Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry

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Max Planck Institute
for Biophysical Chemistry
(Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute)
Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute)
MPI for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen
Category: research Institute
Carrier: Max Planck Society
Legal form of the carrier: Registered association
Seat of the wearer: Munich
Facility location: Goettingen
Type of research: Basic research
Subjects: Natural sciences
Areas of expertise: Biology , physics , chemistry
Basic funding: Federal government (50%), states (50%)
Management: Marina Rodnina (Managing Director)
Employee: 700
Homepage: www.mpibpc.mpg.de

The Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry ( Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute ) is a non-university research institution sponsored by the Max Planck Society (MPG) and is based in Göttingen .

It is the only Max Planck Institute to combine the three classic disciplines of the natural sciences - biology , physics and chemistry . When it was founded in 1971, it was initially physically and chemically oriented and was expanded in the following years to include neurobiological, biochemical and molecular-biological research areas.

history

The institute was founded in 1971 on the initiative of Nobel Prize winner Manfred Eigen , at that time the leading director of the Max Planck Institute for Physical Chemistry. Merging with the Max Planck Institute for Spectroscopy in Göttingen created one of the largest institutes in the Max Planck Society. In honor of Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer , the institute was given a second name after him. The building complex was designed by the architect Walter Henn .

Although the institute, like all Max Planck institutes, only conducts basic research, it was the starting point for successful start-ups such as Lambda Physik , DeveloGen, Evotec and Abberior. The employees, the institute and the Max Planck Society are also involved in the commercial use of their results through patents.

The history of the institute is associated with numerous prizes for outstanding scientific achievements. In 1967 Manfred Eigen (at that time still director at the Max Planck Institute for Physical Chemistry) received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his studies of extremely fast chemical reactions. In 1991 Erwin Neher and Bert Sakmann were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their research into ion channels in membranes of nerve cells . In 2014, Stefan Hell received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of high-resolution fluorescence microscopy. In addition to the Nobel Prize, numerous other prizes were awarded to scientists at the institute.

profile

Fundamental mechanisms that regulate and control life processes are explored: how genetic information is translated into proteins and how nerve cells communicate with one another, how energy transfer works at the molecular level, how cellular logistics are controlled or how protein aggregates damage cells. Research on the cellular cosmos is complemented by research at the organism level, for example how egg cells mature or why some animals can regenerate lost tissue and others cannot.

In order to penetrate further and further into the nano-cosmos of living cells, the institute uses ultra-high-resolution microscopy, nanotechnology, magnetic resonance tomography, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, optical spectrometry and atomistic computer simulations. At the same time, it sees itself as the nucleus of the development of new and improved measurement and analysis methods.

In mid-2019, 700 employees worked at the institute. Marina Rodnina is the managing director.

Departments and Research Groups

Departments

The institute currently (as of July 2019) has 12 departments:

In the Molecular Biology Department, which was newly established in January 2014, the chemist Patrick Cramer is researching how the information stored in the genome is read out and used. The department wants to analyze this elementary process of life in the cell and make it visible step by step down to the atomic level. It's about understanding transcription and gene regulation at both a molecular and a cellular level. On the one hand, the scientists elucidate the three-dimensional structure of the RNA polymerases in various functional states. Various structural biological methods such as X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy are integrated for this purpose. On the other hand, the cellular regulation of gene expression is systemically investigated using methods from functional genomics and bioinformatics.

Under the direction of Gregor Eichele, the genes and behavior department uses the mouse model to investigate the relationship between the switching on and off of genes (gene expression), development and behavior. To this end, the scientists involved have automated the analysis of patterns that occur when genes are switched on and off for the first time, both in the experiments themselves and in their subsequent evaluation. This method was used, among other things, to create a digital atlas of gene expression patterns in the mouse brain, which provides valuable information about genetic regulatory networks in organisms. Another research focus of the department is the control of the "internal clock", which determines, among other things, the sleep-wake rhythm in animals and humans . The researchers want to explain how these clocks work biochemically and how they are regulated by the complex interplay of genes and light.

The central research topic of Dirk Görlich's Cellular Logistics department is the transport of substances between the cytoplasm and the nucleus of the cell . The entire exchange of substances takes place via nuclear pores embedded in the nuclear envelope, which act as highly selective gates and are part of a complex transport machinery. The main questions of the department are how substances with and without permission to pass through the nuclear pore can be so accurately differentiated from each other, how the actual transport through the nuclear pore is accomplished and how nuclear pores are composed of their preliminary stages and built into the nuclear envelope. Another focus of the department is on the further development of nanobodies for use in biological research.

The NMR-based structural biology department, headed by Christian Griesinger, develops new methods of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and applies them to the investigation of proteins , nucleic acids and their complexes. An important project of the department is the investigation of the folding of certain proteins that occur in diseases of the nervous system such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's . In addition, proteins are observed directly in action and their structural dynamics are examined. In addition to elucidating the structure of soluble proteins, solid-state NMR spectroscopy is also used to research and develop methods to investigate insoluble proteins. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy is used directly in the department to investigate the binding of certain molecules to ion channels and membrane-bound receptors - processes that play a central role in the metabolism of the cell, but also in the effect of toxins.

The main interest of the Theoretical and Computational Biophysics department headed by Helmut Grubmüller is to track down functional mechanisms of proteins with the help of computer simulations . In order to be able to fulfill their respective tasks, these “nanomachines of the cell” need a precisely defined spatial structure. Even the movement of individual atoms is precisely coordinated with one another. With the help of complex computer calculations, the scientists simulate the precise movement of proteins, atom by atom, and obtain crucial information on how they work.

In the NanoBiophotonics department headed by Stefan W. Hell, new ultra-high-resolution laser microscopy methods are researched and developed. STED microscopy makes details in the nanometer range visible, far below the resolution range of conventional microscopes. While a light microscope can only resolve details that are at least 200 nanometers apart, with new methods developed in the department, the sharpness is no longer limited by the light wavelength. These methods can be used in basic biological research to make the smallest structures inside a living cell, such as organelles or even proteins , visible. The MINFLUX microscopy developed by Hell and his colleagues even achieves a selectivity of a few nanometers, so that closely adjacent molecules can be optically separated from one another.

Molecular model of a transport container (vesicle) filled with messenger substances. The model was developed in cooperation with scientists from the Jahn and Grubmüller departments, as well as the de Groot, Klingauf and Urlaub research groups.

Jochen Rink and his colleagues in the Tissue Dynamics and Regeneration Department conduct research on flatworms . Many flatworm species have the ability to regenerate individual body parts after they have been lost. Some can even form whole new organisms from tiny pieces of tissue. The scientists are studying how flatworms do this. In particular, they want to find out which signals in the worm's body control the reproduction, differentiation and movement of cells so that the shape and function of lost body parts can be completely regenerated. The researchers are also interested in why some flatworm species have a high ability to regenerate but others do not, and why the ability to regenerate in the animal kingdom as a whole is more an exception than the rule. Rink's team is also concerned with limiting the lifespan of individual cells and that of an entire organism. The department works in a highly interdisciplinary manner and uses a variety of methods, ranging from functional genome analyzes to cell biology and biophysics to taxonomy.

The Physical Biochemistry Department headed by Marina Rodnina researches how the cellular protein factories, the ribosomes, work. Ribosomes are of great molecular complexity and make surprisingly few mistakes in the production of proteins. This is essential because a single wrong building block can make the entire protein inoperable. How the ribosomes manage to keep the error rate so low and which mechanisms allow essential exceptions is therefore a research focus of the department. To answer these questions, the researchers use biophysical methods such as fluorescence spectroscopy and fast kinetic techniques. The scientists also analyze the structural dynamics of the ribosome: while the ribosome assembles a protein step by step, it also changes its spatial structure in the same rhythm. Biophysical and biochemical methods are used to investigate which molecular processes underlie this structural change.

In the Meiosis Department headed by Melina Schuh, research is carried out into how fertile egg cells develop in mammals. The focus is on the meiosis , which each egg cell goes through during its development. The scientists are particularly interested in how defects in chromosomes and structures of the cytoskeleton lead to aneuploidy and miscarriages in mammals. This is also of medical relevance, as faulty egg cells are a major cause of miscarriages and chromosomal abnormalities such as Down's syndrome . For its research, the department is also developing new tools such as high-throughput screening for genes involved in meiosis in mammals or methods with which the causes of faulty chromosome separation can be observed directly in living human egg cells for the first time.

The Structural Dynamics department headed by Holger Stark conducts research on so-called molecular machines that are involved in important cellular processes such as information processing, cell division or protein production. These machines are themselves protein complexes, which are usually composed of several parts and are often supplemented by RNA and DNA molecules. To analyze the three-dimensional structures of these complexes, the department mainly uses 3D transmission electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) , which is based on the transmission electron microscope . Here, the molecular structure of the examined objects can be elucidated with up to atomic resolution, which enables extensive insights into the structure, function and dynamics of the macromolecular complexes.

In the department Dynamics at Surfaces, headed by Alec M. Wodtke, chemical reactions at interfaces are investigated. The focus here is particularly on the elucidation of the laws that control the energy conversion at interfaces. For its research, the department uses cutting-edge lasers, molecular beams and ultra-high vacuum technologies in order to temporally resolve the individual energy transfer steps between molecules and examine them in isolation. Based on these investigations, the researchers develop new ideas and theories on molecular interactions at interfaces.

Research groups

A particular concern of the institute is the promotion of young scientists, which is also reflected in the number of 20 independent research groups.

Emeritus groups

After their retirement, directors of the institute can actively continue their research as an emeritus group for a few years.

Former departments

Biomedical NMR

The research group Biomedical NMR was founded in 1993 as an independent research center Biomedical NMR Research GmbH under the direction of Jens Frahm . The aim is to develop nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging methods and to use them for non-invasive examinations of the central nervous system of animals and humans. These methods enable direct insights into the anatomy, metabolism and function of the central nervous system and contribute to the understanding of human brain diseases. The Fast Low-Angle Shot (FLASH) method, developed in the mid-1980s, reduced the measurement time in magnetic resonance imaging (MRT) by a factor of 100 and thus laid a decisive foundation for the widespread use of MRI in medical diagnostics. The further development FLASH2 improved real-time MRI and has enabled real-time videos from inside the body for a few years.

Events of the institute

In order to make the research of the institute also visible to the public, the institute organizes a number of different activities. In addition to guided tours for visitor groups and school classes, individual departments and research groups of the institute repeatedly introduce themselves in generally understandable, public lectures. As part of the Future Day, schoolchildren are invited to visit the institute's workshops and laboratories. “Open days” offer interested parties the opportunity to experience the research activities. Scientists will also present their research to the public at the Göttingen Night of Knowledge. In addition, together with the four other Göttingen Max Planck Institutes, the institute organizes the lecture series “Science at the Göttingen Literature Autumn”, at which top international researchers and science journalists present their research and their books in a generally understandable manner.

Awards given by the institute

The Manfred Eigen Award Lecture , launched in 2018 , annually honors an excellent researcher who works in the scientific field of the institute's founder , Manfred Eigen .

The Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Award has been presented since 2016 as part of the Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Lecture , which has existed since 2014 . With this award, named after the physico-chemist Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer , the institute honors outstanding researchers for their scientific successes.

Cooperation with the University of Göttingen and other research institutions

The Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry works closely with the University of Göttingen , also within the framework of the Göttingen Campus . In addition to active participation in teaching, this is reflected in various joint projects and joint research institutes such as the European Neuroscience Institute Göttingen , the Cluster of Excellence Microscopy in the Nanometer Range and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB) and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience .

The ENI Göttingen has existed since 2000 as a cooperation project with the University of Göttingen and the Göttingen Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine. It is dedicated to experimental research on functions and diseases of the nervous system and is intended to provide long-term support for the treatment of diseases of the nervous system such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's or Alzheimer's.

The CNMPB Cluster of Excellence is an amalgamation of research groups from Göttingen University, the Max Planck Institutes for Biophysical Chemistry and Experimental Medicine and the German Primate Center. The aim of the research center is to better understand the molecular processes and interactions between nerve cells in order to improve and further develop long-term therapies for psychiatric, neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

The BCCN in Göttingen was opened in 2007 and is jointly supported by the Georg August University, the Max Planck Institutes for Biophysical Chemistry and Dynamics and Self-Organization and the German Primate Center. Scientists research the neural basis of the brain's performance on the basis of mathematical models. Another goal of the researchers is to apply innovative techniques in the field of robotics and neuroprosthetics.

International Max Planck Research Schools

Two International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS) were founded in 2000 - together with the University of Göttingen, the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine and the German Primate Center -: the IMPRS for Molecular Biology and the IMPRS for Neurosciences (with further participation of the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization and the ENI Göttingen ). An IMPRS is an English-language doctoral program that is primarily intended to attract foreign doctoral students. The spokesman for the IMPRS for Molecular Biology is Reinhard Jahn, the spokesman for the IMPRS for Neurosciences is Erwin Neher.

The IMPRS for Physics of Biological and Complex Systems became the third graduate school in 2008 . The offer is aimed at particularly qualified young scientists from Germany and abroad. Starting with a Bachelor (B.Sc.) or an equivalent degree, the programs lead to a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in 18 months and to a doctorate (PhD) in a total of 4 years.

In addition, the IMPRS for Genome Science was founded in 2017 .

literature

  • Max Planck Institute for Physical Chemistry / Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Institute) / (Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry) (CPTS / BMS). In: Eckart Henning , Marion Kazemi : Handbook on the history of the institute of the Kaiser Wilhelm / Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science 1911–2011 - data and sources. Berlin 2016, 2 volumes, volume 1: Institutes and research centers A – L. PDF; 75 MB , pages 289–317 (chronology of the institute).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Organization. Website of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  2. ↑ Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. In: arch INFORM .
  3. ↑ nobelprize.org.
  4. ^ Research. Summary of the research of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  5. ↑ mpibpc.mpg.de. Profile of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  6. ↑ Data & facts. Website of the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  7. ↑ https://www.mpibpc.mpg.de/4870/organization
  8. ↑ Patrick Cramer: Molecular Biology . Retrieved January 14, 2014 .
  9. ↑ press release. Jochen Rink is the new director at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  10. ↑ First RNAi meiosis screen in mammals reveals genes essential to generate eggs. English-language press release from the Laboratory of Molecular Biology on the first high-throughput screen on meiosis in mammalian cells. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  11. ↑ Shoe department. Meiosis Department at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  12. ↑ press release. Holger Stark is the new director at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  13. ↑ Departments and Research Groups . MPI. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  14. ↑ biomednmr.mpg.de. Website of the Biomedical NMR Research GmbH. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  15. ↑ magnetic-resonance.org. English language website on the history of nuclear magnetic resonance. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  16. ↑ Live connection to the beating heart. Website of the Max Planck Society on real-time MRI. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  17. ^ Night of Knowledge in Göttingen. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  18. ↑ 27. Göttingen Literature Autumn . Fascination research. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  19. ^ Manfred Eigen Award Lecture. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  20. ^ Karl Friedrich Bonhoeffer Award Lecture. Retrieved July 24, 2019.


Coordinates: 51 ° 33 ′ 43 ″  N , 9 ° 58 ′ 10 ″  E