Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience
Coordinates: 26 ° 53 '2 " N , 80 ° 6' 53.4" W.
The Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) is a research institute for neuroscience based in Jupiter (Florida) , USA .
history
The institute is based on the decision of the US state Florida in 2008 to expand the existing facilities in the field of life sciences in northern Palm Beach County . The relocation of the MPFI cost the state, the county and the town of Jupiter approximately US $ 188 million. The second decision was that of the Max Planck Society to find a location in the USA, as the Florida location is more attractive to some scientists than a location in Europe or Germany. The institute was completed and inaugurated in December 2012. The German federal government pledged an annual contribution of ten million dollars for the years up to 2016. The institute has to pay the remaining costs itself.
Structure of the institute
The Max Planck Florida Institute is the first and so far only research institute in North America that seeks to find new ways to understand the structure, function and development of neural networks .
There are nine study groups at the MPFI for this purpose. These are:
- Disorders of Neural Circuit Function.
- Mechanisms of Synaptic Signaling and Computation.
- Functional Architecture and Development of Visual Cortex.
- Cellular Basis of Neural Circuit Plasticity.
- Digital neuroanatomy.
- Cellular Organization of Cortical Circuit Function.
- Development and Function of Inhibitory Neural Circuits.
- Neuronal Signals Transduction.
- Molecular Mechanisms of Synaptic Function.
Buildings and building services
The Max Planck Florida Institute for Neurosciences is located in the middle of the John D. MacArthur campus of Florida Atlantic University . The three-storey building has 9,300 m² of usable space, 5,400 m² of which are used as laboratories. The floors of the laboratories are separated from the rest of the building in such a way that no external vibrations can disturb measurements etc. Laboratories are also planned for visiting scientists. The building planned by the American architecture firm ZGF Architects LLP from Portland (Oregon) contains a central three-story lobby and a lecture hall with 100 seats.
The building meets the requirements for a green building in that, for example, the air cooling can be regulated for the different usage zones and energy is recovered via the mechanical wheels of the ventilation fans. In addition, the condensate obtained from the dehumidification of the air is used for the institute's cooling system and, finally, the outdoor facilities on the campus are irrigated with recycled water from the city of Jupiter.
The MPFI buildings are designed to withstand the stresses of a magnitude 4 hurricane .
Web links
- Institute website (en.)