Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
Welcome to the websites of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, an internationally oriented institution whose research focuses on the principles, mechanisms and effects of evolutionary change.The institute consists of the departments of Theoretical Biology and Microbial Population Biology. In addition, there are a number of independent research groups. Around 180 people from more than 30 nations currently work at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön.
Symposium for new paths in evolutionary medicine
On 21 November, the "Symposium for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Exchange in Evolutionary Medicine" took place at the Max Planck Institute in Plön. The aim was to redefine the collaboration between basic research at the MPI and Kiel University Medicine and to demonstrate innovative ways of understanding and treating chronic diseases such as cancer and inflammation.
In endemic settings, behavioral adjustments can fully compensate increasing infection risk
To reduce the transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic and to lower infection rates, so-called non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing were prescribed in many regions of the world. These measures have since been loosened, and compliance with them is largely left up to each individual. But how can such individual decision-making affect a long-term infection levels? Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, USA and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, Germany, are investigating this question in a recently published study.
Deceiving cancer to facilitate treatment
Cancer cells are notorious for rapidly changing their phenotype, driving within-host spread and evading treatment. Scientists in Plön used a mathematical model to understand the role of a signal used by cancer cells to control their phenotype. By manipulating these signals, cancer cells can be tricked into a less harmful phenotype that is more responsive to treatments.
Theoretical assessment of persistence and adaptation in weeds with complex life cycles
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön and the University of Würzburg present a new mathematical model on population dynamics and the evolution of herbicide resistance in perennial weeds.
State Secretary Guido Wendt visited the Max Planck Institute in Plön
Schleswig-Holstein's State Secretary for Science, Research and Culture Guido Wendt visited the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön (MPI) yesterday as part of an inaugural visit and got an idea of its research and daily challenges.
Evolving viruses to fight bacterial infections
Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections are one of the most pressing issues in medicine, a situation that is only expected to worsen in the coming decades. The problem is being addressed not only by developing new antibiotics but also by studying antibiotic alternatives, such as phages. Among them is the Microbial Molecular Evolution Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön.
Farewell without a farewell - Professor Diethard Tautz retires in a not entirely restful retirement
Diethard Tautz is Director of the Department of Evolutionary Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön (MPI). After a total of 47 years in science, he is now officially retiring. However, he will remain with the MPI for the next few years as an emeritus member.
Evolution of double-sided social norms
In addition to describing biological interactions, evolutionary theory has also become a valuable tool to make sense of the dynamics of social norms. Social norms determine which behaviors should be regarded as positive, and how community members should act towards each other. In a recent publication, researchers from RIKEN, Japan, and the Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Biology (MPI) describe a new class of social norms for cooperative interactions. These norms do not only apply to active individuals who choose a certain action, but also to passive individuals, who benefited or suffered from these actions.
New insights into the evolution of the plague pathogen
A research team from Kiel University and MPI-EB identifies genetic factors that were acquired by the pathogen Yersinia pestis during its recent evolution and contribute to our understanding of the emergence of the modern plague pandemic in the 19th century
Individual costs and social benefits of interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic
During the pandemic, governments imposed strict restrictions on everyone. However, the acceptance of these measures was not the same for everyone. Researchers now propose a model to assess this situation, depending on the protection the measure provides, the risk of infection and the cost of the measure. The model shows that different assessments of risks and costs can lead to different ways of dealing with the situation.
Bacterial colonisation of the lung also depends on the host genome
The lung is by no means sterile, as was assumed for a long time. In fact, it harbours a diverse microbial ecosystem. It is known from previous studies that changes in the lung microbiome are associated with diseases such as cystic fibrosis, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Important factors for the build-up and stability of the microbial community in the lungs are environmental factors such as smoking, diet in infancy or the use of antibiotics. How the genetics of the host influences the lung microbiome has not been researched much so far. Therefore, a research team from the Leibniz Science Campus "EvoLUNG" led by Professor John Baines has studied the lung microbiome in detail in a mouse model.
Fungal infections of crops threaten global food security
In Nature, Eva Stukenbrock from Kiel University and Sarah Gurr from University of Exeter warn of the devastating consequences of fungal diseases.
Being noisy in a crowd:
How gene interactions shape the evolution of cell-to-cell variation.
Biological cells, whether free-living or part of a multicellular organism, have to perform hundreds of functions to survive, such as perceiving their environment, uptaking and metabolising nutrients, regenerating decayed parts, reproducing themselves, and many more. The information on how to perform these functions is carried by genes and practically realised through a process called “gene expression”, through which gene products are made. Gene products work together in what is often represented by a network of interactions known as a gene network. However, the process of gene expression is subject to randomness, and the expression of each gene in the network is somewhat unpredictable. How do genes in gene networks evolve to cope with this inherent noise while maintaining the function of the gene network? This question is being addressed by the Molecular System Evolution research group at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology.
Quantitative social norms favor the evolution of cooperation
What does it mean to be a good person? How do we best form an opinion about others in our community, and how do we interact with them based on this opinion? The field of indirect reciprocity approaches these fundamental questions mathematically. It explores how people form reputations, and how social norms emerge, with the help of game theory.
The benefit of redundancy in biological systems
When viewed from an engineer’s perspective, biology is often messy and imperfect. For example, redundancy is a common feature of biological systems, with the job of one biological component overlapping with that of another. This work investigates whether some types of biological redundancy can - despite the apparent inefficiency - actually be beneficial.
How does inequality affect cooperation and coordination?
Collective interactions, such as teamwork, are an essential part of our daily lives. But often such interactions contain an element of a social dilemma: individuals would like their collective action to succeed, but at the same time they have an incentive to free-ride on the contributions of others. Collective action problems are particularly challenging in heterogeneous groups, in which individuals differ in their motivations and their degrees of influence. In such asymmetric scenarios, an important question is how individuals coordinate on stable cooperation.
Evolutionary medicine: What does evolutionary biology have to offer biomedical research?
The third lecture in this year's series of Plön Winter Talks at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology (MPI) will be given by Dr John Baines, of the Evolutionary Medicine Research Group. His talk will focus on the interface between evolutionary biology and medicine.
Eva Stukenbrock receives ERC funding to study fungal pathogens
European Research Council funds "FungalSecrets" research project at Kiel University with two million euros to uncover links between fungal pathogens and plant microbiome
Julien Dutheil appointed as honorary professor at the CAU Kiel
The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU) has appointed Dr Julien Dutheil, Research Group Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology (MPI), as Honorary Professor.
Evolutionary trade-offs: Balancing genetic disease risks and pathogen protection
Evolutionary biologists from Kiel describe a novel way to identify previously unknown pathogens via disease genes
Evidence of evolutionary transitions between humans and artificial intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence is already a big part of our daily lives. Whether it's the smartphone, autonomous driving or implants for certain bodily functions, artificial support is available for almost every area of life. Will humans and AI form more and more symbiotic units in the future? Professor Paul B. Rainey of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, Germany, has addressed this question.
When germs become resistant and mathematics can help
The second lecture in this year's series of Plön Winter Talks at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology (MPI) will be given by Christin Nyhoegen, from the Department of Evolutionary Theory. Her talk deals with the spread of drug resistance and sheds light on how mathematics can help find solutions.
Sequential antibiotic therapy in the laboratory and in patients
Recent research results of the Research Group Stochastic Evolutionary Dynamics suggest that rapid switching of antibiotics during the treatment of a patient could successfully counteract the evolution of resistance. However, the optimal speed of switching the drugs depends on various factors. These include for example, the interaction between the drugs.
Newly elected President of the Max Planck Society visits Plön
Patrick Cramer introduced himself to the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology (MPI) in Plön on 14 December 2022.
From Neandertal to the Nobel Prize:
How Svante Pääbo wrote evolutionary history
This year's Plön Winter Talks of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology (MPI) will kick off with a talk by Prof. Dr Diethard Tautz, Director of the Department of Evolutionary Genetics. His talk will deal with Svante Pääbo's research work and the Nobel Prize award associated with it.
The lecture will be held in German and will take place on Friday, 9 December at 7 p.m. in the lecture hall of the interim building opposite the main entrance.
IMPRS Retreat in Flensburg
60 doctoral researchers (DRs) enjoyed their first in-person retreat in three years.
This year's IMPRS retreat took place in Flensburg from 4 to 6 October, which many of the participants took advantage of to travel by train. Instead of the usual presentation sessions, the organising team had put together a programme that gave the participants time for an informal exchange with each other, with the group leaders present and with the guest speakers Jens Krause from Humboldt University Berlin and Mathieu Groussin from CAU Kiel.
Evolution of Cooperation through cumulative reciprocity
Understanding reciprocal cooperation is a key element to of understanding how people work together. Whether it is friends who exchange favours, animals who exchange food or services, or nations that coordinate their policies, all these are essentially reciprocal interactions. Stable reciprocity requires that people are prepared to help others but that they fight back when being exploited. But what are the rules that ensure cooperation can flourish while at the same time protecting individuals being taken advantage of?
Why do we learn to reward cooperation?
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute in Plön show that reputation plays a key role in determining which rewarding policies people adopt. Using game theory, they explain why individuals learn to use rewards to specifically promote good behaviour.
Kiel evolutionary biologist receives the prestigious Max Planck Fellowship a second time
Max Planck Society honours Prof. Hinrich Schulenburg from Kiel University for his scientific work and promotion of evolutionary research in the Kiel area
Which Population Structures Maximize Evolutionary Fitness?
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Plön have shown that population structures that enhance the effect of selection do not necessarily also lead to higher fitness. Instead, it is crucial for maximizing fitness that detrimental mutations are prevented from becoming established.
New bacterial species discovered in the intestine
Researchers from MPI-EB Plön and Kiel University hope that the newly described species will provide a better understanding of the evolution of the genus Bacteroides as part of a healthy microbiota.
Researcher from Schleswig-Holstein becomes member of Leopoldina
The German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina elected Alexandra Zoe Worden, Professor of the Biology of Oceanic Ecosystems at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Kiel University, as well as Max Planck Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, as a new member in May. The membership certificate will be conferred in a formal ceremony in April 2023. The Leopoldina represents German research abroad. With around 1,600 members from more than 30 countries, it is the largest science academy in Germany and combines expertise from almost all research areas.
Young genes adapt faster than old ones
A new study from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön and the University of Sussex in the UK shows that the age of a gene determines how fast they adapt. These findings demonstrate how gene evolution occurs as an “adaptive walk” through time.
Evolution and ecological competition of multicellular life cycles
New studies by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology show that competition between different evolutionary developmental stages of multicellular life cycles can be important for the development of an entire population. Without direct competition, only the growth rate of a population determines which life cycle prevails. Ecological competition, on the other hand, can lead to the selection of completely different life cycles.
Successful completion of the Disocuri workshop "Physical and chemical determinants of biological evolution"
In the week of 5-9 September 2022, a workshop on "Physical and chemical determinants of biological evolution" took place at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön. The aim of the workshop was to deepen the cooperation with the Dioscuri Centre for Physics and Chemistry of Bacteria of the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAN in Warsaw, Poland, led by Bartek Waclaw.
Individual genetics helps determine composition of the gut microbiome
CRC 1182-research team finds evidence in large genome study that points to genetics influencing the composition of an organism's microbial colonization
The T6SS, an all-rounder of many - but not all - bacteria.
The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a molecular mechanism that enables certain bacteria to kill competitors, manipulate host cells and absorb nutrients. Who would want to be without such superpowers? In fact, this secretion apparatus is widespread among bacteria. At the same time, however, there are many bacterial species that completely lack this feature. Even among strains of the same species, some have a T6SS and others do not. What could this be related to?
Laying of the foundation stone: New building at the Max Planck Institute in Plön officially started
The foundation work on the shore of the Schöhsee has been completed. Today's laying of the foundation stone is now the official start of construction for the new building of the research institute in Plön.
Why do we age? The role of natural selection
The evolution of aging is a particularly exciting field in theoretical evolutionary research. Scientists are trying to figure out why and when the phenomenon of aging developed over the course of evolution. Mathematical models can help to develop theories for a better understanding of aging. At the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, intensive research has also been carried out in this area in recent years in the Department of Evolutionary Theory.
Animal vaccines with self-spreading viruses
Since the first lab-modified virus capable of replication was generated in 1974, an evidence-based consensus has emerged that many changes introduced into viral genomes are likely to prove unstable if released into the environment. On this basis, many virologists would question the release of genetically modified viruses that retain the capacity to spread between individual vertebrate hosts. Researchers from Germany, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States now point out in a policy piece that despite these concerns, self-spreading vaccines for animals are being researched in Europe and the US. They are intended to limit the spread of animal diseases or disease spillover to humans.
Tracking down the origin of cholera pandemics
The bacterium Vibrio cholerae is the causative agent of the diarrheal disease cholera and is responsible for seven known pandemics. The seventh cholera pandemic began in 1961 and is still active. Unlike previous pandemics, it is caused by cholera strains of a slightly different type. How did the modified cholera strains develop and spread, and what might have contributed to their success? Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology Plön and CAU Kiel, in an international team with colleagues from City College New York and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, have now gained new insights into a molecular mechanism that provides insight into the interactions between cholera bacteria and may have played a role in the emergence of the seventh pandemic.
Transposable Elements: What role do they play in genome evolution?
„Transposable elements (TEs)" are small DNA segments found in nearly all genomes across the tree of life. Their function is not fully understood, but their properties are remarkable: they can integrate themselves into DNA and also replicate there on their own, independent of their host. Therefore, it is assumed that the proliferation of TEs has contributed decisively to the genome size of eukaryotes. However, TEs are also found in prokaryotes, which have much smaller genomes. Moreover, their genomes are significantly streamlined, meaning a much smaller proportion is non-coding. What's behind this?
News
On 21 November, the "Symposium for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Exchange in Evolutionary Medicine" took place at the Max Planck Institute in Plön. The aim was to redefine the collaboration between basic research at the MPI and Kiel University ...
To reduce the transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic and to lower infection rates, so-called non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing were prescribed in many regions of the world. These measures ...
Cancer cells are notorious for rapidly changing their phenotype, driving within-host spread and evading treatment. Scientists in Plön used a mathematical model to understand the role of a signal used by cancer cells to control their phenotype. By ...
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön and the University of Würzburg present a new mathematical model on population dynamics and the evolution of herbicide resistance in perennial weeds.