Imperial and Germany's Technical University of Munich (TUM) are launching a joint research centre to tackle particle pollution.
The Imperial-TUM Centre for Health Resilience in a Changing Planet will bring together Europe's top scientists, industry experts and policymakers to reveal the health impacts from particle pollution and support a major shift in industrial design, focusing on developing sustainable, pollution-minimising technologies.
The Centre will build a major London-Munich programme of work spanning engineering, materials science and AI, and medicine and life sciences.
Research teams from the two universities will focus on detecting and understanding the health impacts of plastic micro and nano-particles and will then work with industry, governments and health agencies to mitigate the impact through engineering design innovation, new materials and policy change.
The researchers aim to develop transformative new innovations for industries such as automotive and transport, ICT and chemicals.
From lightweight vehicle designs to smarter mobility solutions, the Centre aims to work alongside European industry partners to create solutions that balance health, performance, and environmental responsibility.
Health impacts of particle pollution
Tiny plastic particles which accumulate in water, air and the food chain are gaining access into the human body via the gastrointestinal tract and the lungs.
Sources of particle pollution include vehicle tyres, synthetics clothes and personal care products.
Researchers aim to better understand how these plastics may damage the body by identifying the pollutants that trigger inflammation and tissue damage.
Chronic inflammation is recognised as the cause of degenerative diseases, organ failure, cancer and dementia, strengthening the urgent need to understand the relationship between inflammation and pollutants.
The researchers also aim to develop highly sensitive sensors and molecular detection tools to measure and quantify tissue-damaging pollutants in the environment. The detection and quantification of pollutants, in particular, plastic micro and nano-particles, is currently very difficult.
Scientists will develop innovative ways to detect and quantify these particles in water, soil, the food chain and the human body.
Understanding the distribution of harmful pollutants will be key to making recommendations to industry and government on improved production processes to avoid the generation of harmful particles.
Designing industry solutions
The Centre will strengthen industry and tech ecosystem links between London and Munich, combining expertise across engineering, software development, public health, and AI to drive scientific innovation. Researchers will develop innovative solutions for sustainable mobility and pollution-reducing technologies, ensuring industries like automotive, ICT, and chemicals are equipped to navigate the shift towards zero-emission technologies and cleaner production practices.
Insights from transport-induced pollution could see research carried out in areas such as light-weight vehicle design, tyre engineering, fuel technology, manufacturing processes and the circular economy.
The Centre will seek to form a consortium of leading European and international companies to fast-track innovations in electric vehicles and mobility.
The future of electric vehicle design will harness smart software that can learn and adapt to inform how vehicles navigate cities to minimise the impact of particle pollution such as by adjusting speed and cornering techniques.
World leading expertise
Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College London, said: "Pollution threatens human health and society. This new Centre brings together world-leading expertise and cutting-edge facilities from two of the world's top universities to confront these challenges head-on. In its first major research focus, it will examine how particle pollutants, including microplastics, trigger inflammation and tissue damage, paving the way for new detection tools and engineering design solutions."
Professor Thomas F. Hofmann, President of TUM, said: "Understanding the mechanisms of how man-made particles weaken health resilience is crucial for the development of effective countermeasures. We want to make a concrete contribution to preparing our society for the new dangers and health challenges they pose."
Flagship research projects
The two universities have initially funded five projects at the Centre through their Joint Academy of Doctoral Studies (JADS) programme. The JADS programme develops clusters of PhD students who have access to world-leading academic supervisors and state-of-the art facilities at both institutions. The programme is led by Imperial's Professor Martin Wilkins and TUM's Professor Percy Knolle.
- Deciphering the biophysical aspects of mucociliary defense against fine dust pollution to understand patient-specific vulnerability to airway dysfunction. Led by Dr Eric Keaveny (Imperial) and Dr Janna Nawroth (TUM)
- Mechanisms determining the protective impact of the farm environment in the development of early-life. Led by Professor Clare Lloyd (Imperial) and Dr Constanze Jakwerth (TUM)
- Generation of Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Water: Implications for Health and Environmental Policy. Led by Dr Daniel Valero Huerta (Imperial) and Professor Miranda Schreurs (TUM).
- Allergies in the modern world: Investigating the impact of microplastic exposure on the skin-gut and skin-lung axis and its influence on allergy development. Led by Professor Jessica Strid (Imperial) and Professor Tilo Biedermann (TUM).
- Microplastics Exposures and Nanoplastics in Atheromas: Implications for Cardiovascular Events. Led by Professor Manuel Mayr (Imperial) and Professor Lars Maegdefessel (TUM).
Imperial and TUM
Imperial and TUM have been close collaborators for decades. In 2018 the two universities established a strategic partnership to develop ever-closer ties through a series of new institutional collaborations.
These include the Imperial-TUM Zero Pollution Network which brings together scientists, industry, governments and other partners to develop and translate solutions to some of the greatest sustainability challenges and combined threats of global pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change.
