© HZDR

University-Wide Inaugural Lecture with Prof. Larysa Baraban: Tiny technologies for big medical challenges

As part of the series “Newly Appointed Professors in Focus”, Prof. Larysa Baraban from the Chair of Medical Nanotechnology at the Faculty of Medicine will present her research. The physicist develops intelligent biosensors based on nanomaterials and microfluidics. These technologies make it possible to characterize biomolecules and (cancer) cells, as well as to better understand biochemical reactions. Any interested parties are warmly invited to attend the event held in English on June 18, followed by a get-together.

© Dr. Johannes Benduhn

Launch of the DRESDEN-concept Research Group SCOPE

This spring saw the launch of the tenth DRESDEN-concept Research Group, created to strengthen collaboration between institutions across the research landscape in Dresden. The new group, titled “Scientific Organic Photodetectors (SCOPE),” is jointly supported by the German Center for Astrophysics (DZA) and TUD’s Institute of Applied Physics, and is led by Dr. Johannes Benduhn. The group aims to deepen and increase the visibility of the cooperation between the two institutions in the field of innovative detector technologies.

© Crispin-Iven Mokry

Dresden Declaration 2026: Expansion of the TUD-IITM transCampus Cooperation

The 1^st transCampus Conference marked a major milestone in the Indo-German science partnership between IIT Madras and TUD. From May 18–20, the universities reinforced the next steps in their strategic partnership across research, teaching, and startups, enabling integrated collaboration in microelectronics, AI, sustainability, transport science, and entrepreneurship. The conference underscores the importance of the transCampus framework within the Excellence Strategy, fostering collaborative innovation and cutting-edge research.

© Hanne Malin Reinhart

FOSTER advances immunotherapy research

Why do gastrointestinal tumors often not respond to immunotherapies? This is the question addressed by Hanne Malin Reinhart as part of her doctoral research. With support from the FOSTER program, she developed a co-culture platform of tumor organoids and tumor-infiltrating T cells. A newly established live-cell imaging setup enables real-time observation of interactions between immune and tumor cells. The funding not only strengthened methodological research but also her scientific independence and teamwork. Initial follow-up projects are already underway, and a publication is planned for 2026.

© Katrin Klunker/TUD

DO it NOW – Sustainability Week, June 15–19

For the fifth time, TUD’s Sustainability Week will transform the university into a hub for sustainability this June — this year in collaboration with HTW Dresden. During the “DO it NOW” campaign week from June 15 to 19, the many sustainability initiatives and people involved at the universities, as well as within the wider city community, will be showcased. The program includes a variety of networking events, workshops, and talks, alongside clothes swaps, exhibitions, information stands, film evenings, and much more.

© Freepik/TUD

Sustainability challenge with the Cleema App

Working together for a more sustainable future: with the Cleema app, all members of the university can take part in TU Dresden’s sustainability challenge. Each day, participants can collect points for sustainable actions in their everyday university life. The shared goal is to reach a target score together by the end of the Sustainability Week on June 19 — because every action counts: whether it be choosing the climate-friendly meal option in the cafeteria, cycling instead of driving, attending sustainability-related training and educational events, or even just saving paper.

Quasiparticles ride magnetic waves: When a laser pulse strikes a material layer, excitons are generated and move through the layer as electron–hole pairs. © Kilian Neddermeyer

Riding the quantum wave: quasiparticles reveal a magneto-optical transport phenomenon

A research team led by Prof. Alexey Chernikov of ctd.qmat has discovered a novel transport phenomenon. They found that luminescent quasiparticles can be carried along by magnetic excitations known as spin waves in quantum materials and even accelerated to ultrahigh speeds. To investigate this phenomenon, the researchers studied atomically thin layers of the antiferromagnetic semiconductor chromium sulfide bromide. The newly identified quantum phenomenon holds promise for future magneto-optical applications. The findings have been published in Nature Nanotechnology.

Cross-section of the new COLM research building, showing the entrance hall and connecting corridor. © heinlewischer, Partnerschaft freier Architekten mbB

German Science and Humanities Council recommends new research building for TUD

Major success for cutting-edge research at TUD: The German Science and Humanities Council has recommended funding for a new research building for the Center for the Organization of Living Matter (COLM). Subject to the final decision of the Joint Science Conference (GWK), up to EUR 77.2 million in federal and state funds will be made available for the interdisciplinary center. The COLM will allow researchers from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, medicine, and computer science to collaborate on a better understanding of the physical foundations of life. The new building will provide state-of-the-art research facilities and strengthen the Cluster of Excellence PoL in particular.

© Frank Grätz

CeTI at IEEE 6G Summit Dresden 2026: Shaping the Tactile Internet

The IEEE 6G Summit 2026 provided the perfect stage for the Cluster of Excellence CeTI to demonstrate the power of next-generation networks. As a key driver of innovation, CeTI showcased how the future of the Tactile Internet relies on 6G. Visitors at our booth experienced human-machine collaboration firsthand through two interactive live demonstrators: "The Walkable OR," featuring AI-assisted healthcare robotics, and "Spirit Fingers," an intuitive sensor-glove setup.

© Deutsche Telekom Chair of Communication Networks

New state-of-the-art labs for future technologies

TUD has opened two new highly innovative research facilities designed to significantly advance the development of future technologies: the Quantum Communication, Computing, and Sensing Lab and the Holodeck. Both facilities are closely linked to CeTI and bring together cutting-edge research in quantum technology and human-machine interaction.

© Cube3D/IPF Dresden

Turning gold chiral with proteins — Reversible control of chiral plasmons using proteins

Exciting new findings from Deputy Speaker of REC² Prof. Andreas Fery, Dr. Ziwei Zhou and colleagues at IPF, published in Nature Materials, show that achiral gold nanoparticle assemblies can exhibit reversible chiroptical activity. By embedding proteins into the assemblies and mechanically stretching them, the team demonstrates a direct and reversible way to tune circular dichroism at visible and near-infrared wavelengths. This deformation-driven effect strongly enhances the optical response and remains stable over many switching cycles while avoiding high energy and resource consumption of conventional nanofabrication. Within REC², this work highlights a low-resource, reversible, and bio-integrated approach to adaptive optical materials.

Diatom paths visualized. Each line shows the journey of a single diatom over the course of an hour. The image reveals how these microorganisms navigate across the surface, despite being encased in rigid shells. © Stefan Golfier

Stiff yet agile: Researchers uncover a central mechanism of diatom steering

Mobility is essential for living organisms, enabling them to respond to their environment and navigate towards favorable environmental conditions. Yet how diatoms, single-celled algae encased in rigid, glass-like shells, manage to move and turn rapidly without shape changes or external appendages has long remained a mystery. An interdisciplinary team led by Prof. Stefan Diez and Dr. Nicole Poulsen at the B CUBE has now uncovered a surprisingly simple mechanism: diatoms steer by shifting where their cell wall contacts the surface beneath them.

© Vadym Huzhva/stock.adobe.com

Fr1da study expands early diabetes detection to 12 German federal states

As part of the Fr1da study, “Early detection and early treatment of type 1 diabetes,” carried out by researchers at the CRTD and the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, families can have their children aged two to ten tested for an early stage of type 1 diabetes. From May 2026, the study will expand its program by five additional federal states, bringing the total to 12: Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia will be added. Until now, the program had been available in Bavaria, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saxony.

Microscopy image of C. elegans roundworm. © Byoungjun Park

The sleep switch: One hormone to rule metabolism, memory, and lifespan

Somatostatin has long been known as a major regulator of health, memory, and lifespan, but exactly how a single molecule exerts such control over our health has remained a mystery. By studying roundworms, a research team led by Prof. Henrik Bringmann at the BIOTEC of TUD has now discovered the missing link: sleep. They found that somatostatin does not control all these functions directly. Instead, it regulates sleep, which in turn controls health, memory, and lifespan. Published in the journal Science Advances, the findings identify sleep as the central hub.