Thirteen Matter to Life PhD candidates in casual attire standing on cobblestone steps, smiling and linking arms in front of a historic castle-like structure and a sign reading "Max Planck School – Passion for Science."

From Graduation to New Horizons: Ringberg Symposium 2026

September 07, 2026

Cool heads make for good science: The 5^th Matter to Life cohort celebrates their graduation at Ringberg Castle, exploring AI's role in research, cutting-edge synthetic biology, and the evolution of scientific learning.

A diverse group of friends posing for a selfie in a park with trees and stone structures in the background. — Ringberg Symposium 2026: A candid moment from the 5th cohort's Master's graduation ceremony at Ringberg Castle – marking the transition from the Master's phase to PhD research

Ringberg Symposium 2026: A candid moment from the 5th cohort's Master's graduation ceremony at Ringberg Castle – marking the transition from the Master's phase to PhD research

Where better to celebrate your successes than at a castle? Congratulations to our 5^th cohort on your Master’s graduation! This year’s Ringberg Symposium was exceptionally special: Ringberg Castle welcomed us with cooler temperatures (around 25 degrees), which felt downright arctic amid this year’s heat wave. Can you believe it? In the evenings, we sometimes even had to wear a jacket. All the better, because, as we all know, cool heads make for good science. And so we were able to especially enjoy and celebrate the master’s graduation of our fifth cohort.

This year’s Ringberg program had many great events in store for us and once again turned out to be a highlight of the Matter to Life year. The program kicked-off with a keynote session by Roseanna Zia from the University of Missouri on AI-guided whole-cell modelling of bacteria and synthetic cells. She not only reminded us once again of just how complex cells and synthetic cells are, but also gave us a sneak preview of the use and meaningful integration of AI models in science. Interesting and engaging discussions that began here were to follow us throughout the week.

On Monday—the day we traditionally hold our Master’s graduation ceremony—we enjoyed not only great insights into the completed Master’s theses of the 5^th cohort but also outstanding scientific presentations by our Fellows Job Boekhoven on synthetic evolution and Kerstin Göpfrich on RNA backbones in synthetic cells and their versatile potential for structure formation as well as transcription. At the graduation ceremony, we were fortunate to welcome Gunther Friedel of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation and Walter Rosenthal, President of the German Rectors’ Conference. After hearing fascinating insights into the past two years of the 5^th cohort and thoughtful remarks from Mr. Rosenthal on the social responsibility that a scholar must shoulder, the graduates finally received their diplomas. And is there really any better place than the rose garden at Ringberg Castle to toast the occasion!

Two participants wearing badges at a table during an event, with other attendees in the background.

Young man with curly hair and white shirt speaking and gesturing at a wooden podium with a Max Planck School Matter to Life banner in the background.

A female presenter in a red dress speaks while a male colleague operates a laptop at a lectern, with a Max Planck School Matter to Life banner in the background.

A diverse group of people standing in a decorated room, interacting socially with drinks in hand, some looking at a phone.

Joachim Spatz delivers a presentation to a group of adults seated at desks in a modern lecture room.

A woman in a white sleeveless dress is delivering a presentation at a wooden podium, holding a remote control, with a Max Planck School Matter to Life banner visible in the background.

Walther Rosenthal wearing glasses and a blue shirt addressing an audience from a podium, with a Max Planck School Matter to Life banner in the background.

Several adults sitting at desks in a lecture room setting, some using laptops and others listening attentively.

Two individuals talking beside a stone wall, each holding a wine glass; the man wears a name tag and carries a blue folder, while the woman holds a smartphone and wears glasses.

Six individuals engaged in conversation on a cobblestone courtyard near a stone building covered with green ivy and a Max Planck School Matter to Life sign.

Man with glasses and a short beard, wearing a blue shirt with small white dots, smiling and interacting with two individuals seated in a room with decorative walls.

Several individuals engaged in conversation outside, with some sitting at a table and others standing near a building featuring geometric wall designs.

Over the course of the week, we delved not only into excellent research - such as Joachim Rädler’s work on reprogramming macrophages using liquid nanoparticles, or Sarah Köster’s exploration of stiffness within a cell, the underlying structures, and how we can understand them - but also to explore the highly intriguing aspects of time in ethical considerations, using the trolley problem as an example (thank you to Nils Schütz). Additional outstanding presentations by students and our Fellows sparked new ideas and once again impressively demonstrated the scientific diversity and excellence of our faculty.

Prof. Silke Hertel, Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Teaching at Heidelberg University, placed a special focus on learning and teaching in the age of AI. Not only was she able to impressively demonstrate that learning and teaching with AI have changed dramatically and will continue to do so, but she also underscored the need for the teaching community to evolve alongside. Together with Roseanna Zia, who provided insight how she has integrated AI into her teaching and assignments, and the changing learning processes, a panel discussion featuring our Fellows Stefan Klumpp from Heidelberg University and Stefan Diez from TU Dresden made it clear just how much the educational system is in flux. Ultimately, it became clear: you can’t make the work and effort of learning any easier if you truly want to understand.

Six individuals gathered around a wooden table in a cozy room, focused on playing a card game with drinks and game materials visible.

Slide titled "Great Minds. Timeless Curiosity." featuring portraits and quotes from Richard Feynman, Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, and Rita Levi-Montalcini in a lecture setting.

Four men relaxing on wicker chairs around a table with bottles, in front of a wooden door on a sunlit tiled patio.

Presenter standing at a podium in a conference room, explaining a projected slide illustrating the logical steps from molecules to first cells.

Six people gathered around an outdoor table on a stone-paved patio, with forested scenery and a stone wall adorned with a flowerpot behind them.

Woman with long hair sitting on a green tufted bench behind a wooden table, with a round cake decorated with nuts and cherries placed on a silver tray in front of her.

Three people standing under a large white umbrella on a patio holding drinks.

Several individuals gathered in a room with tiled floors, an arched doorway, and a staircase adorned with a colorful mural.

AI was not a theme we could shake off easily! The Publishing workshop by Uta Göbel, from Wiley, was a great opportunity for the PhD candidates to see how the sausage is made! Rather how their collection of data and results can and should be converted to publishable manuscripts, and deal with the pesky Reviewer number 3. It also included a one-on-one feedback session with the PhD candidates which they found to be very beneficial. Last but not the least, the week ended with the talks from our very own Alumni and a panel discussion. Like wise old Yoda ‚ Much they had to give the rookies knowledge’. Fortunately, there were occasional breaks from studying - a quick dip in the lake, an afternoon of games, or watching a World Cup match together - which gave all these bright minds a brief respite.

A week filled with outstanding academic presentations, insights into many disciplines, exchanges that transcended not only disciplinary boundaries but also academic years, and a sense of fulfilment in the camaraderie of the Matter to Life community left us feeling satisfied and enriched as we headed home. And we know: Learning is hard work, but it’s rewarding!

With this guiding principle in mind, we wish the 5^th cohort all the best and great success in their doctoral studies, and we’re already looking forward to connecting with them again next year!