Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology
Category: research Institute
Carrier: Max Planck Society
Legal form of the carrier: registered association
Seat of the wearer: Berlin
Facility location: Bremen
Type of research: Basic research
Subjects: Natural sciences
Areas of expertise: Microbiology , biogeochemistry , molecular ecology
Basic funding: Federal government (50%), states (50%)
Management: Nicole Dubilier (Managing Director)
Employee: about 250
Homepage: www.mpi-bremen.de

The Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPI-MM) has existed in Bremen since 1992 . In close proximity to the University of Bremen with its departments for biology and geosciences , where marine research is also carried out, it carries out studies on the material cycle of the elements in the oceans and the microorganisms involved .

The microorganisms or microbes primarily include bacteria and unicellular algae , but also more primeval unicellular organisms in the archaea . When it comes to research and the coordination of the work, there is close cooperation with a large number of other research institutions in northern Germany and with institutions all over the world. In the state of Bremen these are primarily the University of Bremen , the Jacobs University Bremen or the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven .

Rudolf Amann has been Managing Director at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen since 2019 .

Organization and structure

The institute is divided into three departments: Biogeochemistry, Symbiosis and Molecular Ecology. There are working groups in the departments that focus their investigations on specific areas:

  • Biogeochemistry ( Marcel Kuypers ) -
    • AG Biogeochemistry
    • Microsensors group
    • Research group microbial physiology
    • Research group greenhouse gases
  • Molecular Ecology ( Rudolf Amann )
    • Molecular Ecology Core Group
    • Guest group microbial genomics and bioinformatics
    • Research group flow cytometry
  • Symbiosis ( Nicole Dubilier )
    • Symbiosis core group
    • Research group metabolic interactions
  • HGF MPG Bridge Group Deep Sea Ecology and Technology ( Antje Boetius ) in cooperation with the Alfred Wegener Institute
  • Marum MPG Bridge Group Marine Glycobiology (Jan-Hendrik Hehemann) in cooperation with marum
  • Max Planck Research Group Microbial Metabolisms (Tristan Wagner)
  • Max Planck Research Group Archaea Virology (Susanne Erdmann)
  • ICBM MPI Bridge Group for Marine Geochemistry (Thorsten Dittmar) in cooperation with the University of Oldenburg
  • Max Planck Research Group Marine Isotope Geochemistry (Katharina Pahnke-May) in cooperation with the University of Oldenburg

While microbiology pays special attention to microorganisms, their structure and functions, biogeochemistry primarily examines the substances that they take up and release and determine their metabolic performance via the turnover rates. Molecular Ecology is the youngest department and was launched in 2002. She specializes in studying microbes through their DNA , as most of them cannot be cultured. However, the presence of their DNA is unmistakable evidence of their presence in the samples examined.

The Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology not only conducts research, but also provides and builds the necessary equipment. There are separate workshops for this purpose, which develop and manufacture new devices in coordination with the scientists and engineers. We are constantly trying to provide the best possible tools for research.

Teaching

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology are involved in teaching at the University of Bremen, in particular with the departments of biology / chemistry and geosciences. The directors Friedrich Widdel, Rudolf Amann, Nicole Dubilier, Marcel Kuypers and the group leader Antje Boetius are also professors at the University of Bremen. In addition, the MPI Bremen is providing a professor at Jacobs University Bremen, Frank Oliver Glöckner . Some of the scientists also work as private lecturers .

International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS)

With the International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology (marmic), which was founded in 2002, the MPI-MM co-operates a graduate college that allows German and international doctoral students to do a structured doctorate. In addition to the MPI, the University of Bremen , Jacobs University Bremen and the Alfred Wegener Institute are also involved in the IMPRS. The spokesman for the IMPRS is Rudolf Amann, who is also the director of the institute.

Spin-offs

In 2005 the company Ribocon GmbH was spun off. The company's aim is to transfer knowledge and technologies from science to industry. The portfolio currently includes sequence and genome analysis, phylogenetic reconstruction and probe / primer design as well as support for hardware and software problems with ARB and SILVA.

In 2017, a team of marine researchers from the Max Planck Institute in Bremen founded Forma HyperSurvey, which offers a technology for the fast and cost-efficient monitoring of marine habitats, such as coral reefs.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ What is MarMic? , IMPRS homepage, accessed on October 15, 2019


Coordinates: 53 ° 6 ′ 37 ″  N , 8 ° 50 ′ 51 ″  E