Newsletter “Research in “ Issue 25, June 2014 www.research-in-germany.de

Dear Readers, personal encounters Contents and for digital educa- Science thrives on dialogue. Today, more tion. This is the reason than ever before, this dialogue must be con- why my Ministry, the Interview ducted at an international level and reach Federal Ministry of Edu- beyond individual disciplines. This requires fo- cation and Research, Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings rums that are separate from universities and wholeheartedly sup- institutes. The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meet- ports both the Lindau Science and Research News ings stand for a lively exchange at the highest Meetings and the Me- level. They provide an opportunity for leading diatheque. Recent Research Cooperation and early-career researchers, industry and politics to come together. The meetings also I attended my first Lindau Nobel Laureate Latest R&D Funding Programmes and Activities underline Germany’s claim to being one of the Meeting last year and was fascinated by the

world’s foremost locations for science. mixture of established and upcoming scien- Current R&D Policy tists. I hope that Lindau will continue to inspire At the same time, Lindau is more than the science in as many places as possible through- Last But Not Least meeting of Nobel Laureates. The Lindau out the world. Mediatheque is putting together a unique Events collection of lectures by the world’s leading scientists. People are gaining round-the-clock access to scientific information. Lindau thus Prof. Dr. Johanna Wanka, provides two outstanding opportunities: for Federal Minister of Education and Research Medicine/Physiology

Interview

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings – “A fabulous forum for a real scientific exchange”

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Erwin Neher was director at the Max Planck Institute for Biophys- ical Chemistry in Göttingen between 1983 and 2011 and currently heads the Emeritus Group of Membrane Biophysics. Neher was awarded the 1991 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Bert Sakmann for their discoveries concerning the function of single ion channels in cells.

“Inspire” is one of the keywords in the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings’ leitmotif. Does inspiration only apply to the young scientists or do the Nobel Laureates also get their share? I can assure you that there is inspiration on both sides. It is for this reason that I will attend the meeting this summer for the 13th time. The Lindau Meetings are by no means a one-way street where Nobel Laureates hold their lectures and the students are awestruck with respect. On the contrary, the numerous conversations with the next generation of a global scientific elite dig deeply into the everyday reality of young scientists and let me participate in the latest research findings. The enriching encounters occur not only as part of the official programme, e.g. in the discussion sessions when young scientists controversially reflect about current research findings and have a lively debate with laureates and students alike. Equally inspiring are the informal talks Nobel Laureate Erwin Neher during his lecture at alongside the meeting at the social events or during the breaks. That is why the Lindau the 63rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, 2013. Nobel Laureate Meetings are a fabulous forum for a real scientific exchange.

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For the first time in the history of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings there are more women than men among the young participants at the 64th meeting: 52 to 48%. How do you rate the importance of fostering women in science? Since my first attendance in the early 1990s the meetings have seen constant adjust- ment regarding the gender balance. Certainly the expertise must be the critical factor for attendance but women play a key role especially in medical research and this has to be mirrored in Lindau. There may be a difference in how women and men approach certain problems, but diversity is definitely beneficial for research. Beyond doubt the compatibility of family and work is still a problem and needs to be addressed. In Ger- many conditions have improved, but there is still a long way to go e.g. in expanding childcare facilities. I am well aware that the number of women awarded the Nobel Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Prize is still very small but looking at the young generation of scientists I am sure it will in- Göttingen crease significantly over the years to come. I am very much looking forward to meeting the laureates Ada Yonath, Elizabeth Blackburn and Fran oise Barré-Sinoussi in Lindau.

In your lecture at the 64th Lindau Meeting you will be talking about “Short-Term Synaptic Plasticity”. What does this imply? Is there a connection to one of the Lindau Meeting’s key topics “transport mechanisms in cells”? The performance of the brain and the regulatory processes of the peripheral nervous system are dependent on the functioning of the ten billion nerve cells, each of which is connected by synapses to an average of approximately ten thousand other nerve cells. Unlike electronic data processing systems, these interconnections are not rigid but adapt in many ways as a function of the data flow through the neural network. In order to understand the way in which the central nervous system works, and also to understand this “plasticity”, it is essential to know not only the mechanism of signal transmission but also to explore why and how the intensities of these connections change as a function of data flow. Most neuroscientists are interested in long-term changes in the connectivity between neurons, because these are held to underlie learning and memory. My laboratory has concentrated on short-term changes, since they are part of the schemes by which the central nervous system solves basic signal processing tasks, such as adaptation, filtering, gaining control and short-term memory. The key topic, transport mechanisms, is certainly linked to these processes, because some of the short-term changes are caused by changes in the second messenger calcium, the intracellular concentration of which is controlled by a variety of transport mecha- nisms. Likewise, synaptic vesicles need to be recycled during sustained neuronal activity, which requires well-controlled transport of membranes and organelles.

64th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting Your discoveries on currents of single ion channels in cells and your invention of the 29 June – 4 July 2014 patch-clamp technique were groundbreaking. Are you still working in this field? No, I stopped working on ion channels already in the late 1980s and turned towards 5th Lindau Meeting on calcium signalling and neurotransmitter and hormone release. Both phenomena are, of Economic Sciences course, regulated by ion channels, and we study these processes on the single cell level 20 – 23 August 2014 with modifications of the technique which we had developed for ion channel research.

www.lindau-nobel.org In 2013, Thomas C. Südhof received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Born in Germany but working in the United States, his award provoked a discus- A video of Professor Neher’s lecture sion about working conditions for scientists in Germany. You did part of your will be added to the Lindau Media- research in the US. How do you perceive the different research landscapes? theque, comprising videos, pictures, Considering the different funding systems, it is quite hard to compare both landscapes. abstracts, mini lectures and laureate In my opinion, the best American institutions perform better than most German ones profiles compiled in the long history whereas the average German institutions perform better than the average American re- of the Lindau Meetings: search universities. In the US system, competition is more demanding and the research landscape is more diversified than the German one with both aspects being somewhat www.mediatheque.lindau-nobel.org exaggerated. In Germany we have quite a good balance between these two aspects, while the optimum might be positioned slightly more towards competition and diversity.

Professor Neher, thank you very much for this interview.

More information: www.mpibpc.mpg.de/en Contact: Dr. Carmen Rotte, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry Email: [email protected]

2 www.research-in-germany.de Research in Germany – Land of Ideas

Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings

An interactive archive of science history

Where do most Nobel Laureates carry out their research these days? When did Stanford University surpass the University of Göttingen as the hub for Nobel Prize awarded sci- ence? With which institutions was Albert Einstein affiliated? All these questions and more can be answered with “Penzias Painting”, a new feature of the recently redesigned Lindau Mediatheque. It is named after Nobel Laureate Arno Penzias, who proposed that the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings create a map of the Nobel Laureates’ journey through life, serving as a spectacular panorama of science history. On a fully rotatable 3D globe users are able to map and combine key locations and occurences in the lives of Nobel Laureates. By integrating the Penzias Painting, the Lindau Mediatheque can be considered as the benchmark for multimedia contents on Nobel Laureates available on the internet. This is one reason why the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) declared the mediatheque a partner initiative of the German “Science Year 2014 – The Digital Society”. First launched in 2008, the Lindau Mediatheque has since be- come a “digital treasure trove”, containing video and audio recordings of the numerous lectures and panel discussions held in the past 64 years. The original documents are complemented by specially designed “Topic Clusters” and “Mini Lectures”: texts and videos developed around selected fields of research. These address non-scientists and thus serve as a valuable tool, e.g. for use in schools.

More information: www.mediatheque.lindau-nobel.org The Penzias Painting as part of the Lindau Contact: Patricia Edema, Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings Mediatheque maps the Nobel Laureates’ journey Email: [email protected] through life.

Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings

A lasting bond in German-Chinese scientific exchange

When the 64th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting opens its doors on 29 June 2014, there will also be a group of 30 promising undergraduate, PhD and postdoc students from China among the 600 young scientists gathering on Lake Constance. Before receiving the invita- tion, they had to pass a multi-stage selection process conducted by the Sino-German Center for Research Promotion (SGC) in Beijing. The SGC identified highly-talented young scien- tists in the fields of medicine or physiology and nominated them. Professor Stefan Kauf- mann, scientific co-chairman of the 64th Lindau Meeting, supervised the selection process. “The students are unbelievably disciplined and keen to make it to Lindau to meet the Nobel Laureates. Rarely have I seen such strong dedication,” he said. This year, the SGC and the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings are celebrating the tenth anniversary of their partnership. In 2004, the SGC joined the global network of academic partners comprising leading universities, academies of science, foundations and enterprises. Founded jointly by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Deutsche Forschungs­ gemeinschaft (DFG) in 2000, the SGC serves to promote cooperation in basic research between Germany and China. Dr. Ingrid Krüssmann, director of the SGC since 2014 and, together with vice director Miaogen Zhao, coordinator of the partnership with Lindau, stresses the importance of bringing together the next generation of scientists from different countries: “Being at an early stage in their scientific careers, in Lindau the young re- searchers get the opportunity to discuss their latest findings with their peers from around the world. The meetings aim to promote the best minds in a very open atmosphere.”

More information: www.sinogermanscience.org.cn (only in German and Chinese) Contact: Dr. Ingrid Krüssmann/Miaogen Zhao, Sino-German Center for Research Promotion (SGC) Email: [email protected] Sino-German Center for Research Promotion, Beijing

3 Research in Germany – Land of Ideas Issue 25, June 2014

Science and Research News

Keeping one step ahead of influenza

A constant fight rages between germs and the immune system. Up to 10% of the world’s population are infected with influenza viruses each year. Thousands of victims die of the disease. Although most humans have a certain level of immunity, the viruses are so enor- mously adaptable that they can evade the body’s defence mechanisms. Mutations change the structure of proteins in the shells of the viruses, temporarily stopping the antibodies from detecting them. The shell protein haemagglutinin, or HA for short, plays a crucial role in this context. Its structure is the most important target for antibodies, which is why the de- velopment of flu vaccines is based on studies of the latest changes in the HA structure of globally emerging influenza strains. However, a flu virus’s ability to spread does not only de- pend on its HA molecules. Most of these pathogens have eleven different proteins, each of which performs a role of its own. Mutations are not planned. They can occur in every gene sequence and therefore affect every protein component – with potentially negative effects on functionality. Researchers have now made a decisive step forward in the race against the virus: Michael Lässig, professor of physics at the University of Cologne, and Marta Łuksza, a biologist from Columbia University in New York, have created a model enabling accurate forecasting of the spread of influenza viruses. Which strain will assert itself and should therefore receive special attention in vaccine development? Lässig explains that the inheritance of useful mutations in the HA gene is often linked with the passing on of other negative changes. Factors like these should be viewed together in order to better evaluate the “fitness” of a virus strain and its potential to spread. “It is possible to think ahead into the future of evolution,” Lässig comments.

More information: www.thp.uni-koeln.de/~lassig Up to 10% of the world’s population are infected Contact: Prof. Dr. Michael Lässig, University of Cologne with flu viruses each year. Email: [email protected]

Science and Research News

Prostheses that can feel

Hands are irreplaceable – humans use them to grasp their world. That is why their loss is so serious. So far, the prosthetic limbs available to amputees have only had limited capabili- ties. They lack true sensory feedback. Amputees are enabled to grasp objects but cannot feel what they are touching. This may be set to change. A European team of experts has devised the prototype of an artificial hand. The user can accurately guide the prosthetic limb precisely towards an object and will simultaneously receive information about its shape and quality -- in the same way as if the prosthesis were a real hand. Small pressure sensors in the artificial fingers record information and pass it on to a processor that transforms it into nearly natural electric impulses. These are then fed into the severed nerve pathways of the amputated hand. State-of-the-art microelectronics makes this possible. “Ultra-thin electrodes are implanted across the nerve,” explains Professor Thomas Stieglitz of the University of Freiburg. With the electrodes, 14 different bundles can be connected with hundreds of indi- vidual neurons. The electrodes developed by Stieglitz and his colleagues consist of a plas- tic support structure with embedded platinum wires and contact points made of iridium ox- ide. “This enables you to get a lot of electricity through an area without corrosion occurring,” Stieglitz comments. The first tests have produced encouraging results. The test person was able to control his grasping movements and adjust the amount of pressure his fingers were applying to an object. He could feel whether the material was hard or soft. The next step is to replace the connection cable through the skin and develop a fully im- plantable signal transmission system.

More information: www.imtek.de/en The user of the new artificial hand is able to feel Contact: Prof. Dr. Thomas Stieglitz, University of Freiburg and hold objects as if it were a real hand. Email: [email protected]

4 www.research-in-germany.de Research in Germany – Land of Ideas

Science and Research News

Using plant power in the fight against HIV

Pelargonium sidoides is a beautiful plant. Its purple blossoms make it an attractive addition to any flower box. Scientists, however, are more interested in substances that the South Afri- can geranium species contains. In its native country it has long been used as a medicinal plant. In Europe, too, compounds extracted from P. sidoides are now regarded as effective treatment for respiratory tract infections. According to laboratory studies, the extracts inhibit the activity of certain types of virus. Experts at the Helmholtz Zentrum München are now testing the effect of P. sidoides root extracts on HIV-1. The researchers combined different strains of the Aids virus with blood cells and then added the plant extracts. The viruses’ ability to cause infections fell dramatically with increasing concentrations of the active ingre- dient. They were no longer able to attack their host cells. “We assume that ingredients in the plant extracts lock onto the shells of the viruses, thereby preventing them making contact with the cells,” explains the head of the study, Professor Ruth Brack-Werner. The viruses were unable to enter the blood corpuscles through the cell membrane. Various secondary plant compounds, so-called polyphenols, are responsible for the antiviral effect of P. sidoides extracts. The Munich-based researchers hope that these substances can be used to treat HIV patients in a targeted way. The substances would be easy to manufacture and could therefore become an alternative to conventional antiviral drugs, especially in de- veloping regions. Brack-Werner believes that a prophylactic use might also be possible -- The geranium species Pelargonium sidoides could for example, in vaginal gels. help in the fight against Aids.

More information: www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/viro Contact: Prof. Dr. Ruth Brack-Werner, Helmholtz Zentrum München Email: [email protected]

Recent Research Cooperation

Tracking down leukaemia genes

More than 11,000 people in Germany contract leukaemia every year – almost half of them survive. This is partly due to new scientific findings. We know today that changes in a person’s genes, called tumour markers by cancer experts, are responsible for the outbreak of the disease. This knowledge will make it possible to treat patients individually in the future. The idea is to tailor drugs to the specific genetic changes. However, doctors must first find out which genetic modification is relevant for a therapy in each patient. Quick and valid tests would be helpful – if they existed. A research network called “Next Generation Sequencing Platform for Targeted Personalized Therapy of Leukemia” has been tackling this challenge since early 2013. Academic institutions from five countries – University Medical Center Ulm in Germany and the university clinics of Bologna and Torino in Italy, Brno in the Czech Republic, Leuven in Belgium and Salamanca in Spain – as well as five partners from industry are involved. The project is being supported by the EU to the tune of 5.5 million euros up to 2016. “Two IT start-ups are dealing with the data analysis, two companies are specialising in DNA sequencing, and the Munich Leukaemia Laboratory is providing important expertise in diagnosing the disease,” explains Professor Lars Bullinger, one of the people responsible for Ulm’s contribution to the research project. The university clinics ensure that there are as many participants as possible. “Leukaemia is not a particularly common disease, which is why it’s important to have a large number of cases, especially because the disease has many subgroups,” says Bullinger. He cites three objectives on which the project is focusing in particular: to find and examine further relevant tumour markers, to work out standards for identifying them and to develop commercially viable applications and therapies.

More information: www.ngs-ptl.com Contact: Prof. Dr. Lars Bullinger, University Medical Center Ulm Medical researchers are looking for personalised Email: [email protected] therapies for leukaemia.

5 Research in Germany – Land of Ideas Issue 25, June 2014

Latest R&D Funding Programmes and Activities

German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) supports young scientists

Harald zur Hausen set a milestone in medicine with his discovery in the early 1980s, when he showed that the human papilloma virus (HPV) caused cervical cancer. Not only was he awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2008, he also saved many women’s lives. Yet what sounds like a brilliant career was in fact an arduous journey. Zur Hausen encountered resistance – his theory was wrongly assessed for a long time. Nevertheless, he remained connected with research and was chairman of the Foundation Board of the German Can- cer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg from 1983 to 2003. Support for postdoctoral research students is an important prerequisite for up-and-coming scientists to have an easier time than zur Hausen. The aim is for them to be optimally prepared for their future scientific career. The DKFZ is pursuing this aim by offering a two-year “Postdoctoral Fellowship Pro- gram” to “highly talented and motivated young scientists” from all over the world. The most important formal requirements are as follows: the researchers should have been awarded their doctorate no longer than two years ago, and they should be working in the fields of biology, physics, mathematics, bioinformatics or an equivalent scientific discipline. They should also provide proof of their academic qualifications – for example with outstanding essays or competitions they have won. The ten postdoctoral students who are selected will work in one of seven research programmes. All this will follow an interdisciplinary approach and use state-of-the-art scientific equipment. The young researchers will also be supported in their further career planning. The DKFZ has recruited a career manager to develop a Postdoctoral researchers enjoy comprehensive support via a special programme at the DKFZ career strategy together with the postdocs and organise important contacts. The next in Heidelberg. application deadline is 31 August 2014.

More information: www.dkfz.de/en/postdoctoral-fellowship-program Contact: Heike Langlotz, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Email: [email protected]

Latest R&D Funding Programmes and Activities

Promoting international female researchers

Technische Universität (TU) is preparing women specifically for careers in science. The initiative is called “Wissenschaftlerinnen an die Spitze” (getting women scientists to top level), and it brings together several projects under the TU’s roof. For example, the IPODI programme (International Post-Doc Initiative) targets women researchers from all over the world. The university plans to promote a total of 21 female scientists via IPODI by 2018. In all, 3.4 million euros is available for the project. Some of the funding comes from the European Union, which is supporting the programme as part of the Marie Curie Actions. “The IPODI programme is open to women researchers of all nationalities and from all age groups – and for all the subjects that can be researched at TU Berlin,” says IPODI coordinator Dr. Elke Gehweiler. The scientists selected for the programme work on their own research projects with the support of an experienced mentor. At the same time, they have the opportunity to take additional scientific qualifi­ cation courses in the fields of management and career development. TU Berlin’s objective in its long-term promotion of up-and-coming young female scientists is to increase the number of women in high-ranking positions in the scientific community. With IPODI, it combines the goals of equal opportunities and internationalisation. The next round of ap- plications, during which TU Berlin will be awarding seven postdoc positions, begins on 15 September 2014. The applicants’ work must be supported by a TU Berlin professor.

More information: www.ipodi.tu-berlin.de TU Berlin wants to prepare women for a career Contact: Dr. Elke Gehweiler, Technische Universität (TU) Berlin in research with postdoctoral scholarships. Email: [email protected]

6 www.research-in-germany.de Research in Germany – Land of Ideas

Current R&D Policy

Moving safely in the digital world

What impacts will digital technology have on society, education and communication? The changes are brought to life on board “MS Wissenschaft”, a ship that has been con- verted into a museum and is currently travelling Germany’s waterways with an exhibition on the digital revolution. The tour is part of the programme for Science Year 2014, which is dedicated to the subject of “The Digital Society”. Science Years, which are organised by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the “Wissenschaft im Dialog” (WiD) initiative, focus attention on multidisciplinary topics of the future. They aim to strengthen exchange between the research community and the public. Expert forums, workshops and youth projects contribute to this effort. Thus, for example, the “Forschungs­ börse” enables schools to make contact with experts. The digital revolution is affecting all areas of life. This is why the BMBF is also strengthening research into big data and IT security. New competence centres are opening in Berlin and . The Berlin Big Data Center (BBDC), under the management of Technische Universität Berlin, and the Competence Center for Scalable Data Services and Solutions (ScaDS), under the aus- pices of Technische Universität Dresden, are being supported with a total of 10 million euros. In addition, the BMBF is funding individual research projects with 20 million euros. “Volumes of data are rapidly growing in our digital society,” says Professor Johanna Wanka, Federal Minister of Education and Research. “We must learn how to deal with them properly. Two things are important here: first, we must develop instruments that can The Digital Society, the theme of Science be used to generate useful knowledge from simple data; and, above all, technological Year 2014, is being brought to life on board progress must ensure that we can move safely in a digital world we are in control of.” “MS Wissenschaft”.

More information: www.digital-ist.de/infos/english, www.pt-it.pt-dlr.de/ de/big-data (only in German) Contact: Editorial Office Science Year 2014 – The Digital Society Email: [email protected]

Last But Not Least

Dinosaur with back pain

The scene: -Anhalt, more than 200 million years ago. You wouldn’t have wanted to go swimming in the lakes here back then, because these waters were the hunting ground of the phytosaurs. With their long, slender snout and a mouth full of fearsome-looking teeth, they probably hunted fish. The remains of such a reptile were found in a clay-pit near Hal- berstadt in 1910. The discoverers classified it under the scientific name of Angistorhinopsis ruetimeyeri. The bones have recently been re-examined by a team of experts under the di- rection of palaeontologist Dr. Florian Witzmann from the Berlin “Museum für Naturkunde” (a natural history research museum of the Leibniz Association). They found that two of the fossil’s vertebrae were fused together in an unusual way. When it was alive, the seven-to- eight-metre-long animal had evidently suffered from spondyloarthropathy, an inflammatory disease of the skeleton, in this case the vertebral column, which can also affect homo sapi- ens. The saurian was evidently plagued by back problems. As yet the researchers can’t say anything definite about what might have caused the malformation. “We have only known about this disease in reptiles for a few years,” Witzmann explains. “It is often accompanied by intestinal infections, also in humans.” The specimen examined seems to have already be- come infected with spondyloarthropathy during its youth. Perhaps the animal’s suffering was alleviated by swimming while fishing. After all, water provides buoyancy, something that hu- mans with back problems also appreciate today.

More information: www.naturkundemuseum-berlin.de/en Contact: Dr. Florian Witzmann, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and The diseased vertebrae of the Halberstadt reptile Biodiversity, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin are highlighted in red in this drawing of the phyto- Email: [email protected] saurus rutiodon’s skeleton.

7 Research in Germany – Land of Ideas Issue 25, June 2014

Events

Exhibition “The Lindau “Research in Germany” International Consumer Naturejobs Career Expo, Nobel Laureate at the Meeting of the Electronics Fair (IFA), 19 September 2014, Meetings”, Lindau Federation of European 5 to 10 September 2014, London Neuroscience Societies, How did a congress of physicians, Berlin Naturejobs Career Expo is a high- first held in 1951 and attended by 5 to 9 July 2014, Milan The beginnings of the International end career fair which introduces re- seven Nobel Laureates, turn into a The 9th Forum of the Federation Consumer Electronics Fair (IFA) go searchers to potential employers in unique forum for scientific dialogue of European Neuroscience Societies all the way back to the 1920s. the fields of life sciences, medical across generations, cultures and (FENS) is a good opportunity to Since 2006, it has been held once sciences, chemistry and physics. nationalities? Who had the idea to build contacts with 7,000 internation- a year, so this leading trade fair For the seventh year running, the establish this meeting in Lindau, ally renowned scientists and discuss will be opening its doors again in German Academic Exchange Ser- where, over the years, more than the latest developments in brain re- 2014 to the manufacturers of vice (DAAD) is organising a joint 1,000 Nobel Laureates met with search. In its activities at the FENS household appliances and consum- German stand as part of the “Re- tens of thousands of young scientists? Forum, “Research in Germany” in- er electronics. With 240,000 visi- search in Germany” campaign, A recently opened permanent exhi­ vites scientists to discover what Ger- tors, 46,000 of them from abroad, funded by the Federal Ministry of bition reveals the eventful history of many has to offer in the field of neu- flocking to the IFA, 2013 was a re- Education and Research (BMBF). the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings roscience. An interactive presentation cord year for this globally impact- The German exhibitors – who are as well as current activities and pro- will provide insights into the German ing fair. Energy efficiency – both in to include representatives from jects. On display in Lindau’s munici- research landscape, various funding large and small devices – remains more than 13 research institutions, pal museum are numerous original programmes and application and one of the central themes in the in- graduate schools and universities – text and multimedia documents com- review procedures. Scientists working dustry. In product innovations, the will offer information on research plemented by atmospheric portraits in Germany and representatives focus of attention is on 3D technolo- funding, PhD programmes, research of Nobel Laureates. of German funding organisations will gies. They are used, for instance, groups, postdoctoral positions be present at the “Research in Ger- in printers, pens, cameras and TV and junior professorships in the areas More information: many” information booth. sets. of life and natural sciences. Further exhibitions.lindau-nobel.org information on the German partici- More information: More information: pation can soon be found at www.research-in-germany.de/ b2b.ifa-berlin.com/en www.research-in-germany.de/ fens2014 njce2014.

More information: www.naturejobs.com/careerexpo

Publisher Editors Final editing, translation p. 3 Council for the Lindau Nobel Federal Ministry of German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and typesetting Laureate Meetings/Sino-German Education and Research Division Internationalisation of Research Frankfurter Societäts-Medien GmbH Center for Research Promotion Department 211 Research in Germany Team (Editorial Staff) Printed by p. 4 imaginando, Fotolia/lifehand- Heinemannstrasse 2, 53175 Bonn Ruth André (V.i.S.d.P.) Druckerei Brandt GmbH,Bonn 2project, University of Freiburg Phone: +49 (0) 18 88-570 Kennedyallee 50, 53175 Bonn Print-run p. 5 Helmholtz Zentrum München/ Fax: +49 (0) 18 88-57-8 36 01 Phone: +49 (0) 2 28 8 82-858 5,000 Sven Hoppe, Fotolia Email: [email protected] Fax: +49 (0) 2 28 8 82-9858 Photo credits p. 6 Deutsches Krebsforschungs­ www.bmbf.de Email: [email protected] p. 1 BMBF/Rolf Schultes, Lindau zentrum, Tobias Schwerdt/ Nobel Laureate Meetings Woodapple, Fotolia www.daad.de, p. 2 Ingrid Böttcher-Gajewski, p. 7 T. Gabriel, 3pc/Drawing by www.research-in-germany.de Max Planck Institute for Florian Witzmann, MFN, based Biophysical Chemistry on Friedrich von Huene (1913)

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