Do you want to know if birds can use hair-like feathers as high-frequency sound receptors during echolocation? Join our team as PhD student or postdoc and find out! ⬇️ www.bi.mpg.de/2809383/job_...

We are inviting applications of motivated pre-doctoral researchers to join an exciting, HFSP-funded projct. 🧪🐦 🧠 @mpiforbi.bsky.social @hfspo.bsky.social FindAPhD.com share.google/eCgiK7GdjoQD...

Dear postdocs in and around Munich! Save the date! Our this years Munich Postdoc Night will take place on Sept. 15th 2026 at the @badw.de in Munich! Amplify your career! Hope to see you all there.

#pictureofthemonth: a peptide called "spacer peptide 2" (light blue) binds matrix proteins (red triangles). More: www.biochem.mpg.de/en/briggs-pr... March – Calendar of @mpiforbi.bsky.social and @mpibiochem.bsky.social 📸Illustration by Margot Riggi, James, Stacey, Dominik Hrebik (Briggs Lab)

Exciting opportunity 📣 The @tum.de, the TUM Klinikum Rechts der Isar and the @mpiforbi.bsky.social are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher in Small-Animal MRI and Cross-species Neuroimaging (f/m/div). 🧲 🧠 📅 Apply by: May 10, 2026 Please see below for more information:

🎧 Tune in to the season finale of the #FENS - #EJN Journal Club podcast! 🗞️ Curious about vocal communication and #BrainResearch? This episode explores new insights into female zebra finches and their neural systems! 🔬 Listen here 👉 buff.ly/zF5mH0I

Yesterday, 25 young minds spent their Girls’ and Boys’ Day with us. In the morning, they became scientists in our MaxLab, running their own experiments. Afterwards, they got a glimpse into exciting technical and scientific careers. 🧠🔧🔬 Thanks to all colleagues who contributed!

We are co-organising the 10th European Vision & Cognition (EVC) Meeting! Bringing together leading researchers and emerging talents working at the intersection of vision science, neuroscience, and cognition. 📅 30 June and 03 July 📍 Palazzone di Cortona, Tuscany 👉 Register here: nin.nl/evc-meeting

Exciting new research published in @currentbiology.bsky.social by our guest scientist and former group leader @jmrko.bsky.social. The study highlights insights from connectomics research in songbirds. „Tunneling neurons“ open new perspectives on how adult neural circuits may regenerate.

We went underground 🚧🚇🚧 For the third time, employees from our Institute were offered a guided tour of the new subway station in Martinsried. Thanks to Stefan Schaudig, project lead and managing director of the town hall in Planegg, for the exclusive insights into the development of the project!

Constructing a nest underwater is no easy task! But shell-dwelling cichlids are expert architects, instinctively transforming empty snail shells into protective nests. Take a deep dive into the new cichlid research from our Institute! 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-04...

🐟+🐚 =🏠 Shell-dwelling cichlids are true underwater architects, instinctively transforming empty snail shells into protective nests. New research shows: They improve with practice, remember what they learned, and adapt to unusual conditions. 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-04...

Spring has definitely arrived at our Institute. 🌸 The cherry trees at our entrance are in full bloom. Can you spot the bumblebee? 🐝

Join our “Emerging Scientist Talk” next week! Georg Kosche @gek0s.bsky.social, Postdoc at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel @iobswiss.bsky.social, will talk about the role of inhibition at cellular resolution in vivo. 📅 April 14 at 11:00 a.m. 📍 Room NQ105, Martinsried

NeurodivergNet is a grassroots network founded by and for neurodivergent employees of the Max Planck Society. A place where people can connect & support one another, as well as a platform for collaboration on raising awareness and advocating for accessibility in the field of #neurodiversity.

#pictureofthemonth: A chick of a Northern Lapwing in a moorland area in northern Germany. The Department Ornithology investigates the mating and dispersal behavior. Read more: www.bi.mpg.de/kempenaers April – Calendar of @mpiforbi.bsky.social and @mpibiochem.bsky.social 📸 Bashar Jarayseh

We are looking for a new Vocational Training Manager for BioLab Technicians. The position will work for @mpiforbi.bsky.social as well as @mpibiochem.bsky.social. ❕ Apply until: April 29 ❕ www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/43... #hiring #jobalert #VocationalTraningManager #BioLab #Laboratory

Nest failure in threatened #shorebirds has many reasons. Replacing eggs of vulnerable clutches with dummy eggs boosts nest survival of #Ruffs in grazed coastal meadows. New paper out 🎉 dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3... in @ecol-evol.bsky.social #conservation #ornithology

Ever wondered how fruit flies keep the rhythm? Don’t miss John Tuthill @tuthill.bsky.social, Professor at the University of Washington, at our next keynote lecture. 📅 April 7 at 11:00 a.m. 📍 Room NQ105, Martinsried Art by @somedonkey.bsky.social

Congratulations to our Research Group leader @susannehoffmann.bsky.social on receiving a Human Frontier Science Program (@hfspo.bsky.social) Research Grant! 👏 🎉 Together with her Colombian collaborator, she will investigate how birds navigate using echolocation. 📸 phototrip.cz – stock.adobe.com

🧠 Join us on June 12th at the @mpiforbi.bsky.social for the 3rd Munich Brain Day! 12 speakers, PhD & postdoc poster session and lots of networking. Free event — but only 100 poster slots available, so submit early! ➡️ Register now: munichbrainday.com/registration/ 📸 Pictures by Magdalena Warner

Even innate vocal behaviors can be socially flexible. In zebra finches, replies to contact calls are faster and more reliable when the caller is familiar than when hearing strangers. 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-03-vallentin 🎬 Video by @cgomez-guzman.bsky.social

Nearly 100.000 observations reveal continent-wide patterns in buzzard color variation. A new study shows that intermediate plumage coloration types are increasing across Europe. 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-03... 📸 Picture of a common buzzard by Kaspar Delhey @bou.org.uk / @rug.nl

Thank you to everyone who visited us in Munich last week for the IMPRS-BI matchmaking interviews. It was a pleasure to meet so many of you in person and to learn more about your research interests. We look forward to welcoming many of you back to begin your PhD journey with us at IMPRS-BI. 🎓

✨ Happy International Women’s Day. ✨ Today, we celebrate the power, courage, and impact of women around the world. Let’s continue to create space where women feel seen, valued, and unstoppable. May we continue to challenge stereotypes, support one another, and inspire the next generation.

#pictureofthemonth: March shows a “Cross-section” of the endoplasmic reticulum, a kind of membrane-labyrinth, using cryo-electron microscopy. More: www.biochem.mpg.de/plitzko March – Calendar of @mpiforbi.bsky.social and @mpibiochem.bsky.social 📸 Illustration by Jürgen Plitzko & Sven Klumpe

The Max Planck #PostdocProgram offers top emerging talents a range of attractive measures and opportunities. The current call for applications is open from March 1st until April 13th, 2026. Please share or consider applying! 🙏 www.mpg.de/en/max-planc... #careerinscience #sciencecareer

👏🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Hanna Algora on the successful defense of her doctoral dissertation on nesting ecology feat. Finnish waders, ruffs and dunlins. We wish her all the best for her future research and career!

How do birds thrive on diets so rich in sugar that they would cause metabolic chaos in humans? A new study reveals that evolution found both shared and unique genetic solutions. 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-02... 📸 Picture of a rainbow lorikeet by Gerald Allen @science.org @maxplanck.de

Join us for the next talk in our “Gender & Diversity in Ecology and Neuroscience” series. Heribert Hofer, Director at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Research, will give a talk at our campus in Seewiesen. 📅 March 3 at 11:00 a.m. 📍 House 4, Seewiesen Art by @somedonkey.bsky.social

Congratulations Amir on successfully defending your doctoral dissertation! 🎉 We wish you all the best for your future research and career. ✨

Our Institute turned into a winter wonderland over night! ❄️☃️ Science break, lab coats optional, fun mandatory!

A position with prospects! We offer excellent researchers again the possibility to apply for a position as a Leader of a Lise Meitner Research Group in all areas of #science. Applications are possible between February 11th and April 15th, 2026. www.mpg.de/lise-meitner... #lisemeitnergroups

We are hiring a Fire Safety Officer (M/W/D) for both of our institutes in Martinsried as a joint service. We are happy to receive your application: ❕ Apply until: March 11 ❕ www.mpg.de/26129142/bra... #hiring #jobalert #FireSafetyOfficer #Emergency #FireSafety

A fascinating lecture by Prof. Stefan Stricker on CRISPR. Thank you to everyone who joined on site and online for the lively discussion. We are already looking forward to the next lecture in the series on March 3, hosted by our Institute. Stay tuned! More information: www.bi.mpg.de/wws

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! Very grateful to work alongside women who I admire and who inspire me every day. Thank you, Ela!! #womeninscience

Today, we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science! At our Institute, 60% of scientists are women, and each brings a unique perspective, curiosity, and voice to science. We are proud to introduce some of our female researchers and share their personal insights and motivation.

1 lab. 2 days. 10 students. 🥼 🔬 🧪 Last week, we invited outstanding students from all over Bavaria who had qualified for the International Biology Olympiad. Our Maxlab was transformed into a hands-on biology training camp. This is what future scientists look like: thinking, experimenting, exploring.

We are happy to welcome Rebecca Kilner, Professor of Zoology at University of Cambridge, at our Institute next week! Join us for her keynote lecture where she will speak about Simpson’s Question. 📅 February 10 at 11:00 a.m. 📍 House 4, Seewiesen Art by @somedonkey.bsky.social

Who benefits from mating with multiple partners? Darwin suspected that in some cases, it may be the females rather than the males. A new long-term study on African coucals shows: when males provide all parental care, females can have more offspring by competing for and mating with multiple partners.

This #pictureofthemonth portrays how mitochondria (pink) and actin networks (green) shape local cell environments. They are important for diverse brain functions. More: www.bi.mpg.de/harbauer February – Calendar of @mpiforbi.bsky.social and @mpibiochem.bsky.social 📸 @lucianroal.bsky.social

Join our next keynote lecture! Nathalie Rochefort @rochefortlab.bsky.social, Professor at the University of Edinburgh, will give an exciting talk at our Institute in Martinsried. 📅 February 3 at 11:00 a.m. 📍 Room NQ105, Martinsried Art by @somedonkey.bsky.social

Most of us are familiar with the nightingale's song, but did you know there's more to it than just a melody? Read more: doi.org/10.1016/j.cu... @danielavallentin.bsky.social @tpvogels.bsky.social @mpiforbi.bsky.social ​

Nightingales are masters of imitation! New research shows: During territorial contests, a male matches a rival’s song in real time by tracking and imitating both, pitch and syllable duration. This shows a remarkable precision in hearing and vocal control. 🔗More: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-01-vallentin

New research provides evidence that mercury and PFAS can influence mitochondrial function in free-living seabirds, highlighting bioenergetics as a sensitive mechanistic link between pollution exposure and organismal health. 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-01-hau

Our first #pictureofthemonth in 2026 shows a giant vesicle lipid bilayer. When light sensitive molecules are illuminted the membrane dynamics change. More: www.biochem.mpg.de/schwille January – Digital Calendar of @mpiforbi.bsky.social and @mpibiochem.bsky.social 📸 Illustration by Yusuf Qutbuddin

Looks aren't everything! Wolfgang Forstmeier and Clemens Küpper @mpiforbi.bsky.social in Seewiesen study mate-choice preferences in #birds. Here's what they found out 😊 bc.pressmatrix.com/de/profiles/... #NationalBirdDay #Artenvielfalt

We wish you a joyous holiday season and a great year 2026, filled with exciting science! 🎄❄️✨ Art by @somedonkey.bsky.social

A study from the Baier Departement, published in Nature in February 2025, has now been selected for the Nature Highlights List 2025. Congratulations to all the researchers involved on this well-deserved recognition! 👉 Nature Highlights 2025: www.nature.com/articles/d41... @ishainer.bsky.social

Blood mitochondrial function is linked to adult flight performance in a songbird. Whereas early-life thyroid hormones show no lasting effects on mitochondria, behavior, or performance. 🔗 Scientific Paper: www.cell.com/iscience/ful... @stefi-casagrande.bsky.social @suviruuskanen.bsky.social