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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
A new junior research group began its work on April 15, 2026, at the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich. Led by Dr. Nikolai Köhler, the Integrative Food Systems Analysis group is dedicated to developing computer-based predictive models for the sensory and physiological effects of food compound systems.
Integrative multiomics approaches are at the heart of their research. The junior research group is developing new computational methods to integrate and analyze the diverse high-throughput data from food chemistry analyses and biological functional studies. By combining graph theory, statistics, and machine learning, the researchers aim to gain new insights into so-called food compound systems—that is, the interaction between sensory-active and bioactive substances.
Predictive models are key
“Predictive models are key to shaping the transition to data-driven, more sustainable, and efficient food and nutrition systems. I am very excited to be able to make an important contribution to this through my work at the renowned Leibniz Institute,” says group leader Dr. Nikolai Köhler. The long-term goal is to be able to predict, based on food compound profiles, how foods affect sensory perception and what other physiological effects they have in the human body.
Dr. Köhler studied molecular biotechnology at the Technical University of Munich and earned his Ph.D. at the Bavarian Research Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt) as a member of the LipiTUM junior research group. During his doctoral studies, he also completed a research fellowship at Yale University (New Haven, USA). During this time, he focused in particular on computer-aided methods for analyzing metabolites and metabolic networks in the context of systems biology.
He subsequently conducted research at Heidelberg University in the group of Junior Professor Britta Velten (Data Science in Biology), where he further developed machine learning methods for the analysis of spatial omics data.
The research contributes to the overarching mission
The work of the new junior research group contributes to the Leibniz Institute’s overarching mission of establishing a scientific foundation for the development of innovative, sensorially appealing, and sustainably produced foods that promote healthy nutrition. In the future, the methods developed are also intended to be usable by companies and authorities throughout the entire value chain.
“We are delighted to have recruited such a talented and dedicated scientist as Nikolai Köhler to our institute,” says Professor Corinna Dawid, Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute. With the new Integrative Food Systems Analysis junior research group, the institute is strengthening its unique interdisciplinary research at the interface of food chemistry and biology, chemosensory science and technology, as well as bioinformatics and machine learning.
More Information:
In “integrative multiomics approaches,” various “omics” data are analyzed together to gain a holistic understanding of complex biological systems.
The term “omics” refers to different levels of biological information, such as genomics (genes), transcriptomics (gene activity), proteomics (proteins), and metabolomics (metabolic products). In this context, “integrative” means that these data are not considered separately but are linked together.
Using statistics, bioinformatics, and machine learning, this allows for the identification of correlations that would not be visible in individual datasets. In the context of food research, this specifically means, for example, combining chemical analyses of food compounds with biological data from cell or human studies. This enables a better understanding of how food compounds interact, how they influence taste, and what effects they have in the body.
In short, “integrative multiomics approaches” provide a more comprehensive picture of how complex systems function by simultaneously integrating and analyzing multiple levels of data.
Contacts:
Scientific Contact:
Dr. Nikolai Köhler
Head of the Junior Research Group: Integrative Food Systems Analysis
Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology
at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM)
Lise-Meitner-Str. 34
85354 Freising / Germany
Tel.: +49 8161 71-2755
E-mail: n.koehler.leibniz-lsb@tum.de
Press Contact at Leibniz-LSB@TUM:
Dr. Gisela Olias
Knowledge Transfer, Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 8161 71-2980
E-mail: g.olias.leibniz-lsb@tum.de
https://www.leibniz-lsb.de
Information About the Institute:
The Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM) comprises a unique research profile at the interface of Food Chemistry & Biology, Chemosensors & Technology, and Bioinformatics & Machine Learning. As this profile has grown far beyond the previous core discipline of classical food chemistry, the Institute spearheads the development of a food systems biology. Its aim is to develop new approaches for the sustainable production of sufficient quantities of food whose biologically active effector molecule profiles are geared to health and nutritional needs, but also to the sensory preferences of consumers. To do so, the Institute explores the complex networks of sensorically relevant effector molecules along the entire food production chain with a focus on making their effects systemically understandable and predictable in the long term.
A Member of the Leibniz Associatation
The Leibniz-LSB@TUM is a member of the Leibniz Association, which connects 96 independent research institutions. Their orientation ranges from the natural sciences, engineering and environmental sciences through economics, spatial and social sciences to the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic and ecological relevance.They conduct basic and applied research, including in the interdisciplinary Leibniz Research Alliances, maintain scientific infrastructure, and provide research-based services. The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer, particularly with the Leibniz research museums. It advises and informs policymakers, science, industry and the general public.
Leibniz institutions collaborate intensively with universities – including in the form of Leibniz ScienceCampi – as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to a transparent, independent evaluation procedure. Because of their importance for the country as a whole, the Leibniz Association Institutes are funded jointly by Germany’s central and regional governments. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 21,300 people, including 12,200 researchers. The financial volume amounts to 2,2 billion euros.
Note on the use of AI
The press release was first translated from German into American English using DeepL Pro. The scientist and the communications team then reviewed the text for factual and linguistic accuracy, making corrections where necessary.
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Dr. Nikolai Köhler
Head of the Junior Research Group: Integrative Food Systems Analysis
Leibniz-Institute for Food Systems Biology
at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM)
Lise-Meitner-Str. 34
85354 Freising / Germany
Tel.: +49 8161 71-2755
E-mail: n.koehler.leibniz-lsb@tum.de
Dr. Nikolai Köhler, head of the junior research group, in his office
Quelle: Dr. Gisela Olias
Copyright: Dr. Gisela Olias / Leibniz-LSB@TUM
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Dr. Nikolai Köhler, head of the junior research group, in his office
Quelle: Dr. Gisela Olias
Copyright: Dr. Gisela Olias / Leibniz-LSB@TUM
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