Newsroom

Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia. Researchers have now shown: It is not only nerve cells that produce the protein beta-amyloid, which clumps together to form harmful plaques in the brain of patients, damaging nerve cells. Glial cells also produce the protein and contribute to plaque formation. more

The “power plants” of living cells, the mitochondria, provide the necessary energy, among other things Mitochondria produce some of the proteins required for this themselves – with the help of special protein factories, the mitoribosomes. Researchers in Göttingen have now deciphered how the human cell assembles the mitoribosomes, which consist of proteins and RNA, in a modular fashion. more

Female mammals, including humans, are born with all of their egg cells. Some egg cells therefore survive for several decades – and need to remain functional over this long time. Extremely long-lived proteins in the ovary seem to play an important role in this and may help maintain fertility for as long as possible. more

For life on Earth, it is essential that plants carry out photosynthesis and produce oxygen and chemical energy with the help of sunlight. Researchers have now succeeded for the first time in visualizing the copying machine of chloroplasts, the RNA polymerase PEP, in high-resolution 3D.  more

Lipids play an important role in the development of Alzheimer's dementia. However, more details about this process were previously unknown. A team of scientists from Göttingen, Jülich, and Düsseldorf has now determined the atomic structures of lipid-fibril complexes for the first time. (in German) more

The waste system of living cells, the proteasome, not only shreds disused or damaged proteins. It also supports the immune system in recognizing virally infected or cancerous cells by producing so-called immunopeptides. Researchers headed by Juliane Liepe have now simulated protein degradation by the proteasome in the laboratory and identified peptides thereby produced. In future, the resulting data could help predict immunopeptides and develop new vaccines against infectious diseases or cancer. more

A team led by Sonja Lorenz has visualized the cell’s labeling machine, the ubiquitin ligase HACE1, bound to an important target protein in full length in 3D. The researchers were thus able to uncover important mechanisms of how HACE1 recognizes its target proteins and how this process is regulated. more

Whether we stay healthy or become seriously ill is determined by our genes. The folding of our genome also has a significant influence on this, as the 3D genome organization regulates which genes are switched on and off. Researchers led by Marieke Oudelaar and Elisa Oberbeckmann at our MPI have now succeeded in recreating the 3D folding of the yeast genome in the lab and deciphering the underlying mechanisms. more

Around one million individuals worldwide become infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, each year. To replicate and spread the infection, the virus must smuggle its genetic material into the cell nucleus and integrate it into a chromosome. Researchers headed by Dirk Görlich as well as Thomas Schwartz at MIT have now discovered that its capsid has evolved into a molecular transporter. As such, it can directly breach a crucial barrier, which normally protects the cell nucleus against viral invaders. more

Transmission electron microscopes in combination with short light pulses make it possible to investigate non-linear optical processes. Researchers from Göttingen and Switzerland have now shown for the first time how electrons can distinguish complex light states in a microscopic light storage in an electron microscope. more

Researchers from Göttingen and Karlsruhe have developed a new treatment approach for pancreatic cancer. The innovative method promises to be able to treat the disease in a more targeted way and with fewer side effects in the future. more

Researchers led by Ashwin Chari and Holger Stark have visualised the structure of this fatty acid factory at an unprecedented resolution of 1.9 Å. At this level of detail, they were able to directly observe enzyme reactions and track a complete fatty acid production cycle. The findings provide new approaches for combating pathogens and producing fatty acids sustainably. more

Until a mammalian embryo implants in the uterus, the egg cell has to supply it with everything it needs to survive, including essential proteins. Researchers have now elucidated how egg cells store these proteins. Their experiments also provide important insights into how errors in protein storage can lead to infertility. Structures of the egg cell that have puzzled scientists for over 60 years play a crucial role in this. more

Researchers at our institute and colleagues have now found a possible explanation in planarian flatworms. Analyzing head regeneration abilities in a large collection of planarian species, they found that these capacities vary greatly and depend on how the different species reproduce. more

Researchers have succeeded in measuring interactions between electrons in the electron microscope. In the process, they discovered an “energetic fingerprint” in which the distribution of the velocities of the electrons is very characteristic of their respective numbers. With the help of their findings, they developed a new method that can increase the performance of various electron microscopes. more

Nine renowned scientists will present their new non-fiction books on current topics such as artificial intelligence and climate change in Göttingen’s Paulinerkirche from October 18 to 27 as part of this year’s scientific lecture series at the Göttinger Literaturherbst. (in German) more

Guests from politics, industry, and science joined the institute to celebrate the construction of the new tower 7 at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences. (in German) more

About 90 girls and boys get to know different areas of work at our institute. more

The new building will provide space for three departments and replace tower 6, which is in need of refurbishment. Preparatory work is currently underway to set up the construction site. The actual construction phase is scheduled to begin in November 2024 and be completed by July 2027. The Max Planck Society will cover the costs of around 34 million euros for the new building. more

From October 27 to November 5, renowned researchers and authors will report on their exciting findings in astronomy, biology, the humanities, and social sciences in the scientifc lecture series Wissenschaftsreihe beim Göttinger Literaturherbst. The lectures in the Paulinerkirche in Göttingen begin at 7 pm. (in German) more

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

Carpenter Miriam Fischer receives the Apprenticeship prize for outstanding achievements during her training. (in German) more

Ida Marie Astad Jentoft and Panagiotis Poulis from our institute and Yuto Bekki from the MPI for Solar System Research receive the Otto Hahn Medal for outstanding achievements in their dissertations. Jentoft is also honored with the Otto Hahn Award. more

Markus Zweckstetter, research group leader at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Göttingen and at our institute, has been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant. He will use the approximately 2.5 million euros to research the biomolecular mechanisms involved in Alzheimer’s disease. (Press release by the DZNE) more

The Louis-Jeantet Foundation honors our Director for discovering a new kind of biological matter that acts as a highly selective barrier to control central transport pathways in the cell. He has made groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of the processes by which macromolecules are transported into and out of the cell nucleus, the foundation said. more

Once again, trainees from various fields of work at the MPI for Multidisciplinary Sciences receive the Max Planck Society’s annual apprenticeship prize, worth 750 euros. Lin Cao, Lili Dederer, Niko Freter, Lucas Majora, and Jakob Suderland are being honored for their outstanding achievements during their now completed training. (in German) more

The European Research Council (ERC) is funding the three Göttingen Campus academics Hauke Hillen, Marieke Oudelaar, and Saskia Limbach with an ERC Starting Grant of about 1.5 million euros each for a period of five years. more

The National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina honors its member Jürgen Troe with the Cothenius Medal for his outstanding scientific life's achievements in the field of chemical reaction kinetics. (in German) more

Constanze Depp and Dmitriy Borodin receive the Otto Hahn Medal of the Max Planck Society for excellence in their dissertations. Borodin is also honored with the Otto Hahn Award for the exceptional quality of his research, Depp additionally receives the Peter Hans Hofschneider Prize. The research organization presented the awards at its annual meeting in Göttingen on June 21. 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