Here you will find a selection of our research topics. Individual aspects of our work, which are often researched by employees from different disciplines, are in the spotlight. As our topics change constantly, you will always find new texts here. more...
Our researchers are travelling the world: from the cold Arctic to the hot tropics and all the way down to the South Pacific, from the beach to the open ocean and the deep seafloor. Here, we soon want to present you some of the regions of our work. For now, this section is only available in German. more...
Large research equipment and tiny research objects - how can that possibly match? Perfectly well!
Here you'll learn more about research vessels and large as well as small equipment, everyday life in the lab and some of our methodology.
For now, these pages are only available in German. more...
More than 200 employees from over 30 countries work at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology. At their desks and lab benches, in their workshops, on research vessels and conferences they contribute their part to enable our research. Our staff includes researchers from various disciplines as well as technicians, engineers, administratory staff and many others. more...
Research in the Dept. of Biogeochemistry, led by Prof. Dr. Marcel Kuypers, focuses on microbiological and geochemical processes that control bioactive element cycling in the ocean. The researchers study the environmental regulation of these processes and their effects on the global biogeochemical cycles. more...
The Dept. of Molecular Ecology, led by Prof. Dr. Rudolf Amann, investigates the molecular secrets of marine microbes. Their research covers benthic as well as pelagic ecosystems, from the open ocean to coastal permeable sediments and deep-sea hydrothermal vents. A special focus of the group lies on the North Sea and the Wadden Sea. more...
The Department of Symbiosis, headed by Prof. Dr. Nicole Dubilier, studies the biology and ecology of tight associations between bacteria and eukaryotes. The main emphasis lies on marine invertebrates from chemosynthetic environments such as sulfide-rich coastal sediments, vents and seeps.
The Microsensor Group, headed by Dr. Dirk de Beer, studies the functioning of microbial communities with high spatial resolution techniques like microsensors and planar optodes. Main topics are the regulation of oxygen, sulfur and carbon cycles. more...
The Microbial Metabolism Group aims to understand, at the molecular level, how methanogens are are surviving and growing in extreme environments. How do they generate methane from different sources of carbon so efficiently? How do they convert minerals into the elementary bricks of life? And how do they protect themselves against stresses from their natural environment?
The Archaeal Virology group headed by Susanne Erdmann investigates membrane vesicle formation in Archaea and the formation of plasmid vesicles and studies the interactions between membrane vesicles and viruses. more...
In the Eco-Evolutionary Interactions group, we are studying how lucinid clams and their microbial partners adapted to diverging environmental conditions during a massive allopatric speciation event caused by the rise of the Isthmus of Panamá. Our motivation for doing research is to move from correlation to causation in studies of host-microbe evolution. more...
The Research Group Protist Virology was founded at our institute in January 2025. Under the leadership of Dr. Matthias Fischer, the researchers are investigating the biology of giant viruses and their parasites. more...
The ERC Research Group Ecological Genomics, headed by Dr. Luis Orellana, investigates the diversity, functions, and evolutionary interactions of marine microbes. more...
The Research Group for Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology, headed by Prof. Dr. Antje Boetius in collaboration with AWI in Bremerhaven, aims to understand niche formation and to investigate regulatory mechanisms for the occurrence and distribution of microbial populations. more...
The Marine Glycobiology Group, led by Dr. Jan-Hendrik Hehemann in cooperation with marum in Bremen, focuses on algal sugars called polysaccharides, which massively influence how much carbon is stored in the ocean. more...
The HIFMB-MPG-Bridging Group for Marine Omics, led by Prof. Dr. A. Murat Eren, is a cooperation between the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology and the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity. more...
The Emmy Noether Research Group for Organosulfur Cycling, led by Dr. Eileen Kröber, focuses on organic sulfur compounds which are produced in our oceans and play an important role in climate regulation. more...
The Dept. of Microbiology, headed by Prof. Dr. Friedrich Widdel, existed from the foundation of the institute in 1992 until 2018 and investigated the physiology and diversity of aquatic bacteria from the cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and iron. more...
The Marine Geochemistry Group, headed by Prof. Dr. Thorsten Dittmar and situated at the ICBM in Oldenburg, aims at a better understanding of global element cycles using molecular tools. A special focus lies on dissolved organic matter. more...
Do you feel like working with us? Our current call for applications for scientists, technicians, administrative staff, etc. can be found here. more...
MarMic, the International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology, offers a combined M.Sc./Ph.D. program for highly qualified and motivated national and international students.
Laboratory work is accompanied by seminars, scientific graduate courses, soft skills training, career workshops, and participation in international conferences. more...
Representing the doctoral researchers within the institute and with the PhDnet. more...
We train chemical laboratories and IT specialists specializing in system integration! more...
Welcome to the institut!
This brochure answers all important questions about working and research at the MPI. more...
The press and public relations team is the interface between the public and the sciences for both researchers and journalists. We answer media inquiries and prepare scientific topics for the public. We provide media representatives with interviewees from marine research and put together matching image and video material. more...
The Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in the Media.
Here you will find a selection of journal articles, radio and television reports in which our research is presented. more...
Exciting reports with great pictures about research trips in recent years ... more...
The Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPIMM) was founded in 1992 as part of the Biology&Medicine-Section of the Max Planck Society (MPG). At the MPIMM, we research microorganisms in the oceans and other water bodies. Which is their role, which characteristics and diversity do they display? What is their contribution to the global elemental cycles? What does that mean for our environment and the climate? These and many other questions are in the focus of researchers from all ov more...
Sorry, this page is not available in English.
Das Max-Planck-Institut für Marine Mikro-Biologie ist ein Institut für Forschung. Hier kannst Du mehr darüber in Leichter Sprache erfahren. more...
Our institute participates in numerous projects and cooperations with researchers and institutions from all over the world. We are also part of several national initiatives supporting and advancing German marine research. more...