Press releases 2023
News on Beer Aroma: More Than 20-Year-Old Assumption Disproved
Freising, September 28, 2023 – Hop-derived constituents not only increase shelf-life and bitterness of beer, but can also significantly influence aroma. An important hop odorant is linalool, which has a floral and citrus-like scent. Under the leadership of the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich, a team of scientists has now disproved a roughly 20-year-old assumption about this odorant. The new study contributes to a better understanding of changes in beer bouquet during the brewing process and beer aging.
Research Team Identifies Human Odorant Receptor for Horse Stable Odor
Freising, August 1st, 2023 - Para-cresol is an aromatic compound with a strong horse stable-like odor. It contributes to the off-flavor of some foods, but it is also detectable as a characteristic odorant in whiskey and tobacco, as well as in the urine of various mammals. A research team led by the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich has now discovered which odorant receptor humans use to perceive para-cresol.
New Role for Taste Receptors: Bitter Taste Receptors Could Serve as Endogenous Sensors for Bile Acids
Freising, July 3, 2023 - Taste receptors for bitter substances are not only found on the tongue but also on cells outside the oral cavity. As a new study by the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich now shows, extraoral bitter taste receptors could also serve as endogenous sensors for bile acids. This discovery suggests that, in addition to food components, endogenous substances may have influenced the evolution of bitter taste receptors. Furthermore, the study provides new approaches to explore the health effects of food constituents in which extraoral bitter taste receptors are involved.
It's the Combination that Matters: Oatmeal- Plus Maggi Seasoning-Odor Results in Walnut Aroma
Freising, June 14, 2023 - A research team from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich has analyzed the aroma of walnut kernels and deciphered the underlying "odorant code". As the team shows for the first time, the typical walnut aroma is created by the combination of two odorants that are present in the nuts in roughly a one-to-one ratio. The first substance is sotolon, which smells like Maggi Seasoning sauce and which, as a single component, characterizes the aroma of lovage, for example. The second compound is called (2E,4E,6Z)-nona-2,4,6-trienal. It is known from oat flakes and is responsible for the typical odor there.
Human Immune Cells React to Non-Nutritive Sweeteners
Freising, May 16, 2023
Diet drinks often contain a mix of non-nutritive sweeteners that also enter the bloodstream after consumption. As a new pilot study shows, even dietary intake levels of saccharin, acesulfame-K and cyclamate are enough to modulate the copy rate of various genes in white blood cells. "Our data suggest that this modulation sensitizes immune cells to certain immune stimuli," says Dietmar Krautwurst of the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich. He adds: “Likewise, they also suggest that taste receptors may act as sweetener sensors of the cellular immune system.”
Prof. Veronika Somoza Elected Deputy Section Spokesperson of the Leibniz Association
Freising, March 29, 2023
On March 16, 2023, the directors of Section C Life Sciences with a focus on biodiversity and health of the Leibniz Association elected Prof. Veronika Somoza as their deputy spokesperson for two years. The distinguished scientist is thus also a deputy member of the Leibniz Association's Presidential Board.
Veronika Somoza has been director of the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich since November 2019 and is the first woman to hold the office of deputy spokesperson for Section C. With 24 institutes, the latter is one of the largest of the five Leibniz Sections.
Pungent Ginger Compound Puts Immune Cells on Heightened Alert
Freising, February 14, 2023
Ginger has a reputation for stimulating the immune system. New results from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM) now support this thesis. In laboratory tests, small amounts of a pungent ginger constituent put white blood cells on heightened alert. The study also shows that this process involves a type of receptor that plays a role in the perception of painful heat stimuli and the sensation of spiciness in food.
Chicory, surrogate and roasted coffee provide new insights into mechanisms of taste perception
Freising, January 23, 2023
The composition of foodstuffs, but also the sequence of dishes, are important for the perfect taste experience of a menu. This insight, based on experience, is well known. The molecular causes of the pleasure-enhancing effects, on the other hand, are still poorly understood. Using the example of chicory, surrogate and roasted coffee, a study by the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (LSB) now explains for the first time why the order in which we eat food can be decisive for bitter taste perception and what role bitter taste receptors play in this process.