Most of Dr. Menten’s research involves radio and (sub)millimeter wavelength emission from dust and molecules in the Universe and their chemistry. Presently, his research concentrates on the formation of stars in the local and the early Universe, the end of stages of stellar evolution, astrophysical masers and lasers and the structure of the Milky Way. For his studies he frequently employs high resolution instruments (interferometers), incl. Very Long Base Line Interferometry.

Karl Menten initiated and is principal investigator of the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment,  which, since 2005, operates, jointly with ESO and the Swedish Onsala Space Observatory, an innovative 12 meter diameter submillimeter wavelength telescope at 5100 meters altitude in the Chilean Atacama desert.