Long Night of the Sciences

The MDC program ranges from interactive experiments and shows to the opportunity to look over the shoulder of scientists in the laboratory. Some of the highlights are presented here. 

Lab tours

Scientists at the Campus Buch invite you to their research labs to give you a glimpse into the future of medicine. They will present current biomedical research – topics and methods – and explain what we have learned so far about the “human system”. The number of participants is limited for all tours at the Max Delbrück Center.

Registration required: central info point

Misfolded is toxic for the brain

7 pm | 9 pm | ages 12 and up

Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases all have one thing in common: misfolded proteins are deposited in the brain and poison the nerve cells there. We use the common vinegar fly as a model for neurodegenerative diseases to get to the molecular bottom of the causes and effects of misfolded proteins.

Registration: central information point MDC.C.

E. Wanker Lab

Proteomics and Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Cafe Scientifique

Pick a science topic that needs to be discussed – such as antibodies or genome editing. Add some coffee, take a seat, and let dedicated scientists serve you everything. Et voilà – the recipe for Café Scientifique is as simple as it is ingenious. Enjoy! 

Location: MDC.C foyer or terrace

Science meets art

Science is matter-of-fact and art is emotional – is that true? Research and work in the arts are both experimental and creative processes. Many scientists also paint, perform music, and take photographs. Some of them exhibit their artwork on the Buch campus.

Exhibition stands & other

From a skin cell to personalized medicine and biodiversity

4 pm - 11 pm

We can produce most cells of an organism from pluripotent stem cells. We will show you how this works and how we use it to develop personalized therapeutic approaches and even save endangered species. There are also three stations for pipetting: Adults can compete against a robot, kids can pipette different patterns into a plate using colored liquids – wearing lab coats and gloves, of course – and finally, teams of two or four can compete to see who can insert pipette tips the fastest. 

Pluripotent Stem Cells

Sebastian Diecke

Please don’t touch

4 pm - 11 pm

Our laboratory delves into the intricacies of the somatosensory system and its neuronal circuits. How do we perceive touch and temperature? And how can we accurately measure neurological signals? Through interactive scenarios, we make our research tangible and accessible.

Poulet Lab

Neural Circuits and Behaviour

Spleen or stomach?

4 pm - 10 pm

Embark on a journey through the body and find your favorite organ in our MRI images! At our booth, you can try to segment an organ yourself on our computers and compare your results with the experts, artificial intelligence and other guests.

Thomas Gladytz

Niendorf Lab

Experimental Ultrahigh-Field MR

Step right inside the heart

Heart model | 4 pm - 11 pm

Each day, the human heart beats around 100,000 times. It keeps blood flowing in one direction through the four different chambers, and it ensures that the body is supplied with oxygen and nutrients and carbon dioxide and waste products are carried away from other vital organs and tissues. But what does the heart look like from the inside? What kind of tendons are attached to it, and how can you tell if an aortic valve is damaged? During the Long Night, you can explore a walk-in heart model and ask our scientists all your questions.