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.

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.

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.

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.

Learn all about our School and Graduate Program in a live presentation. Meet our coordinators and students, and get answers to all your questions.
Participation is free—just register via Zoom to attend!

Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam

Lecture topic: Biomimetic Colour Engineering: From nature to applications
The most brilliant colours in nature are obtained by structuring transparent materials on the scale of the wavelength of visible light. By designing the dimensions of such nanostructures, it is possible to achieve extremely intense colourations over the entire visible spectrum without using pigments or colourants. Colour obtained through structure, namely structural colour, is widespread in nature.
This seminar delves into the intriguing phenomenon of structural coloration observed in nature, where organisms produce vibrant hues without the use of conventional pigments or colorants. By manipulating nanostructures at the scale of visible light wavelengths, stunning colors are achieved across the entire spectrum. The diverse range of natural photonic nanostructures, from meticulously ordered to entirely random, will be explored, alongside recent progress in mimicking these structures using cellulose, a widely available and low-cost polymer found in plants.
This biomimetic approach not only holds promise for the development of new photonic materials under ambient conditions but also sheds light on the biological processes underlying their formation in living organisms.

Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg

Starting in October, there will be 18 new MtL Fellows, creating 18 new opportunities for our PhD candidates to pursue exciting research projects. 

Get a glimpse into their research!

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!

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.

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.