Hear what former postdocs have to say about their time at the MPI-CBG

Without a doubt, the MPI-CBG is the best place in the world to do science. But on top of that, I think Dresden is just a wonderful place to live. There is something that I felt the very first day here in Dresden, when I came for my Postdoc interview. The city is quiet but there are things to do, it’s naturally beautiful with the old buildings and its history.

The MPI-CBG is a unique environment: the open door policy, the central staircase, and the canteen foster interaction between individuals. You can’t help but interact with people and make friends. You really make lifelong friends here. I came to this Institute for my Postdoc interview because of the science but I stayed because this place is so special.

I have very good memories of my Postdoc time at the MPI-CBG. The MPI-CBG is super special because of all the fantastic facilities that are all under one roof. You can really focus on your work because of the great administration and services.

I came to the lab of Joe Howard in March 2002, even before the official opening of the Institute. Everyone was highly motivated and I had a lot of freedom. The infrastructure in the MPI-CBG is great. For example, the mechanical workshop was essential for building our optical tweezers. The architecture of the Institute supports the interactive atmosphere. You meet people everywhere. The low hierarchies and the central facilities are also very special.

I joined the Kurzchalia lab for my PhD in 2008. Because we were publishing really well, I wanted to stay for my Postdoc as well for the same project. I have never seen such an open culture that fosters collaborations like in this institute. This prepared me very well for my next career step: I learned to have an open mind and I take initiatives to talk to people about possible collaborations. And this culture of the MPI-CBG is pretty much what is important in science. During my Postdoc time I also really enjoyed the yearly Postdoc retreats with interesting speakers.

What makes the MPI-CBG special for me is that you see everyone with a smile on their face, people are motivated to interact and share – an atmosphere that I consider to be really valuable. Also the fact that interdisciplinary is not considered as something special here, but is rather something normal - makes the MPI-CBG very special.