Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology Department of Systemic Cell Biology

The human organism is one of the most fascinating phenomena of life. Every minute, every second, highly complex chemical processes occur in the billions of cells in the body, resulting in vision, movement, sensation, thought, reproduction and also response to pathogens. How are the countless molecules within the body’s cells so perfectly organised? And how can malfunctioning genes or proteins lead to the development of serious diseases such as cancer?

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology are working to solve these enigmas. Using state-of-the-art technologies of molecular biology and organic chemistry, our international team of molecular and cell biologists, biochemists and chemists is striving to find answers to these questions.

The primary focus of our work is basic research, seeking to discover how the complex building blocks of life work together – the genes as carriers of genetic information and the proteins as signal transmitters and structural materials in the cells.

The results of our research have contributed, and continue to contribute, to a better understanding of the molecular basis of human diseases. This knowledge also serves to improve both diagnosis and treatment.

Professor Philippe Bastiaens

Managing Director
Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology