Technical University Munich

During long-term battles with cancer or infection, immune cells can become exhausted. Now, researchers have identified a specific molecule that helps certain T cells refresh themselves, which could unlock more effective immunotherapy.

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed the world’s first electric nanomotors made of DNA. The self-assembling structures can be activated by an electric charge to spin a ratcheting rotor arm.

Powering medical implants can be tricky, but tapping into the body’s own fuel source could keep them going long-term. A new design for a tiny fuel cell converts glucose into electricity to power implants more efficiently than any other so far.

New research has used an in-ear sensor to monitor COVID-19 patients at home, transmitting vital signs in real-time to doctors who evaluated the need for hospital treatment, often admitting the patients before they even noticed their condition decline.

Researchers in Germany have developed a new method to treat viral infections by making traps. The team folded DNA into nano-capsules with specialized binding points inside them, which could grab hold of viruses and render them inert.

A technique is allowing researchers to measure endogenous lithium concentrations in the human brain for the very first time. Researchers found natural lithium levels in white matter were lower in suicidal subjects than healthy controls.

However useful a drug may be, it’s a problem if it has adverse effects on healthy cells. Now researchers have shown a way to keep drugs on target, by wrapping them in a transport that can only be unlocked by a certain RNA sequence unique to cancer.

Scientists in Germany have succeeded in developing the smallest ultrasound detector ever created, which is tinier than a blood cell and opens up new possibilities in what is known as super-resolution imaging.

In a first, perovskite and organic solar cells have been tested in space. Not only did they perform well, but they’re much thinner and lighter than the silicon cells currently used and were even able to absorb diffuse light reflected back from Earth.

Although no one likes getting blood samples drawn or having their skin pricked, these are the most common methods of testing for allergies. Thanks to a new study, however, such uncomfortable pokes could soon be replaced with painless nasal swabs.

Although it doesn't happen often, it is possible for electromagnetic fields (EMFs) to affect the performance of cardiac implants such as pacemakers. Fortunately, though, a new study indicates that EMFs produced by electric cars pose no such danger.

Many drones already utilize ultrasound to detect obstacles lying directly in their path. A new drone system, however, uses sound to determine where all of the walls are within a room – providing guidance when vision- or light-based systems cannot.