Newsroom

Vlad Pena's team has now deciphered the steps that activate the spliceosome. The nanomachine converts the building instructions for proteins in the cell into a readable form. As the researchers discovered, two molecular motors activate the spliceosome. more

Alzheimer’s is considered the world’s most common neurodegenerative disease. Researchers have now shown that age-related damage to the insulating layer around nerve cells, called myelin, actively promotes Alzheimer’s-related changes in the brain. more

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. A German-Dutch research team has now discovered that the ultrastructure of the normal-appearing white matter in MS patients is already altered before the first foci of inflammation appear. more

Researchers have, for the first time, recreated in the lab the complex nanomachine that starts the garbage disposal system in living cells – and it works quite differently from other cellular machines. Instead of a molecular “on” and “off” switch, the machinery is set in motion and stopped by means of “protein origami”. more

In Parkinson’s patients, alpha-synuclein proteins clump together to form fibrils, which presumably damage nerve cells. A research team has now shown how lipids bind to these fibrils and influence their arrangement. They also demonstrated how the drug candidate anle138b attaches to the lipidic fibrils. The findings could open up new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. more

When we change our diet or fall ill, our brain has to adapt. Researchers at our institute have discovered that the five most important cell types in the brain differ significantly in their ability to adjust their metabolism to changing influences. (in German) more

Scientists at our institute and University of Leipzig Medical Center have demonstrated that mutations in a gene containing the blueprint for a molecular transporter are associated with a specific form of early childhood epileptic encephalopathy. (in German) more

Scientists at our institute, together with colleagues from Switzerland, succeeded in generating controlled electron-photon pairs in an electron microscope. The study’s findings expand the toolbox of quantum technology. more

VPM1002, developed by Emeritus Director Stefan H.E. Kaufmann and his team, has also fewer side effects compared to BCG, the only vaccine available to date o prevent tuberculosis .  more

Göttingen researchers succeeded in measuring the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine from nerve cells with unprecedented accuracy. This enables scientists to study the mechanisms that control dopamine signaling in more detail and to better elucidate the development of related diseases. (in German) more

A team led by our guest group leader, David Gómez-Valera, has developed an algorithm that predicts which hospitalized COVID-19 patients are at highest risk of death and require intensive care. (in German) more

Max Planck researcher Stefan Glöggler has developed a new method that promises an earlier detection of Parkinson’s. With the help of this technique, the scientist and his Göttingen colleagues discovered that certain metabolic products indicate the disease at an early stage. more

With the new method developed by Marieke Oudelaar and her team, the regulation of DNA and its activity can be studied in more detail than was previously possible. Ultimately, this can contribute to a better understanding of the genetic underpinnings of human diseases. more

Some nerve cells are more ‘eloquent’ than others; they can send out more than one type of messenger. Researchers at our institute have now shown which mechanism makes them ‘multilingual’. more

Human eggs are missing an important motor protein, which helps to separate the chromosomes correctly during cell division. Introducing this protein into eggs opens up new avenues for therapeutic approaches that could reduce chromosome segregation errors.
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For the fourth time, scientists from the four Max Planck Institutes in Göttingen will visit secondary schools in the city on January 26. There, they report on their daily work and provide unique insights into current research topics. (in German) more

The former Managing Director of the caesar Research Center (since 2022 MPI for the Neurobiology of Behavior - caesar) will continue to research on how living cells process signals in Göttingen with an emeritus group. His team wants to understand how cells perceive stimuli and respond physiologically. (in German) more

The exhibition “Glanzlichter” (“Highlights”) promises a reunion with the artists who have presented their works in the series Kunst am Fassberg over the past 20 years. The opening ceremony takes place on Saturday, October 22 at 4 pm. (in German) more

From October 28 to November 6, internationally renowned researchers and authors will report in the scientifc lecture serious Wissenschaftsreihe beim Göttinger Literaturherbst on current challenges of our time − such as the development of vaccines, the shaping of the energy transition, migration, and environmental protection. The lectures in the Göttingen Paulinerkirche begin at 7 pm. (in German) more

On January 1, 2022, the former Max Planck Institutes (MPI) for Biophysical Chemistry and for Experimental Medicine in Göttingen merged to form our new institute. Last Friday, we celebrated the foundation with high-ranking guests from politics, industry, and science. (in German) more

The Society’s Senate unanimously appointed the Managing Director of our institute as new President-elect for the term of office from 2023 to 2029. He will take over the role in June 2023 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Max Planck Society in Göttingen. more

The Max Planck Institutes for Biophysical Chemistry and Experimental Medicine have merged as of January 1, 2022. The new Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences will cover a much broader spectrum of research, thus promoting disciplinary diversity and collaboration. With a total of 16 departments and more than 25 research groups, the new MPI will be the largest institute in the Max Planck Society.
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The Max Planck Society is funding the International Max Planck Research School for Genome Science for another six years. The PhD program combines experimental and computational methods to train young scientists in the field of genome research (in German). more

On October 18, the institute's biotope project BioDiversum was inaugurated. Guest of honor was the well-known ornithologist and conservationist Peter Berthold, who even in his old age never tires of promoting his heartfelt mission: a conservation concept that also works in our intensively used and spoiled landscape. more

Once again this fall, the lecture series Wissenschaft beim Göttinger Literaturherbst offers impressive insights into the world of cutting-edge science. From October 29 to November 6, nine internationally renowned researchers will present their latest findings on current scientific topics in the Paulinerkirche. (in German) more

In his podcast #wissenschafftzukunft, Lower Saxony's Science Minister Björn Thümler talks with brain researcher Hannelore Ehrenreich about the importance of basic research in the Corona pandemic and how the head of clinical neuroscience at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine plans to fight Covid-19 with Epo. more

The campaign initiated by the German Research Foundation and Tierversuche verstehen advocates for transparent information and open communication about animal experiments in research. The MPI for Biophysical Chemistry is one of the first 53 research institutions to sign the campaign. more

The MPI for Biophysical Chemistry and for Experimental Medicine will merge. On March 12, the decision-making bodies of the Max Planck Society approved this plan. Formally, both institutions will be closed and a new MPI will be founded. The future institute will bring together natural science and basic medical research. more

The BioDiversum will be built in the coming months. It will provide a habitat for endangered animal and plant species. Today, earthworks for the pond began, the biotope’s central measure. With this project on its premises near Nikolausberg, the institute wants to contribute its share to stopping the massive loss of biodiversity. more

New institute combines natural sciences and medical research more

Patrick Cramer shares the prestigious award in the life sciences with Eva Nogales from the University of California, Berkeley. Both scientists have made significant contributions to elucidating gene transcription, one of the fundamental processes to life, through the lens of structural biology. more

Aljaz Godec. leader of the Mathematical bioPhysics research group, receives a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). The competition for the funding is fierce: The ERC selected only 371 of 2,222 applications in this round. more

Stefan Hell is awarded the prize together with BioNTech scientists Uğur Şahin, Özlem Türeci, Christoph Huber, and Katalin Karikó. The physicist succeeded in observing living cells at the molecular level using the novel super-resolution microscopy, the foundation said about its decision to honor Hell. (in German) more

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation has selected the research group leader to recruit outstanding international junior researchers as fellows. (in German) more

The Münster University Society honors the Max Planck scientist for his research achievements in the field of infection biology. The award is endowed with 20,000 euros and was ceremoniously awarded on November 8. (in German) more

The World Laureates Association (WLA) honors our director for his discoveries in the field of cellular logistics. He had key roles in elucidating the principles of transport between the nucleus and cytoplasm, the prize committee emphasized. The prize is worth 10 million Chinese yuan (about 1.4 million euros) and was ceremoniously awarded on November 6 at the 5^th WLA Forum in Shanghai. more

A new record for the Max Planck Society’s (MPS) annual apprenticeship prizes: At our institute, five former trainees and one training facility are among the winners this year. Jana Fahrenbach and Sara Rudert were honored together, Henri Münkel, Robin Paschke, and Dominik Peix were each recognized individually. For its excellent efforts in apprenticeship, the MPS honors the Carpentry at the City Campus. (in German) more

An efficient contrast agent method for MRI developed by Stefan Glöggler raises hopes of being able to distinguish tumors from healthy tissue on the basis of their metabolic activity. The ForTra gGmbH für Forschungstransfer of the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation (ForTra) and the European Research Council (ERC) are now providing funding to further develop the method for clinical patient studies. more

The research project FAIR CHARM aims to apply innovations from basic scientific research to clinical applications with the aid of high-resolution, real-time imaging. The EU is funding the international and interdisciplinary project with six million Euro.  more

The order honors the Nobel laureate in chemistry and director of the institute for his special services to science. Admission to the order is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on researchers or artists in Germany. (in German) more

Jascha Lau and Michael Weber of our institute as well as Mirna Elizabeta Kramar of the MPI for Dynamics and Self-Organization receive the prestigious Otto Hahn Medal. Lau is additionally honored with the Otto Hahn Award allowing him to establish an own research group after a research stay abroad.  more

With a history spanning more than 300 years, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities is a scientific association steeped in tradition. Patrick Cramer is now one of 13 newly admitted members. (in German) more

The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina honors the biophysicist for his outstanding scientific achievements and the special expertise in his field of research. (in German) more

The academy honors the director with the admission as a Foreign Member for her innovative research on the structure and function of ribosomes - the protein factories of cells. (in German) more

With this award, the prize committee honors the Max Planck director’s research contributions to a better understanding of the dynamic interactions between molecules and surfaces. more