Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Technische Universität München (TUM)

Germany

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of Europe’s leading universities in science and technology, and one of Germany’s Universities of Excellence. With our research agenda “human-centered engineering“ we put people and their lives at the heart of our scientific endeavours – whether we are investigating the origins of life, matter and the universe, or looking for solutions to the major challenges for our society.

Research news

Latest top-level research from a broad range of subjects that is unparalleled in continental Europe: www.tum.de/news

Top ranking results

International rankings regularly place TUM among the top universities in Germany and in Europe. Rankings

Our agenda: Human-centered research and innovation

We are seeking to understand the essential foundations of life, to maintain health and target diseases, and to shape a sustainable living enviroment. We are creating new materials and advanced manufacturing technologies, we are pioneering the digital transformation for a secure future – and are above all committed to responsible research and innovation in service of society.
www.tum.de/research

Join us: Research careers, graduate studies and more

Talent is the key to our success. Join us as professor, postdoc, or for your graduate studies (PhD or master‘s level; no tuition fees) in a vibrant academic community.

Portrait: Technical University of Munich – 150 Years culture of excellence

1 December 2018 - 30 November 2019

Region: Global
Subject/journal group: All

The table to the right includes counts of all research outputs for Technical University of Munich (TUM) published between 1 December 2018 - 30 November 2019 which are tracked by the Nature Index.

Hover over the donut graph to view the FC output for each subject. Below, the same research outputs are grouped by subject. Click on the subject to drill-down into a list of articles organized by journal, and then by title.

Note: Articles may be assigned to more than one subject area.

Count	Share
562	147.07

Outputs by subject (Share)

Subject	Count	Share
Chemistry	143	63.35
Physical Sciences	237	54.45
Earth & Environmental Sciences	35	8.85
Life Sciences	199	30.12

Highlight of the month

Keep it simple, keep it safe

The immune systems of plants detect bacteria by sensing relatively simple molecules in their membranes rather than the more complex molecules researchers had anticipated. This improved understanding of how plants recognize potential pathogens could help guide breeding programs to produce plants with stronger immune responses.

Earlier work by researchers at the Technical University of Munich had identified a receptor, LORE, which plants use to recognize bacterial fatty acids and activate their immune response.

To better understand how the receptor works, the team tried testing its activity when presented with a purified dose of its putative targets, long, complex molecules known as lipopolysaccharides. These elicited no response. Instead, the researchers found that LORE responds only to simpler, medium-length molecules known as 3-hydroxy fatty acids.

These simpler molecules are ubiquitous in bacteria and are vital to many processes, making them an ideal target to recognize.

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