MPIKG Biomolecular Systems | Dr. Martina Delbianco, group leader at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, was selected to receive a grant of 1.5 million euros from the European Research Council (ERC). Over a period of five years, the EU will fund the development of programmable carbohydrate architectures, which in the long term may result in the creation of new materials from sugar.

MPICI Biomaterials | Max Planck Director Prof. Dr. Peter Fratzl has been appointed honorary life member by the Chinese Chemical Society (CCS). The CCS describes this nomination as “the highest honor bestowed on the world’s most distinguished chemists and materials scientists”. Peter Fratzl is thus one of a total of 70 honorary members, 24 of whom are from Europe.

Bayer AG | Monheim, Nov. 10, 2022 | Targenomix, a spin-off of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology, will contribute to Bayer’s Crop Science R&D pipeline by continuing to deliver novel systems biology approaches for innovative crop protection discovery / Targenomix will continue its start-up approach as a standalone entity wholly-owned by Bayer

This year’s CITY CYCLING in Potsdam begins on September 5th. The Potsdam Science Park is also there this year. Registration for the Potsdam Science Park team is now open, team-kilometers are collected via app.

Press Release MPI-MP | Since April 1st, 2022, Prof. Dr. Gutjahr is a new director at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology. She is setting up the department “Root Biology and Symbiosis”. The interaction between soil fungi and plant roots – a symbiosis called mycorrhiza – is of great importance for the growth and health of plants. Prof. Dr. Caroline Gutjahr studies the molecular factors that influence the formation and function of this beneficial interaction.

This year’s Rooftop Pitch Potsdam will take place on 16 May 2022. The Potsdam pitch event offers start-ups with innovative founding concepts a great opportunity to pitch and a suitable forum for networking with investors — plus a fantastic view over the rooftops of the beautiful State Capital Potsdam. Get in touch to join us at Potsdam’s Science Floor “Wissenschaftsetage” in the Bildungsforum Potsdam.

MPICI – Synergies at top level: On February 3, the virtual inauguration of the first Max Planck Center on the Australian continent will take place. At the Max Planck Queensland Center (MPQC), project teams will explore biological materials known as extracellular matrices. “With this, we are putting a new field on the research map, focusing not only on biomedical applications, but also on technical ones, such as in architecture,” says Center co-director Peter Fratzl.

MPICI – International distinction: Potsdam and Washington, D.C. — The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals, has elected Prof. Peter H. Seeberger from Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces to the newest class of AAAS Fellows, among the most distinct honors within the scientific community.

With the PSP Conference 2021 on November 23-24, the Potsdam Science Park will again present research innovation, new products and patents. Look forward to panel discussions on innovation ecosystems, best practice from research and industry as well as pioneering start-ups from the capital region at our annual Startup Pitch Award! New this year: In addition to the livestream on November 23, you will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and connect to new network contacts in 1:1 meetups on the following day.

Press Release | Corona Drugs, Antiviral Respiratory Masks, and Novel Testing Methods — At the Potsdam Science Park, institutes and companies are working on therapeutic options and solutions to further curb the spread of the corona virus or to accelerate the healing of patients. In the next few years, the research findings could already bring the first corona drugs, antiviral respiratory masks, improved corona tests, or masks with integrated corona tests to the market. The approaches and application scenarios are extremely promising.

Dr. Frank Sellrie and Jörg Schenk from the Immunotechnology group of UP Transfer GmbH at the University of Potsdam are working on improved testing methods using high-quality antibodies at the Potsdam Science Park. Based on many years of research by the two scientists, an improved CE-certified rapid test was launched by the company ImmoGnost in June 2021. Recently, rbb television also reported on this advancement in a feature on the programme ‘Brandenburg aktuell’.

Fraunhofer Research News | In general, plastics are processed at way over a hundred degrees Celsius. Enzymes, by contrast, cannot usually withstand these high temperatures. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP have managed to reconcile these contradictions: They are able to embed enzymes in plastics without the enzymes losing their activity in the process. The potentials this creates are enormous.

MPI-MP | How do different species actually develop? So far, we know that in many living organisms there is an incompatibility between the actual genetic material in the cell nucleus and the genetic material of the individual cell organelles, the powerhouse of the cell. This incompatibility prevents different species from mixing, but little is known about the exact mechanisms behind it.

Professor Peter H. Seeberger will be the first German researcher to hold the Newton-Abraham Visiting Professorship at the University of Oxford, for one year starting in October 2021. Seeberger thus joins the ranks of renowned and highly distinguished researchers from the fields of chemistry, biology and medicine – including four Nobel Prize winners.

Press Release: The Potsdam Science Park is already one of the largest locations for science in the capital region. Now it is expanding further. An opportunity for companies and start-ups to locate in Potsdam-Golm – in a vibrant international setting in immediate proximity to cutting-edge international research and university education.