Research Highlights

Nako Eröffnung 2018; weltweit größten Stickstofftanks für Gesundheitsproben

The largest repository of human biosamples in Germany is located at the Helmholtz Munich campus. It features cutting-edge robotics and stores a valuable scientific collection at extremely low temperatures of up to -180°C. Researchers use these…

How researchers from Helmholtz Munich are making wheat, oats, barley, and co. fit for the future.

Artificial intelligence creation concept. In a certain space, neon lines create a human shape, a connection between man and machine.

The research of Prof. Dr. Vasilis Ntziachristos and his team leads to novel, groundbreaking medical imaging tools. Their non-invasive technologies unveil crucial health and disease details that can empower doctors to identify and address diseases at…

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Driven by climate change, heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent and prolonged in Germany. Especially for older adults, children, and people with pre-existing conditions, extreme heat can pose a health risk.

Close-up medical syringe with a vaccine.

Several research groups at Helmholtz Munich are working on innovative vaccines. Two of them are about to clear a crucial hurdle before approval - fighting the Epstein-Barr virus and Hepatitis B. But how do researchers develop a vaccine?

Sex-Specific Research

Using advanced intravital microscopy, Helmholtz Munich researchers have been able to observe early immune reactions in the living lung in real time. The images show that specific T cells are activated within hours after contact with components of…

A close-up visualization of the CRISPR Cas9 mechanism at work, showcasing the intricate molecular interactions involved in gene editing.

A research team led by Prof. Stefan Stricker at Helmholtz Munich and Ludwig Maximilian University has developed TAPIR, a CRISPR-based technology that enables precise control of protein production in cells. The method provides new insights into the…

When Cytoskeletal Proteins Act in the Cell Nucleus

The cytoskeleton gives cells their shape and helps them move. Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the Ludwig Maximilian University now show that, in neural stem cells, proteins of the cytoskeleton are also found in the cell nucleus, where they can…

FGF21 is primarily known as a metabolic hormone. A new study by researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the Ludwig Maximilians University has now described a previously unknown mechanism through which FGF21 supports cells under protein folding stress:…

Institut für Diabetesforschung Studienzentrum

For ten years, the Fr1da study, coordinated by Helmholtz Munich, has been investigating whether early stages of type 1 diabetes in children can be detected in routine pediatric care. The latest evaluation shows that the screening program is…

Whole-body 3D reconstructions, AI segmentations and supplementary videos are available via the interactive online atlas at https://discotechnologies.org/MouseMapper/. High-resolution figures and animations are available on request.

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, the Ludwig Maximilians University Munich (LMU) and collaborating institutions have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) framework that maps disease-related changes throughout the entire mouse body at cellular…

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, and the University of Oxford, have developed an AI-based model that not only traces the developmental paths of individual cells,…

glucagon like peptide 1 glp1 7 36 molecule the glucagon like peptide 1 receptor has a strong effect on the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus

A team led by metabolism researcher Prof Timo D. Müller at Helmholtz Munich has developed a new approach for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes: a hybrid molecule uses the well-known GLP-1/GIP signalling pathway as a “door opener” and delivers an…

Lipid Identification: Chemical Fingerprint Instead of Dye

A team at Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed a new microscopy technique that can distinguish lipid species in living cells – in particular cholesterol and sphingomyelin – and map them without the need for…

EDENT1FI (“European action for the Diagnosis of Early Non-clinical Type 1 diabetes For disease Interception”), a research project led by Prof. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler from Helmholtz Munich and Prof. Chantal Mathieu from the KU Leuven, has reached an…

Numerous genetic studies have identified many risk variants for type 2 diabetes (T2D) – but which genes and proteins are actually involved in the disease mechanisms? An international team led by Helmholtz Munich has now used globally collected…

Healthy gut bacteria concept with natural probiotics for immune support.

Bacteria in the human gut can directly deliver proteins into human cells, actively shaping immune responses. Led by researchers at Helmholtz Munich, with participation from Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), Aix Marseille University, Inserm, and…

Intricate network of red capillaries, a detailed view of microscopic blood vessels conveying vitality

Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed “fast-RSOM”, a new imaging technology that can capture detailed images of the smallest blood vessels directly through the skin – without the need for…

Big data technology data science analysis

A new artificial intelligence (AI) method called BioPathNet helps researchers systematically search large biological data networks for hidden connections – from gene functions and disease mechanisms to potential therapeutic approaches. BioPathNet was…

Cachexia is a metabolic disorder that causes uncontrolled weight loss and muscle wasting in chronic diseases and cancer. A new study by Helmholtz Munich, in collaboration with the Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague,…

A magnified view of the large intestine's surface, showing its muscular wall and fatty tissue

Abdominal fat is not a uniform tissue. A new study from Helmholtz Munich, Karolinska Institutet and Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, published in Cell Metabolism, reveals that fat located close to the large intestine contains an unusually high…

Detailed view of a computer interface used by geneticists showing a complex genome mapping software with colorful DNA strands without displaying any personal identity in a modern research lab

With single-cell technologies, researchers can measure millions of cells in parallel and track how each one responds to specific perturbations – targeted interventions such as drug treatments, changes in gene activity or disease-like conditions.…

Researchers have conducted the most comprehensive analysis to date linking plasma proteins to genetic variation in individuals from continental Africa. Their work addresses a long-standing gap by studying a population grossly underrepresented in…

For the first time, an international analysis has shown that when people with prediabetes bring their blood glucose back into the normal range through lifestyle changes, their risk of heart attack, heart failure, and premature death is cut in half.…

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich and the LMU University Hospital Munich uncovered a mechanism that protects nerve cells from premature cell death, known as ferroptosis. The study provides the first molecular…

An experiment on the distribution of proteins in cells using molecular imaging technology.

A new tool developed by Helmholtz Munich and the German Center for Diabetes Research and the University of Bonn makes spatial proteomics and lipidomics easier to use – no coding required. C-COMPASS allows scientists to profile where proteins and…

Woman's hands checking diabetes and hyperglycemia with digital blood sugar meter.

An elevated blood glucose level one hour after the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) signals a critical metabolic state – even before prediabetes. Affected individuals respond particularly well to lifestyle interventions. This value could become a…

First results of the Primary Oral Insulin Trial (POInT) mark an important step towards the prevention of type 1 diabetes, pointing future efforts to personalized strategies. The group led by researchers from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical…

Schwangere Frau sieht sich Ultraschallbilder an

Children with a family history of type 1 diabetes (T1D) have an increased risk of developing the disease. However, children born to mothers with T1D are less likely to develop the disease than those whose fathers or siblings have T1D. A new study…

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed Nicheformer, the first large-scale foundation model that integrates single-cell analysis with spatial transcriptomics. Trained on more than 110 million cells,…

Oat is an important crop with many health benefits and diverse applications. Researchers from Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and the Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) have decoded the…

Human (animal) cell under microscope. 3d illustration

Fabian Theis and Danish colleagues have found a better understanding of how blood cell differentiation from stem cells happens, and further studies might give us an answer to why some cells turn against us and become a health issue.

Illustration of human body with esophageal cancer

Researchers from Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and the Medical University of Vienna have developed an advanced imaging technique called "O2E" that allows clinics to detect cancerous lesions in the esophagus with…

Many people with cancer experience dramatic loss of muscle and fat tissue. In many cases, even the heart muscle is affected, which further weakens the body. This wasting syndrome, known as cachexia, affects around half of all cancer patients. It is a…

Microscopic Examination of Bone Biopsy Related to Bone Pain, Fractures, and Anemia

Researchers from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich have developed a novel method to track cancer treatment responses in individual cells – without the need for dyes or labels. Their mid-infrared optoacoustic microscopy (MiROM)…

Research Highlights

Research Highlights

Germany’s Largest Biorepository

Staple Foods With Reasons for Concern

The Light that Listens to Health and Disease

Heat – When Temperatures Impacts Health

On the Trail of New Vaccines

Striving for Optimal Healthcare

New Research Findings

SARS-CoV-2: Real-time Imaging Reveals Unexpectedly Fast Immune Response in the Lung

New CRISPR Method Makes It Possible to Control Protein Production in Cells

When Cytoskeletal Proteins Act in the Cell Nucleus

FGF21 Helps Cells Cope with Protein Folding Stress

Early Detection of Type 1 Diabetes in Children Is Broadly Feasible

AI Atlas Reveals Hidden Whole-Body-Damage Caused by Obesity

AI Model Makes Developmental Paths of Biological Cells Traceable

One Molecule, Two Effects: A New Drug Concept to Treat Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

Lipid Identification: Chemical Fingerprint Instead of Dye

100,000 Participants Screened for Early-Stage Type 1 Diabetes in the EDENT1FI Project

Big Data Make Hidden Genetic Drivers of Type 2 Diabetes Visible

More Than Just Gut Cohabitants: How Gut Bacteria Control Immune Responses

New Imaging Technology Detects Early Signs of Heart Disease Through the Skin

BioPathNet: New AI Uncovers Hidden Patterns in Biomedical Knowledge Graphs

Weight Loss in Cancer: Organs Respond to the Disease in a Coordinated Way

Not All Belly Fat Is the Same: Colon-Adjacent Fat Interacts With the Immune System

Pertpy: A Software Toolbox Reveals How Individual Cells Respond to Therapies

Mapping Proteins in African Genomes Reveals New Paths to Fight Type 2 Diabetes

Normalizing Blood Sugar Can Halve Heart Attack Risk

Single Enzyme Failure Found to Drive Neuron Loss in Dementia

C-COMPASS: AI-Based Software Maps Proteins and Lipids Within Cells

One-Hour Blood Glucose Level: A Better Chance to Prevent Diabetes

New Milestone Towards Personalized Prevention of Type 1 Diabetes

Maternal Type 1 Diabetes May Protect Children Through Epigenetic Changes

New Foundation Model Reveals How Cells Are Organized in Tissues

Decoding Oat Diversity for a Climate-Resilient Future

Zooming in Reveals a World of Detail: New Method Unveils the Inner Workings of Our Cells

New Endoscopy Technology Enables Early Detection of Esophageal Cancer

Cancer Cachexia: Liver Identified as Driver of Body Wasting

New Label-Free Imaging Tracks Cancer Treatment in Single Cells