My Science and Me Gallery
What fascinates scientists about their research? What motivates them? Science thrives because of the people who drive it forward. Our photo gallery offers a glimpse into research through the eyes of those who make it happen. Whether astrophysicists, biologists, or historians, they all share a deep passion for their fields. Evocative images, mostly taken by professional photographers, capture researchers in their natural work environments. The accompanying texts are primarily written by the researchers themselves.
By the way, the gallery is regularly updated, so be sure to check back often!
Ferdi Schüth & spectacular experiments
"This photo shows me at work under very specific circumstances – and it is actually not work, I'm rather having great fun: every two years I organize a public "experimental show" with two colleagues, Wolfgang Schmidt and Andre Pommerin, at an open-air amphitheater close to the Institute, usually with an audience of over 2,000 - old and young. There we try to fascinate people for science, especially for chemistry, using spectacular experiments. The picture shows me pouring liquid methane, the main component of natural gas, in liquid form onto a smooth surface at minus 161.5 degrees Celsius. Some of the methane in the droplets vaporizes when it hits the ground and the methane drops "dance" back and forth on the gas cushion – like drops of water on a hot plate. I know from the feedback that all age groups really enjoy these events, and that they definitely have an effect on the choice of subjects kids focus on at school and for their later university studies."
Ferdi Schüth, Director at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung
Ferdi Schüth, Director at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung
© Frank Vinken
Gerhard Fecher & the colours beyond the rainbow
"In this picture, I'm standing in front of my favourite measuring device, a photoelectron spectrometer. This steel monster uses ultraviolet light to emit electrons from the surface of the materials under investigation. Inside of the silver hemisphere, the energy and momentum of the electrons are measured. In this way, I can investigate various properties of the materials that my colleagues and me have previously calculated on the computer.
I don't know whether Goethe really needed "more light", but from time to time I need not only more light, but also the colours beyond the rainbow. That's when I go to Hamburg to carry out experiments at the PETRA III electron storage ring. With a circumference of more than two kilometres, this ring is the largest lamp in the world, so to speak. Its brilliant X-ray light allows me to look much deeper into the material samples than is possible in the laboratory. Once again, a slightly larger silver hemisphere helps me to determine the momentum of the emitted electrons."
Gerhard H. Fecher, Research Group Leader, here in the thin film laboratory at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
I don't know whether Goethe really needed "more light", but from time to time I need not only more light, but also the colours beyond the rainbow. That's when I go to Hamburg to carry out experiments at the PETRA III electron storage ring. With a circumference of more than two kilometres, this ring is the largest lamp in the world, so to speak. Its brilliant X-ray light allows me to look much deeper into the material samples than is possible in the laboratory. Once again, a slightly larger silver hemisphere helps me to determine the momentum of the emitted electrons."
Gerhard H. Fecher, Research Group Leader, here in the thin film laboratory at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids
© Sven Doering
Martina Preiner & light-sensitive molecules
"You might think that the reddish light was only switched on for effect – but in fact my research group often works in semi-darkness. My students frequently work with light-sensitive molecules. Molecules that we think played an important role in the emergence of life over four billion years ago. And as if the molecules were not already sensitive enough, they often cannot tolerate oxygen either. This is why the photo shows anaerobic chambers or gloveboxes, which enable us to work in a low-oxygen atmosphere. It can get pretty cramped in these chambers when we have different metal powders, buffer solutions and devices piled up in them. We often joke that we actually have to operate an entirely oxygen-free laboratory with space station-like airlocks. But in the end, the gloveboxes are probably a bit more comfortable than walking around the lab with a breathing apparatus all the time.
Incidentally, our molecules had it a little easier on early Earth – there was no oxygen in the atmosphere and there were also good places to avoid destructive light. For example, in the Earth's oceanic crust."
Martina Preiner, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology
Incidentally, our molecules had it a little easier on early Earth – there was no oxygen in the atmosphere and there were also good places to avoid destructive light. For example, in the Earth's oceanic crust."
Martina Preiner, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology
© Katrin Binner
Susanne Erdmann & the love of strange microorganisms
I love archaea, and archaea in turn love extreme habitats. That's why this photo shows me at Lake Tyrrell, a natural salt lake in south-east Australia. For me, this is an Eldorado, because almost 90 per cent of the organisms living in it are archaea, i.e. primordial single-celled organisms, and many of them have not yet been researched. For most other organisms, the water would be deadly. Archaea, on the other hand, flourish in hostile biotopes. Some can withstand up to 113 degrees, for others even vinegar is too mild.
I first heard about these strange microorganisms during my training as a nurse. I thought they were really cool, especially because of their extreme habitats. That's why I began studying biology after my nursing training. During an internship in Copenhagen, I was able to work directly with archaea for the first time. Copenhagen is an expensive city, and I had to sleep in my car for four weeks because I couldn't find any affordable accommodation there. After a PhD in Copenhagen and several years as a postdoc in Australia, the Max Planck Society enabled me to continue my research in an independent research group.
I am now mainly interested in viruses that infect archaea. In extreme habitats, viruses are the only predatory elements that affect these microbial communities because there are hardly any organisms that can exist under such conditions.
Susanne Erdmann, former Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (Alumni)
I first heard about these strange microorganisms during my training as a nurse. I thought they were really cool, especially because of their extreme habitats. That's why I began studying biology after my nursing training. During an internship in Copenhagen, I was able to work directly with archaea for the first time. Copenhagen is an expensive city, and I had to sleep in my car for four weeks because I couldn't find any affordable accommodation there. After a PhD in Copenhagen and several years as a postdoc in Australia, the Max Planck Society enabled me to continue my research in an independent research group.
I am now mainly interested in viruses that infect archaea. In extreme habitats, viruses are the only predatory elements that affect these microbial communities because there are hardly any organisms that can exist under such conditions.
Susanne Erdmann, former Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (Alumni)
© private
Silke Britzen & the 100m “dish”
"My favourite telescope − the '100m dish', as we affectionately call it − is the second largest freely movable radio telescope in the world. It is located in the Eifel mountain range, near Bad Münstereifel-Effelsberg, and helps us to observe and better understand the radio sky and its fascinating phenomena.
I am particularly interested in supermassive black holes in the centres of distant galaxies. Our Milky Way also contains such a black hole, with four million solar masses. Black holes can’t be directly observed. The enormous gravity prevents information or light from escaping. The event horizon is the limit for us − we can’t see beyond it. However, it is possible to take a snapshot of the gas flowing around the black hole. This allows you to see a kind of shadow of the black hole. The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration achieved this for the first time in 2019 − it remains a sensational achievement to this day. As part of the collaboration, I was allowed to show the image to a film crew in the control room of the 100m dish for the first time on the day it was made public.
Since then I have been looking for something very special: a binary black hole. Let's see what else the 100m dish will tell us in the future."
Silke Britzen, Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
I am particularly interested in supermassive black holes in the centres of distant galaxies. Our Milky Way also contains such a black hole, with four million solar masses. Black holes can’t be directly observed. The enormous gravity prevents information or light from escaping. The event horizon is the limit for us − we can’t see beyond it. However, it is possible to take a snapshot of the gas flowing around the black hole. This allows you to see a kind of shadow of the black hole. The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration achieved this for the first time in 2019 − it remains a sensational achievement to this day. As part of the collaboration, I was allowed to show the image to a film crew in the control room of the 100m dish for the first time on the day it was made public.
Since then I have been looking for something very special: a binary black hole. Let's see what else the 100m dish will tell us in the future."
Silke Britzen, Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
© Christoph Seelbach
Holger Goerlitz & bats in the dark
"Admittedly, the photographer played a bit of a trick with this picture, because it's normally dark when I'm sitting at the edge of the forest with microphones, loudspeakers and a laptop waiting for bats. And it can take hours before you actually get one in front of the camera, which is why it was only added to the picture afterwards. As bats are active in the dark, they use a special ability to orientate themselves, find their food and communicate with each other: ultrasound! They call about ten times a second, as loud as a jackhammer, only we can't hear it. But our microphones can record the calls for us and make them audible. They are fitted on the left-hand stand. For each call, we can calculate where the bat is located in order to investigate how it reacts when we play the calls of other bats, the echoes of prey, or the sounds of predators from the loudspeaker on the right. Through our research, we are learning how bats "see with their ears" and how, together with many insects, they form highly complex ecological networks at night in the dark. Last but not least, we also want to better understand our own hearing by comparison."
Holger Goerlitz, former Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (Alumni)
Holger Goerlitz, former Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (Alumni)
© Axel Griesch
Catherine Rajamathi - on the road to energy transition
Climate research can also look like this: this photo shows Catherine Rajamathi working at the X-ray photoelectron spectrometer. We use this device to analyse various catalyst materials with the aim of improving them. To do this, electrons are knocked out of the samples to be analysed using X-rays. The speed of the electrons is measured and recorded in the system's analyser.
However, this usually only works if the electrons move in a vacuum. At ambient pressure, they would be so strongly deflected by the air molecules that they would not even reach the analyser. But you can do something very special with the system in the photo: it makes it possible to introduce various gases at a pressure very close to ambient pressure and still analyse the electrons. This only works with a sophisticated pump system, which creates a vacuum at the analyser, but higher pressure on the sample. This allows us to determine how the introduced gases and the elements with their bonds on the surface of our catalyst samples behave. In this way, we are investigating various chemical reactions that are important steps on the way to the energy transition. We are working on optimizing the catalysts required for this.
Walid Hetaba, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim an der Ruhr
However, this usually only works if the electrons move in a vacuum. At ambient pressure, they would be so strongly deflected by the air molecules that they would not even reach the analyser. But you can do something very special with the system in the photo: it makes it possible to introduce various gases at a pressure very close to ambient pressure and still analyse the electrons. This only works with a sophisticated pump system, which creates a vacuum at the analyser, but higher pressure on the sample. This allows us to determine how the introduced gases and the elements with their bonds on the surface of our catalyst samples behave. In this way, we are investigating various chemical reactions that are important steps on the way to the energy transition. We are working on optimizing the catalysts required for this.
Walid Hetaba, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim an der Ruhr
© Thomas Hobirk
Markus Reichstein & the breathing of ecosystems
"This photo shows me on the roof of our Institute, between heaven and earth. Around me, cup anemometers rotate and precisely measure the wind. They are part of a larger system with which we record the "breathing of ecosystems" – the exchange of CO₂, water and energy between soil, vegetation, and atmosphere. Together with our international partners, we measure how weather and climate influence ecosystems and how climate extremes such as droughts or heatwaves change their sensitive balance at hundreds of locations worldwide. We use artificial intelligence to search for patterns and answers in this treasure trove of data: What does nature tell us about its limits – and about our common future? Can we use this amount of data not only to improve our understanding of climate extremes, but also to develop early warning systems to mitigate their impact on agriculture, forests, or water resources?"
Markus Reichstein, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
Markus Reichstein, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
© David Ausserhofer
Jeannette Bogh & the robot Apollo
"This is me with Apollo, a humanoid robot. With its skilful hands, it can grip tools and manipulate objects. My research centres on how robots can master complex tasks together with humans. To do this, Apollo must learn to reach for an unknown object. So far, this has been challenging: for example, if it has learnt to grasp a hammer by the handle, Apollo does not know what to do if I hand it the hammer head first. This is why I simulate countless possible grasps on the computer. The foundation for this is a data base that I have fed with models of thousands of objects – from hammers to toy dolls.
As a computer scientist, I used to do a lot of programming and set up experiments myself. Unfortunately, I barely have time for this these days. But every time my students show me their results – when the robot successfully grasps an object or demonstrates a new skill – I still feel the same sense of satisfaction I felt when my own programs were running. It's fascinating to see how far we've come in robotics – and how much there is still to discover."
Jeannette Bohg, former Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (Alumni)
As a computer scientist, I used to do a lot of programming and set up experiments myself. Unfortunately, I barely have time for this these days. But every time my students show me their results – when the robot successfully grasps an object or demonstrates a new skill – I still feel the same sense of satisfaction I felt when my own programs were running. It's fascinating to see how far we've come in robotics – and how much there is still to discover."
Jeannette Bohg, former Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (Alumni)
© Wolfram Scheible
Jens Frahm & the invention of real-time MRI
"Jens Frahm and his team have developed a technology that allows magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images to be taken in real time. The technology called Flash2 is based on a sophisticated mathematical process for image reconstruction and allows up to 100 images to be recorded per second. This in turn allows movements inside the body to be observed in real time. Flash2 is a huge step forward for medical diagnostics, as joint and speech movements, swallowing processes and the beating heart can now be observed directly. Jens Frahm was honoured with the European Inventor Award in 2018 for the development of flash technology.
Behind Jens Frahm is a still image from a video that was recorded using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It shows the mouth and throat of a Berlin Philharmonic horn player."
Harald Rösch, Science Editor for the Max Planck Society, Administrative Headquarters
Behind Jens Frahm is a still image from a video that was recorded using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It shows the mouth and throat of a Berlin Philharmonic horn player."
Harald Rösch, Science Editor for the Max Planck Society, Administrative Headquarters
© Frank Vinken
Ferenc Krausz & the Nobel Prize wave
"If the phone rings before 12 noon during the week of the Nobel Prize ceremony, you should consider that an advanced warning. This applies to both potential Nobel Prize candidate, and their press officers. On that sunny public holiday, the Day of German Unity, I was sitting with my son in the sand, trying to dig a tunnel through a substrate that was far too dry.
The call from Stockholm was to change this peaceful state abruptly. And for a long time afterwards. The media bombarded Ferenc Krausz incessantly in the first few weeks after the announcement. My boss did everything humanly possible to fulfil every request. However, it wasn’t possible to do it all. The media wave simply rolled over us all too fast and too high. This picture captures a sense of that. It shows Ferenc Krausz in one of his Attoworld Team’s laser laboratories. He is patiently being photographed by photographer Stephan Höck, shortly after being awarded the Nobel Prize. It was my job and that of some of my colleagues to coordinate the press enquiries, provide images and well-founded information about the – now Nobel Prize-winning – attosecond physics.
Ferenc Krausz was honoured together with Anne L'Huillier and Pierre Agostini for his pioneering work in this field. He was the first to succeed in generating flashes of light that last only attoseconds, i.e. billionths of a billionth of a second. This made it possible to visualize the movements of electrons in atoms and molecules for the first time."
Thorsten Naeser, Head of the Press Department of the Attoworld Team of Nobel Prize laureate Ferenc Krausz. www.attoworld.de | Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
The call from Stockholm was to change this peaceful state abruptly. And for a long time afterwards. The media bombarded Ferenc Krausz incessantly in the first few weeks after the announcement. My boss did everything humanly possible to fulfil every request. However, it wasn’t possible to do it all. The media wave simply rolled over us all too fast and too high. This picture captures a sense of that. It shows Ferenc Krausz in one of his Attoworld Team’s laser laboratories. He is patiently being photographed by photographer Stephan Höck, shortly after being awarded the Nobel Prize. It was my job and that of some of my colleagues to coordinate the press enquiries, provide images and well-founded information about the – now Nobel Prize-winning – attosecond physics.
Ferenc Krausz was honoured together with Anne L'Huillier and Pierre Agostini for his pioneering work in this field. He was the first to succeed in generating flashes of light that last only attoseconds, i.e. billionths of a billionth of a second. This made it possible to visualize the movements of electrons in atoms and molecules for the first time."
Thorsten Naeser, Head of the Press Department of the Attoworld Team of Nobel Prize laureate Ferenc Krausz. www.attoworld.de | Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
© Thorsten Naeser
Bruno Scocozza - a DJ in the lab?
“Sometimes developing a microscope looks like DJing. I built this microscope to activate specific regions of a living cell”
This photo was part of the #mymachineandme social media campaign, 2018
Bruno Scocozza, former doctoral student, Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Physiologie
This photo was part of the #mymachineandme social media campaign, 2018
Bruno Scocozza, former doctoral student, Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Physiologie
© private
Thomas Klinger & the art of long plasma pulses
"Here I am standing on a scaffold that surrounds the world's largest fusion research facility, Wendelstein 7-X. The platform is located at a height of around 10 metres, which gives an idea of the dimensions of this 1,000-tonne device.
Wendelstein 7-X is a research facility for investigating extremely hot and thin hydrogen gas, known as plasma. The aim is to provide humanity with a new, clean source of energy by fusion of hydrogen nuclei. To prevent the hot plasma from touching the walls, we have to enclose it in a complex magnetic field, generated by 70 superconducting magnetic field coils.
This device, known as a "stellarator", was built over almost 20 years, 15 of them under my leadership. The full completion of the plant was in 2022, but first research steps were already made starting 2015. The aim of our international team with 400 scientists and engineers is to increase the plasma temperature step-by-step. During recent measurement campaigns, we succeeded in briefly heating the ions in the plasma to around 35 million degrees Celsius. The final goal is to create long plasma pulses at high plasma temperatures. We are currently working on this."
Thomas Klinger, Head of the Stellarator Dynamics and Transport Department at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), Greifswald
Wendelstein 7-X is a research facility for investigating extremely hot and thin hydrogen gas, known as plasma. The aim is to provide humanity with a new, clean source of energy by fusion of hydrogen nuclei. To prevent the hot plasma from touching the walls, we have to enclose it in a complex magnetic field, generated by 70 superconducting magnetic field coils.
This device, known as a "stellarator", was built over almost 20 years, 15 of them under my leadership. The full completion of the plant was in 2022, but first research steps were already made starting 2015. The aim of our international team with 400 scientists and engineers is to increase the plasma temperature step-by-step. During recent measurement campaigns, we succeeded in briefly heating the ions in the plasma to around 35 million degrees Celsius. The final goal is to create long plasma pulses at high plasma temperatures. We are currently working on this."
Thomas Klinger, Head of the Stellarator Dynamics and Transport Department at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), Greifswald
© Achim Multhaupt
Ilka Hermes & a look inside the solar cells
"Solar cells made from new materials such as perovskite promise a significantly higher energy yield than conventional solar cells made from silicon. I once read that seven kilos of perovskite could generate as much electricity as 35 tonnes of silicon.
In order to better understand how solar cells made from perovskite convert solar energy into electricity, my aim was to take a look inside the cells. To do this, I broke the solar cells in half, smoothed the fractured surfaces with an ion polisher and then analysed them using scanning probe microscopy. This method can map the electronic properties of the individual material layers in the solar cell via the interaction of a very fine tip, known as probe, with the sample – and with a resolution in the nanometre range. We were therefore able to gain insights into the solar cells at nano level and then think about which layers we could improve further in order to generate even more electricity with perovskite solar cells in the future.
Following the function of the solar cell "live" in the scanning probe microscope was one of the most exciting experiences of my doctoral thesis. However, the road to this was often rocky: many solar cells broke during the polishing process, and finding the polished spot, which is only a few micrometres in size, under the scanning probe microscope was sometimes like looking for a needle in a haystack.
In the picture you can see me at the optical microscope of the ion polisher."
Ilka Hermes, former doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
In order to better understand how solar cells made from perovskite convert solar energy into electricity, my aim was to take a look inside the cells. To do this, I broke the solar cells in half, smoothed the fractured surfaces with an ion polisher and then analysed them using scanning probe microscopy. This method can map the electronic properties of the individual material layers in the solar cell via the interaction of a very fine tip, known as probe, with the sample – and with a resolution in the nanometre range. We were therefore able to gain insights into the solar cells at nano level and then think about which layers we could improve further in order to generate even more electricity with perovskite solar cells in the future.
Following the function of the solar cell "live" in the scanning probe microscope was one of the most exciting experiences of my doctoral thesis. However, the road to this was often rocky: many solar cells broke during the polishing process, and finding the polished spot, which is only a few micrometres in size, under the scanning probe microscope was sometimes like looking for a needle in a haystack.
In the picture you can see me at the optical microscope of the ion polisher."
Ilka Hermes, former doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
© Katrin Binner
Hanieh Fattahi & the millionth part of a billionth of a second
"In 2020, right at the start of the pandemic, I began building my new research group at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light. It was a challenging time, partly because of the pandemic, but also because we had to start from scratch. During these first few months, I often spent time with my doctoral student in the lab, helping him develop our first "Femtosecond Fieldoscopy" setup. A femtosecond is the millionth part of a billionth of a second. The dimension can perhaps be visualized as follows: if one second corresponded to the distance from the earth to the sun, a femtosecond would be about 0.15 millimetres long.
We faced countless obstacles. I still remember one particular night when things weren't going as planned. I was sitting on top of the optical table, trying to repair a critical component. My doctoral researcher used this moment to take a photo of me. This photo came to symbolize those initial tough but formative months. The photographer Axel Griesch later even reproduced the picture. For me, it shows the reality of research: the struggle and perseverance behind the scenes.
With our femtosecond laser, the flashes of light are short enough to capture sharp images of moving molecules. If we one day manage to map the processes in nerve cells during signal transmission, this could be important for curing diseases such as Parkinson's."
Hanieh Fattahi, Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light
We faced countless obstacles. I still remember one particular night when things weren't going as planned. I was sitting on top of the optical table, trying to repair a critical component. My doctoral researcher used this moment to take a photo of me. This photo came to symbolize those initial tough but formative months. The photographer Axel Griesch later even reproduced the picture. For me, it shows the reality of research: the struggle and perseverance behind the scenes.
With our femtosecond laser, the flashes of light are short enough to capture sharp images of moving molecules. If we one day manage to map the processes in nerve cells during signal transmission, this could be important for curing diseases such as Parkinson's."
Hanieh Fattahi, Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light
© Axel Griesch
An Mo & a bioinspired robotic “hopper”
This is a "robotic hopper" inspired by nature, which – just released from my hands – has made its first hop forwards. I'm fascinated to find out how animals and robots manage to move around on two legs.
I am a biomechanical engineer and work at the interface between biology, engineering and computer science. I describe movement sequences and measure forces and joint movements. To use this knowledge to teach robots to walk, we need to simplify it. This is because the actual movement sequences of animals, in which the skeleton, muscles, tendons and fasciae interact with each other, are too complex.
I particularly enjoy building and testing – not just robots, but also hypotheses. I test different mechanical designs with control software. There is a famous quote from Richard Feynman that deeply resonates with me: "What I cannot create, I do not understand."
I also like the fact that our research reduces the need for animal testing.
An Mo, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart
© Wolfram Scheible
Peter Drewelow & the glimpse into plasma heated to 20 million degrees
“Me & 'my' 9 immersion tube observation systems inserted in our #Wendelstein7X #stellarator, which allow 25 cameras to observe our 20 million °C hot plasma in its magnetic cage. Some of those cameras tell me with infrared images where our plasma extends its legs and touches the wall of our vacuum vessel, while others count the particles flowing in from the cooler plasma edge. When working, these cameras have to suffer 2.5 Tesla magnetic field, ca. 500 W microwave radiation and a 45 °C working environment. However, they still diligently flood me with data building up a video pile of ca. 140 TB so far (about twice the amount of cat videos on Youtube in 2015).”
This photo was part of the #mymachineandme social media campaign in 2018.
Peter Drewelow, former Postdoc at the Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik (Alumni)
This photo was part of the #mymachineandme social media campaign in 2018.
Peter Drewelow, former Postdoc at the Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik (Alumni)
© IPP, Marcin Jakubowski
Ute Frevert & the history of emotions
What connects Hillary Clinton with Frederick the Great? I asked myself this question in 2012 when I was working on a book about the "emotional politics" of the 18th century Prussian king. Frederick, in his time, wanted to be the master of his subjects' hearts and thus secure his power. Today's statesmen and stateswomen are even more emotionally savvy. When Hillary Clinton was campaigning for the Democratic presidential candidacy in 2008 – and ultimately had to give way to Barack Obama – she had a reputation as a power-hungry, ice-cold and calculating politician. To appear more feminine, she shed a tear after the election defeat and appeared emotionally touched. That worked, at least for a short time…
As Director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, I have spent many years studying the history of emotions and the changes that emotional norms undergo over time. Cold-heartedness, for example, can be a serious reproach – but it can also be viewed positively: as unbiased, objective or cool.
I am now an emeritus professor, but I continue to research and get involved, now as President of the Max Weber Foundation, with eleven humanities research institutes around the world.
Ute Frevert, former Director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Emeritus)
As Director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, I have spent many years studying the history of emotions and the changes that emotional norms undergo over time. Cold-heartedness, for example, can be a serious reproach – but it can also be viewed positively: as unbiased, objective or cool.
I am now an emeritus professor, but I continue to research and get involved, now as President of the Max Weber Foundation, with eleven humanities research institutes around the world.
Ute Frevert, former Director at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Emeritus)
© David Ausserhofer
Susanne Erdmann & the evolution of viruses
There is no life without viruses. I am particularly interested in the viruses that infect archaea. Archaea are tiny single-celled organisms, just a thousandth of a millimetre in size and without a cell nucleus, which colonize extreme habitats such as salt lakes or hot springs.
When working with viruses, you only have one option to look at your object of desire: electron microscopy. The photo shows me at the transmission electron microscope at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen.
Through our research, we hope to gain insights into the evolution of viruses and understand how they influence the evolution of their hosts. Compared to viruses that infect eukaryotes − i.e. organisms with a cell nucleus − or bacteria, very little is known about archaeal viruses. Every one I have isolated so far had a surprise in store. It is astonishing that many archaeal viruses do not appear to harm their hosts and do not destroy their cells. We even suspect that viruses that infect eukaryotes and are frequently combatted as pathogens today had a positive effect on the development of their hosts in earlier times.
While I rarely make it to the lab any more, I like to take the time to regularly sit down at the electron microscope to analyse the unique structures of archaeal viruses. It helps to restore my energy and gives me fresh motivation.
Susanne Erdmann, former Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (Alumni)
When working with viruses, you only have one option to look at your object of desire: electron microscopy. The photo shows me at the transmission electron microscope at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen.
Through our research, we hope to gain insights into the evolution of viruses and understand how they influence the evolution of their hosts. Compared to viruses that infect eukaryotes − i.e. organisms with a cell nucleus − or bacteria, very little is known about archaeal viruses. Every one I have isolated so far had a surprise in store. It is astonishing that many archaeal viruses do not appear to harm their hosts and do not destroy their cells. We even suspect that viruses that infect eukaryotes and are frequently combatted as pathogens today had a positive effect on the development of their hosts in earlier times.
While I rarely make it to the lab any more, I like to take the time to regularly sit down at the electron microscope to analyse the unique structures of archaeal viruses. It helps to restore my energy and gives me fresh motivation.
Susanne Erdmann, former Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (Alumni)
© Achim Multhaupt
Miranda Bradshaw & the vacuum of the universe
"Me inside the vacuum chamber at MPE's PANTER x-ray test facility. I am a scientist working on testing x-ray optics for space telescopes. The optics are placed inside this vacuum chamber, which mimics the vacuum of space, and tested to ensure they meet the performance requirements of the mission."
This photo was part of the #mymachineandme social media campaign, 2018
This photo was part of the #mymachineandme social media campaign, 2018
© private
Lisa Trost & the song of zebra finches
"We ornithologists at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence are studying the song of zebra finches and how they learn it.
In zebra finches, only the males sing. A finch has about three months to practice its song. Then his school days are over and he sings what he has learnt so far for the rest of his life.
The birds wear tiny transmitters that record the individual songs and the neuronal activity of the song centres in the brain, and transmit them to a complex recording system located outside the aviary. The technology we have developed enables us to record 12 animals simultaneously with a single antenna. We can keep our birds very close to nature in large groups and even larger aviaries to ensure that they display their natural behaviour. In this way, my team and I have already been able to unravel some of the secrets of the neuronal control of learnt song and innate calls in songbirds.
The photo shows me installing the antenna in the aviary."
Lisa Trost, researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence
In zebra finches, only the males sing. A finch has about three months to practice its song. Then his school days are over and he sings what he has learnt so far for the rest of his life.
The birds wear tiny transmitters that record the individual songs and the neuronal activity of the song centres in the brain, and transmit them to a complex recording system located outside the aviary. The technology we have developed enables us to record 12 animals simultaneously with a single antenna. We can keep our birds very close to nature in large groups and even larger aviaries to ensure that they display their natural behaviour. In this way, my team and I have already been able to unravel some of the secrets of the neuronal control of learnt song and innate calls in songbirds.
The photo shows me installing the antenna in the aviary."
Lisa Trost, researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence
© Axel Griesch
Hanieh Fattahi & her climate research
"In 2024, I developed an optical oscillator with the help of my research group. The light pulses it generates can be used to detect greenhouse gases such as methane. Our aim is to help identify the sources from which these gases enter the atmosphere and how they are distributed within it. Knowing this could help to more precisely determine the effects of these gases on the climate."
Hanieh Fattahi, Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light
Hanieh Fattahi, Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light
© Axel Griesch
Kerstin Göpfrich & the question: what constitutes life?
"My research is about the really big questions: What constitutes life? How could it have come about? In our search for answers, we recreate the properties of a cell by managing, as far as possible, without the building blocks of nature. This novel, artificial cell is said to have all the characteristics of life, in particular the ability to divide and evolve. After all, true to the motto of physicist Richard Feynman, you only fully understand something if you can create it yourself. We make the components using a method of folding genetic material referred to as RNA origami.
Terms such as "artificial organisms" often give rise to fears. However, synthetic biology is not about creating monsters in the manner of Dr Frankenstein. We are primarily interested in cells. For example, artificial cells could one day be programmed to fulfil medical tasks in the human body. That is why I have already patented some of our findings.
The photo shows me shortly after my arrival as the new Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg. That was a few years ago now. In the meantime, I have accepted a professorship at the University of Heidelberg.
I am incredibly grateful to the Institute and the Max Planck Society for the great support I have received along the way, but also for the familiar and friendly environment that I have grown very fond of."
Kerstin Göpfrich, former Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research (Alumni)
Terms such as "artificial organisms" often give rise to fears. However, synthetic biology is not about creating monsters in the manner of Dr Frankenstein. We are primarily interested in cells. For example, artificial cells could one day be programmed to fulfil medical tasks in the human body. That is why I have already patented some of our findings.
The photo shows me shortly after my arrival as the new Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg. That was a few years ago now. In the meantime, I have accepted a professorship at the University of Heidelberg.
I am incredibly grateful to the Institute and the Max Planck Society for the great support I have received along the way, but also for the familiar and friendly environment that I have grown very fond of."
Kerstin Göpfrich, former Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research (Alumni)
© Katrin Binner
Elena Redaelli & the view of the Milky Way
“I investigate MilkyWay regions, where stars are currently forming”
This photo was part of the #mymachineandme social media campaign, 2018
It shows Elena Redaelli at IRAM, one of the world's most sensitive radio telescopes in the Sierra Nevada in Spain
Dr. Elena Redaelli, Postdoc am Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik
This photo was part of the #mymachineandme social media campaign, 2018
It shows Elena Redaelli at IRAM, one of the world's most sensitive radio telescopes in the Sierra Nevada in Spain
Dr. Elena Redaelli, Postdoc am Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik
© private
Silvia Spezzano & the ingredients of life
"My experiments deal with the fundamental question that concerns many astrochemists: What are the chemical conditions at the dawn of planet formation and, finally, what are our astrochemical origins? The Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics operates the laboratories of the Centre of Astronomical Studies (CAS) to clarify these questions. Their special equipment allows them to conduct a globally unique variety of experiments. We can simulate the conditions that prevail in interstellar clouds.
Part of a vacuum chamber can be seen on the left. We are investigating how ions and molecules interact with each other in star-forming regions under space conditions at a maximum of minus 268 degrees Celsius. I am particularly fascinated by the fact that a large number of organic molecules – including amino and fatty acids – have been discovered in the universe. These are all ingredients of life – and they are already present in the clouds from which stars and planets are born.
We use spectroscopy to detect and characterize the molecules. Using this technique, we can detect the fingerprints of several different molecules. In my research, I combine laboratory experiments with astronomical observations and theoretical work."
Silvia Spezzano, Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Part of a vacuum chamber can be seen on the left. We are investigating how ions and molecules interact with each other in star-forming regions under space conditions at a maximum of minus 268 degrees Celsius. I am particularly fascinated by the fact that a large number of organic molecules – including amino and fatty acids – have been discovered in the universe. These are all ingredients of life – and they are already present in the clouds from which stars and planets are born.
We use spectroscopy to detect and characterize the molecules. Using this technique, we can detect the fingerprints of several different molecules. In my research, I combine laboratory experiments with astronomical observations and theoretical work."
Silvia Spezzano, Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
© Fabian Vogl
About vibrations of space and time
Cleanroom overalls? On. Laser safety goggles? Check. Day to day work on the gravitational-wave detector GEO600 requires the utmost care, and this begins with getting dressed for the trip to the central laboratory. In order to measure space-time ripples with high precision, contamination must be excluded as far as possible.
Gravitational waves originate from major cosmic events in which black holes or neutron stars collide. This creates vibrations of space and time, which travel through the universe at the speed of light. When the gravitational waves arrive on Earth billions of years later, they stretch and squeeze laser light in kilometre-long detector systems by a fraction of the diameter of an atomic nucleus. An international network of five such instruments has been regularly detecting gravitational-wave events since 2015, enabling an entirely new type of astronomy.
The German-British gravitational-wave detector GEO600 south of Hanover is operated by the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) and Leibniz University Hannover together with international partners. The facility is the technology development centre for international gravitational wave research. Technologies developed and tested in the GEO project are now used in all the world's large gravitational wave detectors, making them even more sensitive to the weak signals from the depths of the universe.
Benjamin Knispel, Press Officer at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute), Hanover
Gravitational waves originate from major cosmic events in which black holes or neutron stars collide. This creates vibrations of space and time, which travel through the universe at the speed of light. When the gravitational waves arrive on Earth billions of years later, they stretch and squeeze laser light in kilometre-long detector systems by a fraction of the diameter of an atomic nucleus. An international network of five such instruments has been regularly detecting gravitational-wave events since 2015, enabling an entirely new type of astronomy.
The German-British gravitational-wave detector GEO600 south of Hanover is operated by the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) and Leibniz University Hannover together with international partners. The facility is the technology development centre for international gravitational wave research. Technologies developed and tested in the GEO project are now used in all the world's large gravitational wave detectors, making them even more sensitive to the weak signals from the depths of the universe.
Benjamin Knispel, Press Officer at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute), Hanover
© Frank Vinken
Tina Lüdecke & history emerging from the ground
We spend days on end in the sand – it’s hot, our backs ache, our knees too – and yet I love this work. As a geochemist, I dig for fossils millions of years old in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park. Progress is slow, measured in millimeters. Often, it’s just a tiny sliver of bone we uncover. But now and then, something larger emerges very slowly – a tooth, a lower jaw – and with each careful brushstroke, it becomes clear: this find is something special. In that moment, all the effort fades away. That's precisely what fascinates me: the patience, the teamwork, and the thrill of watching ancient history emerge from the sediment. And then I hold a piece of this history in my hand – which later, in the lab, reveals to me how these animals once lived and what they ate.
In another project in southeast Africa, we’re researching how our early ancestors lived and what made up their diet. For example, our analyses of tooth enamel show that early hominins such as Australopithecus consumed little or no meat around 3.5 million years ago. This finding may help answer a long-debated question: did meat consumption truley shaped the evolution of modern humans?
Tina Lüdecke, Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
© Tina Lüdecke / Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie
Birgit Kolboske seeking to make women scientists visible in the MAX PLANCK history
In the context of the research programme on the History of the Max Planck Society (GMPG), I focused on the history of women and gender in the Max-Planck-Society (MPG). In doing so I investigated two fields in particular: the area to which very few women had access for a long time – science, and the area in which most of them worked most of the time – in the office, especially the “ante-room“ (Vorzimmer). In the history of science, there is ample evidence that men traditionally led research labs, while their female colleagues were considered as “assistants“. Prevailing hierarchic structures defined a social order strongly geared to gender and status, not necessarily to merits. Of particular importance in this context is the associated hierarchization of scientific disciplines, such as a supposedly male biochemistry overriding an alleged female physiology —what I call epistemic hierarchies. Likewise women working as secretaries were often academics themselves, thus being highly (over)qualified. Keeping women scientists and female science managers at bay, allowed not only to keep their salaries low. Rescuing these unrecognised women scientists from oblivion as well as shining a light on the unrewarded work conducted in the offices was a major endeavour of mine.
Facilitated was this gendered hierarchy by the iconic Harnack Principle. To prove that this structural principle of the person-centred research organization acted for way too long as a striking and effective tool to exclude women scientists from the illustrious circle of Scientific Members, I immersed myself into the archive, soaring literally through kilometres of files, thus uncovering impressive evidence, which I have published in my book Hierarchies: The Max Planck Society in Gender Trouble (2024).
As was the case with science overall, the MPG also significantly lagged behind societal developments in gender equality. I encourage the MPG to continue the cultural change it began in the mid-1990s. The best minds sit on shoulders regardless of gender, age, ethnics or physical limitations.
Birgit Kolboske, Research Scholar at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science
Facilitated was this gendered hierarchy by the iconic Harnack Principle. To prove that this structural principle of the person-centred research organization acted for way too long as a striking and effective tool to exclude women scientists from the illustrious circle of Scientific Members, I immersed myself into the archive, soaring literally through kilometres of files, thus uncovering impressive evidence, which I have published in my book Hierarchies: The Max Planck Society in Gender Trouble (2024).
As was the case with science overall, the MPG also significantly lagged behind societal developments in gender equality. I encourage the MPG to continue the cultural change it began in the mid-1990s. The best minds sit on shoulders regardless of gender, age, ethnics or physical limitations.
Birgit Kolboske, Research Scholar at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science
© Gesine Born
Armin von Bogdandy and Public Law
"Public law is first and foremost the law that organizes the authority to govern, for better or for worse.
The painting Horde by Daniel Richter expresses the ambivalence of public law. It is about the police protection of the meeting of the then G8 in Heiligendamm in 2007. You see police officers, but it is clear that what they are doing is highly problematic. The ambivalence lies in the fact that, on the one hand, the state's monopoly on the use of force is a great achievement of civilization: physical force may only be exercised by state organs. But this monopoly, like all monopolies, is highly dangerous and this danger is expressed most succinctly in the picture. What is being protected in Heiligendamm is a global economic order whose destructiveness was proven just two months later: the global economic crisis began on 2 August 2007.
The euro crisis, the rise of the AfD, the first and second Trump administrations, and many other phenomena can be explained by the shortcomings of the global economic order, which was still being protected by these police officers in 2007."
The text is an excerpt from a lecture by Armin von Bogdandy, which he gave at the Städel Museum as part of the series "Gastkommentar. Wissenschaft trifft Kunst" in February 2025. In this lecture series, experts from the Max Planck Society from the life sciences, natural sciences and humanities offer individual perspectives on the works of the Städel Museum.
Armin von Bogdandy, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Public Law and International Law
The painting Horde by Daniel Richter expresses the ambivalence of public law. It is about the police protection of the meeting of the then G8 in Heiligendamm in 2007. You see police officers, but it is clear that what they are doing is highly problematic. The ambivalence lies in the fact that, on the one hand, the state's monopoly on the use of force is a great achievement of civilization: physical force may only be exercised by state organs. But this monopoly, like all monopolies, is highly dangerous and this danger is expressed most succinctly in the picture. What is being protected in Heiligendamm is a global economic order whose destructiveness was proven just two months later: the global economic crisis began on 2 August 2007.
The euro crisis, the rise of the AfD, the first and second Trump administrations, and many other phenomena can be explained by the shortcomings of the global economic order, which was still being protected by these police officers in 2007."
The text is an excerpt from a lecture by Armin von Bogdandy, which he gave at the Städel Museum as part of the series "Gastkommentar. Wissenschaft trifft Kunst" in February 2025. In this lecture series, experts from the Max Planck Society from the life sciences, natural sciences and humanities offer individual perspectives on the works of the Städel Museum.
Armin von Bogdandy, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Public Law and International Law
© Städel Museum
Ka Fai Mak & ultra-short laser pulses for medical applications
During my studies, it fascinated me to learn that light is an oscillating electromagnetic field – that there is a fundamental connection between the seemingly distinct phenomena of hair being raised by an electrically-charged balloon; the snapping together of little magnets; and the bright beam of light emitted from a laser pointer.
I have spent over a decade researching ultrashort laser pulses in the femtosecond range. I am now working on a project in which the electric field underlying these pulses is measured and amplified directly. Using a technique called "electro-optical scanning", the peaks and troughs of the oscillating electric field can be traced.
The exciting thing is that we can use this technology to detect tiny but unusual changes in the molecular composition of human blood. This can provide indications of diseases. An ultrashort laser pulse excites these molecules to vibrate so that they emit light and can thus be detected. Together with our clinical partners, we want to use the technology to recognize diseases at an earlier stage, at which time they would be easier to treat.
Ka Fai Mak, researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
I have spent over a decade researching ultrashort laser pulses in the femtosecond range. I am now working on a project in which the electric field underlying these pulses is measured and amplified directly. Using a technique called "electro-optical scanning", the peaks and troughs of the oscillating electric field can be traced.
The exciting thing is that we can use this technology to detect tiny but unusual changes in the molecular composition of human blood. This can provide indications of diseases. An ultrashort laser pulse excites these molecules to vibrate so that they emit light and can thus be detected. Together with our clinical partners, we want to use the technology to recognize diseases at an earlier stage, at which time they would be easier to treat.
Ka Fai Mak, researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
© Thorsten Naeser
Holger Goerlitz & the diversity of nature
This is what nocturnal behavioural research with bats in front of a cave in Bulgaria can look like: using the light from our head torches, we carefully remove bats from a fine net that we have set up in front of their cave before dusk. The animals fly this route every night and know it well. They are therefore more likely to be travelling "on autopilot", not listening too closely, and we have the best chance of catching them. And yet many of the animals recognize the thin threads with their echolocation and evade the net at the last moment.
Preserving biodiversity is one of the most pressing problems of our time. That's why it's important to me to understand animals and their environment, and to minimize negative human influences on them. To this end, I had the pleasure of leading and working with the great team of the Acoustic and Functional Ecology Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence in Seewiesen.
At the cave, we document which species we catch, how many individuals per species, and how healthy they are. We tag some of the animals with a transmitter, or take some of them to our flight room for a few days to study their behaviour. Our aim is to understand how we humans influence animals, for example, by our artificial lights and increasing noise. This knowledge helps us to protect animals and their biodiversity. Ultimately, also our food and health depend on the diversity of nature.
Holger Goerlitz, former Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (Alumni)
Preserving biodiversity is one of the most pressing problems of our time. That's why it's important to me to understand animals and their environment, and to minimize negative human influences on them. To this end, I had the pleasure of leading and working with the great team of the Acoustic and Functional Ecology Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence in Seewiesen.
At the cave, we document which species we catch, how many individuals per species, and how healthy they are. We tag some of the animals with a transmitter, or take some of them to our flight room for a few days to study their behaviour. Our aim is to understand how we humans influence animals, for example, by our artificial lights and increasing noise. This knowledge helps us to protect animals and their biodiversity. Ultimately, also our food and health depend on the diversity of nature.
Holger Goerlitz, former Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (Alumni)
© Axel Griesch
Alexander Badr-Spröwitz & two-legged walking robots
"Animals have fascinated me since I was a child. Their variety of form, movement and behaviour seemed limitless. During my studies, I chose to pursue engineering. But as a postdoc, I conducted research on guinea fowl and emus at a veterinary school. There we often worked together with biomechanists and neuroscientists. I am very grateful for that, because together we can further develop the mechanics and control of bipedal robots.
My team and I are currently designing walking robots inspired by flightless birds. They are able to manage with less energy than earlier robots, as animals move particularly efficiently and nature is a great exemplar. I am particularly proud of the diversity of our results: robotic legs for animals of different sizes, neuro-controllers, and bio-inspired sensors. We can now explain the movement patterns of flightless birds and even large dinosaurs. And interestingly, we are also discovering the limits of biological "blueprints". In the future, walking robots could, for example, be used on construction sites, in agriculture or on space missions.
The complexity of nature still impresses me today."
From left to right: Cemal Goenen, An Mo, Bernadett Kiss, Alexander Badri-Spröwitz
Alexander Badri-Spröwitz, researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart
My team and I are currently designing walking robots inspired by flightless birds. They are able to manage with less energy than earlier robots, as animals move particularly efficiently and nature is a great exemplar. I am particularly proud of the diversity of our results: robotic legs for animals of different sizes, neuro-controllers, and bio-inspired sensors. We can now explain the movement patterns of flightless birds and even large dinosaurs. And interestingly, we are also discovering the limits of biological "blueprints". In the future, walking robots could, for example, be used on construction sites, in agriculture or on space missions.
The complexity of nature still impresses me today."
From left to right: Cemal Goenen, An Mo, Bernadett Kiss, Alexander Badri-Spröwitz
Alexander Badri-Spröwitz, researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart
© Wolfram Scheible
Meritxell Huch and the Question of How Tissue Regenerates
My research is dedicated to one of the most fundamental questions in biology: how do mature human cells organize themselves to build and repair tissue when development is already complete? In other words: why does a skin injury produce skin again – and not liver tissue, for example – even though all cells in the body carry the same genetic information?
To investigate this question, we have developed multicellular organoids that mimic the complex cell interactions in human organs such as the liver and pancreas. These models allow us to observe in real time how cells cooperate to form tissue. This gives us valuable insights into the mechanisms of tissue regeneration under normal and pathological conditions. Our aim is not only to understand these processes, but also to specifically recreate them – as a basis for progress in stem cell research and regenerative medicine.
Terms such as "organoids" may sound abstract, but ultimately they are 3D mini-tissues or mini-organs in a shell. They arise from the curiosity to understand the fundamental principles of life – and from the desire to discover new ways to repair damaged organs. And they help us to understand these principles in human tissues.
The insights we draw from our work are never down to just a single individual. I am deeply grateful to my dedicated team and the supporting institutions. They enable me to pursue my passion for biomedical research every day.
Meritxell Huch, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
To investigate this question, we have developed multicellular organoids that mimic the complex cell interactions in human organs such as the liver and pancreas. These models allow us to observe in real time how cells cooperate to form tissue. This gives us valuable insights into the mechanisms of tissue regeneration under normal and pathological conditions. Our aim is not only to understand these processes, but also to specifically recreate them – as a basis for progress in stem cell research and regenerative medicine.
Terms such as "organoids" may sound abstract, but ultimately they are 3D mini-tissues or mini-organs in a shell. They arise from the curiosity to understand the fundamental principles of life – and from the desire to discover new ways to repair damaged organs. And they help us to understand these principles in human tissues.
The insights we draw from our work are never down to just a single individual. I am deeply grateful to my dedicated team and the supporting institutions. They enable me to pursue my passion for biomedical research every day.
Meritxell Huch, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
© Sven Döring
Abdullah Bolek & melting permafrost
"Summer in the Arctic can be quite challenging, due to the swarms of mosquitoes and high temperatures. This is why, in the hope of more favourable conditions for fieldwork, I initially travelled to Abisko, a research station in the subarctic region of northernmost Sweden, in September 2023. Here we analyse the thawing process of permafrost soil. When frozen, it stores large quantities of carbon. If it thaws, microorganisms can decompose the organic soil substances and greenhouse gases are released. Depending on the water saturation in the soil, methane can be formed as well as carbon dioxide, which can enter the atmosphere via various transport routes and then contribute to the acceleration of global warming.
This photo shows me with our drone. It is equipped with instruments for measuring carbon dioxide and methane concentrations, as well as wind speed, air temperature, air pressure and humidity. We use this drone to investigate which flight strategies are best suited to determining the carbon dioxide and methane exchange over a mire. This knowledge is crucial for understanding the biogeochemical processes that influence such ecosystems and for developing strategies to predict future Arctic climate change."
Abdullah Bolek, postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
This photo shows me with our drone. It is equipped with instruments for measuring carbon dioxide and methane concentrations, as well as wind speed, air temperature, air pressure and humidity. We use this drone to investigate which flight strategies are best suited to determining the carbon dioxide and methane exchange over a mire. This knowledge is crucial for understanding the biogeochemical processes that influence such ecosystems and for developing strategies to predict future Arctic climate change."
Abdullah Bolek, postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
© Fabio Cian
Stuart Parkin & new materials for memory and computing applications
Text coming soon
© Max-Planck-Institut für Mikrostrukturphysik
Climbing and working at a height of 45 metres
The telescopes at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma measure the light that supernovae or black holes emit as gamma radiation. And for that, they need us: We are part of the electronics and mechanics team at the Max Planck Institute for Physics, and we wire the cameras and also the electric motors that move the mirrors at the observatory. We have to connect a total of 16 boxes with 198 mirrors. The telescopes we climb are 45 metres high, and their mirror surface has a diameter of 23 metres. We are a well-coordinated team – and are constantly fascinated by the sight of these reflective giants in this volcanic landscape.
Carina Schlammer, Eveline Linhardt, Miriam Modjesch, electronics production and electronics development at the Max Planck Institute for Physics
Carina Schlammer, Eveline Linhardt, Miriam Modjesch, electronics production and electronics development at the Max Planck Institute for Physics
© Toni Dettlaff for the MPI for Physics
Susan Trumbore about cycles of matter and climate
What fascinates me most is the question of how living nature influences the major global cycles of matter. Plants and soils are crucial for the carbon cycle and thus also for the climate.
As a Director of the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, I try to go out into the field with my team as often as possible. The photo shows me using a hand drill to extract a wood sample from a tree trunk. We analyse these samples in our laboratory, where we use the radiocarbon method to determine the age of the tree's carbon stocks. Our goal here is to get to the bottom of important questions: How long is carbon dioxide stored in the plant after it has absorbed it from the atmosphere via photosynthesis? How much does the plant "exhale" directly? How much less carbon dioxide is absorbed when the forest is plagued by heat and drought, as we have seen so often in recent summers? To what extent does this accelerate climate change?
Nature is highly complex; there are feedback and adaptation mechanisms. We are only just beginning to understand the important processes in detail. At the same time, we are observing how climate and land use changes are altering much of what we previously thought we knew about cycles of matter.
Susan Trumbore, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
As a Director of the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, I try to go out into the field with my team as often as possible. The photo shows me using a hand drill to extract a wood sample from a tree trunk. We analyse these samples in our laboratory, where we use the radiocarbon method to determine the age of the tree's carbon stocks. Our goal here is to get to the bottom of important questions: How long is carbon dioxide stored in the plant after it has absorbed it from the atmosphere via photosynthesis? How much does the plant "exhale" directly? How much less carbon dioxide is absorbed when the forest is plagued by heat and drought, as we have seen so often in recent summers? To what extent does this accelerate climate change?
Nature is highly complex; there are feedback and adaptation mechanisms. We are only just beginning to understand the important processes in detail. At the same time, we are observing how climate and land use changes are altering much of what we previously thought we knew about cycles of matter.
Susan Trumbore, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry
© Sven Döring
Alexis Block & HuggieBot
"This is HuggieBot and me, a novel robot I developed during my doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. Our hug is interactive: we react to each other’s “intra-hug gestures,” and the hug feels really good! Previous hugs with HuggieBot had ranged from awkward to pleasant, but were relatively static. The moment this photo shows is a turning point: It was the first truly dynamic hug, where the robot responded to me in real time, and the interaction felt surprisingly natural.
I have always been fascinated by how something as seemingly simple as a hug can be so incredibly complex. A good hug requires subtle coordination. The robot must adjust to someone’s height, posture, and preferences. It must interpret unspoken cues about how long to hold on, and recognize intra-hug gestures like rubbing, patting or squeezing. Designing a robot to navigate these nuances felt like programming caring into a system that doesn’t feel it, but can still communicate it.
HuggieBot uses visual perception to adapt to a person’s height and approach. It is also soft and warm. It features an inflatable torso that uses haptic sensing to detect the start and end of an embrace, as well as any intra-hug gestures. Once it detects a gesture, HuggieBot responds using a probabilistic behavior algorithm shaped by real user feedback. From HuggieBot 1.0 to 4.0, we developed design guidelines for an enjoyable robotic hugging experience.
I am especially fascinated by how people react to the hug. In my final study, we compared robotic hugs to hugs from friendly human strangers after a stressful event. Our physiological and behavioral data suggested that hugging a robot can offer similar emotional benefits. What drives me is the hope that a robot might someday provide comfort in moments when a human is not available.
Alexis E. Block, Guest Scientist at Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University
I have always been fascinated by how something as seemingly simple as a hug can be so incredibly complex. A good hug requires subtle coordination. The robot must adjust to someone’s height, posture, and preferences. It must interpret unspoken cues about how long to hold on, and recognize intra-hug gestures like rubbing, patting or squeezing. Designing a robot to navigate these nuances felt like programming caring into a system that doesn’t feel it, but can still communicate it.
HuggieBot uses visual perception to adapt to a person’s height and approach. It is also soft and warm. It features an inflatable torso that uses haptic sensing to detect the start and end of an embrace, as well as any intra-hug gestures. Once it detects a gesture, HuggieBot responds using a probabilistic behavior algorithm shaped by real user feedback. From HuggieBot 1.0 to 4.0, we developed design guidelines for an enjoyable robotic hugging experience.
I am especially fascinated by how people react to the hug. In my final study, we compared robotic hugs to hugs from friendly human strangers after a stressful event. Our physiological and behavioral data suggested that hugging a robot can offer similar emotional benefits. What drives me is the hope that a robot might someday provide comfort in moments when a human is not available.
Alexis E. Block, Guest Scientist at Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University
© Alexis Block
Emily Grout & the social behaviour of coatis
In the tropical forests of Panama, I am researching the social behaviour of wild white-nosed coatis. Female coatis in particular are very social. They live with their young in groups, while the males travel alone. When I follow them in the forest, they have the ability to suddenly vanish into thin air before my eyes. Sometimes I wish I was as small as them and could follow them just as quickly through the dense vegetation.
Forests like these are dynamic, complex and full of life – perfect for asking questions about animal behaviour and how groups stay together in an ever-changing environment. I am particularly curious about how the coatis in a group use calls to communicate where they are going – an important insight into the evolution of communication in social species.
In order to study the social behaviour of these animals, we equip the group members with tiny audio recorders on GPS collars so that we can track their movements and calls simultaneously. Based on this data, we found that coati groups often separate and reunite, and use specialized calls to keep their group together in dense undergrowth.
Emily Grout, postdoc at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Konstanz
Forests like these are dynamic, complex and full of life – perfect for asking questions about animal behaviour and how groups stay together in an ever-changing environment. I am particularly curious about how the coatis in a group use calls to communicate where they are going – an important insight into the evolution of communication in social species.
In order to study the social behaviour of these animals, we equip the group members with tiny audio recorders on GPS collars so that we can track their movements and calls simultaneously. Based on this data, we found that coati groups often separate and reunite, and use specialized calls to keep their group together in dense undergrowth.
Emily Grout, postdoc at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Konstanz
© Christian Ziegler
Ferdi Schüth & spectacular experiments
Gerhard Fecher & the colours beyond the rainbow
Martina Preiner & light-sensitive molecules
Susanne Erdmann & the love of strange microorganisms
Silke Britzen & the 100m “dish”
Holger Goerlitz & bats in the dark
Catherine Rajamathi - on the road to energy transition
Markus Reichstein & the breathing of ecosystems
Jeannette Bogh & the robot Apollo
Jens Frahm & the invention of real-time MRI
Ferenc Krausz & the Nobel Prize wave
Bruno Scocozza - a DJ in the lab?
Thomas Klinger & the art of long plasma pulses
Ilka Hermes & a look inside the solar cells
Hanieh Fattahi & the millionth part of a billionth of a second
An Mo & a bioinspired robotic “hopper”
Peter Drewelow & the glimpse into plasma heated to 20 million degrees
Ute Frevert & the history of emotions
Susanne Erdmann & the evolution of viruses
Miranda Bradshaw & the vacuum of the universe
Lisa Trost & the song of zebra finches
Hanieh Fattahi & her climate research
Kerstin Göpfrich & the question: what constitutes life?
Elena Redaelli & the view of the Milky Way
Silvia Spezzano & the ingredients of life
About vibrations of space and time
Tina Lüdecke & history emerging from the ground
Birgit Kolboske seeking to make women scientists visible in the MAX PLANCK history
Armin von Bogdandy and Public Law
Ka Fai Mak & ultra-short laser pulses for medical applications
Holger Goerlitz & the diversity of nature
Alexander Badr-Spröwitz & two-legged walking robots
Meritxell Huch and the Question of How Tissue Regenerates
Abdullah Bolek & melting permafrost
Stuart Parkin & new materials for memory and computing applications
Climbing and working at a height of 45 metres
Susan Trumbore about cycles of matter and climate
Alexis Block & HuggieBot
Emily Grout & the social behaviour of coatis