Max Delbrück Center

The Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (Max Delbrück Center) is one of the world’s leading biomedical research institutions. Max Delbrück, a Berlin native, was a Nobel laureate and one of the founders of molecular biology. At the locations in Berlin-Buch and Mitte, researchers from some 70 countries study human biology – investigating the foundations of life from its most elementary building blocks to systems-wide mechanisms. By understanding what regulates or disrupts the dynamic equilibrium of a cell, an organ, or the entire body, we can prevent diseases, diagnose them earlier, and stop their progression with tailored therapies. Patients should be able to benefit as soon as possible from basic research discoveries. This is why the Max Delbrück Center supports spin-off creation and participates in collaborative networks. It works in close partnership with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin in the jointly-run Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité, and the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK). Founded in 1992, the Max Delbrück Center today employs 1,800 people and is 90 percent funded by the German federal government and 10 percent by the State of Berlin.

Research Program:

1.179

employees (as of 2023). Of these, 764 in science and 415 in administration with a 60,5 percent share of women.
82

research groups at the MDC work in three main research topics.
25

European Research Council Grants (ERC Grants)

Research programs

Systems medicine and cardiovascular disease

Health
Why We Must Act Now in Biomedical Engineering

Germany has the opportunity to extend its strength as an engineering powerhouse into medicine and the life sciences. Vasilis Ntziachristos explains how this can be achieved using three key levers.
Health
When the infection is over and the disease is just beginning

Long COVID, ME/CFS, and other post-infectious diseases pose new questions for medicine and society. With the long-term data from the NAKO Health Study, Germany now aims to systematically clarify why…
Earth & Environment
Using AI to Measure the Biological Carbon Pump

Tiny plankton organisms constantly transport carbon into the deep sea, thereby stabilizing the Earth's climate. Through the AqQua project, Helmholtz researchers aim to develop an AI system to monitor…
Health
"From reactive to preventive medicine"

The Helmholtz Health Prevention Task Force aims to increase the focus on prevention in healthcare in Germany and around the world. Eleftheria Zeggini, who is leading the initiative, explains their…
Health
A digital twin for the future of medicine

Helmholtz researchers are developing a precise, adaptive digital model of the cell. This model is fed millions of pieces of biological data and is ready for virtual experiments.
Helmholtz awards Doctoral Prize

At Helmholtz, nearly 9,000 doctoral candidates conduct research. Eleven of them have now been honored. Each year, Helmholtz awards the best and most original doctoral theses with the Doctoral Prize.