Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology

What Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology does

Max-Planck-Institut für Biologie Tübingen (also operating as Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen and MPI für Biologie Tübingen) is a non-profit basic research institute within the Max Planck Society, located at Max-Planck-Ring 6 in Tübingen, Germany. The institute conducts fundamental research across six departments: Protein Evolution (Andrei Lupas), Microbiome Science (Ruth Ley), Integrative Evolutionary Biology (Ralf Sommer), Algal Development and Evolution (Susana Coelho), Molecular Biology (Detlef Weigel), and Complex Biological Interactions, along with additional Max Planck Research Groups and Friedrich-Miescher-Laboratory (FML) research groups. Research spans protein evolution, microbiome science, evolutionary genomics, plant and algal biology, fungal biology, and vertebrate adaptive immune systems.

The institute's core technical infrastructure comprises seven specialized core facilities: BioOptics, Electron Microscopy, Genome Center, NMR Spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, Compute Cluster, and X-ray Crystallography. These facilities support internal research and serve the broader scientific community. The institute also operates structured PhD and Postdoc training programs that develop early-career researchers.

The institute does not sell commercial products or services and does not generate proprietary revenue. Operations are funded primarily through institutional support from the German federal and state governments via the Max Planck Society, supplemented by competitive research grants such as European Research Council Advanced Grants. The institute's value to its stakeholders is the production of peer-reviewed scientific publications, the training of future researchers, and the advancement of fundamental biological knowledge, with reach through academic publications, conferences, and a multi-platform digital presence including LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, BlueSky, and Facebook.

Name

Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology

Legal name

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

Website

https://eb.tuebingen.mpg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Max-Planck-Institut für Biologie Tübingen is a non-profit basic research institute within the Max Planck Society, conducting fundamental research in protein evolution, microbiome science, evolutionary biology, algal development, and molecular biology, and serving the global scientific community through publications, training, and shared core facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biological Research Services

NAICS

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)

akta.pro secondary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

Keywords

• Biological research services
• Molecular biology studies
• Evolutionary biology research
• Structural biology research
• Genomic sequencing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tübingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The institute is a basic biological research organization that conducts fundamental research across multiple departments (protein evolution, complex biological interactions, microbiome science, integrative evolutionary biology, algal development and evolution, and molecular biology). It operates shared scientific infrastructure facilities — BioOptics, electron microscopy, genome center, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, compute cluster, and X-ray crystallography — and runs PhD and postdoctoral training programs for early-career scientists.

Product overview

The Max-Planck-Institut für Biologie Tübingen is a basic research institute offering scientific research infrastructure and training programs rather than commercial products. Its core offerings include specialized research departments (Protein Evolution, Complex Biological Interactions, Microbiome Science, Integrative Evolutionary Biology, Algal Development and Evolution, Molecular Biology), advanced scientific infrastructure facilities (BioOptics, Electron Microscopy, Genome Center, NMR Spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, Compute Cluster, X-ray Crystallography), and academic training programs (PhD and Postdoc Programs). The institute functions as a unified research organization where departments collaborate using shared infrastructure services to conduct fundamental biological research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scientific Infrastructure Services Specialized high-end scientific infrastructure provided to research users, including BioOptics, Electron Microscopy, Genome Center, NMR Spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, Compute Cluster, and X-ray Crystallography core facilities at the Max-Planck-Institut für Biologie Tübingen.
• PhD Program Doctoral research training program offering PhD candidates the opportunity to conduct fundamental biological research at the Max-Planck-Institut für Biologie Tübingen under faculty supervision.
• Postdoc Program Postdoctoral research training program providing career development opportunities and advanced research training at the Max Planck Society for postdoctoral fellows.
• Research Groups and Departments Multiple research departments and groups covering protein evolution, complex biological interactions, microbiome science, integrative evolutionary biology, algal development and evolution, molecular biology, plant pathogen evolution, and other biological research areas.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG): Sister Max Planck Institute focused on molecular cell biology and genetics with similar core facility infrastructure, PhD/postdoc programs, and non-commercial basic research mandate under the Max Planck Society umbrella.
• Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing: Another Max Planck research institute conducting basic biological research with similar governance, funding model, and research infrastructure approach, based in Germany.
• Wellcome Sanger Institute: Genomics and computational biology focused research institute with a similar combination of basic discovery research, large-scale infrastructure, and doctoral training programs funded by charitable and public sources.
• Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI): Affiliated basic research institute in epigenetics, neurobiology, and quantitative biology with comparable faculty-led structure, PhD programs, and shared core facilities in the Swiss academic ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL): Intergovernmental basic research organization in molecular life sciences with comparable core facility infrastructure (structural biology, genomics, bioinformatics) and PhD/postdoc training programs serving the European scientific community.
• Francis Crick Institute: Large UK biomedical discovery institute conducting fundamental research across multiple life-science disciplines with shared core facilities, PhD programs, and a non-commercial public funding model similar to the Max Planck institutes.
• Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard: Major US biomedical and genomic research institute combining basic biology with large-scale genomic, computational, and proteomic platforms — a comparable model of multidisciplinary basic life-science research with shared infrastructure.
• Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research: MIT-affiliated basic research institute in molecular biology, developmental biology, and genetics with comparable faculty-driven, non-commercial research model and strong training programs.
• Salk Institute for Biological Studies: Independent non-profit basic research institute with a faculty-led model covering molecular biology, neuroscience, and plant biology, sharing the multi-department non-commercial research mission.
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI): Major US biomedical research organization supporting investigator-led basic research with shared infrastructure and strong training programs; structurally similar as a non-commercial, science-focused funder of frontier biology.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MPI-Bio-FML
• Facebookfacebook.com/MPI.Bio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/max-planck-institute-for-developmental-biology
• Instagraminstagram.com/maxplancktuebingen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Max-Planck-Institute for Developmental Biology