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 Bundesrat sign at a stone-columned entrance, surrounded by a metal fence.

A resilient rule of law: what can be done about law-breaking federal states?

May 18, 2026
Democracy Jurisprudence
Suppose a federal state deliberately ignores the law and court rulings. How can such “executive disobedience” be stopped?
A colored diagonal line with slight irregularities against a black background.

A twinkling pulsar reveals invisible structures in space

May 15, 2026
Astronomy Astrophysics
An interstellar cloud 430 light-years away scatters radio waves from a distant pulsar
Two gray, rounded structures with distinct yellow markings, possibly representing cellular or embryonic formations, set against a black background.

Gene regulators for facial shapes

May 07, 2026
Developmental Biology Evolution
The diversity of facial shapes in birds and mammals is due to variations in non-coding DNA sequences
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

PhD or Postdoc position (m/f/d) | Behavioral Neurobiology

Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence (Seewiesen site), Seewiesen
May 19, 2026

Head of Research Coordination and Public Relations (m/f/d)

Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz - Max Planck Institute, Florence, Italy
May 19, 2026

Research Coordinator (m/f/d) | Center for Affective and Automatic Neuroscience

Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin
May 19, 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 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
MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology
Largest open dataset of great ape cognition more
MPI for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
“Highways” in the Brain Help Young Children Form Plurals more
MPI for Evolutionary Biology
Multicellularity may have evolved without direct benefits more
MPI for Heart and Lung Research
Low NAD Levels Disrupt the Body’s Internal Clock During Cellular Aging more
MPI for Extraterrestrial Physics
Space telescope studies solar system X-ray glow more
MPI of Immunobiology and Epigenetics
The functions of BET proteins during gene activation more
MPI for the Study of Crime, Security and Law
Analytical method has impact on the findings more

Events

May 2026
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
31
Science Day: 17 Goals for the Future

May 31, 2026 from 10:30 AM to 01:30 PM (Local Time Germany)

Upcoming Events

Science Day: 17 Goals for the Future

May 31, 2026 10:30 AM - 01:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Room: Hermann Staudinger Lecture Hall and Polymer Path

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

Jun 6, 2026 04:00 PM - 09:59 PM (Local Time Germany)
Magdeburg

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