Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry

What Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry does

The Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB) is a non-profit basic research institute located on the Life-Science-Campus Martinsried near Munich, Germany, operating as part of the Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V.). With approximately 680 employees across nine research departments and around 20 research groups — including approximately 350 scientists from 43 countries — it is one of the largest biologically and medically oriented institutes within the Max Planck Society. The institute's research mission focuses on the structure and function of proteins, from individual molecules to complex organisms, spanning biochemistry, cell biology, structural biology, biophysics, and molecular science. Scientific leadership comprises multiple directors including Brenda Schulman (Molecular Machines and Signaling), Matthias Mann (Proteomics and Signal Transduction), F.-Ulrich Hartl (Cellular Biochemistry), Petra Schwille (Cellular and Molecular Biophysics), Elena Conti (Structural Cell Biology), Wolfgang Baumeister (Molecular Structural Biology), and Reinhard Fässler (Molecular Medicine), alongside independent research group leaders.

Name

Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry

Legal name

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V.

Website

https://biochem.mpg.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry is a non-profit basic research institute in Martinsried, Germany, part of the Max Planck Society, employing ~680 staff across nine departments to investigate protein structure and function for the global academic scientific community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Research Institute (Biochemistry)

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI)

Keywords

• Protein biochemistry research
• Structural biology research
• Cryo-electron microscopy
• Mass spectrometry proteomics
• Biomedical core facilities

Headquarters

HQ city

Martinsried

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: As part of the Max Planck Society (MPG), the institute receives core funding from German federal and state governments. The MPG is one of Germany's most successful research organizations with approximately 80 institutes and research facilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry is a publicly funded non-profit basic research institute that investigates the structure and function of proteins, from individual molecules to complex organisms. Its core offering comprises nine research departments and approximately 20 research groups conducting fundamental research in biochemistry, cell biology, structural biology, biophysics, and molecular science, supported by specialized core facilities (cryo-EM, NGS, imaging, crystallization, mass spectrometry, transgenic, computing) and educational outreach (MaxLab).

Product overview

The Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry is a basic research institute (not a commercial product company) that operates as a collection of specialized core facilities and support services. The institute provides research infrastructure including: NGS Core Facility (sequencing services), Cryo-EM Facility (electron microscopy), Imaging Facility (fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry), Crystallization Facility (structural biology), Transgenic Core Facility (mouse model generation), Computing Center (IT infrastructure), Library services, and International Office support. These are internal research service facilities, not commercial software products or modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NGS Core Facility Next-Generation Sequencing facility providing access to instruments including NovaSeq 6000, AVITI, NextSeq 500, Oxford Nanopore MinION and PromethION, with support for library preparation for RNA-Seq, DNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq and single-cell applications (including 10x Genomics Chromium iX) and bioinformatics analysis. Open to other MPI research departments and groups as a shared core facility.
• Cryo-EM Facility Cryo-electron microscopy facility providing access to transmission electron microscopes including Titan Halo, Talos Arctica, Glacios, and Titan Krios G2, with training and technical support spanning sample preparation to data processing for cryo-EM experiments. Open to MPI researchers as a shared core facility.
• Imaging Facility Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry facility offering access to GE DeltaVision Elite, Leica Thunder, Leica SP8 FALCON with FLIM, Zeiss LSM980 with Airyscan 2, Zeiss Elyra PS.1 super-resolution, and Perkin Elmer Opera Phenix high-content screening microscopes, plus Thermofisher Attune NxT and Beckman Coulter Cytoflex SRT flow cytometers. Supports imaging from whole organisms down to single molecules.
• Crystallization Facility Structural biology infrastructure performing approximately 6,500 crystallization experiments per year, used by 26 research groups. Provides automated sample quality control, initial screenings, automated visualization, in-situ diffraction testing, and optimization services, with automated nanoliter crystallization robotics.
• Transgenic Core Facility Joint facility with the MPI for Biological Intelligence providing transgenic mouse model generation services, including pronuclear injection, blastocyst injection, cryopreservation, and rederivation of mouse lines.
• Computing Center IT support service for MPIB research departments, providing email systems, video conferencing, secure file sharing, high-performance storage, compute clusters, virtualization, network security, and hardware support.
• Library of the Max Planck Institutes Martinsried Specialized scientific library holding approximately 20,000 specialist books, MPG-licensed e-books, scientific journals, and databases to support research in biochemistry, cell biology, structural biology, and neurosciences.
• International Office Support service for international scientists providing assistance with visa guidance, housing, registration, financial questions, healthcare, schools and daycare, and German/English language courses for visiting researchers.
• Immunization Service Animal facility immunization service providing antibody production in rabbits, goats, chicken, mice and rats, including all injection and blood-sampling procedures.
• Information Management Service group supporting staff in research data management, literature search, and bibliometrics, including electronic lab notebooks, reference management systems, open science, and data protection.
• MaxLab (Student and Visitor Laboratory) The Max-Planck Institutes Martinsried student and visitor laboratory, offering hands-on lab courses for school students that reflect current MPIB research projects in biologically-medical oriented biochemistry, plus other public programs including the Gentechnik course.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6500 crystallization experiments per year across 26 research groups
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Universidad Carlos III de MadridcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026MLCARE project (HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01): Machine Learning Computational Advancements for Personalized Medicine. Total budget 3.9M€, MPIB budget 0.3M€. Coordinated by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid with 22 partners. Project duration 01.01.2026 – 31.12.2029.
• Rijksuniversiteit GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025MetaDivide project (HORIZON ERC-2024-Synergy Grant): Metabolism-driven division of minimal cell-like systems. Total budget 5M€, MPIB budget 2.5M€. Coordinator: Bert Poolman, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. Duration 01.01.2025 – 31.12.2030.
• MPI-CI PotsdamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024ComeInCELL project (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-01): Condensates at Membrane Scaffolds – Integrated Systems as Synthetic Cell Compartments. Total budget 4M€, MPIB budget 0.26M€. Coordinator: MPG/MPI-CI, Potsdam with 30 partners.
• Whitehead Institute / MITcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Collaborative research on microRNA degradation mechanism. Researchers from MIT's Whitehead Institute and MPI of Biochemistry published study in Nature (March 18) revealing the 'two-factor authentication' system controlling selective microRNA destruction through ZSWIM8 E3 ubiquitin ligase.
• TU EindhovencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024NATPRIME project (HORIZON-MSCA-2023-DN-01): Effective Delivery of Nucleic Acid Therapeutics via Designed Nanocarriers. Total budget 4M€, MPIB budget 0.52M€. Coordinator: TU Eindhoven with 16 partners.
• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023IMAGINE project (HORIZON-INFRA-2022-TECH-01): Next generation imaging technologies. Total budget 9.6M€, MPIB budget 0.24M€. Coordinator: EMBL with 19 partners. Duration 01.05.2023 – 30.04.2028.
• IMBA ViennacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021TOTIPOTENTZYGOTCHROM (ERC-2018-Consolidator): Mechanisms of chromatin organization and reprogramming in totipotent mammalian zygotes. Total budget 2M€, MPIB: 1.55M€. Beneficiary: IMBA Vienna, MPIB since 01.05.2021.
• LMU MunichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2021RECEPTOR PAINT project (ERC-2020-Consolidator): Imaging Receptomics as a tool for biomedical discovery. Total budget 1.6M€, MPIB contribution 750k€. Coordinator: LMU Munich.
• Heinrich-Heine-Universität DüsseldorfcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2021SYMPORE project (ERC-2020-Synergy Grant): Plasmodesmata, Symplasmic pores for plant cell-to-cell communication. Total budget 10.5M€, MPIB contribution 2.47M€. WP lead by Wolfgang Baumeister, MPIB.
• University of CopenhagencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2021International research collaboration on multiple sclerosis biomarker discovery using cerebrospinal fluid proteomic profiling. Analyzed samples from over 5,000 individuals and identified 22 protein markers for MS.
• UCPH DenmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021ISLET project (SC1-Single-Stage-RTD): Computational Proteomics Training European Innovative Network. Total budget 7.99M€, MPIB contribution 801k€. Coordinator: UCPH/Denmark with 9 partners in 5 countries.
• CRG SpaincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021PROTrEIN project (MSC-ITN): Computational Proteomics Training European Innovative Network. Total budget 3.9M€, MPIB: 506k€. Coordinator: CRG/Spain with 11 partners in 7 countries.
• University of WarwickcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2020BIOMOLMACS project (MSC-ITN): Molecular Machines Functioning in Cells. Total budget 4.1M€, MPIB: 253k€. Coordinator: University of Warwick with 12 partners in 8 countries. Duration 01.01.2020 – 31.12.2023.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL): Intergovernmental research organization with strong structural biology, proteomics, and imaging programs. EMBL is a current MPIB partner on the IMAGINE project (€9.6M) and operates the same model of publicly funded, facility-driven life-science research across multiple European sites.
• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: Non-profit biomedical and genomic research organization combining academia, medicine, and industry. Comparable in scale, scientific breadth across genomics/proteomics/cell biology, and core-facility-driven research model.
• Wellcome Sanger Institute: UK-based genomics and biomedical research institute funded by Wellcome Trust with comparable scale and core-facility model (sequencing, cellular biology). Operates similar public-good research ethos and large-scale institutional collaborations.
• Rockefeller University: US private research university exclusively focused on biomedical research with ~200 labs and ~1,800 staff. Direct comparable in mission (basic biomedical discovery), faculty-led department model, and core-facility-driven infrastructure.
• Karolinska Institutet: Sweden's premier medical university with strong structural biology, biochemistry, and proteomics research programs. Comparable in scale, scientific scope, and publicly funded research mission across biomedical sciences.
• Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG): Sister Max Planck institute also located in Germany, focused on cell biology, biophysics, and molecular genetics with similar core-facility infrastructure model. Directly comparable in funding model (MPG public funding), scale (~500+ employees), and research portfolio overlap with MPIB's cell biology and structural biology departments.
• Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research: MIT-affiliated non-profit biomedical research institute with comparable scale (~40 research groups), elite faculty model, and core facility infrastructure. Current collaborator with MPIB on the Nature-published ZSWIM8/microRNA mechanism study.
• Francis Crick Institute: UK's flagship biomedical discovery institute with ~1,500 scientists across 100+ research groups. Direct peer in scale, public-funding model (UKRI/Wellcome/Cancer Research UK), and core-facility-driven research portfolio spanning structural biology, cell biology, and proteomics.
• Institut Pasteur: French non-profit research institute with comparable international research scope in molecular biology, microbiology, and structural biology. Similar non-profit funding model (French government plus grants) and institute-level research departments with shared core facilities.

Broad incumbents

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI): Largest US biomedical research philanthropy supporting ~300 investigators across host universities. Comparable in mission (basic biomedical research) and scale (multi-billion dollar annual budget) but operates an investigator-institute model rather than a single-campus institute.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MPI_Biochem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/max-planck-institute-of-biochemistry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry