Pictures from science

Our proprietary technologies and know-how are as diverse as the Max Planck Institutes and include inventions from various fields of astronomy to cell biology. The basis for our innovations is the research work of more than 15,000 scientists, visiting scientists and scholars in the field of basic research, who enjoy the highest international reputation. With the following pictures we would like to give you an insight into the research landscape of the institutes.

  • Scientist in the Tokamak ASDEX
    The future of energy at a glance: Scientific Director Sibylle Günter in the ASDEX Upgrade (Axially Symmetrical Diverter EXperiment) tokamak, one of Germany’s biggest fusion reactors. The ASDEX Upgrade will investigate key aspects of fusion research under conditions similar to those in a power plant and determine the physical basis for ITER and DEMO. To this end, the essential plasma properties, notably the plasma density, plasma pressure and load on the walls, have been adapted to conditions in a future fusion power plant. © Axel Griesch/MPI for Plasma Physics
  • Dye lasers at the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry
    Dye lasers are used to analyze air pollution on site and measure stratospheric ozone concentrations. Such lasers have been developed and tested at, among other places, the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen. © Wolfgang Filser/MPI for Biophysical Chemistry
  • Scientist at the Fritz-Haber-Institut
    Scientists at the Fritz-Haber Institute investigate the principal properties of atoms, molecules and electrons. Their findings also explain the behaviour of those particles in chemical reactions. The researchers are also seeking to improve our understanding of how chemical reactions are influenced by interface structures, for example the surface of a catalyst. Such knowledge is essential for developing efficient catalysts for the chemical industry. © David Ausserhofer/Fritz-Haber Institute
  • Research at the MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology
    Thanks to research at the MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology, a version of the genome sequence of an extinct human species is available for the first time. In 2010, the researchers in Leipzig, together with an international research team, presented the first draft of the genome sequence of Neanderthals, who died out around 30,000 years ago. Preliminary analysis of four billion base pairs indicates that Neanderthals have left traces behind in the genome of modern humans. The researchers obtained most of the DNA for their analyses from bone fragments of three Neanderthals in the Vindija Cave in Croatia. © Frank Vinken/MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology
  • A scientist at the MPI for Developmental Biology catches fish for his research work
    A scientist at the MPI for Developmental Biology catches fish for his research work. They have a superb flavour, few scales and a high back that fills a dinner plate: the mirror carp has been a popular culinary fish for thousands of years. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen have revealed the secret of why these fish are scale-less. The phenomenon is due to gene doubling. Whereas one copy of a gene required for a number of different functions is mutated, resulting in a lack of scales, the intact copy ensures the fish’s survival. The researchers have therefore found proof that backup genes can play an important role in the evolution of species. © Bernd Schuller/MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology
  • Scientist with fruit flies
    How do fruit flies manage to locate a fruit peel or a glass of sweet red wine so quickly? Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena are investigating the olfactory system of the tiny fly with the help of sophisticated measuring techniques. © Norbert Michalke/MPI for Chemical Ecology
  • Scientist at the MPI for Chemical Ecology
    A scientist in the Department of Evolutionary Neuroethology of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology removes a container of fruit flies from an incubation cabinet. © Bastian Ehl/MPI MPI for Chemical Ecology
  • Scientist at the MPI for Chemical Ecology
    A scientist at the MPI for Chemical Ecology inspects bacterial colonies on a Petri dish to see how well the bacteria have grown. During experiments in the lab it was observed that bacteria can cooperate with each other. Many bacteria form part of a biological community in which they interact with other bacterial strains. © Anna Schroll/MPI for Chemical Ecology
  • Scientist at the MPI for Extraterrestrial Physics
    Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics study every conceivable object beyond the earth and are making exciting new discoveries in the process. For example, they are studying the Milky Way, in which an enormous black hole was discovered several years ago, the physics and dynamics of interstellar matter and the evolution of galaxies. They observe inconceivably distant gamma flashes and explore the theory of complex plasmas. They are also investigating plasmas in various experiments, for example under weightless conditions on the International Space Station (ISS), as well as in the gravitational field of the Earth, as seen in the photo. © Axel Griesch/MPI for Extraterrestrial Physics
  • Scientist at the MPI for Dynamics and Self-Organization
    Vortex in the crosshairs: A scientist at the MPI for Dynamics and Self-Organization working on one of the experiments with which Max Planck researchers are investigating the origin of turbulence in tube flows. © Frank Vinken/MPI for Dynamics and Self-Organization
  • Neutrophil granulocytes
    Scientists at the MPI for Infection Biology have discovered a previously unknown mechanism: neutrophil granulocytes, cells that form part of the human immune system, can cast a sort of net to capture bacteria and kill them outside the cell. The red invaders – in this case Shigella bacteria – become entangled in the yellow nets. © Volker Brinkmann/MPI for Infection Biology
  • Gravitational waves
    In 2016, scientists observed ripples in space-time, known as gravitational waves, for the first time. The ripples were produced by a colossal event in the distant universe. This observation confirmed an important prediction of the general relativity theory propounded by Albert Einstein in 1915. At the same time, it opened a new window onto the universe. Collision in a computer: This simulation shows the two black holes with 29 and 36 solar masses that danced around each other and merged in the space of a few moments. The collision generated gravitational waves, which were observed by detectors on Earth. © Serguei Ossokine, Alessandra Buonanno/MPI for Gravitational Physics. Scientific visualization: Werner Benger/Airborne Hydro Mapping GmbH
  • Polymers at the MPI of Colloids and Interfaces
    Polymers influence the properties of almost every modern-day material. Polymers are chemical compounds consisting of long molecular chains or highly branched molecules. The researchers hope that their work will enable them to produce novel materials in an environmentally friendly manner. © Helmut Cölfen, Shu Hong Yu, Jürgen Hartmann/MPI of Colloids and Interfaces
  • Experiments with the semiconductor material silicon at the MPI of Microstructure Physics
    Scientists vapour-deposit gold on a silicon disc at 525 degrees Celsius and then expose it to a stream of silicon vapour. Where the drops of gold settle, nanowires begin to grow upward. It is hoped that such experiments with the semiconductor material silicon at the MPI of Microstructure Physics will lead to the development of advanced electronic components. © Luise Schubert, Peter Werner/MPI of Microstructure Physics
  • Research at the MPI for Quantum Optics
    The interaction of light and matter under controlled conditions is the common hallmark of the five scientific departments at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics. The controlled capture of individual photons and atoms and their interaction with each other are at the center of the Dept. Quantum Dynamics, which thus lays the foundation for future quantum computers. The concept of the quantum computer is based on an ion trap (picture), in which electrically charged and cooled atoms are captured with electric fields and manipulated with laser beams. There are already small-scale prototypes of quantum computers that have been realized with ion traps (© MPI for Quantum Optics)
  • Flower of thale cress
    A flower wilts, while seeds mature: The growth and ageing of the various parts of a plant must be perfectly synchronized. Plants accomplish this feat by synthesizing signalling molecules and exchanging metabolic products. These substances are formed whenever the corresponding genes are active. Gene activity is regulated by transcription factors, i.e. proteins that cause a gene in the DNA strand to be read. The photo shows a flower of thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), in which Max Planck Researchers at the MPI of Molecular Plant Physiology have linked the activity of a transcription factor involved in ageing with the production of a blue pigment. In this way, they are able to study organ-specific ageing processes. © Salma Balazadeh, Bernd Müller-Röber/ MPI of Molecular Plant Physiology
  • Microscopic cross-section of a kidney
    Microscopic cross-section of a kidney. The photo shows filtration tubes, known as renal tubuli. Proteins are present in their cell walls that act as water transporters (green) and sodium transporters (red). The cell nuclei appear blue. © MPI for Heart and Lung Research
  • Fluorescence measurements
    Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Golm near Potsdam determine the rate of photosynthesis with the help of fluorescence measurements – in this case using a thale cress leaf. © David Ausserhofer/MPI of Molecular Plant Physiology
  • Scientist at the Life Science Inkubator
    The EPN Technology Project at Life Science Inkubator: Using encapsulated protein nanoparticles (EPN), EPN or ProNaCell, is developing drug transporters that can be programmed to target specific cells. Initially, it is planned to develop these nano-shells, which can reliably deliver an encapsulated drug and transport it into cells, for the treatment of rare diseases, for example cystic fibrosis or alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. They can also be used in the treatment of malignant diseases (NCLC, AML) for which no effective treatment currently exists. The photo shows a researcher at a pipetting robot. © Jürgen Seidel/Life Science Inkubator GmbH
  • Staff member at the Life Science Inkubator
    A staff member at the Life Science Inkubator working on a fluorescence microscope. Life Science Inkubator GmbH, which has been operating in Bonn since 2009 and in Dresden since 2013, carries out promising founding projects at its premises and offers the best possible environment for entrepreneurs with pioneering ideas. Innovative research projects in the fields of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical technology are developed to the founding stage. In addition, the researchers learn the business management skills required to be a successful entrepreneur in the market. © Jürgen Seidel/Life Science Inkubator GmbH
  • Scientists at the Life Science Inkubator
    The NANOSCOPIX Project at Life Science Inkubator: fluorescence microscopy is widely used in biology and medicine. For example, it can be employed to identify and analyze pathogens, visualize cells and detect antibodies. With the help of cooling chambers developed by NanoscopiX, the inherent fluorescence signals of specific molecules can be visualized at ultralow temperatures. The major advantage of this method is that – thanks to the physical approach – almost any biomolecule can be examined. The technique can also be used for diagnostic analysis during or after a biopsy, for example. © Jürgen Seidel/Life Science Inkubator GmbH
  • Laboratory at the Lead Discovery Center
    The Lead Discovery Center (LDC) was founded in 2008 from an initiative of the technology transfer company Max Planck Innovation (MI). Its aim is to better utilize the potential of outstanding basic research in the quest for new treatments for medically challenging diseases and to translate promising research projects into the development of innovative drugs in a professional way. With its interdisciplinary team of experienced scientists, drug researchers, pharmacologists and project managers, the LDC covers all areas of pharmaceutical research to the highest industrial standards: from the biological target structure to the chemical lead substance. © Lutz Kampert/Lead Discovery Center GmbH
  • Scientist at the Lead Discovery Center
    A scientific staff member of the Lead Discovery Center loads a mass spectrometer. Mass spectrometers are used in drug research to identify and validate targets. Such targets form the basis for new therapeutic agents. Mass spectrometers provide important information on proteins and peptides and ensure a high level of process efficiency. © Lutz Kampert/Lead Discovery Center GmbH
  • Scientist at the Lead Discovery Center
    A scientist at the Lead Discovery Center carrying out a blotting experiment: This method can identify molecules by transferring proteins from an electrophoresis gel, for example, to a target membrane. © Lutz Kampert/Lead Discovery Center GmbH
  • RESOLFT (Reversible Saturable Optical Fluorescent Transitions) microscopy
    RESOLFT (Reversible Saturable Optical Fluorescent Transitions) microscopy refers to a group of light-microscopy methods that produce ultra-sharp images. The technology overcomes the diffraction limit of resolution of microscopy, which was thought to be insurmountable for hundreds of years, and can resolve objects the size of a dye molecule, i.e. one or two nanometres across. Parallelized RESOLFT nanoscopy makes it possible to visualize living cells within a matter of seconds. The photo shows PtK2 cell measurement, which express the fusion protein keratin 19-rsEGFP(N205S). The photo is based on 144 individual images, and took only around one second to capture. © Andrij Chmyrov, Stefan Hell/MPI for Biophysical Chemistry
  • The Leica TCS SP8 STED 3X ultra-high-resolution microscope
    The Leica TCS SP8 STED 3X ultra-high-resolution microscope is based on the STED (STimulated Emission Depletion) principle, which was developed by Nobel Prize Laureate Stefan Hell. It provides a fast, intuitive and purely optical means of examining subcellular structures and processes at the nanometre scale. STED high resolution meets the demands of daily research and also allows living cells to be studied in minute detail. The TCS SP8 STED 3X covers the entire spectrum of visible light and provides high resolution in all spatial dimensions. © Leica Microsystems
  • Seedlings of Arabidopsis varieties
    High tech instead of a green thumb: Seedlings of Arabidopsis varieties at the MPI of Molecular Plant Physiology are grown under standardized conditions in order to discover the functions of various genes. © Norbert Michalke/MPI of Molecular Plant Physiology
  • Prof. Jens Frahm ftom the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry
    In 1984, scientists headed by Prof. Jens Frahm at the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen developed the so-called FLASH method (Fast Low Angel SHot), which made it possible to shorten the times of examination in magnetic resonance imaging by a hundredfold and even to record films (© Irene Böttcher-Gajewski / MPI for Biophysical Chemistry)
  • Prof. Axel Ullrich and colleague at the MPI of Biochemistry
    Sutent® is a cancer drug with a new mode of action: The simultaneous blockade of several molecular target molecules (so-called "multi-specificity"), which are essential for the development of cancer, particularly efficiently addresses the complexity of tumorigenesis. Prof. Axel Ullrich and his team at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry have recognized the need for a multi-specific cancer drug and developed a concept for how to specifically intervene in the complex mechanism of tumor development (© Axel Griesch / MPI of Biochemistry)