Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and the Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO) have developed a new microalgae testing platform. Using the single-celled gree...

Ein bakterielles Enzym könnte der Schlüssel zu einer nachhaltigen Produktion des Kunststoff-Bausteins Ethylen sein

Ein Bakterienenzym aus Rhodospirillum rubrum könnte die Produktion von Ethylen revolutionieren, da es dies ohne CO2-Emissionen ermöglicht. Forschende des Max-Planck-Instituts unter Dr. Johannes Rebelein konnten die Struktur des Enzyms aufklären. Die Ergebnisse bieten Perspektiven für eine nachhaltigere biotechnologische Ethylenproduktion und ein neues Verständnis früher biochemischer Prozesse.

A bacterial enzyme could make it possible to produce the plastic building block ethylene without the emission of CO₂. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, led by Dr Johannes Rebelein, have now investigated the enzyme's structure and function in vitro.These findings lay the groundwork for more sustainable biotechnological ethylene production and improve our understanding of early biochemical processes.

An international team of researchers has addressed a question that has received little attention to date: how do beneficial gut microorganisms perceive their environment? Led by Prof. Dr Victor Sourji...

Methanogenic archaea have a significant impact on the global climate due to their role in producing almost all methane from natural sources. This well-known process relies on enzymes containing metals such as iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni). However, a team of scientists from the Max Planck Institutes for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg and Biophysics in Frankfurt am Main discovered that these microbes can alter the pathway they use in conditions of low nickel bioavailability (as found in many natural habitats). Their study, published in Nature, significantly advances our understanding of microbial ecology and its potential impact on climate change.

The September Science Academy for microbial and molecular biosciences is a fully funded international summer school for women in science and scientists of underrepresented genders in an advanced stage of their PhD or an early postdoctoral stage. Hosted by the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, the program invites early-career scientists from all over the world to explore cutting-edge research, connect with the institute’s scientific community, and discover new career opportunities.

Dr Franziska Sendker, a former doctoral candidate at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, has been awarded the Otto Hahn Medal by the Max Planck Society. The medal honours the outstanding achievements of young scientists and comes with a prize of 7,500 euros. In March 2025, she received the Bayer Pharmaceuticals Doctoral Award from the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM e.V.), presented at the Mosbach Colloquium. Franziska Sendker's research showed that complex protein forms can arise not only through natural selection, but also through random genetic changes.

For his outstanding doctoral thesis, Dr Maik Wolfram Schauerte has been honoured by the Max Planck Society with both the Otto Hahn Medal and the Otto Hahn Prize. The Max Planck Society (MPS) presented the awards at its annual meeting in Magdeburg on 25 June.

The September Science Academy for microbial and molecular biosciences is a fully funded international summer school for women in science and scientists of underrepresented genders in an advanced stage of their PhD or an early postdoctoral stage. Hosted by the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, the program invites early-career scientists from all over the world to explore cutting-edge research, connect with the institute’s scientific community, and discover new career opportunities.

Zwei Cluster erhalten Förderung im wichtigsten deutschen Forschungswettbewerb

Die Marburger Max-Planck-Forschungsgruppenleiterin Dr. Martina Preiner hat eine prestigeträchtige Förderung des Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP) erhalten, um den Ursprung des Lebens zu erforschen. Das internationale Forschungsprojekt untersucht die mögliche Rolle poröser mineralischer Umgebungen bei der Entstehung des Lebens. Das Forscherteam konzentriert sich dabei auf die Wechselwirkungen zwischen organischen Cofaktoren (Biomoleküle, die mit Enzymen interagieren) und ursprünglichen Peptiden in einer geochemisch geprägten Umgebung.

Max Planck research group leader Dr. Martina Preiner was awarded a prestigious Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP) grant to study the origin of life. The research project explores the possible role of porous mineral environments in the emergence of life’s chemistry. The international research team focuses on the interplay between organic cofactors (biomolecules that work with enzymes) and primitive peptides within geochemical settings.

Dr Nadiia Pozhydaieva-Weber, a young scientist at the Max Planck Institute in Marburg, Germany, has developed a method that makes it easier to study bacteriophages. This opens up new possibilities for biotechnological and medical applications. For this achievement, she was awarded the Marburg Prize for Biotechnology and Nanotechnology 2024.