Insights 

This year's MtL Spring Days took us to the medieval city of Marburg – and delivered everything from surprise snowfall to inspiring keynotes and lively poster sessions. Fellows, PhD candidates and guests shared science at its finest. We returned with new friendships, fresh collaborations, and are now excitedly looking forward to our nex MtL Days in Fall!  more

On the occasion of International Women's Day, our PhD candidates Irene and Anna interviewed their peer Aysecan, who is about to defend her dissertation. She talks about collagen, cryo-electron microscopy, resilience, and what she would tell her younger self at the start of this journey more

What would you normally do on the 3^rd advent? Perhaps light a candle, have some Christmas cookies and enjoy a peaceful Sunday... OR if you are a Fellow at our school, you might have headed over to the Matter to Life Fellow Meeting more

This is not the beginning of a joke, but rather the beginning of every MtL Day—and the MtL Fall Day 2025 in Mainz was no exception. PhD candidates from diverse backgrounds and Fellows from various disciplines convened as knowledge was shared, exchanged, absorbed, and amplified. This year’s host: The Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz.  more

In August, a group of MtL PhD candidates, Fellows and invited speakers  gathered at the Umweltforschungsstation Schneefernerhaus on the Zugspitze for four days of talks, workshops, and stargazing.
Read the recap!  more

Andrey explored his research passions during his lab rotation in a collaborative project led by MtL Fellows Hendrik Dietz and Petra Schwille, which took him into the rapidly developing world of protein design. more

Mussa completed his practical training on “Signalling Dynamics in Tissue Repair” with MtL Fellow Philippe (†) Bastiaens at MPI of Molecular Physiology more

Irene completed her lab rotations with MtL Fellows Wolfram Zimmermann and David Zwicker, who collaborated to design the project she worked on. more

It is with heavy heart that we announce the recent loss of our MtL Fellow, Jochen Guck, who succumbed to a tough illness. He was the director at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL), and his research at the intersection of Physics and Biology played a pioneering role in shaping the field of Biophysics, especially cellular mechanics. He was a brilliant mind, a daring innovator and cherished friend for the Matter to Life family, and his impact in science and on our students will be felt for posterity. more

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! more

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! more

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. more

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. more

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! more

Starting in 2025, the Dieter Schwarz Foundation will support the Max Planck Schools. This funding will ensure the continuation of the Max Planck School Matter to Life as well as the other two Max Planck Schools and their future-oriented development into an innovative career program for international talents.
Read the full article on the Max Planck Schools website. more

A shared curiosity into the principles governing and underlying the transition from matter to life brought scientists and PhD candidates together at the joint Matter to Life conference between MPS MtL and the Sloan Foundation in New York.  more

The Max Planck Schools invite outstanding and dedicated scientists to apply for this year's Fellows Open Call! We are looking for group leaders who will bring in their expertise and strengthen our program and mentor ambitious international PhD candidates in three interdisciplinary areas: Cognition, Matter to Life, and Photonics. more

We recently celebrated the Master graduation of our 3^rd cohort of PhD candidates in style at this year’s edition of Ringberg symposium.
Read on and get an impression! more

Read the interview with MtL Fellow Thorsten Moos, to find his origin story, his take on the interplay of science and theology, role of AI in the future of ethics, and his impression on the Matter to Life program. more

Spring may evoke many things; blossoming flowers, chirping birds, return of the lush green, bountiful gush of water, or to the more physics inclined, a rigid elastic coil that can return to original form after compression. For us at the Max Planck School Matter to Life, spring is that time of the year when all of us dispersed and immersed in our studies across Germany come together to revel in our shared passion for science.  more

What is more enchanting than snow covered mountains and Christmas in the air against a backdrop of a majestic castle? Well if you ask the scientists and students at MtL, they would say an MtL seminar in this setting will seal the deal! This week-long event (Dec 11-15th) transformed the historical castle into a melting pot of futuristic ideas, discussions, and camaraderie, creating an unforgettable experience for all participants. more

The atmosphere was vibrant at the former industrial site in Berlin: Almost 200 participants came together on October 16 to celebrate the annual Max Planck Schools Day with this year's leading theme "The Role of (Fundamental) Science Amidst a Global (Climate) Crisis". Once again, the day provided fascinating insights into the research of the three Schools, exciting discussions and, above all, the opportunity to get to know each other and get together. more

From molecular marvels like DNA origami to the future of gene therapy with CRISPR, the MtL Fall Days 2023 in Munich were packed with insights and discussions. And with a blend of esteemed faculty talks, enlightening student presentations, and Oktoberfest celebrations, the event was a great mix of fun and learning. Read the full recap! more

Read the interview with Philipp Baur, one of our first MPS MtL PhD students! You will get an insight into his experiences doing research within the MPS MtL, his academic path and his current activities, leading up to his thesis. more

Join us as we revisit the highlights from this year's enchanting symposium at the historical Ringberg Castle, where minds met amidst medieval walls to forge the future of science. Celebrate the achievements of our graduating Master's cohort and sneak a peek at the unique blend of research and festive relaxation that defined this unforgettable week. more

On May 11 and 12, we had the pleasure of having a two days joint event in Göttingen, bringing together some of the students of the MPSP (Max Planck School of Photonics) and MPS MtL. This event was a fantastic opportunity for our schools to meet, share knowledge, and explore each other's science labs. more

Our MtL Spring Days 2023 were two days of science, thought-provoking lectures and discussions around the topics of “Science in Matter to Life” and “Sustainability in Matter to Life” - this time in a multi-hub event format at the University of Göttingen and at the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS).

Read our recap to learn more!  more

On 2 February 2023, the joint degree contract for the study program Matter to Life was signed by the President of the University of Göttingen, Prof. Metin Tolan, and the Rector of Heidelberg University, Prof. Bernhard Eitel. Read the full article to learn how future MtL students will benefit from the joint degree!

Picture ©University of Göttingen/ Peter Heller more

"My experience as a Matter to Life URO candidate was truly one of the most enriching, memorable, and overall fun experiences of my life" says Khanh Tran about her internship in the lab of MtL Fellow Michael Boutros in the summer of 2022. Read the full interview to learn more about her experience! more

At the end of September, we spent the MtL Fall Days in Aachen, hosted by our local partner institution DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials.
These have been the first MtL Days in person and many students and Fellows met for the very first time! more

Irene Pellini is an undergraduate student of Physics at L'Università di Torino, Italy and completed her MtL-URO internship in the lab of MtL Fellow Joachim Spatz in the summer of 2022. Enjoy reading her interview! 
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All three Max Planck Schools got together at the fourth annual Max Planck Schools Day on 5 September. Learn more here! more

We spent a productive week at Ringberg Castle at lake Tegernsee. But not only did we learn a lot, we also had a ton of fun! Read our recap here: more

The Max Planck Schools call on forward-thinking scientists in the interdisciplinary research fields "Cognition", "Matter to Life" and "Photonics" to apply for the positions as Max Planck Schools Fellows. Apply now and become a Fellow of the Max Planck Schools. more

Our annual Spring Days took place from 13 to 14 April. We spent two days learning about the research within our network and discussing Matter to Life. Read our recap here! more

We are happy to welcome two new members to our MtL Faculty: Stefan Diez from TU Dresden and Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann from University of Göttingen! Visit our Faculty page to learn more about their research interests. more

Anne Pawsey, the teaching and e-learning coordinator of the Max Planck School Matter to Life, reports on how important it is to collaborate with the e-learning team of the Max Planck Schools and the wider community to meet the challenges for learning and teaching that were thrown up by the pandemic. Read the full article to learn more.

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Adrián Gutiérrez Cruz is a Bachelor student in nanotechnology and chemistry at Universidad de las Américas Puebla in San Andrés Cholula, Mexico. He did his MtL URO research internship in the lab of Karin Jacobs at Saarland University in summer 2021.
Check out the interview about his experience with the URO program. more

New Fellows have been appointed and eleven scientists from various universities and research institutions will join the MtL faculty in October! We are looking forward to exploring answers to the questions in the interdisciplinary research field of MtL together and are more than excited to see what results the future will bring. more