Press Releases

Graphene is celebrated as an extraordinary material. It consists of pure carbon and is only a single layer of atoms thin. Nevertheless, it is extremely stable and even conductive. For electronics, however, graphene still has crucial disadvantages: It cannot be used as a semiconductor yet. Hydrogen atoms on graphene could change this. Researchers now showed how hydrogen atoms chemically bind to carbon atoms of graphene and what happens during this process. more

This year's Bruker Prize of the Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) Spectroscopy Group of the British Royal Society of Chemistry is awarded to Marina Bennati of the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry. The group honors the physico-chemist for her outstanding work in ESR spectroscopy. (in German) more

The developmental biologist took up office on April 1, 2019. Rink investigates how flatworms manage to completely regenerate their tissue following injury, and why this ability is an exception rather than the rule in the animal kingdom. more

The Göttingen chemist receives the award for his outstanding contributions to nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The prize, which is financed by the company Bruker, is endowed with 20,000 US dollar. It has been awarded since 1999 in memory of Bruker co-founder Günther Laukien. (in German) more

The Göttingen neurobiologist Reinhard Jahn has been awarded the medal Aureus Gottingensis from the University of Göttingen for his outstanding commitment to the Göttingen Campus and the promotion of young scientists. (in German) more

The new day-care center Entdeckerland am Faßberg was inaugurated on April 3 after only ten months of construction. One third of the places will be allocated externally and children aged between three months and six years will be admitted. There are 22 bright rooms, some of them with a view of the treetops, spread over 767 square meters. The day-care center is operated by Kinderhaus e.V. Göttingen. (in German) more

At this year's "Future Day for Girls and Boys" on March 28, students at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biophysical Chemistry experienced science and technology up close. They got a taste of 13 different areas of the institute and tried their hand at electronics, research, precision mechanics, computer scientists, animal keepers and carpenters. (in German) more

How does a human being develop? What happens if something goes wrong in oocyte development? Melina Schuh has contributed important answers to these questions with her research. Today, she is awarded Germany’s most prestigious research prize for her achievements. (in German) more

The German Society of Developmental Biologists (GfE) honors Herbert Jäckle, Emeritus Director at the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry, for his lifetime achievement with the Klaus Sander Prize. The award endowed with 10000 euros, will be presented to the biologist during the GfE annual meeting in Vienna (Austria) on February 19, 2019. (in German) more

He was one of the most versatile German researchers and a popular representative of science. Manfred Eigen, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and founder of the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, died on February 6, 2019, at the age of 91. more

The exhibition with works by KaJott Fischer will be opened on Saturday, February 9, at 4 pm in the institute's foyer. The cultural journalist Tina Fibiger introduces the work of the former art teacher and watchful time chronicler. The "Kunst am Fassberg" exhibition runs until March 6. (in German) more

When adsorbed at a salt crystal surface, the vibrations of excited carbon monoxide (CO) molecules are damped within milliseconds. This is due to electromagnetic interaction of the CO dipole with the salt crystal. In contrast, energy loss via the chemical bond is less important. more