The three-day celebrations to mark the opening of the new Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin in Erlangen culminated in a ceremony on September 20th, 2024, attended by around 120 invited guests. Addresses from politicians, talks from sciententists and two Nobel Prize winners, as well as a symbolic handing over of the keys, marked the official opening of the interdisciplinary research center.

Bacterial cells often coalesce into complex heterogeneous communities called biofilms. Within a group, bacteria in the biofilm are extremely robust in resisting various environmental stresses – a crucial feature making biofilm-associated infections extremely difficult to treat with antibiotics. Vasily Zaburdaev, among others, published a work that highlights how biophysical interactions play an important role in bacterial life cycles and infection.

At a distinguished science symposium, 14 young international scientists presented their current research at the interface of physics and medicine.