Dive into an exciting experience at the Open Day of the TUM School of Natural Sciences. Join us on tours of our state-of-the-art labs for live research experiences. Explore exhibits and demonstrations offering practical insights into the fascinating world of natural sciences. Deepen your understanding with informative lectures and captivating discussions. From thrilling experiments to inspiring talks, there's something for everyone to discover and learn.
Locations
Department of Mechanical Engineering
TUM School of Engineering and Design
Boltzmannstraße 15
MW 2001 Rudolf Diesel Lecture Hall Maschinenwesen
Map: https://nav.tum.de/room/5510.02.001
Department of Chemistry
TUM School of Natural Sciences
Lichtenbergstraße 4
Map: https://nav.tum.de/room/5401.01.101K
Location
Department of Mechanical Engineering
TUM School of Engineering and Design
Boltzmannstraße 15
MW 2001 Rudolf Diesel Lecture Hall Maschinenwesen
Lageplan: https://nav.tum.de/room/5510.02.001
Time: 10:30-12:00; 13:30-15:00
The TUM School of Natural Sciences in Garching is participating in the nationwide "Open Doors with the Mouse" day. Under the motto "Discovering Little Wonders," we invite children and families to two special experimental lectures (in German).
Prof. Julia Herzen and Prof. Tom Nilges will present exciting experiments from the fields of physics and chemistry. Research is all about discovering little wonders — an endeavor that requires creativity, spontaneity, and enthusiasm. Here, science comes to life with experiments unlike those you would see in school.
Featuring Prof. Julia Herzen, Prof. Tom Nilges, Tobias Kubo, Sepp Kressierer, Simon Lewang, Franziska Stadler, Nicoleta Draghici, Billy Nguyen
Space is limited. Please arrive 15 minutes before the lecture begins.
Target audience
Everyone, children
Language
German
Contact
Location
Department of Chemistry
TUM School of Natural Sciences
Lichtenbergstraße 4
CH26411 Science Cinema (Emil-Erlenmeyer Lecture Hall)
Time
11:00 (German), 14:00 (German), 16:00 (English)
Program: Lecture and Lab tours
Electron microscopy reveals the structure and composition of materials down to the atomic level. Each presentation is followed by a tour for up to 15 people. We offer tours of our microscopes and provide a live demonstration of how we observe the dynamics of active catalysts.
Please inquire at the “Seeing is Believing” information desk for tickets to the laboratory tours.
Target audience
Everyone
Language
German / English
Contact
Prof. Marc Willinger, Marc.Willinger@tum.de
Program: information booth/advice
General information about the TUM School of Natural Sciences and the degree programs in Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, and Food Chemistry, as well as academic advising.
Target audience
Prospective students, Everyone
Language
German / English
Contact
Program: Information booth & advice
Is your head spinning from all that science? We’ve got the perfect way to cool down! We serve freshly made, incredibly creamy liquid nitrogen ice cream – made right in front of you using liquid nitrogen at -196°C. Not only does it taste fantastic, but it also cools down those overheated minds in an instant!
What’s more, we’re here to answer any questions you might have about your studies. From real-life experiences of everyday university life to useful insider tips for prospective students, right through to the best tricks for a successful start to your degree.
You’ll also find out first-hand how the student union supports you throughout your degree – whether it’s during orientation days, with past exam papers, or by acting as your voice to the faculty. Pop round, grab your ice cream, and bombard us with your questions!
Target audience
Everyone, Children, Prospective students
Language
German / English
Contact
Program: Information booth & Activity station
Art contest for children aged 6–10: Dive into the world of Lumi’s Herzensfreude —a comic book for children and for anyone who has kept alive the joy of wonder! Follow Lumi, a curious ray of sunshine, on a journey from the sun to Earth. Get creative right here on the spot and show us, through your own artwork, the role light plays in your life. What do you associate with light? When do you encounter light in your daily life? Let Lumi inspire you and put your ideas on paper—whether it’s brilliant sunshine, vibrant colors, or special moments illuminated by light. There are even small prizes to be won.
Tip: Pick up your own copy of Lumi’s Herzensfreude while you’re here. Act fast to discover even more about the exciting world of light! We look forward to seeing your radiant masterpieces!
Target audience
Everyone, Children
Language
German / English
Contact
Dr. Simone Stegbauer, simone.stegbauer@tum.de
Program: Hands-on station
With us, you can make vegan gummy bears using agar and fruit juice—and discover the chemical mechanisms behind them!
Target audience
Everyone, Children
Language
German / English
Contact
Leonie Kauling, Leonie.kauling@tum.de
Program: Interactive station
How do we perceive colors, how can we measure colors, what happens in color mixing, and what do optical brighteners do? These questions will be explored playfully with a UV/VIS spectrometer and simple experiments related to color, fluorescence, and polarization.
Target audience
Prospective students, children, adolescents
Language
German / English
Contact
Prof. Friedrich Esch, friedrich.esch@tum.de
Program: Experiments, interactive station
Why do some substances glow? How do molecules react to light? And what does this have to do with the way we see? At our photochemistry booth, visitors can discover fascinating phenomena—such as fluorescence, chemiluminescence, and molecular light switches—through hands-on experiments. Come by and see how light makes chemistry glow!
Target audience
Children, Everyone
Language
German / English
Contact
Dr. Simone Stegbauer, simone.stegbauer@tum.de
Program: interactive station
With the help of modern scanning probe microscopes, nanostructures down to the atomic level can be imaged. This will be demonstrated using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and an atomic force microscope (AFM). The method can be explored playfully with a LEGO model.
Target audience
Prospective students, children, adolescents
Language
German / English
Contact
Prof. Friedrich Esch, friedrich.esch@tum.de
Program: Interactive station, information/advice
A fascinating exploration of nature and the laboratory with experiments on the extraction of natural substances from orange peels, mint, and caraway.
Target audience
Prospective students, children, adolescents
Language
German / English
Contact
Dr. Stefan Breitenlechner, stefan.breitenlechner@tum.de
Program: Information stand, Experiments
See how we visualize structures at the nanometer scale using an atomic force microscope, gain insights into current experiments, and learn how we specifically optimize materials for a sustainable energy future.
Target audience
Prospective students, Children, Everyone
Language
German / English
Contact
Prof. Johanna Eichhorn, johanna.eichhorn@tum.de
Program: Hands-on booth
The Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 325 presents its research on “Chemistry with Light” and invites children to a painting competition and young people and adults to build a smartphone spectrometer.
Target audience
Everyone, Children, Prospective students
Language
German / English
Contact
Collaborative Research Center/Transregio 325 Assembly Controlled Chemical Photocatalysis
Dr. Alena Hölzl-Hobmeier, coordinator-crc325@ch.tum.de
Program: Information booth & advice
How did life emerge on Earth? Explore the scientific quest to understand the origin of life through interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and insights into the interdisciplinary research of Collaborative Research Center 392.
Target group
Prospective students, Children, Everyone
Language
German / English
Contact
Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 392 – Molecular Evolution in Prebiotic Environments
Magdalena Wilde, Magdalena.wilde@lmu.de / molevo@lmu.de
Program: Information booth & advice
Whether it's plant protection and cosmetics made from byproducts of edible mushroom production, vegan protein from microalgae, or bio-based heating oil from urban waste streams, the diversity of microorganisms opens up a wide field of potential applications for greater sustainability. A combination of bioprocess engineering and molecular biology enables the use of microorganisms to produce, for example, (microbial) oils, proteins, and other natural products at an industrial scale covering a broad range of applications, from food and pharmaceuticals to cosmetics and technical applications such as plant protection, lubricants, or even carbon fibers. In this way, not only fossil raw materials but also animal products, which are often associated with animal suffering, can be replaced in a sustainable manner.
Target audience
Everyone
Language
German / English
Contact
Dr. Daniel Garbe, daniel.garbe@tum.de
Program: Tours and lectures
Guided tours of the institute building are offered, featuring brief introductory talks on current catalysis research. The talks are followed by visits to various laboratories—such as synthesis and analytical labs—where modern measuring instruments and working methods are demonstrated and explained.
Presentation: TUM and the Central Institute for Catalysis Research: An Overview
In a 20-minute presentation, we introduce you to the research landscape at TUM and the activities of the TUM Catalysis Research Center (CRC). You will gain insight into the key metrics and research pillars of TUM — a University of Excellence — as well as the CRC’s primary research topics.
Time
The guided tours start in the lobby of the Department of Chemistry at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tickets are limited and available at the Central Institute for Catalysis Research booth in the lobby of the Department of Chemistry.
Zielgruppe
Allgemein
Sprache
Deutsch / Englisch
Kontakt
Target audience
Everyone
Language
German / English
Contact
Program: Lab Tour
This laboratory tour (in German) presents an ultra-high vacuum experiment in which atomically precise metal clusters are deposited onto surfaces and examined for their stability, shape, and catalytic activity. The heart of the setup is a scanning tunneling microscope that can be operated over a wide temperature range and is capable of capturing rapid films of surface processes at the atomic scale.
The tour lasts 20 minutes and takes place at 14:00, 15:00, and 16:00. Please sign up at the Physical Chemistry booth (maximum of 15 participants per tour).
Target audience
Prospective students, Everyone
Language
German
Contact
Dr. Lorenz Falling, lorenz.falling@tum.de
Program: Lab tour
The NMR Center houses some of the world's largest nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers. Equipped with powerful superconducting magnets, these instruments allow us to effectively "look inside" molecules and study their properties. This enables us to investigate their composition, spatial structure, and interactions with other molecules — such as how drugs bind to proteins or RNA.
Request tickets for a laboratory tour at the “infopoint studying in the School of Natural Sciences” in the Chemistry Building.
Time
11:00, 13:00, 15:00 (20 persons per tour)
Target audience
Adults
Language
German / English
Contact
Dr. Gerd Gemmecker, gerd.gemmecker@tum.de
Program: Lab tour and presentation
How are the batteries of the future created? Discover the world of solid-state batteries at TUMint.Energy Research! In short lectures, lab tours, and hands-on exhibits, you'll learn how the batteries of tomorrow are developed. Registration required at the TUMint Energy Research information stand (maximum 15 persons per tour).
Time
11:00-11:15 Einführung in die Forschung an Festkörperbatterien (German)
14:00-14:15 Introduction to Solid-State Battery Research (English)
Target audience
Everyone, children, prospective students
Language
German / English
Contact
Robin Schuster, schuster@tumint-energy.de
Program: Interactive Stations & Laboratory Tours
Our Chair presents exciting insights into modern analytical science. Visitors can explore both our exhibition stand and laboratories to discover how we assess water quality and develop innovative analytical methods.
Laboratory Tours
- Mass Spectrometry – How we precisely identify chemical compounds
- Raman Spectroscopy & Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) – Making materials visible
- Bioanalytics – Rapid detection of trace substances and microorganisms
Hands-On Activities at Our Stand
- For children and curious minds of all ages: Try paper chromatography yourself
- For visitors of all ages: Interactive explanations of water quality assessment using modern analytical techniques
- For those interested in research: Insights into current projects at our Chair
Time
There will be three lab tours in total, each lasting 30 minutes, at the following times:
11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. A maximum of 10 people can participate in each tour.
Please sign up in advance at the booth if you would like to join a tour!
Target Audience
Prospective students, children, and the general public
Language
German / English
Contact