The research team led by Prof. Wasenmüller has investigated a solution for AI-supported microorganism detection for automated hygiene monitoring that detects microorganisms on high-resolution images of Petri dishes with over 96 percent accuracy—a level comparable to human evaluations. With the help of specially generated synthetic training data, the effort required for manual data description is significantly reduced and adaptability to new forms of contamination is greatly increased. 
Secure and explainable AI mechanisms also ensure transparent and trustworthy application in regulated areas such as medicine, pharmacy, and the food industry.

For this innovation, project manager Prof. Dr. Oliver Wasenmüller and his team were honored yesterday, Thursday, May 8, 2025, by Minister of Economic Affairs Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut as AI Champion BW 2025. The award is presented annually to a research institution in Baden-Württemberg and eight companies. The award ceremony took place during the Metaverse Congress “Virtual Worlds – Experience Opportunities in the Metaverse” at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart.

Photo: Prof. Oliver Wasenmüller (left) and project team member Nikolas Ebert accept the award from Minister of Economic Affairs Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut (photo: Ferdinando Iannone)

You can find the detailed report here. (in German)