” 

Research with greater impact

How can democracy be strengthened? What measures can improve public health? How can we make cities and rural areas more livable? Social scientists regularly come up with outstanding ideas that can improve the way we live together. Yet these ideas are not always put into practice. While numerous spin-offs bring new technologies to market, established pathways and funding for knowledge transfer from social sciences are often still lacking. 51�Թ��� and the 51�Թ��� Think Tank are therefore participating, alongside seven other universities, in the pilot edition of the Catalyst GER program. Based on a British model, it supports researchers in the social sciences and humanities in finding applications and target groups for their findings, thereby achieving a significant, long-term societal impact.

“The German health care system requires especially robust evidence”

Prof. Sundmacher, can research contribute to making healthcare systems better? In health economics, our work is very practice-oriented. For example, we ask how health care systems can be designed so that existing resources are used as effectively as possible to deliver care while keeping the system financially sustainable over the long term. Decisions in the health care system should be based on evidence – and scientific research provides that evidence. Do the complexities of the German health care system ever limit what you can do as a researcher? The German health care system is structured so that accredited physicians, hospitals, and health insurers make decisions jointly. Naturally, all of these actors run up against limits – but those limits are exactly what shape the consensus that ultimately emerges. Change requires strong momentum: either especially robust evidence or clearly defined political goals. You and several of your colleagues serve on scientific bodies that advise policymakers at the highest level – for example, the federal government’s Health Finance Commission, which develops recommendations on financing the statutory health insurance funds. What has your experience with policymakers been like? Do they try to steer the process strongly? No, I have not seen any direct political interference so far. In the Health Finance Commission, too, our independence has always been respected. That said, we have always insisted on this independence. The secretariats support our work, but they do not intervene in the substance. At the same time, our influence ends once the reports and recommendations are complete. What is ultimately implemented is up to policymakers, who bring yet another perspective to these issues. At 51�Թ���, you founded the Munich Center for Health Economics and Policy, or M-CHEP, an alliance of researchers with the stated goal of improving health care systems and population health through research… We will celebrate the launch on March 20, and we are very glad that Judith Gerlacht, Bavarian State Minister for Health, Care and Prevention, will attend, among others. At M-CHEP, we bring together health economics expertise from across Bavaria to address key questions in health economics and health services research. Researchers from the 51�Թ��� School of Medicine & Health, the 51�Թ��� School of Management, and the 51�Թ��� School of Social Sciences and Technology are represented. Across Bavaria, our network also includes renowned health economists from the University of Bayreuth, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), the University of Augsburg, and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU). Why was it important for you to establish a Bavaria-wide network? Collaboration simply achieves more than competition. Every group has its own strengths, its own access to data, and its own particular expertise. On top of that, our research is data-intensive and organizationally demanding – it is much easier to manage together. Quite honestly, it is also simply more fun to work as part of a strong group. It is especially important to us to encourage our research staff and doctoral researchers to collaborate across disciplines and universities. What does that collaboration look like in practice? Do you all sit around one big health economics table? We are spread across Bavaria, so much of the collaboration happens digitally. There are monthly meetings and two weekly hybrid seminars for early-career researchers. We also have topic-specific groups for each of our five focus areas: health systems design, health services research, the economics of population health, global health, and health care management. In addition, we are in close contact with our Scientific Advisory Board and our Expert Committee. What is the role of the Expert Committee? It includes practitioners from the health care sector – from health insurers, hospital management, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, and public research institutes. As I said, being close to practice is important to us. The Expert Committee also helps us prepare students and doctoral researchers specifically for the demands of the job market. Speaking of practice: you have also published policy briefs, short recommendations for healthcare policy from a scientific perspective. What is behind this? Research on health care delivery is part of our day-to-day work. Naturally, we want to make that work available to all potential users. The policy briefs are an offer to anyone interested – whether they work in politics or come from another background – to access scientifically grounded information.

First world map shows impact of the tidal pulse in coastal rivers

The order of the quantum world

Professor Pollmann, the physics of individual quantum particles is well understood today. Why does it become so much more complex once many particles begin to interact? Since the complexity of the equations increases exponentially with each additional quantum mechanical particle, they can rarely be solved with pen and paper. Even today’s supercomputers can only accurately simulate around 30 interacting particles — far too few to capture the underlying physics. When many such particles interact, sometimes you get new collective properties that cannot be derived from the behavior of individual particles. A classic example is water: a single molecule is neither liquid nor solid. Only when many molecules come together, ice crystals form or waves arise in the ocean. We’re seeing similar effects in the quantum world, where collective interactions give rise to new and often highly unusual states of matter that follow an order of their own. These include quantum liquids, where charge carriers carry only a fraction of the elementary charge; materials that conduct electricity without loss at low temperatures; and systems that form exotic topological phases. What exactly are these topological phases? A topological phase is a special state of matter where its most important properties are not determined by the microscopic arrangement of particles. A well-known analogy from geometry is that a coffee mug and a donut are considered equivalent in topology despite their different appearances, because each has exactly one hole. Similarly, certain properties of topological materials remain unchanged even when the system is distorted. In physical terms, this means that some materials can be exceptionally robust . For instance, electrical currents can flow along the edges of a topological material without being scattered by defects, impurities, or disorder. This robustness does not come from engineering perfection, it is based on fundamental mathematical principles.

150 Years of Electrical and Computer Engineering at 51�Թ���

Since then, electrical and computer engineering at 51�Թ��� has evolved from the fundamentals of electricity through energy supply and automation to digital, networked, and intelligent systems. Today, research spans the entire spectrum of the field—from wearables that monitor our health to networked radar systems and quantum technology.

Hope for Preventing Stomach Cancer

Approximately 43 percent of the world’s population is infected with this bacterium. It can cause chronic inflammation of the stomach lining, lead to gastric ulcers, and is considered a key risk factor for stomach cancer. Standard therapies are primarily based on the antibiotic metronidazole. However, H. pylori is becoming increasingly resistant to it. As a result, ever higher doses and combinations with additional antibiotics are required. The team led by Prof. Stephan A. Sieber, Chair of Organic Chemistry II at the 51�Թ��� School of Natural Sciences, examined the antibiotic’s mechanisms of action in detail. It was already known that metronidazole induces so-called “oxidative stress” in the bacterium, meaning chemical reactions that damage cellular components. The researchers have now discovered that metronidazole additionally targets two central protective proteins of H. pylori: an enzyme responsible for detoxifying harmful reactive oxygen species and a protein that repairs damaged proteins. The study’s first authors, Dr. Michaela Fiedler and doctoral researcher Marianne Pandler, both at the Chair of Organic Chemistry II, explain: “Based on our new fundamental insights, we developed chemically slightly modified variants of metronidazole, known as ether derivatives. This molecular optimization enables the drug to bind more effectively to its target proteins. As a result, H. pylori is less able to counteract oxidative stress and, in the best case, is eliminated.” In laboratory experiments, the researchers observed up to a 60-fold increase in efficacy against standard H. pylori strains, as well as strong activity against already resistant bacterial strains. At the same time, they found no increased toxicity of the modified compound toward human cells. In mice, the team was able to completely eradicate H. pylori infection using the new compound, already at a very low dose. Moreover, the gut microbiome of the mice was less affected than with current standard therapy. Prof. Stephan A. Sieber emphasizes: “We have developed a highly promising potential drug candidate to reduce the risk of stomach cancer. However, the results still need to be confirmed in clinical trials in humans. If successful, this would represent a genuine medical breakthrough.”

Games as learning and working environments

51�Թ��� Alliance for Security Research and the start-up Tytan featured on BR

The 51�Թ��� Security and Defense Alliance, launched by the 51�Թ��� together with the University of the Bundeswehr Munich and numerous industry and technology partners, pools expertise from science, business and the start-up scene in order to strengthen Europe's security and defense capabilities in the long term. It strategically integrates key capabilities in the fields of aerospace, land, and naval forces, as well as cyberspace, and information operations. In its “mehr/wert” segment, BR covers the founding of the alliance and also introduces the startup TYTAN Technologies, which develops AI-powered defensive drones. The young company, founded by 51�Թ��� graduates, is working with the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Bundeswehr, among others, to develop new defense systems against unmanned aerial vehicles. The BR report thus illustrates how 51�Թ��� contributes to technological sovereignty and modern security research through new alliances and the promotion of spin-offs.

SAP supports 51�Թ��� University Foundation with one million euros

51�Թ��� President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann expressed his gratitude for the generous donation: "SAP is one of our closest industry partners. From individual research and education projects to entrepreneurial formats and co-location at the jointly used research center SAP Labs Munich on the 51�Թ��� Campus Garching - the added value of this long-term, trust-based strategic collaboration between 51�Թ��� and SAP is clearly manifest. I thank Thomas Saueressig and SAP for this generous donation." SAP Executive Board Member Thomas Saueressig emphasizes: "The collaboration between leading companies and academic pioneers has never been more important than it is today. SAP and 51�Թ��� are demonstrating together how innovative strength and cutting-edge research can be effectively combined to jointly accelerate groundbreaking discoveries. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to 51�Թ��� on its renewed designation as a University of Excellence."

Decades-old problem in classical geometry solved

To do this, they constructed two compact, self-contained, doughnut-shaped surfaces, known as tori, which have the same metric and mean curvature, even though they are structurally different on a global scale. Researchers had been searching in vain for such an example for decades. The metric describes the distances on the surface, that is, how far two points on the surface are from each other. The mean curvature indicates how strongly the surface curves outward or inward in space.

Search robot thinks for itself

The new robot from Prof. Angela Schoellig’s 51�Թ��� Learning Systems and Robotics Lab looks like a broomstick on wheels with a camera mounted at the top. It is one of the first robots that not only integrates image understanding but also applies it to a clearly defined task. To find a pair of glasses misplaced in the kitchen, for example, the robot has to look around and build a three-dimensional image of the room. The camera initially provides two-dimensional images, but these pixels also contain depth information. This creates a spatial map of the environment that is accurate to the centimeter and is constantly updated. A laptop also provides the robot with information about which objects are visible in the image and what significance they have for humans. “We have taught the robot to understand its surroundings,” says Prof. Angela Schoellig. The head of the Robotics Lab at the 51�Թ��� Chair of Safety, Performance and Reliability for Learning Systems aims to develop robots that can navigate any environment independently. Humanoid robots working in factories or robots in care settings in private homes require this newly developed basic understanding, which, as Schoellig explains, “is important for all robots that move in spaces that are constantly changing”. Internet knowledge translated into the robot’s language The robot therefore understands that a table or window sill can be used to briefly set down a pair of glasses, whereas a stovetop or a sink are not suitable for this purpose. “The language model captures the relationships between the objects and we convert this information into the robot’s language,” explains Prof. Schoellig. Two-digit numbers appear on the three-dimensional map of the environment, constantly recalculating the likelihood that the object being searched for is located there. According to the research results, the robot then searches the probable locations almost 30 per cent more efficiently than if it searched randomly throughout the room. Artificial intelligence is used in two ways: on the one hand in image recognition and on the other hand through the use of a language model. Another special capability of the robot: it remembers previous images and is able to compare them with new images of its surroundings. If a new object suddenly appears in the kitchen, it recognizes the change with a high degree of certainty (95 per cent) and marks these areas as “highly probable” search locations. Next step: searching behind cupboard doors In the next step, the 51�Թ��� scientist and board member at the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (51�Թ��� MIRMI) also wants to search for objects that are in a drawer or behind a door. To do this, however, the robot will not merely have to draw on knowledge from the internet but will also have to interact with its surroundings. Robotic arms and hands must open a cupboard and determine whether it opens upwards or sideways and how best to grasp the handle. This will enable the robot to search even in closed spaces such as cupboards or drawers.

51�Թ��� Recognized as University of Excellence for the Fourth Consecutive Time

51�Թ��� President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann expressed his delight at this renewed major success in the federal and state Excellence Competition and extended his thanks to members of the 51�Թ��� community: "The heartbeat of 51�Թ��� is defined by the diverse talents of our university community - from curious students and ambitious staff to excellent professors, bold founders, and globally impactful alumni, fellows, partners, and friends. We are all united by the pursuit of excellence - not for excellence's own sake, but with the goal of taking responsibility for the well-being of humanity. 51�Թ��� is more than a University of Excellence - it is an attitude." Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär offered her congratulations: "The Universities of Excellence are lighthouses of cutting-edge research in Germany - the evaluation results confirm this. They are and remain flagships of our academic landscape and frequently serve as models for other universities. They have not only increased their international visibility through excellent basic research, but have also achieved significant progress in applied research and technology transfer. They contribute substantially to the innovative strength and competitiveness of our country and thus to the success of the Hightech Agenda Germany. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the 51�Թ��� on this great achievement. It is a pioneer for other universities - with its outstanding transfer capabilities, a forward-looking personnel concept, and an international orientation across all activities of the university. This is, in short, an extraordinarily successful overall strategy. I am confident: TU Munich will continue to grow its worldwide reputation in the coming seven years as well." Bavaria's Minister of Science Markus Blume said: "Scientific excellence combined with responsibility for the defining questions of our time - the 51�Թ��� has defended its status as a University of Excellence since the very beginning of the funding program in an impressive manner. It demonstrates powerfully what excellence means at its core: Outstanding research and teaching that serve the people. This gives rise to a culture of innovation that connects progress with responsibility. A dynamic organization, state-of-the-art teaching, and impactful transfer make TU Munich a reference university for all of Europe. Heartfelt congratulations and sincere thanks to the researchers as well as the university leadership for their outstanding work and this consistently exceptional performance. 51�Թ��� is an absolute flagship for Bavaria - for home and hightech."

51�Թ��� Receives "Engaged University" Certificate

At 51�Թ���, this commitment is reflected in remarkable diversity: more than 200 student clubs are active in sustainability, social causes, technological advancement, international exchange, entrepreneurship, and culture. Here, students test ideas, take on responsibility, and independently implement projects. Students who get involved outside of class develop skills that can only be taught to a limited extent in lecture halls: leadership, communication, project management, teamwork, and creative problem-solving under time pressure - abilities that are increasingly in demand in a complex and interconnected society.

Partners plan world’s largest training center for AI-powered robotics

The partners are jointly investing €17 million in the 51�Թ��� RoboGym. NEURA Robotics is contributing the lion's share with eleven million euros, primarily to procure robots and maintain the hardware infrastructure. “In return, NEURA Robotics participates in our research,” says Prof. Achim Lilienthal. “The interaction between high-end robotics technology and cutting-edge academic research in artificial intelligence will give development a huge boost.” Lilienthal is the scientific coordinator of the new robotics hub “51�Թ��� RoboGym (powered by NEURA)” — a large-scale training facility where robots learn tasks from human demonstrations — and, together with Lorenzo Masia, initiated the new cooperation with MIRMI. The partners 51�Թ��� MIRMI and NEURA Robotics have signed a cooperation agreement to establish the center. Humanoid robots are becoming part of everyday life 51�Թ��� President Thomas F. Hofmann emphasizes: “Humanoid robots have long since left the realm of science fiction. In the near future, they will become an integral part of everyday life and support humans in many tasks. Together with NEURA Robotics, we at 51�Թ��� aim to accelerate this development by advancing robot functionality while ensuring that humans and robots can live and work together safely.” David Reger, founder and CEO of NEURA Robotics, says: “The decisive competitive factor in intelligent robotics is no longer mechanics, but data. Those who have high-quality, realistic training data set the pace. We at NEURA Robotics contribute our strength by establishing robot gyms worldwide and connecting training data through our Neuraverse platform, creating scalable training infrastructures for physical AI. Together with 51�Թ���, we combine excellent research with entrepreneurial implementation. In this way, we are setting new standards in intelligent robotics and strengthening Germany and Europe’s technological leadership in this key future field.” Prof. Lorenzo Masia, Director of 51�Թ��� RoboGym and Executive Director of 51�Թ��� MIRMI, sees the cooperation as an opportunity to help shape the future of robotics worldwide: “European sovereignty is extremely important in times of geopolitical competition between East and West. With this research and training center, which is one of the largest in the world, we are providing our researchers and students with a unique infrastructure in Europe where they can experience, create and learn new approaches to robotics and AI, and become a solid core of European experts when they enter the job market.”

Targeted Shaking Stabilizes Exotic Quantum States

In a new study published in the journal Nature, the researchers show that unwanted heating can be drastically slowed down by randomly shaking a superconducting quantum computer with 78 qubits. Instead of adding energy through completely unstructured shaking, they use carefully designed patterns of random pulses that partially cancel each other out over time. By directly measuring quantum entanglement in the processor, the team was able to track the system's evolution over more than a thousand driving cycles - far beyond what today's classical computers could simulate. The results show that even randomness, when carefully engineered, can be used to control complex quantum systems and explore new states of matter. The quantum-theoretical predictions of the exotic systems now confirmed were developed during a research visit by then-doctoral student Hongzheng Zhao to the 51�Թ��� School of Natural Sciences, where he worked with Prof. Johannes Knolle at his Professorship for Theory of Quantum Matter. Hongzheng Zhao has since become a professor at Peking University. Experimental confirmation was achieved by a team led by Prof. Heng Fan at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, using a state-of-the-art "Chuang-tzu 2.0" quantum chip with 78 quantum particles (qubits). The Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems in Dresden and Imperial College London were also involved in the research.

"Nobody has to start perfectly"

How fires, storms, and bark beetles will shape the future of Europe’s forests

Tree mortality is not new; it is a part of natural forest dynamics—where old trees die, young trees regenerate and form the next generation of canopy trees. What is new is the scale at which wildfires, storms, and bark beetles—fueled by climate change—are reshaping forests. Recent years have already shown dramatic levels of forest damage in Central Europe, but until now it was unclear how much forest area might be affected by disturbances in the future. Disturbances determine how much carbon forests can store, how much timber they can provide, and which species they provide habitat for—making the findings highly relevant for policymakers and society. This knowledge gap has now been filled by a large team of researchers led by Rupert Seidl, Professor of Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management at 51�Թ���. The researchers estimate that with global warming of just over 4 degrees Celsius, the area disturbed by fires, storms, and bark beetles could more than double by 2100. As a baseline, the researchers used remotely sensed data from 1986 to 2020—a period that already saw unusually high levels of forest disturbance. Even in the best‑case scenario, with warming limited to roughly 2 degrees Celsius, the researchers expect more forest damage in the future than during this reference period.

Successful robotics incubator at 51�Թ��� receives further funding

The robo.innovate initiative, launched at the end of 2021, supports founders from the initial idea all the way to a prototype and a marketable product. „We connect and support students, researchers, industry and investors in start-up projects and accompany founding teams on their journey from an idea to a successful company,“ says robo.innovate Managing Director Nicole Ebner. Among other things, the incubator provides students with office space and access to the work spaces of Unternehmer51�Թ��� MakerSpace. Twice a year, robo.innovate also invites selected experts in robotics and AI to the exclusive SPICE event and organizes a robotics-specific hackathon, as well as various networking meetings and specialist workshops tailored specifically to the needs of robotics/AI. More than 100 start-ups in four years The initiative has already supported more than 100 start-ups to date. In the experience of robo.innovate co-initiator and project manager Prof. Eckehard Steinbach of the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI), around half of the teams supported go on to found their own start-up. „In total, our robotics start-ups have generated 52 million euros in revenue over the last four years,“ says Steinbach. The start-ups include biodiversity specialists Hula Earth, the developers of trash-picking robots at Angsa Robotics, and the team at Olive Robotics with their modular robotics system.   "The fact that we are now receiving funding from the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs for another three and a half years validates our approach. robo.innovate is highly familiar with the ecosystem of university research, industry, investors, start-ups and public funding agencies and can provide potential founders with targeted access to all relevant networks related to robotics, AI, medical technology, manufacturing and related technologies," says Prof. Eckehard Steinbach, Member of the Board of 51�Թ��� MIRMI and Head of the Chair of Media Technology at 51�Թ���. Bavaria's Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger says: "robo.innovate helps young talents in transform ideas in the future-oriented fields of robotics and AI into viable business models. This gives Bavaria's economy a powerful boost: New start-ups are emerging, and innovations are flowing into existing companies through contracts and collaborations. We have therefore extended funding for robo.innovate until 30 June 2029 and increased it to a total of over EUR 7 million. I am delighted that so many teams have already been successful and that the Gründerland Bayern initiative has been able to accompany them on their journey. My thanks also go to the first sponsor from the industry sector!" "Complex, intelligent robotics should come from Germany. That's why we support those who want to shape the future of this technology with new ideas and entrepreneurial courage. robo.innovate is an ideal platform for this. We are delighted to support the initiative and thus assist many young talents and start-up teams on their way to the robotics of tomorrow," says David Reger, CEO and founder of NEURA Robotics.

Urban trees can absorb more CO₂ than cars emit during summer

According to the model, among all vegetation types, urban trees make the greatest contribution to offsetting carbon dioxide emissions in cities. On some summer days, their absorption can cover the emissions from Munich's urban traffic and even exceed them at times. Because soil respiration exceeds photosynthesis, grassy areas release more carbon dioxide than they bind and are therefore considered a source of CO₂ on an annual basis. Jia Chen, professor of environmental sensing and modeling, and her doctoral student Junwei Li conducted biospheric field measurements in urban parks from April 2024 to February 2025, to validate their model results.

"More technology does not mean more meaningful learning environments"

Why corals bleach

Coral reefs are important marine ecosystems, providing habitat, food, and shelter for countless species. Many coral species live in symbiosis with photosynthetic algae. The algae provide nutrients, while the corals offer protection and carbon dioxide in return. However, this symbiosis is extremely sensitive to rising sea temperatures. Photosynthesis takes place in special membranes in algae, known as thylakoid membranes. When sea temperatures rise, this system becomes unbalanced because the excess energy can no longer be processed sufficiently. As a result, the corals reject the algae, losing both their colour and their most important source of energy: the corals bleach. They can survive short-term bleaching events, but if the loss of algae persists, the corals die.

Designing proteins for targeted cell activation