Interdisciplinarity, Relatability, and a Tête-à-Tête with Nobel Laureates
We were really proud to have five of our PhD candidates selected for this year's Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laureates! The meeting's theme was "Interdisciplinarity“ - a perfect fit for the Matter to Life program. Polina Malova, nominated by the University of Göttingen, and Sunnatullo Fazliev, nominated by the MPS MtL, share their unique experiences from this event - what inspired them, how the Matter to Life philosophy was reflected at the meeting and why they felt right at home.
The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting is an annual gathering of Nobel Prize winners and young scientists, designed to foster scientific dialogue across generations and fields. The 75th anniversary edition in 2026 had a particular resonance for Matter to Life: its interdisciplinary theme aligned perfectly with our program's mission. With around 75 Nobel Laureates and hundreds of young scientists participating, it created an unprecedented opportunity for our PhD candidates to learn from and engage with leaders in physics, chemistry, biology, and beyond.
Below, Polina and Sunnatullo share the moments and insights that will stick with them long after leaving Lindau.
What was the one moment or conversation in Lindau that you’ll carry with you?
Polina: When talking to Dr. Omar Yaghi, we discussed the research project management and things that one should personally take into account and look out for. At that point, I started overthinking, and Omar said: "As soon as you feel: "this is it", ' don't ever think immediately about why it's a bad idea. Don't put on the brakes when you've just hit the gas, this is what stops the progress."
Sunnatullo: In a conversation, 2025 Nobel Laureate Omar Yaghi shared his view on how one can achieve what they want and he encouraged me to pursue research projects only based on facts and not being influenced by politics or emotions. His personal story really gave me optimism and additional motivation for my future career.
What insight from Lindau changes the way you see your own research?
Polina: I know how ridiculous it might sound, but I realised that Nobel Laureates were also human. They also had their ups and downs in the research, they spent enormous amounts of time on ideas that did not spark, and they also had to present posters at the conferences they feared so much. That's inspiring in a way, because if they can, why can't I?
Sunnatullo: One common feature among most of the Nobel Laureates was the fact that they were working on completely different projects and they noticed an unusual observation which might not be important for the questions they started with, but could be an answer to other questions from other topics, even from different scientific fields. I realised that the value of observation and always being in a state of doubt is the single most important thing in research.
How did the topic of interdisciplinarity mirror the Matter to Life philosophy?
Polina: During Lindau Nobel Laureate meetings the most common phenomena one could see is two people from completely different fields having a scientific conversation. During the discussion, chemists had to explain, for instance, basic principles of their field to theoretical physicists, and vice versa. To me, this is what science is about: changing one's research perspective to gain clarity and broaden the range of viewpoints from which a problem can be approached. In my opinion, this is precisely what Matter to Life does.
Sunnatullo: This 75th Anniversary Lindau Nobel Laureates meeting was on interdiciplinary topic and honestly I just felt at home. There were over 70 Nobel Laureates and 600 young scientists working across disciplines ranging from physics to chemistry to medicine. And I did not have any trouble understanding what is their research is about or explaining to them what I am doing in my PhD. I saw it as a big gathering of Matter to Life. I was able to listen, understand and question quantum physics lectures as well as that of organic chemistry or physiology talks. I am grateful for the education and research experience in the Matter to Life program that equipped me with interdiciplinary knowledge and ability to speak to the experts in their language.
Is there anything else you’d really like to share?
Polina: Martin Chalfie is a really great and funny person, It was a pleasure to hang out with him.
Sunnatullo: Meeting so many brilliant young scientists kind of woke my imposter syndrom up. But conversations with each one of them revealed that we all share the similar problems, setbacks and familiar success stories too. And in this meeting, I validated this notion with similar stories of Nobel Laureates I have met and talked to.