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The lights are on in Erlangen: The Senate of the Max Planck Society resolved at this year’s annual meeting to establish a Max Planck In-stitute for the Physics of Light in Erlangen, ef-fective January 1, 2009. By the end of the pro-jected four-year development phase, the new institute is expected to comprise four depart-ments with a total of 111 established posts.

From fl ying saucers of light and atoms that soak up individual photons to the world’s sharpest focal point – these are just a few of the tricks that scientists at the future Max Planck Insti-tute for the Physics of Light have either already mastered or will soon be working on. They will be developing and using new optical structures, such as photonic crystals that refl ect specifi c PH

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Laser wheel in focus: Members of the Research Group for Optics, Information and Photonics fi lter laser light so that, visually speaking, it oscil-lates only along the spokes of a wheel. This light can be focused with particular precision. The re-searchers will be able to continue this work at the Max Planck Insti-tute for the Phys-ics of Light.

MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE ESTABLISHED IN ERLANGEN

Arena for Artists in Light

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colors of light, and plasmonic ma-terials in which light and charge carriers interact with one another in new ways. They will also be studying metamaterials with un-usual properties.

The new institute is a product of the Max Planck Research Group for Optics, Information and Photonics, which has thus far been based at the Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU). The Institute’s two founding Directors, Gerd Leuchs and Philip St. John Russell, come from the same source. Both scientists have been studying the basic phenomena of the physics of light since 2004. “This work will help shape the fu-ture of information processing and data transfer,” commented Max Planck Society President Peter Gruss.

Leuchs will head the Department of Optics and Information that will study the fi eld of optics from the macroscale to the nanoscale. Under the auspices of the FAU, research-ers already succeeded in focusing a laser three times more sharply than ever before – an achieve-ment that will contribute to the design of more compact optical data memories and improve the precision of the lithographic structures used in electronic components.

An important tool scientists use for this is a ra-dial polarizer, which fi lters the electromagnetic fi eld of light at right angles to the laser beam. This causes the fi eld in the beam’s center to dis-appear, leaving only a ring of light, much like a wheel. When this ring of light is then gathered into the focus of a lens, the ring fi eld is superim-posed upon itself, creating a particularly small fo-cal point.

The Department of Photonics and New Mate-rials, headed by Philip Russell as Director, will study the behavior of light in hollow fi bers com-posed of photonic crystals (PCFs). Fibers like these confi ne and conduct light with extremely low loss rates. PCFs with a solid core are particu-larly well-suited to converting light from one color to another, a property utilized, for exam-ple, by Theodor Hänsch, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics and Director at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, to split laser light into a frequency comb.

Russell, who fi rst developed these fi bers, has great plans for the future: for example, he hopes to use hollow-core PCFs to develop sensors for medical use. By passing samples through the hol-low fi ber core and illuminating them with a laser beam, it is possible to identify tiny quantities of

molecules thanks to the particular quality of this laser light. He also plans to send “fl ying saucers” through the fi bers – albeit saucers of light. Using a nanometer-scale network of fi bers in the core of a PCF, the idea is to create packets of light that, unlike conventional puls-es, do not gradually spread apart, and thus resemble a fl ying saucer.

The institute’s new Department of Nanophotonics and Plasmonics will study photonic crystals and metamaterials, which, in contrast to all natural materials, can have a negative index of refraction. The scientists who will soon staff this department will use these charac-teristics to investigate how light interacts with plasmons. Plasmons are fl uctuations in the electron density in metals. An improved understanding of how they inter-act with light could help in the construction of sensitive micro-scopes capable of scanning a sur-face simultaneously with both electrons and light. If the scien-

tists were to succeed in bringing plasmons under control, they might possibly soon be able to de-sign new types of microlasers.

The theoretical study of these phenomena is one of the tasks allotted to the fourth depart-ment, Theory of Light, which is likewise currently being developed. This department will seek to cre-ate new models for processes in nanostructure materials. Methods that are fi ne for recording macroscopic systems are often too imprecise on this scale. However, the scientists will also be working to describe non-linear phenomena that may aid in the development of a type of optical invisibility cloak. In addition, the department will also conduct research into relativistic effects in the fi eld of optics.

The planned institute will fi t neatly into a net-work of other Max Planck Institutes whose re-search fi elds it both touches on and complements. For example, plans are underway to cooperate with the MPI for Quantum Optics in Garching in a study of photonic glass fi bers: Ferenc Krausz is keen to collaborate with Philip St. John Russell in generating ultra-short light pulses in the X-ray fi eld. The Erlangen-based physicists may also join with the MPI for Solid State Research in Stuttgart in investigating the optical properties of semicon-ductors, or it may work with the MPI for Micro-structure Physics in Halle on the development of silicon micro- and nanostructures that have inter-esting optical characteristics, or perhaps with the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry to develop new methods of microscopy. ●

Gerd Leuchs

Philip St. John Russell

Space: Infi nitely vast – with plenty of room for science. Which subjects are suitable for study under zero gravity? What medium- and long-term project plans are in the works? What op-portunities are there for sponsorship? These were the kinds of questions the 120 or so rep-resentatives of science, industry and politics discussed at a two-day workshop hosted by the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Phys-ics. The object of the event, which was held in the offi ces of the Bavarian Ministry of Econom-ic Affairs, was to prepare a national strategy paper on space travel.

“The times are more propitious for space travel now than they have been for 20 years,” re-marked Jürgen Breitkopf, General Manager of Kayser-Threde, at the start of the event. He was refer-ring to both the available budget and the opportunity for German scientists to take up key positions at a European level. Breitkopf ap-pealed to the researchers to draw up sound long-term plans, “... be-cause there is a good chance that they will be put into practice.” It is essential, he feels, to maintain an open dialog between partners in science and industry. And that was just what the workshop in Munich was all about.

The starting point is not at all bad: in the words of Ludwig Baumgarten, Member of the Executive Board of the German Aerospace Cen-ter (DLR), Germany is among the leaders in the fi eld of zero-gravity research. In this context, he cited experiments with complex plasmas and the Bose-Einstein condensate. “German scientists are also playing a leading role in the LISA and LISA Pathfi nder missions to prove the existence of gravitational waves,” Baumgarten continued. He concluded that “a strong national program is the best qualifi cation for participation in European projects.”

Baumgarten’s fellow Executive Board member Thomas Reiter made an urgent plea for a strategic reorientation of the German space program. “The last program was developed by the Federal Minis-try of Research back in 2001,” explained the for-mer astronaut, who has spent time in both the Russian space station Mir and its international counterpart, the ISS. In Reiter’s view, the DLR should develop a strategy paper for the next 15 to 20 years that would then serve as a basis for a future program.

Workshop co-organizer Gregor Morfi ll, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, roughly outlined the prospects for basic research in space: “We know of 17 physical con-stants. Could these perhaps be reduced to a single one? And indeed, are these constants truly con-stant?” These, he explained, were merely examples of the questions yet to be answered. “Some of these basic issues are just now in an exciting phase that hints at an important, radical breakthrough,” said Morfi ll. German scientists, he continued, were well placed to play a signifi cant role in many fi elds.

“What’s needed now is the political will and com-mitment to a sustained national strategy.”

Scientists from Max Planck Institutes, universi-ties and research institutions described their proj-ects and ideas in eight different sessions. The spectrum ranged from the hunt for dark energy and the investigation of universal critical phe-nomena to experiments with so-called soft mat-ter and the study of quantum mechanical and relativistic effects. There certainly seems to be no shortage of visions.

Gregor Morfi ll summed up the event on a posi-tive note: “This symposium has shown that Ger-many is rich in ideas. But more than that, German scientists also have the ability to bring innovative research methods to bear on many of the truly fundamental questions that remain unanswered in the fi elds of physics, astronomy and materials science.” However, desire and ability must be backed up by action. “What we need is a strong space industry that enthusiastically embraces the challenges and demands of science, as well as a political strategy that promotes the many excel-lent starts that have been made to such sustained effect that we ourselves are also able to reap the benefi ts.” ● PH

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WORKSHOP ON BASIC RESEARCH IN OUTER SPACE

Visions of the Future

The future lies in space: The scientists behind the LISA project – three identical satellites fl ying in a triangular for-mation – aim to detect gravita-tional waves in a few years’ time.

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LINDA PARTRIDGE AND JAMES W. VAUPEL ON RESEARCH INTO AGING

“We learn a lot from one another”

Despite the fact that aging seems to be inevi-table, some species have found a way to delay or even put off the aging process. Can we actu-ally understand these exciting fi ndings? What determines aging? Why are there differences between individual species and what role do cells play in this? On the island of Rügen re-cently, MaxNetAging (the Max Planck Society research network dedicated to aging) held a conference on the biology of aging. One of the speakers at the conference, geneticist Linda Partridge, who is also a Director at the newly established Max Planck Institute for the Biol-ogy of Aging, and James W. Vaupel, a founding Director of the Max Planck Institute for Demo-graphic Research and Director of MaxNetAging, explained the need for interdisciplinary re-search into aging and its applications.

MAXPLANCKRESEARCH: Professor Partridge, the new-ly established Max Planck Institute for the Biol-ogy of Aging in Cologne represents the state of the art in its fi eld. How will you and your co-Di-rectors be approaching the subject in the future?

LINDA PARTRIDGE: The institute will concentrate on the basic biology of aging and carry out inter-pretative work in association with the Univer-sity of Cologne, between whose University Clin-ics the institute is located. The object is to use animal models as a means to understand the process of human aging. There are now clear indications that the mechanisms of aging have been preserved over vast evolutionary distanc-es, and that intervention in the aging process itself is of decisive importance in avoiding age-related illnesses.

MPR: Professor Vaupel, age research has become an important topic in almost every discipline. The latest MaxNetAging seminar on the “biology of aging for non-biologists” was attended by cell biologists, as well as by re-searchers working in biodemographics, psychol-ogists, historians and anthropologists, among others. How does MaxNetAging manage to reconcile these differing fi elds?JAMES W. VAUPEL: Aging is a very complex process. In order to understand aging and help people PH

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Their hearts set on an interdisciplinary approach to age research: Linda Partridge and James W. Vaupel.

Institute for the Biology of Aging. These scientists are leaders in their fi eld, at the cutting edge of research. The two Senior Fellows at MaxNetAging, Ursula M. Staudinger and Jean-Jacques Hublin, refl ected on the biology of aging from the perspective of other disciplines. Another idea in MaxNetAging is that leading experts in their fi eld meet young investigators specializing in aging re-search. In this respect, Annette Baudisch and Se-bastian Jessberger made a substantial contribu-tion to a high-level discussion on the research agenda for biologists with regard to age research. We were able to learn a great deal not just from fl ies, worms and mice, but also from one another!

MPR: What were the most important messages to emerge from the conference?PARTRIDGE: The increasing life expectancy of pop-ulations worldwide has far-reaching effects on legislation, the economy and architecture, as well as on biology and medicine, of course. An interdisciplinary approach is thus essential if we are to enable societies to adjust to a changing demographic structure and ensure that the older element of the population is still able to play a full part in society. This coming together of sci-

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enjoy a long and healthy life, and also to sup-port society in coping with the consequences of an aging population, it is essential for our re-search to include many disciplines. That is, after all, why the Max Planck Society set up Max-NetAging. We have members working at 14 dif-ferent Max Planck Institutes where they repre-sent an even wider spectrum of research fi elds. We aim to encourage communication and coop-eration in age research and provide the Max Planck Institutes with an opportunity to collab-orate with one another. MaxNetAging has also initiated a doctoral program that allows young scientists at an early stage in their careers to benefi t from a broad-based interdisciplinary out-look on aging. Each doctoral student has ties to one Max Planck Institute or another that par-ticipates in MaxNetAging. Over and beyond their interdisciplinary educational activities, the stu-dents remain in close contact with their scien-tifi c mentors and their own institutes, to which they later return after an initial period in Ros-tock. After all, any meaningful interdisciplinary research must build on the knowledge acquired in their original subject area. Overall, MaxNet-Aging has been very successful.

MPR: Can you quote an example of meaningful interdisciplinary cooperation?PARTRIDGE: Let me give you an example of how it works. At the conference, we had an inspiring dis-cussion with a young researcher, Annette Bau-disch. Her doctoral work has been supported by both James Vaupel and me, and includes aspects of biology, mathematics, economics and demog-raphy. This interdisciplinary approach was made possible thanks to her background in mathemat-ics and economics. This helped her familiarize herself with demographic methods and demo-graphic thinking, as well as evolutionary theory and lifecycle biology, so that she could then go on to study one of the fundamental issues in biology – namely why we age.

MPR: To what extent do you regard the confer-ence on the “biology of aging for non-biologists” as a success for MaxNetAging?VAUPEL: One of the leading theorists on the evolu-tion of aging, Thomas Kirkwood from Newcastle, gave a presentation. Other speakers included Adam Antebi, Nils-Göran Larsson and Linda Par-tridge, the three new Directors at the Max Planck

The age researchers’ little helpers: Mice, round worms, fruit fl ies and yeast cells serve as model organisms.

entists in Ralswiek was a prime example of how to encourage communication between research-ers in diverse fi elds.

MPR: What does the future hold for MaxNetAging?VAUPEL: We are delighted that MaxNetAging has caught the attention of so many leading insti-tutes working in the social sciences and humani-ties. Since the conference, I have had the impres-sion that it would be well worthwhile to expand our multidisciplinary approach still further to in-clude interested colleagues in the fi elds of biology and medicine and from the Max Planck Society’s technical institutes. Without a doubt, organizing a network on this scale will present a challenge. But MaxNetAging and the Max Planck Society have plenty of positive experience with interdisci-plinary projects. We have a shared interest and a series of questions that will prompt comparisons and a stimulating dialog between disciplines. I am highly optimistic that the broad-based interdisci-plinary approach adopted by MaxNetAging will lead to some lively discussions, as well as to inno-vative research. ●

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In its search for innovative drug treatments, the Lead Discovery Center GmbH is expected to break new ground in the fi ght against can-cer, diabetes and heart disease. The latest off-shoot of Max Planck Innovation GmbH has now set up shop in Dortmund. The LDC is an important element in the Drug Development Center pioneered by Max Planck Innovation GmbH, which has already been awarded the high-profi le IPTEC Prize for its contri-bution to the development of technology transfer in the public sector.

“For the fi rst time, we can now select

the best projects being un-dertaken in basic research, and develop these through to initial proof-of-concept without being subject to the usual constraints imposed by the capital markets,” said Bert Klebl, General Manager of Lead Discovery Center GmbH. The investment hori-zon for venture capital investors is “typically on the short side, and the standard models used to assess prospective risks and rewards are just not applicable to early-stage projects,” he added. “That’s why, in recent years, we have seen lots of fantastic projects come to nothing – irrespective of their medical or commercial potential. The new sustainable approach adopted by the LDC will help make the critical early stage in drug devel-opment manageable.”

Based on research results that offer new poten-tial prospects for the specifi c use of substances for treatment purposes, the LDC team of experi-enced drug developers, scientists and project managers will identify chemical ingredients and develop active pharmaceutical agents that can be tested directly in preclinical and clinical studies. The emphasis will be on treatments for cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative and heart diseases – affl ictions that have plagued mankind but that have yet to be adequately kept in check. The fi rst projects will originate from Max Planck Institutes; however, LDC is just as interested in promising re-sults achieved by other public-sector or even in-dustrial research institutes.

These developments are intended to culminate in active pharmaceutical agents that meet the criteria for medical drugs and that are therefore

likely to be highly attractive either for licensing or for further development in partnership with the biopharmaceutical industry. Until LDC begins to generate revenues of its own, sustained fi -nancing will be ensured from a variety of sources – including project-specifi c support from the Max Planck Society, public sector funding and

donations.“We have worked long

and hard on this new con-cept, both with industry ex-perts and with investors, to promote the development of innovative drugs here in Germany,” said Matthias Stein-Gerlach, LDC project manager at Max Planck In-novation. “We are delighted to now be able to hand over the project to the outstand-ing LDC team we recruited over the past few months.”

The efforts of Max Planck Innovation GmbH have been crowned with success in an-other fi eld, as well: the com-pany was recently awarded the prestigious IPTEC Prize for its contribution to the

development of technology transfer in the public sector. “We are delighted to receive this award in recognition of our commitment to professional technology transfer,” said Jörn Erselius, General Manager of Max Planck Innovation. “More than 30 years of technology transfer for the Max Planck Society have clearly demonstrated that basic research has the potential to yield pioneer-ing discoveries that can change our lives.”

Some familiar examples of successful technol-ogy transfer projects include the FLASH technol-ogy that has revolutionized magnetic nuclear spin tomography, the new cancer drug Sutent® and RNA interference technology, which is used to study the functions of genes, but could also lead to a new class of drugs. Overall, Max Planck Inno-vation has thus far handled more than 2,800 in-ventions, concluded over 1,700 licensing agree-ments and supported numerous spin-offs.

“We have also learned that it takes a lot of pa-tience and persistence to convert inventions into economically and socially useful products,” Erse-lius added. For that reason, it remains a challenge to work jointly with investors, industry represen-tatives and technology transfer experts to develop new models that will help close the oft-cited in-novation gap between early-stage research and industrial application. ●

MAX PLANCK INNOVATION

Technology Transfer Changing LivesPH

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More than 10,000 young detectives took part in this year’s research competition. They inves-tigated the alarm signals employed by plants, spied out deadly bioweapons and revealed who is responsible for the death of nerve cells. Un-der the motto “Long live curiosity,” this year’s 43rd annual junior research contest reached a climax in May, when 190 young investigators assembled for the fi nal round in Bremerhaven, where there were awards to be won in seven disciplines, as well as special prizes. The Max Planck Society donated all of the prizes in the biology division.

“I was impressed with the deep insights and ex-perimental skills the young people displayed – not to mention their enthusiasm and originality,” said Peter Fulde, Director at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems in Dresden, who presented the biology awards.

When it comes to searching for clues, a re-searcher needs the same “sixth sense” and cre-ativity as any detective. And it was these talents that won Lisa Schowe and Anja Massolle from Münster the fi rst prize in biology and an award of 1,500 euros. The two girls, aged 17 and 16, found hidden clues in the ability of an unhealthy plant to give off light. If, for example, a plant is infected by a fungus, its photosynthesis does not function properly: the plant is unable to process all of the sunlight it absorbs and emits some of it in the form of a brief glow of red fl uorescence. With the aid of this light, the national winners were able to identify damage to the plant, and invented their own equipment and computer programs to do the job.

What is the most exciting case for a detective? Investigating a murder, of course – which is what earned Celia Viermann from Neckargemünd sec-ond place and another 1,500-euro award. The 18-year-old discovered why certain nerve cells in ep-ilepsy sufferers die off during treatment: it is not the illness that is responsible, but the medication.

And the young researcher was able to prove her case with the aid of nerve cell cultures in the laboratory.

A detective's work in-

volves a bit of close surveillance now and again, and such observation yielded third prize, worth 1,250 euros, for Alexandra Mannig from Jena. She borrowed a technique used in dentistry and test-ed it on titanium, a material from which artifi cial implants are frequently made. To make it easier for the body to tolerate the material, the 18-year-old silanized the surface of the titanium before testing with bone and connective tissue cells to see whether the sam-ples were compatible as a biomaterial.

The amino acids studied by Binia de Cahsan and Theresa Behling from Rostock were far from compati-ble. The two 18-year-olds won fourth prize, worth 375 euros, for their investigations into miniature bioweapons. They homed in on D-ami-no acids. Amino acids are commonly known as a component of all proteins, the basic substance of life. The D-variant, however, can be deadly. Plants, bacteria and fungi use it to repel enemies who would otherwise eat them. In test plant beds, the two investigators discovered that some D-amino acids are not only hazardous to animals, but can also restrict the growth of fl owering tobacco seedlings.

Tracing creatures that have “gone under” is one of the easiest tasks for Maria Noske, Juliane Her-pich and Svenia Rosenberger of the Carl-Fried-rich-Gauß-Gymnasium in Frankfurt an der Oder. They shared fi fth place for their observations of an entire submerged family – a population of freshwater clams in the Oder River. The three 19-year-olds spent three years tracking the develop-ment of these river denizens. This introduced species of Asian ori-gin was decimated by cold win-ters, but subsequently recovered. As a result, the trio concluded that this was a creature to keep an eye on. If the mild winters continue, a mini-invasion can be expected. ●

NATIONWIDE JUNIOR RESEARCH COMPETITION “JUGEND FORSCHT”

Murder in the Vegetable Patch

Second place went to Celia Viermann (above) for exposing the nerve cell killers. Alexandra Mannig (right) put implants on trial to win third place.

Pretty fl owers or minia-ture bioweapons? Fourth-placed Theresa Behling and Binia de Cahsan (left) know the answer. Fifth place went to underwater detectives Svenja Rosen-berger, Juliane Herpich and Maria Noske (above).

Lisa Schowe and Anja Massolle proudly display the winners’ cer-tifi cates, present-ed to them by Max Planck Director Peter Fulde.

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Lead Discovery Center GmbH is breaking new ground in drug development.

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ard A RESTLESS SPIRIT – A gift that echoed

throughout the day: For his 80th birthday, Hans Zacher requested harp music to please his wife – a request that was fulfi lled by Sophia Steckel-er, who provided a musical accompaniment to the celebration. Max Planck President Peter Gruss recalled the achievements of his pre-pre-decessor, who headed the Max Planck Society from 1990 until 1996. As a legal specialist,Zacher was the only representative of the humanities among the presidential ranks. He was also the only one to be confronted with a unique chal-lenge: the reunifi cation of Germany. As a fi rst step in an immediate action program, Zacher facilitated the founding of working groups at East German universities. Between 1991 and 1998, 18 Max Planck Institutes were created in the newly-formed German federal states with impressive speed. “A certain streak of Bavarian stubbornness,” as President Gruss put it, may well have helped Zacher withstand the then-pre-vailing pressures. The current President also praised the judicious manner in which Zacher simultaneously implemented the program to consolidate the West German Max Planck Insti-tutes. To this day, Hans Zacher is actively in-volved in research as an emeritus member of staff at the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Social Law in Munich.

NEW FACES IN MANAGEMENT – At its recent meeting, the Senate of the Max Planck Society elected three new Vice Presidents: representing the Chemistry, Physics and Technology Section, Martin Stratmann (Director at the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research); for the Humanities Section, Wolfgang Schön (Director at the Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Com-petition and Tax Law); and, as non-scientifi c Vice President, Stefan Marcinowski, Member of the Executive Board of the chemicals group BASF. Vice President Herbert Jäckle (Max Planck Insti-tute for Biophysical Chemistry) and Treasurer Hans-Jürgen Schinzler, Chairman of the Super-visory Board of Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft, were confi rmed in offi ce for a further term. Günter Stock, who heads the Ber-

lin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences, also con-tinues to serve as Vice President. His term of of-fi ce runs until the General Meeting in 2011. Two new members of the Executive Committee were also elected: publisher Stefan von Holtzbrinck and Nikolaus Schweickart. Schweickart was Chairman of the Management Board of chemi-cals company Altana until 2007 and now heads its cultural foundation. The Vice Presidents and the Treasurer, along with two to four additional members and the President, collectively make up the Executive Committee. Together with the General Secretary, they constitute the Manage-ment Board of the MPS.

ADOPT AND ADAPT – “Nature has a head start of many millions of years, but we’re catching up.” The work done by Robert Langer – from whose laboratory in the US this maxim origi-nates – and Peter Fratzl in the fi eld of biomimet-ics seems simple at fi rst glance, even if it takes staying power. The two recipients of the 2008 Max Planck Research Prize are engaged in an in-vestigation of the structures of plants and ani-mals in order to identify specifi c functions that can be carried over to entirely different systems. At the prize presentation held during the Max Planck Society annual meeting in Dresden, the 59-year-old American from the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology and the 49-year-old Austrian Director at the Max Planck Institute for Col-loids and Interfaces offered in-sight into their methods. These have, particularly in the case of chemical engineer Robert Langer, already resulted in numerous products – such as a dressing that stays in place without ad-hesive. Langer is also persistently working to develop macromole-cules from special polymers that can channel drugs directly into

cancer cells. Peter Fratzl’s current hobbyhorse is the Venus fl ower basket, Euplectella aspergillum. This deep-sea sponge seems like it is made of glass, but does not break. In order to study its extremely resilient skeleton more closely, his team fi rst had to develop the appropriate tools. Fratzl has since recreated wood and bone struc-tures in order to determine whether it is possible to imitate the natural originals. He has his sights set not only on new materials, but also on en-tirely new design and construction strategies. He and his colleague Robert Langer were each awarded 750,000 euros to fi nance further out-standing achievements with the aim that Max Planck Research Prize winners should primarily include junior scientists in their work and pursue international cooperation. ●

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MAX PLANCK NEWS

New Vice Presidents of

the Max Planck Society: Wolfgang

Schön, Martin Stratmann and Stefan

Marcinowski (from left).