- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
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The Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute) in Göttingen is a research institute of the Max Planck Society. Currently, 812 people work at the Institute, 353 of them are scientists.
As one of the institutes within the Max Planck Society it combines the three classical scientific disciplines – biology, physics and chemistry. Founded in 1971, research in the institute initially focussed on physical and chemical problems. It has since undergone a continuous evolution manifested by an expanding range of core subjects and work areas such as neurobiology, biochemistry and molecular biology.
Contents
History
Aerial picture of the Max Planck Institute for biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen (Picture: Jörg Winkler, 2007)
The history of the Institute goes back to the year 1949. At that time, the Max Planck Society established the Max Planck Institute for Physical Chemistry in Göttingen as follow-up of the former Kaiser-Wilhelm Institute for Physical Chemistry in Berlin. Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer, who already worked at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute became the founding director of the new institute. He was one of the first researchers who applied physical-chemical methods in biological research and thus combined different disciplines of natural sciences in research.
The Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry was created in 1971 through the merger of Max Planck Institute for Physical Chemistry and for Spectroscopy in Göttingen. This was largely initiated by Nobel Prize winner Manfred Eigen, who was at that time director of the Max Planck Institute for Physical Chemistry. His vision of an interdisciplinary approach to biological research was decisive and the creative impulse for the development of the Institute. To honour Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer, the new institute was named after him.
Although the Institute is dedicated to basic research – by virtue of the charter of the Max Planck Society – its policy has been to encourage the transfer of numerous technological innovations to the marketplace. As a consequence, many licensing agreements and start-up firms have arisen from research conducted at the Institute, e. g. Lambda Physik, DeveloGen and Evotec.
The history of the Institute also lists numerous prizes to honor outstanding scientific achievements. In 1967, Manfred Eigen received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his unique contributions to the field of rapid reaction kinetics. Two scientists of the Institute, Erwin Neher and Bert Sakmann, shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1991, awarded for pioneering single channel recording techniques and applications. Numerous science prizes have been awarded to other directors such as the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (Herbert Jäckle 1986, Fritz Peter Schäfer 1986, Erwin Neher and Bert Sakmann 1986, Peter Gruss 1994, Reinhard Lührmann 1996, Christian Griesinger 1998, Reinhard Jahn 2000, Stefan W. Hell 2008) and the “Deutsche Zukunftspreis” by the Federal President (Peter Gruss and Herbert Jäckle 1999, Stefan Hell 2006). Other prizes awarded to scientists of the Institute are the Louis Jeantet Prize (Peter Gruss 1995, Herbert Jäckle 1999) and the Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine (Klaus Weber 1984, Reinhard Lührmann 2003, Reinhard Jahn 2006).
Furthermore, several junior scientists have been awarded different prizes, among them the renowned BioFuture-Prize (Petra Schwille 1998, Tom Tuschl 1999, Holger Stark 2005).
Departments and Independent Research Groups
The research conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry covers a broad spectrum. Its aim is to understand biophysical and biochemical processes at a fundamental level.
Departments
The Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry currently encompasses 11 departments:
- Prof. Gregor Eichele - Genes and Behavior
- Prof. Dirk Görlich - Cellular Logistics
- Prof. Christian Griesinger - NMR based Structural Biology
- Prof. Helmut Grubmüller - Theoretical and Computational Biophysics
- Prof. Peter Gruss (on leave of absence) - Molecular Cell Biology
- Prof. Stefan W. Hell - NanoBiophotonics
- Prof. Herbert Jäckle - Molecular Developmental Biology
- Prof. Reinhard Jahn - Neurobiology
- Prof. Reinhard Lührmann - Cellular Biochemistry
- Prof. Erwin Neher - Membrane Biophysics
- Prof. Marina Rodnina - Physical Biochemistry
Research Groups
The Institute is particularly engaged in the support of junior scientists, which is indicated by the numerous Junior Research Groups that it hosts.
- Dr Donna Arndt-Jovin - Structure and Regulation of Chromatin
- Dr Marina Bennati - Electron Paramagnetic Resonance
- Dr Henrik Brinkmann - Sleep and Waking
- Dr Thomas Burg - Biological Micro- and Nanotechnology
- Dr Volker Cordes - Nuclear Architecture
- Dr Bert de Groot - Computational Biomolecular Dynamics
- Dr Gerrit Groenhof - Computational Biomolecular Chemistry
- Dr Dirk Fasshauer - Structural Biochemistry
- Dr Wolfgang Fischle - Chromatin Biochemistry
- Dr Stefan Jakobs - Mitochondrial Structure and Dynamics
- Prof. Michael Kessel - Developmental Biology
- Dr Martin Kollmar - Structural investigations
- Dr Manfred Konrad - Enzyme Biochemistry
- Dr Adam Lange - Solid-state NMR
- Prof. Ahmed Mansouri - Molecular Cell Differentiation
- Prof. Mary Osborn - Cell Biology
- Prof. Dietmar Pörschke - Biomolecular Dynamics
- Dr Takeshi Sakaba - Biophysics of Synaptic Transmission
- Dr Reinhard Schuh - Molecular Organogenesis
- Prof. Dirk Schwarzer - Reaction Dynamics
- Dr Halyna Shcherbata - Gene expression and signaling
- Dr Holger Stark - 3D Electron Cryo-microscopy
- Dr Anastassia Stoykova - Molecular Developmental Neurobiology
- Prof. Michael Stuke - Laser Chemical Processing
- Dr Simone Techert - Structural Dynamics of (Bio)chemical Systems
- Prof. Henning Urlaub - Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry
- Prof. Peter Jomo Walla - Labelfree Biomolecular Analysis and Single-Molecule Detection
- Prof. Wolfgang Wintermeyer - Ribosome Dynamics
- Dr Markus Zweckstetter - Protein Structure Determination using NMR
Emeritus Groups
After retiring, directors of the Institute can actively continue their research for a couple of years.
- Prof. Thomas Jovin - Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics
- Prof. Jürgen Troe - Spectroscopy and Photochemical Kinetics
Former Departments
The Institute has undergone a permanent change in research with the closing of departments after their heads have retired and by continuously establishing new departments. Some of the former directors pursue their research even after their Emeritus Group has expired and can still be contacted at the Institute (*).
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- Prof. Otto D. Creutzfeldt - Neurobiology (1971-1992)
- Prof. Manfred Eigen (*) - Biochemical Kinetics (1971-1995)
- Prof. Dieter Gallwitz (*) - Molecular Genetics (1985-2004)
- Prof. Manfred Kahlweit (*) - Kinetics of Phase Transformations (1971-1996)
- Prof. Hans Kuhn - Molecular Systems (1971-1984)
- Prof. Leo de Maeyer (*) - Experimental Methods (1971-1996)
- Prof. Bert Sakman - Cell Physiology (1985-1988)
- Prof. Fritz-Peter Schäfer - Laser Physics (1971-1994)
- Prof. Hans Strehlow - Electrochemistry and Reaction Kinetics (1971-1984)
- Prof. Klaus Weber (*) - Biochemistry and Cell Biology (1973-2004)
- Prof. Albert Weller - Spectroscopy (1971-1990)
- Prof. Victor P. Whittaker - Neurochemistry (1973-1987)
Biomedizinische NMR Forschungs GmbH
The Institute also accommodates the independent Biomedizinische NMR Forschungs GmbH headed by Jens Frahm, which was founded in 1993. The focus of his team is the development and application of spatially resolved NMR techniques for non-invasive studies of the central nervous system in animals and humans. These innovative approaches allow for unique insights into the structure, metabolism and function of the intact living brain. Jens Frahm and his coworkers invented a rapid acquisition technique for magnetic resonance imaging termed FLASH MRI (fast low angle shot) technique, that allowed for a 100-fold reduction of the measuring times of cross-sectional and three-dimensional images. The FLASH technique led the ground for many modern MRI applications in diagnostic imaging.
Service Groups
Scientific service groups such as Electron Microscopy (Dr Dietmar Riedel), Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry (Prof. Henning Urlaub), X-Ray Crystallography (Dr Vladimir Pena) and Innovative Light Microscopy (Dr Alexander Egner) develop specific and complex methods. The service facilities are available to all scientists of the Institute and provide help and training in terms of sample preparation and data analysis.
An expert Information Technology group maintains the very complex and sophisticated network of computational facilities. The EU Liaison Office provides support for all phases of the EU grant application procedure. The Otto Hahn Library offers more than 80000 journal volumes, in addition to nearly 40000 monographs. Current journal subscriptions include more than 380 titles. Employees in the workshops of the Institute collaborate with the researchers in order to construct special-purpose equipment. Moreover, they continuously seek improved methods for the graphical and photographic reproduction of scientific results. Two child care facilities operated by the Kinderhaus Göttingen e.V. take care of children aged 1 to 4 years.
Activities of the Institute
The Institute offers many activities for the public. Besides guided tours for visitors and students from different schools, the Institute arranges public lectures introducing research of different departments and junior research groups. A one-week Science and Youth Program operated every year by the City of Göttingen provides students with insights into the laboratories of the Institute. „Open doors“ offer the possibility to visit departments and research groups.
Moreover, the Institute offers a special programme, the Hands-on Laboratory of the European Initiative for Communicators of Science (EICOS), which invites journalists from all over Europe and Israel to gain a close-up view of research in the laboratories.
Cooperation with the University of Göttingen and other Research Facilities
The European Neuroscience Institute (ENI) in Göttingen has existed since 2000 and is dedicated to the support of independent work of Young Investigators in the field of neurosciences. It presently houses three Young Investigator groups working in the fields of neuroendocrinology, neuroplasticity, and cell biophysics. It is jointly funded by the Medical School of Göttingen University and the Max Planck Institutes for Experimental Medicine and for Biophysical Chemistry.
The DFG Research Center for Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CMPB) is a research center funded by the German Research Community (DFG) and unites research groups of the Georg August University Göttingen, the Max Planck Society and the German Primate Center in Göttingen. Their research activities focus on molecular processes underlying brain function and the application of new knowledge from these studies in the development of therapies for psychiatric and neurological disorders.
The Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience (BCCN) Göttingen was established in 2007. In cooperation with research groups from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, the University of Göttingen, the German Primate Center, and the research lab of Otto Bock HealthCare GmbH, research is conducted in joint projects on the adaptivity of the nervous system ranging from the level of single synapses to the level of cognitive processes.
In 2000, two International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) were established together with the Georg August University Göttingen, the German Primate Center and the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine: the IMPRS for Molecular Biology and the IMPRS for Neurosciences (in cooperation with the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization and the ENI Göttingen). A third graduate school, the IMPRS for Physics of Biological and Complex Systems , was opened in 2008 (in cooperation with the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Selforganization). Entering with a Bachelor’s degree, the students receive a broad theoretical and practical training in the first year that is both intensive and interdisciplinary. Upon successful completion of a qualifying exam by the end of the first year (Master of Science, M.Sc.), the students join one of the participating research groups to begin their doctoral thesis, which is to be submitted within three years (PhD).
External links
Categories:- Max Planck Society
- Research institutes in Germany
- Biological research institutes
- 1971 establishments
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