25 Years of the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden

Following its official founding on January 1, 1998, the four founding directors of the MPI-CBG—Wieland Huttner, Anthony Hyman, Kai Simons, and Marino Zerial—launched the selection process for a biophysicist to serve as the fifth director and appointed Jonathon Howard from the University of Washington in Seattle. Ivan Baines joined the team in November 1999 and established a central infrastructure that provided all research groups with access to the latest technologies. Construction of the new research building began in 1999 on the site of the former streetcar depot on Pfotenhauerstraße in Dresden. The building was designed by the Finnish architectural firm Heikkinen-Komonen and Henn Architekten from Munich and cost 55 million euros.

“How do cells form tissues?”—this central scientific question is at the heart of research at the MPI-CBG. The goal is to understand how new properties emerge at the tissue and organ levels from molecular and cellular activities. To achieve this, various biological scales must be linked, combining molecular and cell biology with biophysical theory, mathematics, and systems-based approaches. With this multiscale approach, the MPI-CBG aims to uncover connections between fundamental cellular processes and the architecture of complex biological structures.

From the very beginning, the MPI-CBG was conceived as an entirely new infrastructure designed to form a biotechnology network based on open collaboration among universities, research institutes, and industry. In collaboration with the Technical University of Dresden (TUD), the “International Max Planck Research School for Molecular Cell Biology and Bioengineering” was founded in April 2001. The MPI-CBG also played a key role in the founding of DRESDEN-concept in 2010, which was part of the TUD’s application in the Excellence Competition. The goal of DRESDEN-concept is to strengthen collaboration among its partner institutions. Over the years, six spin-off companies have been founded based on research results from the MPI-CBG.

Prof. Stephan Grill, Executive Director of the MPI-CBG: “Our fantastic institute is turning 25! The mission at the outset was clear: to create a new world-class institute in Dresden, with the vision of understanding how cells form tissues. We have addressed central research questions in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. We have established close ties to physics and to the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems. Together, these efforts have made us a beacon that is transforming fields of research and leading the way in many scientific areas. In 2017, we expanded our campus to include the Dresden Center for Systems Biology. Starting in 2018, we then placed a strong focus on organoids. And we continue to evolve. Living systems generate structure at all scales, and mathematics is essential for deciphering the phenomenon of emergence in cells and tissues as well as across different scales. After 25 years, this institute is at its best.”  

Michael Kretschmer, Minister President of the Federal State of Saxony: “The Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics is known far beyond the borders of Saxony for its excellent basic research. It is synonymous with outstanding work—thanks in part to close interdisciplinary collaboration with other research institutions and universities—as well as with valuable insights that pave the way for innovations in fields such as biomedicine and biotechnology. The institute is a vital part of the scientific ecosystem here in the Free State of Saxony.”