Summer Science Day brings the community together
Anyone arriving by train or bus on the morning of July 10 immediately noticed the difference. Instead of people sitting quietly on their phones, small groups gathered to chat. Across the campus — in the Max Delbrück Center 2030 Future Camp, and at information booths — colleagues exchanged ideas at strategy boards, while children’s laughter echoed from the giant trampoline. It was the second Summer Science Day of its kind, attracting both long-standing employees and newcomers from research and administration — from the Buch and Mitte campuses alike. As soon as the opening session in Axon 1 ended, the skies cleared, providing perfect weather for a day of celebration.
“For the past year, we’ve often worked late into the night on our new PoF research program. It was worth every minute, and now we have every reason to celebrate,” said Dr. Maike Sander, Scientific Director of the Max Delbrück Center, during the official opening. She noted that the international review of the center’s research program for 2028 – 2035, held in Potsdam at the end of June, could hardly have gone better.
After the successful completion of the PoF review, the specially created “MDC PoF-Corn” added a sweet touch to the celebration.
“Every research area received an A rating. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this outstanding result,” Maike Sander said. Now, it was time to put PoF behind them — and a bag of “MDC PoF Corn” might help. Administrative Director Kirstin Bodensiek joined in handing out bags of sweet popcorn to delighted participants.
Maike Sander also highlighted the center’s Strategy 2030, explaining that plans to establish a Bioengineering Hub were progressing extremely well. Just days earlier, the Max Delbrück Center had hosted its first Bioengineering Symposium, which received an overwhelmingly positive response. Construction of a new Bioengineering Innovation Center is also moving forward, recruitment of specialists has begun, and the first new hire is expected to arrive this autumn.
Creating new spaces for collaboration
Scientific Director Maike Sander (r.) and Administrative Director Kirstin Bodensiek (l.) opened the Summer Science Day by sharing their vision for the future of the Max Delbrück Center.
“Science and research need an attractive environment,” said Kirstin Bodensiek as she announced investments in community spaces, an outdoor café, and additional green areas. New furniture will be installed in the MDCafé at the end of July to make it an even more inviting meeting place. The Max Delbrück Center also attracts the public, she said, pointing to the thousands of visitors who attended the Long Night of the Sciences 2026 at the Buch and Mitte campuses.
“Next year, the opening of the Imaging Innovation Center will mark another major milestone,” Kirstin Bodensiek added. “This important investment will give researchers at our Center and beyond access to state-of-the-art imaging technologies.” German Federal Minister of Research Dorothee Bär has already announced that she plans to attend the opening ceremony.
As Maike Sander and Kirstin Bodensiek switched seamlessly between German and English to thank everyone who helped make Summer Science Day possible — especially the organizing team — the audience applauded enthusiastically.
Celebrating silent heroes and inspiring mentors
Next came one of the day’s highlights: presenting the Silent Heroes and Marvelous Mentor awards. With humor and warmth, Dr. Jean-Yves Tano of the Friends of the Max Delbrück Center invited each employee nominated by colleagues as a Silent Hero onto the stage. Nineteen staff members received honorary recognition. Each was presented with a bright yellow sunflower in appreciation of their exceptional contributions behind the scenes (see below).
The nominees for the Silent Heroes Award
Special tributes followed for André Kirk, Christian Grande, Antje Brouwer-Lehmitz, Sanja Drakulic, Mathias Malig, and Mohamad Haji, who received the highest number of nominations. Throughout the past year, they supported their colleagues in administration and technical services with expertise, generosity, and empathy. “Our Silent Heroes make research possible every single day,” one speaker summed up.
The 2026 Marvelous Mentor Award went to two researchers from the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology of the Max Delbrück Center (MDC-BIMSB): Dr. Robert Patrick Zinzen, who heads the Systems Biology of Neural Tissue Differentiation lab, and Dr. Cledi Cerda Jara, a postdoctoral researcher in Dr. Nikolaus Rajewsky’s Systems Biology of Gene Regulatory Elements lab.
The award recognizes exceptional mentors nominated by early-career researchers at the Max Delbrück Center. Robert Zinzen was praised as an outstanding teacher who encourages independence, while Cledi Cerda Jara was recognized for her remarkable patience and constant encouragement. Having received the same number of votes, the two scientists shared this year’s award. Jean-Yves Tano concluded the ceremony by giving honorable mentions to five additional mentors (see below).
Renewed energy for community
Staff took a moment to recharge during a yoga session at the Summer Science Day.
After the traditional group photo, taken from the first floor of the MDC.C building, employees spread out across campus to enjoy the afternoon’s activities. Some won gummy bears at the Communications Department’s quiz, others toured the emerging Imaging Innovation Center or had their names engraved onto a grain of rice. Those looking for a quieter pace joined a yoga session led by Lilly Spalt from Occupational Health Management or chatted over refreshments on the lawn.
During an open discussion on the lawn, staff shared ideas for strengthening community and developing new initiatives at the Max Delbrück Center.
Many summer festivals end with music. At the Max Delbrück Center, the day also ended with a whiteboard filled with ideas. Late in the afternoon, Antje Nestler, Dr. Melissa Birol, and Dr. Sebastian Diecke invited colleagues to an informal discussion about community, connection, and future initiatives. Suggestions quickly filled the board, ranging from science slams and pub talks to a publication-of-the-year competition, chalkboard lectures, and a shuttle bus connecting the Buch and Mitte campuses. “PoF was a success — now let’s build on that momentum and strengthen our community,” one participant remarked.
Summer Science Day 2026 set the rhythm. DJ Mary picked it up and kept the Max Delbrück Center dancing well into the evening.
Text: Lilo Berg
- Top Honors in the Silent Heroes Competition
Ute Werner, Matthias Richter, Liana Kosizki, Enes Aydin, Cornelia Kaloff, Annette Schledz, Tatjana Butzek, Margareta Herzog, Nadine Ewald, Mary Mathon, Beatrice Heuser, Kamila Lukasiewicz, Steven Zander, Chiara Giacomelli, Bianca Blödow, Laura Koblitz, Florian Beck, Steffen Lochow
- Honorable Mentions in the Marvelous Mentor Competition
Dr. Fabian Coscia, Dr. Hanna Hörnberg, Nadezhda Evtushenko, Dr. Leonid Serebreni, Professor Thoralf Niendorf
