Congrats to Ann Rose Bright @annrosebright.bsky.social and Inbal Shainer @ishainer.bsky.social on winning the Young Scientist Award! Their work shows that neurons born late can speed up maturation, and a neuron’s identity depends on location, not just genes. More: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-07...

Our annual summer party brought everyone together: colleagues, families, and friends. From relaxing with cold drinks to kids enjoying games and crafts – it was all about coming together as a community. A special shoutout to our employee choir and band for the perfect soundtrack to the evening!

“I might be nerdy, but I am faster than you!” This week, 45 colleagues from our Institute and @mpibiochem.bsky.social joined the 6 km long b2run Munich at Olympiapark. Fantastic team spirit, great energy and a strong finish! 🧠 🏃‍♂️‍➡️🏃‍♀️‍➡️🏅 📷 Picture by Axel Griesch

Wir sind immer noch begeistert von der Enthüllung unseres neuen Campus-Entwurfs! Hier die besten Zitate aus unserer Pressekonferenz am Montag. 👉 Vollständige Pressemitteilung und Zitate: www.bi.mpg.de/2026-07-neuer-campus 👉 Informationen zum Besuch der Ausstellung: www.mpg.de/mpg-campus-martinsried

Auf der heutigen Pressekonferenz wurde der Siegerentwurf des neuen Max-Planck-Campus in Martinsried vorgestellt. Das Konzept setzt auf Vernetzung, Nachhaltigkeit und moderne Forschungsbedingungen – ein Campus für die Wissenschaft von morgen! Pressemitteilung: www.bi.mpg.de/2026-07-neuer-campus

Wie sieht unser Max-Planck-Campus der Zukunft aus? Die vielfältigen Ideen des Planungswettbewerbs und den Siegerentwurf zeigen wir von Juli – Oktober in einer Ausstellung. 📅 14. Juli 2026: Eröffnung um 10 Uhr 📍 Foyer der Max-Planck-Institute 👉 Infos unter: www.mpg.de/mpg-campus-martinsried

Uncovering hidden energy strategies in flight: Sex difference in metabolic response of free-flying pigeons. A new study shows that similar movement performance can mask profound physiological differences. Scientific paper: doi.org/10.1098/rsbl... Study by @stefi-casagrande.bsky.social

Harbor seals are remarkable central place foragers, repeatedly returning to specific coastal sites. 🦭 🧭 Don’t miss our talk on harbor seal orientation and navigation by Prof. Dr. Frederike Hanke, University of Rostock. 📅 July 7 at 11:00 a.m. 📍 Room NQ105, Martinsried Art: @somedonkey.bsky.social

Curious about understanding sleep homeostasis? Find out more at our next “Emerging Scientist Talk” with Raffaele Sarnataro @rafsarnataro.bsky.social, Postdoc at the Francis Crick Institute @crick.ac.uk. 📅 July 1 at 11:00 a.m. 📍 Room NQ105, Martinsried Art by @somedonkey.bsky.social

Call them Dr., please! 🎓 We are incredibly proud of our recently graduated PhDs and wish them all the best for their future! 🎉✨ @amirmasoud92.bsky.social / @esha-haldar2025.bsky.social / @alexzemella.bsky.social

Upcoming Monday, we start into the week with our new “IMPRS Lecture Quartet” with Prof. Dr. Michael Kiebler, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Enard, Prof. Dr. Angelika Harbauer and Dr. Nadine Gogolla. The event is addressed to (early-career) scientists. 📅 June 22 at 13:00-16:30 p.m. 📍 Room NQ105, Martinsried

Come and join our next talk in the “Emerging Scientist Series”! Sercan Sayin @sercansayin.bsky.social is a postdoc at @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social and will speak on rules for robust collective marching in desert locusts. 📅 June 23 at 11:00 a.m. 📍 Room NQ105, Martinsried @animaltracking.bsky.social

A day full of science, curiosity, and connection! It was wonderful to see the community come together to share knowledge and push the boundaries of interdisciplinary neuroscience – exactly what the Munich Brain Day is all about. 🧠 ✨ ➡️ munichbrainday.com @mpi-psychiatry.bsky.social @lmu.de @tum.de

In a new study published in @currentbiology.bsky.social, researchers uncover how a dietary shift may have set the stage for one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena: the elaborate courtship displays of manakins. 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-06...

We are happy to welcome Pierre Le Merre @pierrelemerre.bsky.social, University of Lyon, at our Institute next week. Don’t miss his talk on the prefrontal cortex map based on single-neuron activity. 📅 June 9 at 11:00 a.m. 📍 Room NQ105, Martinsried Art by @somedonkey.bsky.social l

#pictureofthemonth: Ruffs in their natural environment in Finland. Their complex courtship provides fascinating insights into the dynamic changes of cooperation and competition. More: www.bi.mpg.de/kuepper June – Calendar of @mpiforbi.bsky.social & @mpibiochem.bsky.social 📸 Simon Vandepitte

Exciting opportunity 📣 The @tum.de, the TUM Klinikum Rechts der Isar and the @mpiforbi.bsky.social are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher in Small-Animal MRI and Cross-species Neuroimaging (f/m/div). 🧲 🧠 📅 Apply by: May 10, 2026 Please see below for more information:

Yesterday, 25 young minds spent their Girls’ and Boys’ Day with us. In the morning, they became scientists in our MaxLab, running their own experiments. Afterwards, they got a glimpse into exciting technical and scientific careers. 🧠🔧🔬 Thanks to all colleagues who contributed!

We are co-organising the 10th European Vision & Cognition (EVC) Meeting! Bringing together leading researchers and emerging talents working at the intersection of vision science, neuroscience, and cognition. 📅 30 June and 03 July 📍 Palazzone di Cortona, Tuscany 👉 Register here: nin.nl/evc-meeting

We went underground 🚧🚇🚧 For the third time, employees from our Institute were offered a guided tour of the new subway station in Martinsried. Thanks to Stefan Schaudig, project lead and managing director of the town hall in Planegg, for the exclusive insights into the development of the project!

Constructing a nest underwater is no easy task! But shell-dwelling cichlids are expert architects, instinctively transforming empty snail shells into protective nests. Take a deep dive into the new cichlid research from our Institute! 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-04...

🐟+🐚 =🏠 Shell-dwelling cichlids are true underwater architects, instinctively transforming empty snail shells into protective nests. New research shows: They improve with practice, remember what they learned, and adapt to unusual conditions. 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-04...

Spring has definitely arrived at our Institute. 🌸 The cherry trees at our entrance are in full bloom. Can you spot the bumblebee? 🐝

Join our “Emerging Scientist Talk” next week! Georg Kosche @gek0s.bsky.social, Postdoc at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel @iobswiss.bsky.social, will talk about the role of inhibition at cellular resolution in vivo. 📅 April 14 at 11:00 a.m. 📍 Room NQ105, Martinsried

#pictureofthemonth: A chick of a Northern Lapwing in a moorland area in northern Germany. The Department Ornithology investigates the mating and dispersal behavior. Read more: www.bi.mpg.de/kempenaers April – Calendar of @mpiforbi.bsky.social and @mpibiochem.bsky.social 📸 Bashar Jarayseh

Ever wondered how fruit flies keep the rhythm? Don’t miss John Tuthill @tuthill.bsky.social, Professor at the University of Washington, at our next keynote lecture. 📅 April 7 at 11:00 a.m. 📍 Room NQ105, Martinsried Art by @somedonkey.bsky.social

Congratulations to our Research Group leader @susannehoffmann.bsky.social on receiving a Human Frontier Science Program (@hfspo.bsky.social) Research Grant! 👏 🎉 Together with her Colombian collaborator, she will investigate how birds navigate using echolocation. 📸 phototrip.cz – stock.adobe.com

🧠 Join us on June 12th at the @mpiforbi.bsky.social for the 3rd Munich Brain Day! 12 speakers, PhD & postdoc poster session and lots of networking. Free event — but only 100 poster slots available, so submit early! ➡️ Register now: munichbrainday.com/registration/ 📸 Pictures by Magdalena Warner

Even innate vocal behaviors can be socially flexible. In zebra finches, replies to contact calls are faster and more reliable when the caller is familiar than when hearing strangers. 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-03-vallentin 🎬 Video by @cgomez-guzman.bsky.social

Nearly 100.000 observations reveal continent-wide patterns in buzzard color variation. A new study shows that intermediate plumage coloration types are increasing across Europe. 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-03... 📸 Picture of a common buzzard by Kaspar Delhey @bou.org.uk / @rug.nl