Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

MAX PLANCK COMMUNITY

Hans Clevers delivers the Harnack Lecture on the pros and cons of stem cells

In late October, Dutch immunologist tive in these cells, and this enabled him identical. He titled his Harnack Lecture, and molecular geneticist Hans Clevers to demonstrate the presence of stem to which renowned scientists have been delivered this year’s Harnack Lecture, cells in organs such as the intestines, invited each year since the reopening pithily titled “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” lungs, liver and pancreas. Clevers even of the Max Planck Society’s conference He spoke before 180 guests in the succeeded in cultivating these stem cells center in Berlin-Dahlem, “Dr. Jekyll Goethe Auditorium on the subject of in laboratories to create miniature ver- and Mr. Hyde” to reflect the ambivalent stem cells. sions of human organs. These so-called nature of these cells. After the initial euphoria, the hype organoids now make it easier for re- Hans Clevers was born in Eindhoven surrounding stem cell research has qui- searchers to examine biological process- and studied at Utrecht University, to eted somewhat in recent years. Now, not es; in the future, they could even render which he returned as a professor fol- least since this research began to focus organ transplants unnecessary. lowing a research residency at Harvard increasingly on stem cells that are found However, the role these cells play in University in the early 1990s. For two in various organs throughout a person’s forming and regenerating organs is years now, he has also served as Direc- life, the enormous potential of adult only one side of the coin: cells that re- tor of Research at the Princess Máxima stem cells is gradually returning to the tain their ability to divide throughout Center for Pediatric Oncology. forefront of scientific consciousness. an organism’s life can easily get out of Clevers has significantly advanced control and become cancer cells. Clev- A video of the lecture: this development. An expert in adult ers was able to show that some process- https://www.youtube.com/ stem cells, he identified a gene that is ac- es in stem cells and cancer cells are watch?v=TJ4TRD2BWXg

Expert in adult stem cell research: Hans Clevers delivering his lecture in a packed Goethe Hall in the Harnack House. Photo: David Ausserhofer / MPG

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Photos: Beniamino Apis (2) Communication, Collaboration, Inspiration Varied program addresses trends in research and provides career advice career provides and research in trends addresses program Varied in smallergroups.” tunity for discussion and conversation into theevening,providingoppor- participants mingled during dinner and thepresentersand ments. Afterwards, to this with a lot of questions and com- speakers andtheaudiencecontributed the organizational team. “Both our Institute forMeteorologyandheadof Abis, doctoralstudentattheMaxPlanck were agreatsuccess,”saidBeniamino members ofMaxPlanckPhDnet. ference, whichisorganizedeachyearby priority throughoutthethree-daycon- speakers andjuniorscientistswasakey tacts. Facilitating the exchange between cussions andnetworkwithnewcon and 215visitorstoholdindividualdis- venue for the Career Fair’s 13 exhibitors the Harnack House provided theperfect slam contestandapostersession. talks by renowned scientists to a science program thatrangedfrominspiring ticipants eachdayenjoyingthediverse tember was well attended, with 80 par- again, this year’s conference in late Sep- multaneously forthethirdtime. Once minds–wereheldsi- forward-thinking aimed atbringingtogetherinquisitive, the “Max Planck Career Fair” – both The “Visions in Science” conferenceand priate infrastructure. More than More infrastructure. priate appro - with centers research or universities Polish at established one ary Febru- Until open. now is Poland for applications for call first the Europe, Eastern and Central in research cutting-edge boosting for program new Society’s Planck Max the with connection In Application Round for Dioscuri Centers House. Harnack at conference Science” in “Visions the at session poster the in discussed also were topics Specialist in Poland is underway is Poland in Excellence Scientific of Centers three to up of establishment the applicationsfor for call first The , scientists may apply as Principal Investigator (PI) for (PI) Investigator Principal as apply may scientists 2018, 12, “The panel discussions in particular On thefirstdayofconference, of up to three Dioscuri Centers of Scientific Excellence to be to Excellence Scientific of Centers Dioscuri three to up of 50

institutions have already sig already have institutions - - ish government. ish Pol- the and Research and Education of Ministry Federal German tion phaseinPoland.Thefinancing issharedequallybetweenthe tral andEasternEuropeisnow enteringitsfirstimplementa gram aimstostrengthenandexpand scientificexcellenceinCen receive each will groups research their and PIs The interest. their naled euros over a five-year period. The Dioscuri pro Dioscuri The period. five-year a over euros 300,000 MAX PLANCK COMMUNITY MAX PLANCK 4 | MaxPlanckResearch 17MaxPlanckResearch 77 - - - MAX PLANCK COMMUNITY

Moved by Nobel Prize for Gravitational Waves

Max Planck researchers congratulate and celebrate with their American colleagues

Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne and Barry Bar- ish were awarded this year’s Nobel Prize for Physics for their groundbreaking ev- idence of Einstein’s “ripples in space- time.” Max Planck researchers celebrat- ed with their US colleagues, especially since they played a role in the discov- ery that is transforming astronomy. There was excitement in the air at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Hannover and Potsdam on October 3. Around 120 guests in Han- nover, including the Lower Saxony Min- ister for Science, Gabriele Heinen-Kljaji´c, and an additional 50 in Potsdam fol- lowed the livestream from Stockholm. Though the Nobel Prize was not awarded to Karsten Danzmann, as one local newspaper prematurely announced on- line, the mood among the Max Planck researchers remained positive. “We wholeheartedly congratulate Expert in demand: Alessandra Buonanno gave TV interviews at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam following the awards ceremony. our colleagues and are delighted by this award for three pioneers of gravitational wave research. They never lost sight of Karsten Danzmann’s team at the GEO600 for and analyze the gravitational wave their objective and have inspired gener- facility near Hannover actually devel- signals in the first place, and in Pots- ations of young scientists,” said Max oped almost all of the technologies de- dam, Alessandra Buonanno and her staff Planck Director Alessandra Buonanno ployed in the major detectors, such as created the models that would help to and her colleagues Karsten Danzmann LIGO and Virgo. The Institute in Han- better understand and simulate the and Bruce Allen. They added: “We are nover is also home to the Atlas Com- waves. This alone shows how the suc- proud to be part of an international col- puting Cluster, where researchers in cess of this collaboration rests on the laboration that discovered the first grav- Bruce Allen’s department work on pro- shoulders of more than 1,000 partici- itational wave some two years ago.” grams that make it possible to search pating researchers.

“Adventures in Archaeological Science” A colouring book for archaeologists in training

The Max Planck Institute for the Science of Hu- Each page is hand-drawn by a scientist at the Max Planck Insti- man History has recently completed a special tute for the Science of Human History and features real research outreach venture. Primarily directed at chil- and archaeological projects. It also provides brief explanations dren, it is bound to appeal to archaeologists of not only on the work of archaeologists in the field and the lab, any age: the Adventures in Archaeological Science but also on topics such as human origins, ancient diets and an- coloring book. Produced for the 2017 “Long Night of Science”, cestral microbiomes. The book is edited by Christina Warinner and the booklet is the final project of a scientific illustration training Jessica Hendy, with special contributions by: Zandra Fagernäs, workshop taught by Max Planck researchers Christina Warinner Jessica Hendy, Allison Mann, Åshild Vågane, Ke Wang, and Chris- and Jessica Hendy in the summer of 2017. tina Warinner, and is currently available in English and German.

http://christinawarinner.com/2017/11/25/adventures-in-archaeological-science-coloring-book-now-available/ Photo: M. Mohring / Milde Marketing

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