News from the institute

What shapes a neuron's form, function and how quickly it matures? For this year's two Young Scientist Award winners, part of the answer lies beyond the genes a cell switches on, in where and when it is born. more

The lead architect firm for the new campus has been selected following the conclusion of the design competition more

Targeted activation of specific nerve cells using pulses of light alleviates motor impairments in an animal model of Huntington’s disease and restores healthy neuronal activity. more

A shift to a fruit diet may have paved the way for the evolution of spectacular displays in manakins. more

The individual steps of nest-building are instinctive, but only through practice do the fish become true masters. more

Susanne Hoffmann awarded prestigious Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) grant to find out. more

Neurons that control when zebra finches call back fire more strongly when the caller is familiar. more

A Europe-wide citizen science study reveals common buzzards are becoming more uniform in colour as intermediate-plumaged birds dominate at the expense of darker and lighter ones more

Evolution finds both repeated and unique solutions as birds adapt to high-sugar diets more

Male birds flexibly coordinate syllable duration and tone when matching rival songs – revealing a complex strategy for vocal communication more

First study of wild animals shows mercury and certain PFAS compounds alter how birds convert food into cellular energy, creating hidden costs that could affect fitness more

Neurobiologists have identified a neural pathway for processing magnetic information that originates in the inner ear. more

Scientists trace dynamic color-change circuit in zebrafish larvae more

The next steps will determine who will implement the new Max Planck Campus more

European cuckoos lay very different eggs depending on the host species. Genetic analyses have revealed how this adaptation is inherited without leading to speciation. more

Study of female canaries provides fascinating insights into how brain plasticity works and how it can maintain core abilities throughout life more

A German-Canadian cooperation study led by Emilie Macé, former group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, shows that looking at objects helps the brain’s navigation system become more accurate. The results of the study have been published in the journal Science.
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First evidence of imitation from a third-party perspective outside of humans  more

Study reveals how changes in cell behavior and numbers can drive the formation of distinctive grooves and ridges in the brain. more

By uncovering the blinking communication of river birds, scientists have shed new light on the mechanisms and evolution of animal interactions. more

A comparison of hunting behaviours in five fish species reveals that larval prey-capture strategies differ dramatically across evolution. more

New insights into the emergence of brain cells that keep neural activity in balance more

Tabitha Hees receives the Otto Hahn Medal for pioneering mitochondria research more

Evolution has provided birds with a clever strategy to eat extremely acidic fruit  more

Annual award presented for outstanding publications by early-career researchers more

Study of twins detects bacteria in the small intestine that play a role in the development of MS more

Bird species that do well in urban areas are more colourful and less brown more

Sleep-deprived European jackdaws trade vigilance for deep sleep – a strategy that could carry risks in the wild. more

New research shines light on how the brain interprets nutritional and hydration needs and turns them into action. more

As in larger brains, mouse visual cortex neurons with the same function cluster in columns more

A super enzyme helps male ruffs break down sex hormones more

3D-printed snail shells provide insights into the brood care of cichlids more

Is the idea of free will an illusion created by our brain? more

Parrots display automatic imitation of goal-less actions more

New work on sleep in a reptile reveals surprising similarities between networks that control motor rhythms and those controlling sleep more

10 million euros awarded to zebrafish researchers  more

Chickens provide important insights into its complex mode of action more

New study reveals surprising female influence on song learning in zebra finches more

Zebra Finches Defy Age-Related Learning Limits  more

This year's Young Scientist Award goes to Gianina Ungurean and Giacomo Costalunga more

Susanne Hoffmann receives ERC Consolidator Grant for her research on alarm calls in birds more

Otto Hahn Medal honors Johannes Kappel for outstanding research   more

First Max Planck Center in Africa will study how interactions between species lead to coevolution and influence biodiversity
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Ancient color variants are encoded specifically in the female DNA more

Their first vocalizations help young zebra finch males to memorize the songs of adults more

Young blue tit males can sire offspring with additional females, but only if they do not have to compete with older males more

Lisa Fenk receives ERC Consolidator Grant for her research on retinal movements in fruit flies  more

Specialized nerve cells in the brain inhibit food intake during nausea more

Eighth department at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence will investigate the evolution of sensory and physiological systems  more

Study reveals how proteins direct nerve cell precursors to turn into specialized neurons more

In nerve cells, the hormone regulates whether mitochondria are shut down or kept running more

A novel chemical labeling method allows transient events in cells to be recorded for later analysis more

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wickler, former director of the Max Planck Institute for Behavioural Physiology, Seewiesen (1973–1999) passed away on 12 January more

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Indicator molecules make changes in calcium levels outside of cells visible for the first time more

To distinguish motion patterns, a neuronal computation is performed three times in a row more

Brain circuits for vision develop without any kind of input from the retina in zebrafish more

Lukas Groschner receives ERC Starting Grant to study temporal signal processing in the brain of the fruit fly more

Study highlights the interplay of song development and territorial behavior in winter quarters more

Nightingales match the pitch of their whistle songs to those of their rivals in real time more

Ilaria Vitali and Johannes Kappel receive Young Scientist Award more

Birds show remarkably similar sleep patterns to humans and may experience flight in their dreams more

A neuronal microcircuit leverages the same type of signal for multiple purposes more

A hormone and specialized brain cells regulate feeding behavior in mice more

New walkaround at the Campus Martinsried provides exciting insights into research and everyday life at the institutes more

A detailed atlas of gene expression in the zebrafish brain more

Daurian redstarts move closer to humans to protect their nests from brood parasitism more

Lukas Groschner receives Schilling Research Award of the German Neuroscience Society 2023 more

Two new international programs for doctoral students start at the Max Planck Institutes in Martinsried and Seewiesen more

This ability is an important prerequisite for self-representation and episodic memory more

Angelika Harbauer receives ERC Starting Grant for her research on mitochondria more

Great tits reveal how birds cope with changes in environmental temperatures more

Sandra Reinert, Renée Vieira and Sandra Fendl recognized for outstanding publications more

Fly eyes are less rigid than we thought more

New Neuropixels technology provides evidence of mosaic-like neural connections more

Woodpeckers taste sweet, but wrynecks—unusual woodpeckers that specialize on ants—lost the ability to taste sugars more

Specialized nerve cells in the zebrafish visual system enable recognition of conspecifics more

Zebra finches communicate via eye contact and calls to coordinate their spatial positions during flocking flight more

Interview with zoologist Auguste of Bavaria on endangered parrots and their suitability as pets more

The breeding pair jointly builds a complex nest with asymmetric architecture more

Cellular power plants carry along blueprints to make new proteins at their destination more

Omnipresent and yet hardly explored: Electrical synapses more

Artificial intelligence succeeds where we struggle more

A genetic conflict between the sexes promotes intraspecific diversity in ruffs more

Structure and function of neurons are closely linked in the cerebral cortex more

Study deciphers how a single nerve cell can multiply more

The MPI of Neurobiology and the MPI for Ornithology will merge to form a new institute as of January 1st 2022 more