The Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology (MPIN) is situated in Martinsried, at the southwest border of Munich. The institute is devoted to basic research and investigates the basic functions, structure and development of the brain and the nervous system.
The central nervous system processes sensory information and controls the body's movements. It enables us to think, remember, feel and plan. Yet how does such a system develop that masters such complex tasks – often simultaneously - and gives us our individuality? How does a nerve cell find its correct partner cell among millions of other cells? After all, only when the correct contact has been made will it be possible to move a certain muscle or to learn a certain piece of information. How are nerve cells connected within the network? How does the system function, from the molecular level up to the level of the synapses, the cells and the entire neuronal network?
The research takes place at the very boundaries of human knowledge. The scientists thus employ and enhance the latest techniques from the areas of genetics, molecular biology, computer simulations and microscopy.