Joint steps toward fusion energy

Max Planck Centers

Max Planck Centers are a central element of the Max Planck Society's internationalisation strategy. Their scientists cooperate with first-class international partners in order to gain knowledge in pioneering research areas

Proxima Fusion: a start-up on the home stretch to fusion power

Proxima Fusion leverages the agility of a start-up to advance its stellarator concept toward power plant maturity

Research News

New clues on the origin of red auroras

November 03, 2026

Images from Braunschweig and Göttingen are helping scientists understand the cause of the mysterious red glow. Amateur photographers can help

Borneo's wildfires could have a lasting impact on orangutans

October 28, 2026

Scientists who studied the devastating fires in 2015 explain what the current crisis could mean for orangutans

Bacteria constantly reinvent their weapons

October 22, 2026

Cell Biology Evolution Synthetic Biology

A new study illuminates for the first time the complex interplay of evolutionary forces that shape some of the world's most versatile natural products

Further News

International

ARC established in Berlin

October 26, 2026

International Research Policy

Three leading research organizations have joined forces to establish a new institution dedicated to fundamental, curiosity-driven research and scholarly collaboration across geographic and disciplinary boundaries

Max Planck alumni: together in science, connected for life

October 15, 2026

The Max Planck Alumni Kick-off at the Harnack Haus got underway with 230 guests and an innovative portal for global networking

Max Planck Stanford Center to be established

September 23, 2026

Artificial Intelligence Computer Science International

Max Planck Institute for Informatics and Stanford School of Engineering to establish a joint AI research centre

Country portals

Career

Innovative training programmes for Phd students

Talented German and foreign junior scientists are offered the opportunity to earn a doctorate under excellent research conditions

Max Planck-Weizmann Postdoctoral Programme

The 7^th round of applications for the German-Israeli ‘Max Planck–Weizmann Postdoctoral Programme’ will end on December 21^st, 2026.

Job Offers

7 fully funded PhD Student Positions | Computational & Experimental Plant Sciences

Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, Köln

November 01, 2026

PhD Positions in Gravity at the Extreme

Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Potsdam-Golm

October 30, 2026

Information and Publications Manager (m/f/d)

Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena

October 29, 2026

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Career

Topic Specials

Climate and Transformation

In addition to climate forecasts, the consequences of climate change are increasingly becoming the focus of research at Max Planck Institutes

The brain

The human brain is the most complex organ that nature has ever produced: 100 billion nerve cells and many times more contact points give it capabilities that no supercomputer can match

Migration

The causes and consequences of human mobility and its history are central topics for research at Max Planck Institutes

Further Topic Specials

Publications

Illustration of networks and two persons

Cover of the brochure Living and Working in Germany

Cover Max Planck Research Magazine 2/2026

Annual Report 2025 cover - Max Planck Society

Cover - Highlights 2025 from the Yearbook of the Max Planck Society

From the Institutes

Max Planck Innovation, et al.

November 03, 2026 QuantiLight licences Max Planck sensor technology

MPI for Human Development

October 27, 2026 Human and chimpanzee leaders share a taste for risk

MPI for Biological Intelligence (Martinsried site), et al.

October 12, 2026 Dotterels reach Australia later each year

MPI of Colloids and Interfaces

October 08, 2026 Atomic hydrogen from the photoreactor

MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences

October 07, 2026 The brain begins preparing for vision while still in the womb

MPI for Marine Microbiology

October 06, 2026 Stability and flexibility in symbioses

MPI for Brain Research

September 30, 2026 Remote-control in the cortex

MPI for Human Development

September 30, 2026 Women leave psychological research more often than men

MPI of Colloids and Interfaces

September 28, 2026 Light controls the separation of ions

MPI for Biological Cybernetics

September 25, 2026 A relaxing afternoon filled with great science

MPI for Astronomy

September 25, 2026 NASA selects new far-infrared telescope PRIMA with MPIA providing crucial hardware

MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology

September 18, 2026 Seasonal scarcity and the challenge of preserving natural resources

MPI for Heart and Lung Research

September 17, 2026 Non-coding RNA protects the heart against dangerous arrhythmias

MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology

September 16, 2026 A new tool for investigating microbial methane production in natural environments

MPI for Chemical Ecology

September 16, 2026 Fungi neutralize spruce defense mechanisms with sugar

MPI of Biochemistry

September 15, 2026 A molecular view of PRC1 at work on chromosomes

MPI for Biological Intelligence (Martinsried site), et al.

September 15, 2026 Home advantage or pastures new

MPI for Solar System Research

September 10, 2026 Sun: New Evidence of Superflares

Multimedia

My Science and Me

What fascinates scientists about their research? What drives them? Science thrives on the people who shape it. Our picture gallery depicts aspects of research from the perspective of those who carry it out

Unraveling Behavior

Podcast

A science podcast about the patterns driving human judgment and decision making. In each episode, Ana Sofia Morais sits down with a researcher to explore how people make decisions, how they handle risk, and how our surroundings and the online world shape our behavior.

Cell droplet research

Youtube-Video

A new hope for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. A film about the research of Anthony Hyman, who was awared the Koerber Prize 2022 and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences 2023.

Flight and Trauma

Video

Traumatic experiences from fleeing war zones can lead to distressing symptoms, which impair everyday life. Now with Ukranian sub-titles.

Optogenetics | briefly explained

Youtube-Video

Turning nerve cells on and off using pulses of light. Optogenetics is a relatively new field that uses light to control genetically modified cells. It is based on light-activated membrane proteins, such as bacteriorhodopsin or channelrhodopsin, that are built into nerve cells.