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

✨This time of the year our campuses light up. In Martinsried, the Christmas tree was delivered and is now fully decorated in front of our main entrance. And the colorfully lit trees create a magical atmosphere on the campus in Seewiesen. We let the festive mood kick in. 🎄

A new study shows electric sensors in the inner ear of pigeons enable magnetic field detection. Don’t miss the in-depth interview with Grégory Nordmann! 🎧 Tune into the Bayern 2 podcast, now in the ARD audio library: www.ardaudiothek.de/episode/urn:...

Congratulations to Irina Dudanova, Dennis Feigenbutz, Kerstin Voelkl and Rüdiger Klein on this important contribution to the field of neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. We look forward to seeing how these findings advance our understanding of differential neuronal vulnerability.

Join us for the symposium “Frontiers in Biological Intelligence”. On December 16–17, researchers from around the world will gather at our Institute to share and discuss their latest discoveries. Everyone is welcome. 🔗 Event details: www.bi.mpg.de/2025-symposium Art by @somedonkey.bsky.social

#pictureofthemonth: Advances in microscopy allow us to show how neurons are connected and form an intricate network! Find out more: www.bi.mpg.de/imagingfacil... December – Institute calendar of @mpibiochem.bsky.social and @mpiforbi.bsky.social 📸 Picture by Claudio Polisseni

Ein Team unter der Leitung von David Keays untersucht Gehirne von Tauben, die Magnetfeldern ausgesetzt sind. Dank modernster Mikroskopie identifizieren sie einen neuronalen Signalweg, der für die Verarbeitung magnetischer Informationen aus dem Innenohr zuständig ist. @mpiforbi.bsky.social

We warmly congratulate Dr. Auguste von Bayern on her appointment as a new external member of the University of Bayreuth’s university council. She took up her role on 15 November 2025, with her appointment running until 14 November 2029. 🔗 Press release: www.uni-bayreuth.de/en/press-rel...

Thank you for 312 applications from 48 different countries spread over 5 different continents for our IMPRS-BI graduate program 2026! We are truly impressed by your enthusiasm and interest. After reviewing your applications, we will send out interview invitations in December. Good luck! 🍀

How does a fish know when to blend in? Scientists identified a key circuit controlling camouflage in zebrafish – from cells in the retina sensing light to nerve cells in the brain controlling the release of a hormone that pales the skin to match bright backgrounds. www.bi.mpg.de/news/2025-11...

#pictureofthemonth: The pic shows 30 different protein types with spatial resolution in a neuronal „atlas“ created with the imaging method SUM-PAINT. More: www.biochem.mpg.de/jungmann November – institute calendar of @mpibiochem.bsky.social and @mpiforbi.bsky.social Image by Eduard Unterauer"

ÜBERRASCHENDE ZUSAMMENHÄNGE: #DARMBAKTERIEN ALS AUSLÖSER DER #MULTIPLEN #SKLEROSE? Allgemeinverständlicher Vortrag am 11.11.25 um 19 Uhr mit unserer BMC Grupppenleiterin Dr. Anneli Peters ⬇️ (vor Ort & Hybrid) www.bi.mpg.de/wws

Blau, weiß, grünlich: Wie schafft es der Kuckuck, seine Eierfarbe an unterschiedliche Wirtsvögel anzupassen? LMU-Forschende zeigen: Die Farbe wird über die Mutterlinie vererbt – das ermöglicht Anpassung ohne Aufspaltung in spezialisierte Populationen. @mpiforbi.bsky.social www.lmu.de/de/newsroom/...

Two weeks left to apply for our graduate school IMPRS-BI and join us as a PhD student! Find out more: imprs-bi.mpg.de

3 days left to apply for our emerging scientist talk series!! www.bi.mpg.de/ess

How does the brain maintain dormant core abilities even when they're not used? A new study in female canaries shows that their neural circuit for song learning remains intact throughout life, even though the females usually never sing. Read more: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2025-10...

What is the genetic basis of bird migration? Find out in our next keynote lecture by Miriam Liedvogel @genmig.bsky.social, Professor of Ornithology at the Uni Oldenburg and Director of the Institute of Avian Research! 📍October 21 at 11am in House 4 in Seewiesen Art by @somedonkey.bsky.social

Our PhD students led a summer school on animal bioacoustics in The Gambia! Ten undergrads learned to record, analyze & understand wildlife sounds — supported by the Bridging Minds Max Planck Africa Initiative.

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀? Visit our career fair at the Open Day! Scientist, service empolyees, trainees or HR: Meet your future co-worker and ask them all your questions! Find out more (in German): lnkd.in/d2TuWrQx

We are happy to welcome Joseph Parker, the Director of the Center for Evolutionary Science at Caltech, as keynote speaker at our Institute next week! Join us for his lecture on October 14, 11 am in the large lecture hall in Martinsried! Art by @somedonkey.bsky.social

#pictureofthemonth: A male white-browed sparrow-weaver in the Kalahari savannah takes a break from feeding its chicks. Find out more: www.bi.mpg.de/gahr October – Institute calendar of @mpibiochem.bsky.social and @mpiforbi.bsky.social Picture by Lisa Trost

The Neuroscience School for Advanced Studies "Brain Plasticity: Neural Basis of Individuality" led by LIP Director Ulman Lindenberger and Tobias Bonhoeffer @mpiforbi.bsky.social has just ended at San Servolo, Venice! #nsas

How do we investigate the complexities of the brain? Step into our labs and find out firsthand! From experiments to lab tours – have a look on October 25 and talk to us about our research! 🧪🧠Find out more (in German): mpi.lineupr.com/tdot/

From DNA to proteins: How do we investigate how life unfolds? ✨ Hands-on, minds-blown: Get exciting insights into our leading life-science research in Martinsried at our Open Day! Find out more (in German): mpi.lineupr.com/tdot/

Elektrizität als Sprache von Lebewesen: Für ein “Heimspiel Wissenschaft” kehrt unser Wissenschaftler Etienne Serbe-Kamp in sein Heimatdorf ins Allgäu zurück, um mit spannenden Mitmach-Experimenten für Forschung zu begeistern!🧪🧠⚡ Mehr Infos: heimspiel-wissenschaft.de/veranstaltun... @maxplanck.de

We are recruiting PhD students! Join us in exploring the multiple dimensions of biological intelligence at our international and fully funded graduate program IMPRS-BI in the Munich area, Germany! 🔔 Application period: 1 October to 10 November 🧪 Apply here: imprs-bi.mpg.de

Lisa Fenk @fleyes.bsky.social @mpiforbi.bsky.social presenting at @univie.ac.at @viennabiocenter.bsky.social today on the remarkable world of eye muscles in dipteran flies. Check out the original description of fruitfly eye movements here: doi.org/10.1038/s415...

Call them Dr., please! 🎓 We are incredibly proud of our recently graduated PhDs and wish them all the best for their future! 🎉✨

𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵? Then join us at our Open Day and get exciting sneak peaks behind the scenes of one of Europe’s largest life science campuses in Martinsried. Find out more (in German): mpi.lineupr.com/tdot/