Technical University of Munich researchers will pursue ten new projects thanks to prestigious European Research Council Starting Grants. Each grant provides up to €1. 5 million to support early-career scientists at TUM, bringing the university’s total number of ERC Grants secured since 2007 to 280.
One project, AXhaustMS led by Ali Maisam Afzali, investigates whether exhausted astrocytes, supporting cells in the brain and spinal cord, contribute to the progressive disability experienced by people with multiple sclerosis, “even modern therapies that effectively suppress inflammatory relapses have so far been unable to stop this process.” The findings could lead to new treatments restoring astrocyte function, potentially extending beyond MS to other neurological diseases.
ERC Grants Fuel Diverse TUM Research Projects
Each ERC Starting Grant provides up to €1. 5 million in funding, enabling early-career researchers at the Technical University of Munich to pursue ambitious projects across diverse scientific disciplines. The projects selected address critical questions ranging from the fundamental connections between human well-being and environmental health to the development of secure quantum encryption methods. Anna Dowbaj, Professor of Integrated Organoid Systems at the TUM School of Life Sciences and a member of the TUM Center of Organoid Systems and Tissue Engineering is exploring the interplay between urban nature, human well-being, and biodiversity.
Research suggests a link between ecological and psychological resilience, yet a comprehensive understanding of how positive interactions between people and nature emerge remains elusive. Dowbaj’s work aims to identify the conditions under which these beneficial interactions thrive, potentially informing urban planning and conservation efforts. The liver’s declining regenerative capacity with age is the focus of her research, moving beyond studies of epithelial progenitor cells to understand the underlying mechanisms of organ repair.
The awarded grants also extend into the realm of quantum technologies, reflecting TUM’s commitment to research in this transformative field. These projects aim to develop innovative solutions for secure communication and computation, anticipating the widespread adoption of quantum technologies in everyday life. These ten projects represent a substantial investment in scientific inquiry, promising to advance knowledge and address pressing global challenges.
Afzali’s AXhaustMS Project Targets Astrocytes in Multiple Sclerosis
Ali Maisam Afzali’s AXhaustMS project will utilize a mouse model and advanced analytical techniques to examine changes within astrocytes, supportive cells essential to neuron health in the brain and spinal cord, and determine if these changes are reversible. 5 million to support this investigation into the potential role of exhausted astrocytes in the progression of multiple sclerosis, despite existing therapies successfully managing inflammatory relapses.
This funding acknowledges a critical gap in understanding why disability continues to worsen for many MS patients even when inflammation is controlled. Astrocytes normally provide essential nutrients to neurons, maintain a stable environment around them, and help limit inflammation, but Afzali hypothesizes that chronic inflammation causes these cells to enter an exhaustion state, diminishing their protective capabilities.
This exhaustion, likened to the effects of prolonged overwork on a person, could be a key driver of progressive disability in multiple sclerosis, a connection that remains incompletely understood by scientists. The AXhaustMS project aims to pinpoint the specific alterations occurring within these exhausted astrocytes, moving beyond simply suppressing the immune response, the current standard of care, to potentially restore astrocyte function.
The research will focus on identifying molecular markers of astrocyte exhaustion, allowing for a detailed characterization of the cells’ altered state and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind their functional decline. Should the principle of restoring astrocyte function prove successful, the implications extend far beyond multiple sclerosis, potentially offering new treatments for a range of progressive neurological diseases.
The project’s findings could lead to therapies that not only address the autoimmune component of MS but also actively repair and protect the supporting cells vital for neuronal health. This dual approach represents a shift in strategy, moving from symptom management to potential disease modification and long-term neurological preservation. The investigation will utilize advanced analytical methods to assess the changes occurring within exhausted astrocytes, providing a detailed molecular profile of their altered state.
This detailed analysis is expected to reveal specific targets for therapeutic intervention, allowing for the development of drugs designed to rejuvenate these critical support cells. Afzali’s work builds upon a growing body of evidence suggesting that glial cells, including astrocytes, play a more active role in neurodegenerative diseases than previously thought, shifting the focus from solely neuronal damage to the broader cellular environment.
The potential for translating these findings into clinical applications is significant, offering hope for individuals with progressive neurological conditions where current treatments offer limited long-term benefit. By targeting astrocyte function, the AXhaustMS project seeks to address the underlying mechanisms driving disease progression, potentially halting or slowing the relentless decline experienced by many patients. The ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life and preserve neurological function for those affected by these debilitating conditions.
WAVES Project Investigates Coupled Quasiparticles with Stroboscopic Imaging
Researchers are employing a novel stroboscopic imaging technique to investigate coupled quasiparticles within solid materials, aiming to replicate quantum physics experiments and refine understanding of exciton transport. The ‘WAVES’ project focuses on van der Waals magnetic semiconductors, materials possessing both magnetic and semiconducting properties, and their contained excitons, optical quasiparticles, and magnons, magnetic excited quasiparticles. By combining optical lasers, microwaves, and magnetic fields, scientists intend to exert precise control over these quasiparticles, revealing new relationships between them and associated quantum mechanical transport phenomena.
Ultra-thin samples will be central to the investigation, allowing researchers to measure both excitons and magnons spatially and temporally, seeking to detect previously unseen interaction effects. This approach intends to uncover how these quasiparticles interact and influence material properties at the quantum level, potentially yielding insights at the frontiers of semiconductor physics, magnetism, and optics.
Dr. Florian Dirnberger, conducting research within the Excitonic Quantum Materials Research Group at the TUM School of Natural Sciences, leads this effort to clarify the potential of quasiparticles in solid-state systems.
AgingNiche Project Explores Liver Regeneration & Cellular Microenvironment
Anna Dowbaj’s AgingNiche project centers on the cellular microenvironment surrounding liver cells, proposing that age-related declines in liver regeneration stem not solely from changes within regenerative cells themselves, but from disrupted communication within this niche. This contrasts with prior research largely focused on epithelial progenitor cells, the liver cells activated during tissue repair, and suggests a broader view of the aging process in this vital organ.
Dowbaj will utilize novel liver organoids to investigate how signaling pathways change with age, aiming to determine if targeted manipulation can restore regenerative capacity. The project’s approach moves beyond simply examining the progenitor cells, instead focusing on the signals they receive from their surroundings, which provide critical guidance during tissue repair. Dowbaj hypothesizes that these signals become faulty or insufficient as the liver ages, hindering its ability to heal and regenerate effectively.
By examining these interactions within the organoids, researchers hope to pinpoint the specific signaling changes responsible for the decline, and identify potential targets for therapeutic intervention. This detailed investigation will establish a robust scientific foundation for understanding the complex interplay between cells and their microenvironment during liver regeneration.
Julian Grünewald’s ONE2MANY project seeks to improve the scalability of gene editing in the human heart, addressing the current limitations of delivering CRISPR tools and correcting multiple mutations simultaneously. “CODES aims to understand more precisely how difficult these problems really are and which mathematical properties can be exploited in cryptographic attacks,” according to project materials. Probst intends to identify the actors involved in the development, auditing, rating, and purchase of credits, and to determine which combinations consistently produce ineffective projects.
This focus on verification and accountability is crucial for ensuring the integrity of carbon markets and maximizing their potential to mitigate climate change. The European Research Council’s support for these ten projects, with a maximum of €1. 5 million awarded per project, demonstrates a significant investment in early-career scientists and a commitment to fostering innovation across a wide range of disciplines.
SISOTROP Project Models Tropical Forest Carbon Dynamics with Digital Twins
The SISOTROP project combines high-resolution laser scans with detailed field measurements from 30 tropical research sites, forming the basis for advanced computer models of forest growth. These models reconstruct forests at the individual tree level and simulate development under varying environmental and climatic conditions, addressing a critical gap in understanding how long these forests can continue functioning as carbon sinks. Some studies suggest tropical forests, vital to the global climate system, may transition from carbon sinks to sources as climate change progresses; Fischer’s work directly confronts this possibility.
Beyond the initial 30 sites, the SISOTROP project will investigate whether data from global databases can extend these findings to nearly 2,000 additional tropical forests, significantly broadening the scope of predictive capability. The digital twin approach allows for accuracy in monitoring carbon stocks, a feat previously hampered by the complexity of tropical ecosystems and the difficulty of gathering comprehensive data.
This commitment extends to the development of improved climate and vegetation models, which will benefit from the detailed data and simulation capabilities generated by SISOTROP. The project’s output will not only enhance scientific understanding but also provide valuable tools for policymakers and conservationists working to mitigate climate change. The ability to simulate forest development under different conditions is particularly important given the accelerating pace of environmental change.
By virtually testing various scenarios, researchers can identify the most effective strategies for maintaining forest health and maximizing carbon sequestration. This proactive approach contrasts with traditional monitoring methods, which often rely on retrospective analysis of past trends. The project’s focus on individual tree-level reconstruction allows for a nuanced understanding of forest dynamics, accounting for variations in species composition, age structure, and environmental factors. The SISOTROP project’s methodology has implications beyond carbon monitoring.
The digital twin framework can be adapted to study other ecosystem services provided by tropical forests, such as water regulation and biodiversity conservation. The integration of laser scanning and field measurements provides a comprehensive dataset that can be used to address a wide range of ecological questions. This interdisciplinary approach aligns with the growing recognition of the interconnectedness of environmental challenges and the need for solutions.
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