International Max Planck Research School – From Molecules to Organisms

The special feature of our doctoral programme in the life sciences is its emphasis on interdisciplinary interactions. We want to endow the next generation of scientists with the skills and knowledge to study complex biological processes that cannot be adequately understood within the limits of a single discipline. Projects and training are offered by around 25 faculty members doing research at the Max Planck Institute for Biology, the Friedrich Miescher Laboratory, and the University of Tübingen. The projects and training span several levels of biological organisation – from molecules to organisms and even through to ecosystems. Supporting courses and events allow doctoral candidates and faculty working at these different levels to interact and establish collaborations. Traditionally separate fields covered by the programme include the following: structural, molecular, and cellular biology biophysics biochemistry genetics animal and plant development computational biology bioinformatics genomics and proteomics microbiology and microbiome science ecology evolutionary biology Our concept is supported by the facilities available at the participating laboratories, including platforms for NMR, X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and light microscopy; the Genome Centre with next-generation sequencing technology; and the Proteome Centre Tübingen, equipped with three high-accuracy Orbitrap mass spectrometers. Around 80 young scientists are currently working towards a PhD in our programme; just over a third of them come from Germany, and the rest from around the world. We offer: Cutting-edge research projects and excellent facilities Full funding through doctoral fellowships Structured support through a personal thesis advisory committee Supporting curriculum with many optional courses International environment with English as the working language Personal assistance with relocation