Flora incognita:
an app for easy plant identification 

“The only things you want to conserve are the things you know”

Jana Wäldchen, from the MPI for Biogeochemistry, on how the plant identification app Flora Incognita connects citizen science, biodiversity research, and the protection of endangered species.

Trailblazer in conservation biology

Jana Wäldchen, from the MPI for Biogeochemistry, on how British biologist Georgina Mace transformed how we measure biodiversity loss, emphasising the fundamental importance of biodiversity for human health and well-being.

News

A close-up of a pigeon taking off from a person's hands, showing motion blur on the wings, with a vibrant green leafy background and the person’s wristwatch and ring visible.

Pigeons navigate using magnetic sensors in their livers

May 28, 2026
Behavioral Biology
Immune cells packed with iron could help birds detect Earth’s magnetic field
Keyboard with digital security icons such as a padlock, fingerprint, and 2FA text

Claude Mythos, ChatGPT-5.5 and cybersecurity

May 28, 2026
Computer Science
What risks really lie behind the new language models, and how can businesses, government agencies, and private individuals protect themselves?
A fire salamander with bright yellow spots on a black body, reflecting in the water under dim light in a dark environment. A turquoise reflection is clearly visible on the underside of its head and belly.

Biofluorescence discovered in the fire salamander

May 27, 2026
Biodiversity Ecology (B&M)
Ultraviolet-induced blue-green biofluorescence reveals a previously undetected trait in a well-studied amphibian
Further News

International

Dioscuri Centres of Excellence

Two interdisciplinary Dioscuri Centres in Poland

April 21, 2026
International
The Call is directed at scientists from all scientific disciplines and all nationalities who are willing to establish a Dioscuri Centre at a Polish Host Institution
Fast telescope in China

Between cutting-edge research and responsibility

April 16, 2026
How the Max Planck Society cooperates with China
A person wearing a white lab coat gestures while seated, with a microscope and laboratory equipment visible in the background

Curiosity knows no boundaries

February 12, 2026
How Kenyan scientist Mercy Akinyi is establishing a Max Planck Humboldt Research Group in her home country
Country portals

Career

Full indoor shot of a large, dark-red robotic arm and a dark-red, dome-shaped object suspended from it, along with two people standing in the foreground. The arm is large and complex, with many dark-colored, flexible components and a dark-grey base. Steps and caution tape are visible on the floor around the base of the robotic arm. A dark-red, rounded object resembles a large head or helmet, suspended from the robotic arm, hanging over the scene. The material is smooth and appears to be some kind of composite. Two individuals are centrally positioned in front of the robotic apparatus. A man and a woman stand side-by-side, smiling, looking at the camera. Both wear casual clothing: the man wears a maroon-colored t-shirt and dark-colored pants, while the woman is wearing a teal-green sweater and dark-wash jeans. The background is mostly dark grey walls and a dark-grey floor surface. The walls appear to be made of brick-like or panelled material. The overall impression is of a technological or manufacturing environment, potentially a research lab or design studio. The image highlights a sophisticated piece of industrial machinery alongside human operators.

Innovative training programmes for Phd students

Talented German and foreign junior scientists are offered the opportunity to earn a doctorate under excellent research conditions
Close-up of blue and red oil droplets of different sizes suspended in water, creating an abstract pattern with light reflections.

Max Planck-Weizmann Postdoctoral Programme

The call for applications for the Joint Max Planck-Weizmann PostDoc Programme is currently open until July 1st, 2026. Interested applicants can get more information regarding the program and the current call here

Job Offers

Electrical Engineer (m/f/d) for High Heat Flux Test Facility GLADIS

Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (Garching), Garching
June 05, 2026

Master’s Student (f/m/d) | Automation and Machine Learning in Electrosynthesis

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim an der Ruhr
June 02, 2026

Master’s Student (f/m/d) | Electrosynthesis for value-added Products

Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim an der Ruhr
June 02, 2026
to the JobBoard
Career

Topic Specials

The muddy hands of a person cupped together under a water tap in a muddy background.

Climate and Transformation

In addition to climate forecasts, the consequences of climate change are increasingly becoming the focus of research at Max Planck Institutes
A schematic view from above of a human brain with many coloured fibres connecting the two halves and extending out in various directions.

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
Full shot of a world map, likely a graphic design or print, overlaid with numerous passport stamps of varying colors and sizes.

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
Research is Calling! cover
Cover Max Planck Research Magazine 1/2026
Image brochure - Max Planck Society
Cover - Highlights 2024 from the Yearbook of the Max Planck Society
Annual Report 2024 cover - Max Planck Society
Evaluation cover

From the Institutes


MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology
Molecular change helps balance nutrition and detoxification in modern humans more
MPI for Biology, Tübingen
How brown algae choose their mates more
MPI for Gravitational Physics, et al.
The new LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA catalog sets records in precision gravitational-wave astronomy more
MPI for the Study of Crime, Security and Law
A Tool for Democratic Transparency more
MPI for Solar System Research
Different Meteorites, Same Birthplace more
MPI for Evolutionary Biology
When noisy decision-making becomes a strategic advantage more
MPI of Animal Behavior
Overlooked breadth of chimpanzee culture more
MPI for Political and Social Science
Steven Vertovec Appointed President of the New International Panel on Migration (IPM) more
MPI for Biology, Tübingen
Giant viruses inside seaweed more
MPI for Gravitational Physics, et al.
Gravitational-wave detectors can now “autotune” their signals more
MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology
Swartkrans Paranthropus and Sterkfontein Australopithecus  had different locomotor repertoires more
MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology
Double defense against self-recognition more
MPI for Marine Microbiology
Related bacteria in the ocean and the gut more
MPI for Evolutionary Biology
Altered behavior of conserved cells builds the shark´s face more
Sustainability Network, et al.
How do climate extremes alter animal societies? more
MPI of Animal Behavior
Beetles are likely dispersal vectors for “towering” worms more
MPI for Astronomy
A barren, rocky exoplanet with no protection from cosmic radiation more
Icarus, et al.
Icarus launches second system into orbit more

Events

June 2026
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
5 6
A history of science and injustice

Jun 5, 2026 from 04:00 PM to 05:00 PM (Local Time Germany)

Tomorrow Labs: The Festival at the Science Port Magdeburg - 6 June 2026

Jun 6, 2026 from 04:00 PM to 09:59 PM (Local Time Germany)

Upcoming Events

Open Day at GEO600

Jul 4, 2026 12:00 PM - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
GEO600, Schäferberg, 31157 Ruthe
All Events

Multimedia


Screenshot of the picture gallery "My Science and Me"

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
Two smiling women standing looking in the direction of the camera with a dark background.

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.
A microsopic view of a fluorescent green worm on a black background.

Cell droplet research

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.
A sombre grey cartoon image of four people sitting on a bench.

Flight and Trauma

Video
Traumatic experiences from fleeing war zones can lead to distressing symptoms, which impair everyday life. Now with Ukranian sub-titles.
more
Optogenetics | briefly explained

Optogenetics | briefly explained

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.
more

Social Media

Web-View
Print Page
Open in new window
Estimated DIN-A4 page-width
Go to Editor View