Welcome to the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics!

Welcome to the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics!

We study the structure and function of proteins which regulate vital cellular processes using a wide methodological repertoire including advanced light and electron microscopy and as well as computational biology.

Our Research


Ernst Bamberg – The Functional Analysis of Electrogenic Membrane Proteins
Martin Beck – Molecular Sociology
Ulrich Ermler – Enzyme Mechanism
Ana J. García-Sáez
Gerhard Hummer – Theoretical Biophysics
Werner Kühlbrandt – Structural Biology
Eugene Kim – Structure and Dynamics of Chromosomes
Melanie McDowell – Membrane Protein Biogenesis
Hartmut Michel – Molecular Membrane Biology
Bonnie Murphy – Redox and Metalloproteins
Beata Turoňová – Image Processing
Florian Wilfling – Mechanisms of Cellular Quality Control

Overview

Scientific Facilities


Sonja Welsch – Electron Microscopy
Julian Langer – Mass Spectrometry
https://brain.mpg.de/imaging

News

Announcement of the ERC Grant for Ana García-Sáez; focus on mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilisation and extrusion of the inner membrane in apoptosis.

Ana García-Sáez Awarded Prestigious ERC Grant

Grants
The grant will support groundbreaking research on the dynamic architecture of mitochondrial membranes
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Excellence Strategy and SCALE logos are displayed above a vibrant, abstract representation of cellular structures.

SCALE Selected as a DFG Excellence Cluster

Awards & Honors
The SCALE cluster initiative: Subcellular Architecture of Life, has been selected as a Cluster of Excellence by the German Research Foundation.
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Understand what we do

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Scientist smile while sitting at a conference.

Meet us

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Four scientists look at the camera, while working in a wet lab.

Work with us

You are looking for an inspiring job in a diverse environment? Check our job offers!
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Latest Publications

1.
Buckel, W.; Ermler, U.; Vonck, J.; Fritz, G.; Steuber, J.: The RNF/NQR redox pumps: a versatile system for energy transduction in bacteria and archaea. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 109, 148 (2025)
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2.
Lafargue, E.; Duneau, J.-P.; Buzhinsky, N.; Ornelas, P.; Ortega, A.; Ravishankar, V.; Sturgis, J.; Casuso, I.; Bergdoll, L.: Membrane lipid composition modulates the organization of VDAC1, a mitochondrial gatekeeper. Communications Biology 8, 936 (2025)
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3.
Mukherjee, R.; Bhattacharya, A.; Tomaskovic, I.; Mello-Vieira, J.; Brunstein, M. E.; Başoğlu, M.; Veenendaal, T.; Bailey, H.; Colby, T.; Misra, M. et al.; Eimer, S.; Klumperman, J.; Münch, C.; Matic, I.; Dikic, I.; Đikić, I.: Phosphoribosyl ubiquitination of SNARE proteins regulates autophagy during Legionella infection. The EMBO Journal (2025)
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4.
Mondal, S.; Mukherjee, S.; Bagchi, B.: Dipolar Cross-Correlations in Aqueous Systems: How Surfaces Influence Water's Action at a Distance. Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation 21, pp. 5686 - 5696 (2025)
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