Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology

Open Call for Expressions of Interest in Max Planck Directorships: Expressions of interest can be submitted until 31 October 2025.

Director at Max Planck - a unique position! The Open Call for Expressions of Interest in Max Planck Directorships is open now and can be submitted by the 31st of October 2025. ➡️ mpg.de/directors - Please share the Open Call among potential candidates.

Silvia Portugal, our Lise Meitner Group Leader, was appointed an honorary professor at the #Charité –Universitätsmedizin #Berlin. We are happy to strengthen our relationship with our neighbors on campus. Congratulations, Silvia! Many thanks also to Prof. Spranger, the dean of the Charité.

Cell state-specific cytoplasmic density controls spindle architecture and scaling - Nature Cell Biology Kletter et al. show that cell state-specific cytoplasmic density controls spindle architecture and scaling in neural differentiation, suggesting that the physical properties of the cytoplasm are a det...

🚨 New paper alert: cytoplasm density controls spindle architecture and size. This shows for the first time that a physical property of the cytoplasm regulates the spindle. Congrats to @simonereber.bsky.social, @tobiaskletter.bsky.social and everyone who contributed.
👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Temperate Bacteriophage Populations in the Human Gut: Culturomics and Experimental Insights Jeremy J. Barr june 12 4 PM SEMINAR ROOM 1+2 MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR INFECTION BIOLOGY, BERLIN

📢 Voices in Infection Biology
Join us next this Thursday for a talk with @jeremyjbarr.bsky.social from @monashuniversity.bsky.social, kindly hosted by @iatsenkolab.bsky.social.

🗓️ Thursday, June 12
🕓 4 pm
📍 on-site seminar (Berlin)

Info and abstract: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/events/42144...

Today is #BOARD25 – be open about animal research day! We are transparent about our use of animals in research, explaining our methods and the reasons behind them to inform the public debate. Visit @eara.eu's channel for statements from around the globe.

The Be Open about Animal Research Day is starting now!
Show your support and share on #BOARD25

✨We are looking for a PhD student interested in physical cell bio, imaging 🔬, biochemistry, #Xenopus 🐸 & #microtubules ✨

Join us @mpiib-berlin.mpg.de!

GENETIC AND GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSES OF THE PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM SICKLE-ASSOCIATED MUTATIONS Gavin band may 28 4 PM SEMINAR ROOM 1+2 MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR INFECTION BIOLOGY, BERLIN

📢 Voices in Infection Biology
Join us next week for a talk by Gavin Band (@ox.ac.uk) on "Genetic and geographic analyses of the #Plasmodium falciparum sickle-associated mutations".

🗓️ Wednesday, May 28
🕓 4 pm
📍 on-site seminar (Berlin)

Info and abstract: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/events/41884...

What Shapes Life: From Invisible Enemies to Global Shifts Uncover hidden secrets of life, health, and the planet. Explore the role of "junk" DNA in evolution, how education for sustainability is driving climate ac...

Looking for science events in #Berlin next week? Join our PhD students Ian and Martin as they present their research at #PintOfScience on May 20: pintofscience.de/event/what-s...
and May 21: pintofscience.de/event/das-un...

Hierarchical Heterogeneities in Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of the Cytoplasm Understanding of the dynamics inherent to biological matter is crucial for illuminating the physical mechanisms underlying cellular processes. In this study, we employ bright-field differential dynamic microscopy (DDM) to investigate density fluctuations inherent in a cell-free model of eukaryotic cytoplasm. Our measurements reveal subdiffusive fractional Brownian motion and non-Gaussian displacement distributions, highlighting cytoplasmic heterogeneity. We introduce an empirical model that combines fractional Brownian motion with an inverse Gaussian distribution of diffusivities to describe the observed non-Gaussianity. Validated through Monte Carlo simulations, this model allows us to estimate the fractional diffusivity and exponent effectively. By altering macromolecular composition, the addition of energy, and assembly of a cytoskeleton, we identify three independent mechanisms that result in similar fractional exponents yet distinct diffusivities. We find that energy addition leads to non-stationary dynamics, in contrast to the stationary behavior observed under passive conditions. Presence of microtubules introduces a secondary dynamical timescale, which we describe using a two-state fractional Brownian motion model to differentiate between cytosolic and microtubule network associated contributions. Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of DDM as a label-free tool for quantifying viscoelastic and heterogeneous properties of the cytoplasm and provide insights into how physical and biochemical factors, including cytoskeletal organization, govern subcellular dynamics. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

New insights in to the physical properties of the 🐸 #Xenopus cytoplasm!
Great work @mctwo.bsky.social & @biswashere.bsky.social!
Together with @gucklab.bsky.social & @vasilyzaburdaev.bsky.social 😍 @mpi-scienceoflight.bsky.social
@mpiib-berlin.mpg.de

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Evolution and diversity of mitosis Gautam dey may 14 4 PM SEMINAR ROOM 1+2 MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR INFECTION BIOLOGY, BERLIN

📢 Voices in Infection Biology
Next week's speaker is Gautam Dey @gautamdey.bsky.social from @embl.org, kindly hosted by @simonereber.bsky.social.

🗓️ Wednesday, May 14
🕓 4 pm
📍 on-site seminar (Berlin)

Event info: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/events/41775...

World Malaria Day 2025

For #WorldMalariaDay, we wanted to highlight our institute's #malaria scientists and technicians. So we asked them to share a malaria fact and portrayed them in their work environment. It turned out to be quite a collection—have a look for yourself: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/2181779/worl...

🍾 Great work from the Taylor Lab, published today in @science.org. Congratulations!!! Check out Mauriz's thread for a quick summary 👇👇👇

Text: April 24, World Day for Laboratory Animals. Zebrafish in the background.

Today is World Day for Laboratory Animals. We are taking the opportunity to publish our laboratory animal numbers for 2024—to ensure transparency in animal testing and to provide information on our infectious disease research. You can find our report here: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/2181474/vers...

Illustration of an elderly man, about 80, with glasses, combed back grey hair and a moustache. He is wearing a green jacket and a bright green bow tie. The text reads: Happy birthday, Max Planck! Born April 23, 1858. Image by Niels Schröder.

Happy birthday, Max Planck! 🎂The physicist, pianist, #NobelPrize winner, #quantum trailblazer & timeless thinker was born #OTD 1858 in Kiel: his discoveries in the field of #physics forever changed how we understand energy & matter!🎉

A photo of Max Planck President Patrick Cramer and the words: "Threats to science anywhere are threat to science everywhere".

In an open letter of support to the President of @harvard.edu, Max Planck President Patrick Cramer @patrick-cramer.maxplanck.de has expressed his full support of the University in its stance against demands by the Trump administration to change its policies in order to retain federal funding.

How Large Cells Do It? : Cytoplasm Mechanics and Division Positioning Nicolas Minc April 30 4 PM SEMINAR ROOM 1+2 MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR INFECTION BIOLOGY, BERLIN

📢 Voices in Infection Biology
Join us next week for a talk by Nicolas Minc @minclab.bsky.social, kindly hosted by @simonereber.bsky.social.

🗓️ Wednesday, April 30
🕓 4 pm
📍 on-site seminar (Berlin)

Event info: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/events/41644...

Self-organization of the cytoplasm in crowded conditions Gabriel Neurohr April 23 4 PM SEMINAR ROOM 1+2 MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR INFECTION BIOLOGY, BERLIN

📢 Voices in Infection Biology
Next up in our seminar series is Gabriel Neurohr @gabrielneurohr.bsky.social from @ethzurich.bsky.social, kindly hosted by @simonereber.bsky.social.

🗓️ Wednesday, April 23
🕓 4 pm
📍 on-site seminar (Berlin)

Event info: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/events/41624...

Patrick Cramer: "Alle schauen auf Harvard" Die US-Universitäten kämpfen um ihre Unabhängigkeit. Patrick Cramer, Präsident der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, war gerade dort. Wie schlimm ist die Lage?

Im Interview mit @zeit.de spreche ich über die Lage an US-Unis – und warum #Harvards Entscheidung, der Regierung nicht nachzugeben, ein wichtiges Signal ist. Wenn Grundwerte unter Druck geraten, muss die #Wissenschaft zusammenstehen. Zum Interview: www.zeit.de/2025/16/patr...

Congrats Mirko! Proud lab colleagues & 🐸

A group picture of people holding various axes and screaming like barbarians.

We went axe throwing with the lab the other day for a (late) celebration of our most recent paper. This made me realize I never posted about it on here 🦋 (only on the other side 😅) Apologies to everyone who has seen it there for the double post. A thread 🧵1/6 🧪

Phase Separation in Cell Physiology and Disease Anthony Hyman APRIL 16 4 PM SEMINAR ROOM 1+2 MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR INFECTION BIOLOGY, BERLIN

📢 Voices in Infection Biology
Join us next week for a talk by Tony Hyman (@hymanlab.bsky.social, @mpi-cbg.de), kindly hosted by @simonereber.bsky.social.

🗓️ Wednesday, April 16
🕓 4 pm
📍 on-site seminar (Berlin)

Event info: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/events/41522...

The weird and wonderful cytoskeleton of malaria parasites FREDDY FRISCHKNECHT MARCH 19 4 PM SEMINAR ROOM 1+2 MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR INFECTION BIOLOGY, BERLIN

📢 Voices in Infection Biology
Join us next week for a talk by Freddy Frischknecht
@freddyfrischknecht.bsky.social, kindly hosted by @simonereber.bsky.social.

🗓️ Wednesday, March 19
🕓 4 pm
📍 on-site seminar (Berlin)

Abstract and event info: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/events/41183...

Wir stellen ein BIOLOGISCH-TECHNISCHE ASSISTENZ Für Parasitologie in der Forschungs- gruppe Vektorbiologie am Max-Planck- Institut für Infektionsbiologie

Das Levashina Lab sucht eine biologisch-technische Assistenz für #Malariaforschung in #Berlin.

🧪 Aufgaben: Parasitenzellkultur, Insektenzucht, Unterstützung bei Tierversuchen
👍 Voraussetzungen: Qualifizierung als BTA/MTA
📅 Deadline: 15. März

Mehr Infos: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/2179227/job_...

✅ Great tips on how to best communicate #AnimalResearch to build trust and correct misinformation!

Die Tour über den Campus Dahlem erinnert an herausragende Wissenschaftlerinnen, wie Elisabeth Schiemann. © Max-Planck-Archiv

Musen oder Macherinnen? Zum Frauentag am 8. März laden wir zu einer Führung auf den Campus Dahlem in #Berlin ein. Der Rundgang stellt die Lebenswege von Frauen vor, die den Campus prägten, und zeigt, wie sie die männlich geprägte Welt der #Wissenschaft eroberten. www.mpg.de/24226527/dah...

Probing the zooarchaeological record across time and space for ancient pathogens Zoonoses are among the greatest threats to human health, with many zoonotic pathogens believed to have emerged during prehistory. Palaeomicrobiological investigations of the zooarchaeological record h...

Ancient pathogen DNA from animals can shed light on zoonotic processes in the deep past,but to this day reconstructed genomes are rare. In our new ms we explore the possibility of identifying pathogen DNA from the zooarchaeological record across 6000 years of Eurasian history doi.org/10.1101/2025...

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft: US-Wissenschaftler "in Schockstarre" wegen Trump Die Max-Planck-Gesellschaft will Forscher, deren Arbeit durch die Trump-Regierung eingeschränkt wird, nach Europa holen.

Die #Forschungsfreiheit in den USA steht unter Druck – mit Folgen für die #Wissenschaft weltweit. Gerade jetzt braucht es offene Zusammenarbeit. Wir stehen zu unserer transatlantischen Partnerschaft. Mein Gespräch mit dem SWR dazu ⬇️ www.swr.de/swraktuell/r...

⏰ Early registration deadline approaching! Register now for the @keystonesymposia.bsky.social conference
"Malaria: Mechanisms of Immunity & Protection" - co-organized by our group leader Silvia Portugal.
www.keystonesymposia.org/conferences/...

LABORATORY TECHNICIAN For parasitology work at the Vector Biology Research Group of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology

The Levashina Lab is hiring a lab technician for #malaria research in #Berlin.

🧪 Tasks: Parasite cell culture, insect breeding and rearing, assistance with animal experiments
👍 Requirements: Qualification as lab technician
📅 Deadline: March 15

More info: www.mpiib-berlin.mpg.de/2179181/job_...