In Memoriam: Peer Bork

Below, Detlev Ganten, founding director of the Max Delbrück Center and one of Peer Bork’s earliest mentors, reflects on their shared scientific journey and friendship.

Remembering Peer Bork

Peer Bork passed away suddenly and completely unexpectedly on January 16. I first met Peer as a young scientist at the Academy Institutes in Berlin-Buch when I came from Heidelberg to Berlin in 1991 as founding director of the Max Delbrück Center. From the very beginning Peer impressed me as wonderfully ambitious, intellectually bold, unfailingly friendly, and a colleague admired and loved by everyone.

Peer began his scientific career in the bioinformatics group of Jens Reich in Berlin-Buch, working at a time when genetics and bioinformatics were still emerging fields. After earning his PhD in Leipzig and contributing decisively to the scientific renewal after German reunification, he became a project leader at the Max Delbrück Center and simultaneously a guest scientist at EMBL Heidelberg. In 1995 he moved fully to EMBL, where he rose from group leader to Senior Scientist, Unit Head, Strategic Director of Bioinformatics, and ultimately Interim Director of EMBL Heidelberg. He never left Heidelberg despite many prestigious offers from major institutions around the world. His pioneering work on protein evolution, genome analysis, systems biology, and the human microbiome shaped modern life sciences worldwide.

For me, Peer was far more than an exceptional scientist. He was a close colleague and a dear friend. His sudden loss fills me with deep sadness and lasting gratitude for having shared both science and friendship with him.

By: Detlev Ganten