The grand opening of the Max Planck Center for Physics and Medicine (MPZPM) in Erlangen took place on September 20, 2024. Around 120 invited guests, including Prime Minister Dr. Markus Söder, Nobel Prize winners and leading scientists, celebrated the launch of groundbreaking interdisciplinary research at the interface of physics and medicine. The center aims to develop new approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of serious diseases such as cancer.
The Max Planck Center for Physics and Medicine (MPZPM) is the result of a close cooperation between the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL), the Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the University Hospital Erlangen (UKER). The aim of the center is to further dissolve the boundaries between physics and medicine and to research the physical basis of biological processes and diseases. This could lead to relevant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of serious diseases such as cancer.
The MPZPM offers around 6,000 square meters of space for 180 scientists and is directly integrated into the campus of the University Hospital to ensure a direct exchange between research and clinical practice. Thanks to the interdisciplinary approach and intensive collaboration between physicists and physicians, the center expects to provide significant impetus for future medical research and application.
The modern functional building in the middle of the university hospital campus and directly connected to the translation centers with five full floors houses flexible laboratory concepts and offices. The MPZPM offers central technical service facilities for in vivo studies, lab-on-chip systems and modern microscopy techniques.
In his speech, Dr. Markus Söder underlined the importance of basic research for Bavaria and emphasized that the Free State had supported the MPZPM with 60 million euros to promote the development of new medical solutions. “Research and innovation is the key to the future and is also the basis for a successful economy,” said Söder.
Another topic on the event's agenda was scientific exchange, with Nobel Prize winners Prof. Randy Schekman and Prof. Stefan Hell outlining the importance of physics for understanding biological systems and diseases in their presentations. In addition, discussions between experts on interdisciplinary approaches offered insights into the potential of the new research center.