The Max Planck School Matter to Life


Crossing disciplines to understand life

Your excellent and international Graduate Program in Germany

The Max Planck School Matter to Life (MPS MtL) offers an integrated MSc/PhD Program
in the unique topic of Matter to Life for excellent graduates from across the globe.


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Full funding and no tuition fees

Just concentrate on your studies! We will financially support you with a stipend during your Master’s and a working contract during the PhD phase of the graduate program.
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Top-notch research infrastructures and teaching

Conduct cutting-edge research at the forefront of Matter to Life, a highly interdisciplinary and rapidly emerging field. With a student body from across the globe, our program is taught entirely in English.
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Unique network of world-renowned Fellows in Matter to Life

During our integrated graduate program, you will be supervised by one or more of our MPS MtL Fellows and profit from the broad and excellent School’s network.
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You will be well-prepared for diverse career options

Our graduates are prepared for a broad spectrum of careers — from academia, research management and industrial R&D to consulting, data science, and many more. Whichever path you choose, we will equip you with the skills and experience to thrive.
"The Matter to Life program is the perfect choice for me where I could understand what life is from the perspective of Biology, Chemistry and Physics during the Master’s phase and then continue in my area of interest in the PhD phase."

Nitin Bohra, MtL Master Student
Matter to Life student wearing safety goggles examining a liquid sample in the lab
The MPS MtL program is structured in two phases. You will enter the program with a Bachelor's degree and begin your two-year master study at one of two teaching universities depending on your specialization. In the subsequent PhD phase, you will conduct your research at any of the almost 60 MPS MtL Faculty labs.
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We offer a 10 week research internships for undergraduate students!
When?
Yearly, during the months of June – November in a laboratory of one of our MtL Faculty members.
Apply now for an internship in 2026!

MtL Events & Insights

Illustration of two students sitting at a desk, watching a female scientist on a laptop screen during a virtual meeting. Text above reads “Info Sessions” and below reads “Undergraduate Research Opportunities.” Background includes science-themed icons like DNA, molecules, neurons, a clock, and a calendar with a checkmark.
From 1 August to 1 October 2025, you can apply for the Undergraduate Research Opportunities 2026. Join one of our free info sessions on Zoom to get an overview, to connect with coordinators and past participants and to directly ask us any questions you may still have!
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David Zwicker
Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen

Lecture topic: Droplets Come to Life
Droplets, which organize the cytosol of present-day cells, might have played a crucial role in the origin of life. These droplets form complex, active entities, which exhibit surprisingly many traits commonly associated with living creatures. In this talk, I will demonstrate physical principles of how molecules spontaneously organize into droplets. These droplets form well-defined entities separated from their surroundings and can metabolize elements in their vicinity to control their size and shape, move around, and even divide. Despite these hallmarks of life, current models lack the internal complexity required for information processing and the adaptation necessary for evolution. I will briefly speculate on how we could incorporate these aspects in the future.
Three students pose playfully in front of a MPS MtL banner in front of the castle, while another student lies on the ground taking their photo with a camera. The student in the middle is mid-jump, while the two others stand on either side, pointing at them.

Ringberg Symposium 2025

July 30, 2025
Above lake Tegernsee in the picturesque scenery of Castle Ringberg, our PhD students and Fellows came together to present, exchange and discuss the science embedded in Matter to Life. This beloved tradition also marks the official transition of our latest Master cohort into the PhD phase, including a celebration ceremony in their honor. Read the full recap here!
Seven graduates of the Max Planck Schools standing with their certificates in front of a Max Planck Schools banner – celebrating the successful completion of a scientific program

A Historic First

June 24, 2025
On June 3, 2025, the Max Planck Schools marked a historic occasion with their inaugural graduation ceremony, held at the Bildungscampus in Heilbronn.
The event honored both the academic success and the innovative research contributions of these talented young scientists from the Cognition, Matter to Life, and Photonics Schools.
We offer our sincere congratulations to all graduates as they embark on the next chapter of their professional journeys.
Philippe Bastiaens
We are deeply saddened by the news of the demise of Philippe Bastiaens who was a valued Fellow of the MPS MtL since its founding. 

In tribute to his legacy, our students have shared what Philippe meant to them personally and to the Matter to Life initiative.
Individuals standing at a round table, having a conversation, holding cups, with a wooden wall in the background.
We held our MtL Spring days earlier this year in this city of science, at the Forum, to learn more about the ecosystem that is being engineered and fostered across the Heilbronn campus.
Read the recap!
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