Newsroom

Researchers have visualized, for the first time, how the three-dimensional structure of the cancer protein p53 changes dynamically over time – from super-fast trillionths of a second to microseconds, which are one million times slower. In the fight against cancer, understanding the dynamics of these structures might help develop drugs that target p53.  more

Researchers have identified genetic changes that enable herring to reproduce successfully in the low-salinity Baltic Sea.
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An experimental drug has been shown to alleviate symptoms of Huntington's disease and extend lifespan in mouse models. more

Researchers have developed a PET tracer that can visualize pathological alpha-synuclein aggregates in the brain. The method could contribute to the development of new therapies and help tailor personalized treatments in the future. (in German) more

Researchers have elucidated how the production of respiratory chain proteins and their incorporation into the inner mitochondrial membrane are coordinated more

Researchers have deciphered the process by which the influenza virus steals the cap of the host RNA to replicate. more

In sea urchin and salmon sperm, the pH value regulates whether they remain immotile or swim. A rising pH activates soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC). This produces the messenger substance cAMP, which is essential for sperm movement.This regulation of cAMP concentration via the pH sensor sAC could be widespread among marine invertebrates and fish. more

In a large interdisciplinary collaboration, researchers led by Noa Lipstein and Nils Brose have discovered a new developmental disorder that can be traced back to variations in the UNC13A gene. more

Leishmania pathogens require the protein TKUL to maintain infection in host cells. TKUL combines two enzymes in one molecule. This structural peculiarity could be used for novel therapies.   more

Ubiquitin determines the fate of many proteins: It decides whether they remain active or are broken down, and which functions they perform. Acting as molecular tagging machines, ubiquitin ligases are indispensable in this process. They attach the small protein ubiquitin to the target proteins to be controlled. Researchers at the institute have now discovered that the human ubiquitin ligase HUWE1 can also tag externally added drug-like molecules. more

More than 40 million people worldwide are infected with the herpes virus every year. The virus can pose a serious threat to newborns and people with weakened immune systems. Researchers in Hamburg and Göttingen have now generated a mini-antibody that neutralizes a protein essential for the infection.  more

A team led by Bert de Groot has now applied molecular dynamics simulations to visualize how potassium ions pass through a potassium ion channel at atomic resolution for the first time. The simulations could help to better understand how ion channels are regulated or how potential drugs act on them. more

The spin-off of the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, launched in January 2025, is developing novel therapeutics to improve the quality of human egg cells. The compounds are intended to help women remain fertile for a longer time and to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy or in vitro fertilization (IVF). more

Researchers Victor Macarrón-Palacios, Elisa D‘Este, and Manfred Kilimann at the MPI for Medical Research in Heidelberg and our institute have discovered that the protein paralemmin-1 plays a key role in the organization of the membrane-associated periodic skeleton in nerve cells. more

Researchers led by Peter Lenart and Monica Gobran have discovered a previously unknown function of the protein kinase Plk1: It regulates the timely onset of cell division. When the protein is inhibited, cells start dividing many hours later. The new findings may help to improve approaches for cancer therapies. more

The “European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen” (ENI-G) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. On this occasion a two-day symposium was held at the City Campus of the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences. (in German) more

The program is looking for 15 junior scientists to answer key molecular questions underlying serious diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and diabetes. more

Microscopy instead of math class: During the Future Day on April 23, around 75 school students discovered the many different areas of work at our institute. (in German) more

Our institute’s art exhibition series Kunst am Fassberg returns after three years. From October 23 to November 24, abstract artist Birgit Egen will be exhibiting her work in an exhibition entitled FARBCODE. more

The spin-off of the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, launched in January 2025, is developing novel therapeutics to improve the quality of human egg cells. The compounds are intended to help women remain fertile for a longer time and to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy or in vitro fertilization (IVF). more

At the Future Day, around 70 school students explored the diverse fields of work at our institute. 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 should start in November 2024 and be completed by July 2027. The state of Lower Saxony supports the new building with 34 million euros from zukunft.niedersachsen. The total costs will be about 40 million euros. 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

Alexander Rotsch has been awarded the Otto Hahn Medal by the Max Planck Society for outstanding achievements in his dissertation. more

Director Melina Schuh has been elected as a Fellow of the British Royal Society in recognition of her outstanding contributions to oocyte research. more

The Max Planck start-up aims to significantly increase the success rate of artificial insemination. more

Four Lower Saxony-Israeli cooperation projects at Göttingen Campus are receiving a total of more than two million euros in funding. One of these projects is based in Sonja Lorenz's research group at MPI-NAT. more

The Volkswagen Foundation is funding a five-year collaborative project led by the University of Göttingen with two million euros. The project will investigate how enzymes, nature’s highly efficient catalysts, utilize electric fields to control chemical reactions rapidly, selectively, and under mild conditions.  more

Four scientists from our institute – Patrick Cramer, Stefan Hell, Klaus-Armin Nave, and Johannes Söding – are on Clarivate’s “Highly Cited Researchers 2025” list, placing them among the most cited scientists in their fields worldwide. more

The CHAPEROME project, now awarded an ERC Synergy Grant, aims to uncover how molecular folding helpers – known as chaperones – work together with the translation machinery to keep cells functional and adaptable. more

The director and her team filmed the entire ovulation process in mouse follicles in real-time for the first time. For this decisive success in her field, she has been awarded the 2025 Science Breakthrough by the Falling Walls Foundation in the Life Sciences category. The jury selected her as the winner from 240 nominations. more

The Lasker Foundation honors Dirk Görlich and the US-American Steven McKnight for “discoveries that exposed the structures and functions of protein sequences of low complexity, revealing new principles of intracellular transport and cellular organization”, the foundation announced. The prize is widely regarded as America’s preeminent biomedical research award and endowed with 250,000 US dollars. more

Four Trainee Awards for our institute: Jannick Flottmann, Frederike Thiele, Yannick Trolldenier, and Sarah Zamzow receive the Max Planck Society’s award, worth 750 euros, for their outstanding achievements, personal development, and commitment. (in German) more

Cai Dieball, scientist at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences, and Björn Müller, researcher at the MPI for Solar System Research have been awarded the Otto Hahn Medal by the Max Planck Society for outstanding achievements in their dissertations. more

The University of Göttingen and the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences have been successful in the competition for Germany’s most highly endowed research prize: Chemist Reinhard Maurer, nominated by the university and our institute, has been awarded a Humboldt Professorship.
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Prime Minister Stephan Weil presents the award to the physicist for his achievements and contributions in the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). (in German) more

Stefan Hell receives the highest award from the state of Lower Saxony for his many years of scientific achievements and his outstanding contribution to the research landscape in Lower Saxony. (in German) more

Frauke Alves and her team at NanoDrug Delivery GmbH have won the Lower Saxony Innovation Award in the category “Knowledge and Technology Transfer”. The spin-off from the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, the University Medical Center Göttingen, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology develops so-called nanoparticles that transport drugs precisely into tumor tissue, for example. (in German) more