Max Planck Institute of Colloids & Interfaces (MPICI)

We were delighted to welcome @avinashmb.bsky.social from Northeastern University and @annaduraj.bsky.social from Virginia Tech for two fascinating talks on engineered living materials.👏 Together, they highlighted 3D-printable bioink, paper-like plastics and bio-engineered protein nanofibres.

For those who missed this, the talk of Sarah @kaytrue.bsky.social is in the YouTube channel of @comeincell.bsky.social m.youtube.com/channel/UC9y...

How can ion arrangement improve photocatalysis? In an international collaboration, researchers at the MPI of Colloids and Interfaces developed CALiK, a photocatalyst that produced around 3× as much hydrogen peroxide as a conventional comparison material. ➡️ www.mpikg.mpg.de/6941787/news...

Many thanks to Prof. Sarah L. Keller (@kaytrue.bsky.social) from the University of Washington for sharing her insights into liquid-liquid phase separation in membranes. 👏 Very insightful seminar on membrane phase separation in both artificial and living systems! @dimovalab.bsky.social

Thank you, Dr. Vahid Nasirimarekani from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, for visiting us and sharing your fascinating insights into chiral active matter and how individual organisms shape collective behaviour. 👏

Congratulations to @wenyangxu.bsky.social on winning the EPNOE Junior Scientist Award in recognition of his exceptional scientific contributions to the study of polysaccharides and their applications. 👏 More about Xu's research: www.mpikg.mpg.de/6939665/weny... Photo: Prof. Pedro Fardim

The simplest atom is anything but simple to control. More than 100 years after atomic hydrogen was first produced, researchers have found a light-driven way to generate H• and use it as a practical, metal-free tool for organic synthesis. Read more: www.mpikg.mpg.de/6939239/news...

Wir bilden aus! 📣 Zum 01.09.2027 suchen wir eine/n Auszubildende/n zur/zum Kauffrau/-mann für Büromanagement (m/w/d) Schwerpunkt: Personalmanagement & Assistenz/Sekretariat. ➡️ Jetzt weiterleiten oder selbst bewerben: www.mpikg.mpg.de/karriere

We were delighted to welcome Prof Colm Delaney from Trinity College Dublin to our Institute for a talk on direct laser writing! He showed how focused laser light can be used to build complex three-dimensional structures with features down to the nanoscale. Thank you, Colm, for the great exchange! 👏

A special honor for Markus Antonietti: He has received the 2026 Ostwald Prize 🏅 The Director of the Colloid Chemistry Department was awarded with one of the most prestigious awards in the field of colloid science. More information: www.mpikg.mpg.de/6938413/a-sp...

Congratulations to Rumiana Dimova for receiving the Agnes Pockels Award! 👏👏

Open Postdoc Position in bioinspired protein materials (@vignolinilab.bsky.social)! We are recruiting a Postdoc in biochemistry, material science and recombinant protein synthesis for this project: www.susmax.org/2026/02/12/p... Apply here until 31 October 2026: jobs.mpikg.mpg.de/jobposting/9...

Lithium is an important raw material, but extracting it from natural solutions involves complex separation processes. An international research team was able to use light and an electric voltage to control which ions pass through a membrane. ➡️ Read more: www.mpikg.mpg.de/6937908/news...

It was a pleasure to welcome @ahugumrah.bsky.social from the University of Manchester. 👏 She explored how beetles create striking optical effects, such as vivid colours, through precisely organised structures rather than pigments, and how studying these structures can inspire new photonic materials.

We congratulate our Director, Prof. Peter H. Seeberger, on receiving the Liebig Medal from the @gdch.de. The award recognises his significant contributions to carbohydrate chemistry. ➡️ More information: www.mpikg.mpg.de/6937361/pete... Photo: GDCh/Maik Schulze, Berlin

We are hiring! Start at a #MaxPlanckInstitute with your own independent Max Planck Research Group. This position is equivalent to a W2 Professorship at a German university, or Associate Professor internationally. 🔗Apply until October 14th! www.mpg.de/career/max-p... #ScienceCareer #MPRG #TenureTrack

Bitte teilen 👇 Wir suchen zum nächsten Jahr eine/n Auszubildende/n zur/zum Fachinformatiker/in der Fachrichtung Systemintegration (m/w/d). 👉 Bewerbungsfrist ist der 31.03.2027. 👉 Hier bewerben: jobs.mpikg.mpg.de/jobposting/3... #Azubigesucht #Job #Stellenausschreibung #Fachinformatik #Ausbildung

Thank you for your visit, Gerd Schröder-Turk (@murdoch.edu.au)! In his talk, he explained how some green butterflies get their bright colors. These butterflies don't use pigments to color their wings. Instead, they produce their color through a 3D nanostructure (gyroid) that interacts with light. 🦋

Only one week left to apply! Are you still thinking about applying to our #IMPRS for Functional Material Design? Swipe through to find out how to apply. 📅 Application deadline: 15 September 2026 ➡️ Find all the information you need and apply on our website: imprs.mpikg.mpg.de

One of the many PhD positions we offer with our new #IMPRS for Functional Material Design ⬇️⬇️ Take a look at all the projects here: imprs.mpikg.mpg.de/home/projects/

It was a pleasure to welcome Fiona Kearns from the @kearnslab.bsky.social ab.bsky.social at Uni Freiburg for a seminar on the molecular dynamics of the #glycocalyx. It focused on how molecular dynamics simulations can help uncover relationships between molecular structure, dynamics, and function.

NEW article: How can we learn from the way a silkworm spins its cocoon? We present an agent-based computational modelling approach based on a set of behaviors observed in the Bombyx mori silkworm. ➡️ iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1... #MattersofActivity @exc-intcdc.bsky.social #Biomaterials

Potsdam Science Park Invites You to Take Part in the Step Challenge 2026! From Sept. 1 to 29, it’s all about racking up steps together, staying active, and having fun as »Team PSP«! 👉 p-sp.link/step-challen... A #BARMER health insurance fund cooperation #stepchallenge #PotsdamSciencePark

🎓 IMPRS for Functional Material Design 🎓 To give you an idea of what the PhD's are about, here is a brief overview of the projects and their cooperation partners. Full details on the website. 📅 Application deadline: September 15, 2026 ➡️ How to apply: lnkd.in/dtC2hBk

Unsere Forscherin Franziska Jehle aus der Abteilung Biomaterialien im Interview mit @rbb24.de 👇

Applications are now open for the International Max Planck Research School for Functional Material Design! You can find details all of the different projects and more information on our website. ➡️ Apply now: imprs.mpikg.mpg.de 🗓 Deadline for the first round of applications is September 15, 2026.

Forschende des @mpici.bsky.social, @freieuniversitaet.bsky.social und @exeter.ac.uk haben einen neuen Ansatz gegen den multiresistenten Krankenhauspilz #CandidaAuris entwickelt. Ein synthetisches Zuckermolekül dient dabei als Grundlage.

A slime for every occasion! 🐌The grove #snail (Cepaea nemoralis) can produce 5 distinct types of mucus - from slippery to sticky - by tweaking the same basic ingredients for different tasks. Basically, they’re tiny, ingenious materials scientists!🤗New study by @mpici.bsky.social

A synthetic sugar molecule could help fight the drug-resistant fungus Candida auris. It was used to develop a vaccine candidate, a passive immunotherapy and a rapid test prototype. @freieuniversitaet.bsky.social @mrccmm.bsky.social ➡️ onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

At PSP Conference 2026 – RESTART 📅 24 Sept. 2026, Johannes Zier, Head of Startup Service at Potsdam Transfer @unipotsdam.bsky.social will will share perspectives on turning research into entrepreneurial action. #PSPConference2026 #sciencepreneurs #deeptech #entrepreneurship #PotsdamSciencePark

How do snails make “slime” that can do so many jobs? In a new Science study, researchers report that collagen and calcium work together to fine-tune snail mucus’s mechanical properties for each task, offering inspiration for adhesives and other novel materials. https://scim.ag/45FLu7N