WACKER, the Munich-based chemical company, and the Technische Universitaety Muenchen (TUM) officially opened an Institute of Silicon Chemistry in Garching, near Munich, this Wednesday evening. The institute is part of the WACKER Chair of Macromolecular Chemistry. The 500m2 laboratory wing provides ideal working conditions for interdisciplinary research into macromolecular organosilicon compounds. The Munich-based chemical company has endowed the WACKER Chair and the Institute of Silicon Chemistry with some €6 million.

In the 1880s, an acrimonious dispute broke out between two of America’s foremost inventors: Thomas Alva Edison advocated the use of direct current (DC) , whereas George Westinghouse was a leading proponent of alternating current (AC). Westinghouse realized that transporting electricity via high-voltage networks and converting it to a lower voltage at the point of use provided an efficient method of distribution. Westinghouse prevailed, and today, AC networks are used throughout the world to transport electricity. Nevertheless, energy is always lost whenever electricity is converted. In fact, when it comes to transporting electricity across long distances, high voltage DC is the most efficient option. Thanks to developments in modern power electronics, DC can now be converted to high voltage and back. But this technology requires high-performance components built from low-defect semiconductor material as it is produced by the neutron doping services offered at the FRM II neutron source.

Maize (Zea mays) is among the most important food and fodder crops worldwide. However diseases and pests cause significant damage to harvests. Geneticists at the Center for Food and Life Sciences Weihenstephan (WZW) of the Technical University of Munich have now discovered a way to fortify maize’s natural defenses. By combining genetic insights with new plant breeding methods maize crop yields can be secured while reducing the need for pesticides.