# Technical University of Munich

develops DNA-origami-based programmable containers and nanomachines — including lipid-inspired origami containers for biomolecular robotics — extending structural DNA nanotechnology toward autonomous, moving nanodevices.

Source: https://en.bioecon.ru/companies/technical-university-of-munich/
Updated: 2026-07-03

- Country: Germany

## Verifiable facts

| Fact | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Affiliation | Technical University of Munich (TUM), Chair of Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems | https://portal.fis.tum.de/en/persons/friedrich-simmel/, https://syntheticcell.eu/community/friedrich-simmel/, https://www.bio.nat.tum.de/en/bio/professors/friedrich-simmel/, https://www.bio.nat.tum.de/en/e14/home/, https://www.bioengineering.tum.de/en/contacts/principal-investigators, https://www.nat.tum.de/en/nat/latest/article/lipid-inspired-dna-origami-creates-programmable-containers-for-biomolecular-robotics/, https://www.nat.tum.de/en/nat/latest/bioscience/article/thinking-of-biology-as-technology/ |
| Research focus | DNA nanotechnology, DNA origami, programmable nanomachines, lipid-inspired DNA containers, biomolecular robotics, synthetic biology, molecular self-organization | https://www.bio.nat.tum.de/en/e14/home/, https://www.biosystem.design/2026/07/03/biosystem-researchers-develop-stable-nanoswitch-withstanding-hundreds-of-thousands-of-switching-cycles/, https://www.helmholtz-munich.de/en/research/helmholtz-pioneer-campus/news-detail/creating-lipid-like-structures-with-dna-origami, https://www.nat.tum.de/en/nat/latest/article/lipid-inspired-dna-origami-creates-programmable-containers-for-biomolecular-robotics/, https://www.nat.tum.de/en/nat/latest/bioscience/article/thinking-of-biology-as-technology/, https://www.nat.tum.de/en/nat/research/main-research-areas/biomolecular-engineering-design/browse/2/, https://www.tum.de/en/news-and-events/all-news/press-releases/details/dna-origami |
| Facility | Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems (E14) lab, Cryoskeleton Lab at Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, Cryo-Electron Microscopy Platform at Helmholtz Munich | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37710028/, https://syntheticcell.eu/lipid-inspired-dna-origami-creates-programmable-containers/, https://www.bio.nat.tum.de/en/e14/home/, https://www.helmholtz-munich.de/en/research/helmholtz-pioneer-campus/news-detail/creating-lipid-like-structures-with-dna-origami, https://www.nat.tum.de/en/nat/latest/article/lipid-inspired-dna-origami-creates-programmable-containers-for-biomolecular-robotics/ |
| Grant | DFG Research Grants (multiple projects including BacteRNA, DNA membrane devices, synthetic gene circuits) | https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/162961152?language=en, https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/468955252?language=en, https://gepris.dfg.de/project/566915659, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37710028/ |
| Publications | Numerous peer-reviewed publications including in Nature, Nature Materials, and Nature Structural & Molecular Biology; h-index 63 (Simmel) | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41315785/, https://www.nat.tum.de/en/nat/latest/article/lipid-inspired-dna-origami-creates-programmable-containers-for-biomolecular-robotics/, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-025-02418-0, https://www.tum.de/en/news-and-events/all-news/press-releases/details/dna-origami |
| Principal staff | Friedrich C. Simmel (Professor), Christoph Karfusehr, Brice Beinsteiner, Marion Jasnin | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41315785/, https://www.bio.nat.tum.de/en/bio/professors/friedrich-simmel/, https://www.bio.nat.tum.de/en/e14/group-members/, https://www.bioengineering.tum.de/en/contacts/principal-investigators, https://www.nat.tum.de/en/nat/latest/article/lipid-inspired-dna-origami-creates-programmable-containers-for-biomolecular-robotics/ |
| Headcount | Multiple researchers including staff and group members listed under Chair of Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems [medium confidence] | https://www.bio.nat.tum.de/en/e14/group-members/ |

Independent sources: bio.nat.tum.de, bioengineering.tum.de, biosystem.design, gepris.dfg.de, helmholtz-munich.de, nat.tum.de, nature.com, portal.fis.tum.de, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, syntheticcell.eu, tum.de

## Technologies

- [DNA nanotechnology & DNA origami](https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/dna-nanotechnology-dna-origami/)