Virtual reality, video mapping, and a walk-through vein
The countdown to the Long Night of the Sciences is on. Starting at 5 p.m. on June 6, the Max Delbrück Center at its Berlin-Buch campus and MDC-BIMSB in Mitte will open their labs and buildings to visitors of all ages.
Program highlights
The walk-through vein – Veins transport oxygen-poor blood back to the heart, often against gravity. Like arteries, they can become blocked. But what does a vein actually look like? With experts available for questions, visitors can explore a six-meter-long walk-through vein model and learn more about our research. Max Delbrück Center, Campus Buch, MDC.C foyer, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
From model to human – What happens during a clinical trial? How do researchers bridge the gap between experimental and clinical research? Scientists from the Dechend/Müller lab will answer these questions using cardiovascular disease as an example. Visitors can also explore the heart using virtual reality. Max Delbrück Center, MDC.C foyer, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Escape room – What is it like to work as a molecular biologist in a laboratory? We invite visitors to the Landthaler lab, which has been transformed into an escape room. In this immersive experience, participants will learn more about the lab’s experimental methods and work together as a team to uncover the secrets of an unknown virus. Max Delbrück Center, MDC-BIMSB, registration at the information desk on the ground floor, 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 8 p.m., and 9:30 p.m. (German and English).
Expedition into the brain
Microplastics are everywhere. But what happens when they enter the brain? This is one of many questions being explored at the Max Delbrück Center using brain organoids, single-cell technologies, and advanced light microscopy. During the Long Night of the Sciences, the topic will feature in two events:
Mini-brains and big data – Organoids recreate the cellular complexity of human organs in 3D cell cultures grown in petri dishes. The Organoid Technology Platform and the Rajewsky lab investigate organoids and 3D tumor cell cultures using spatial transcriptomics and bioinformatics tools. This allows them to uncover disease mechanisms and study the effects of microplastics. Max Delbrück Center, MDC-BIMSB, registration at the information desk on the ground floor, 5 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9:30 p.m. (English).
Immersive light microscopy – Visitors will be able to explore light microscopy images from current research projects, including studies on microplastics – but not in conventional 2D. Using virtual reality headsets, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the images and view neurons and other cells from entirely new perspectives. Max Delbrück Center, MDC-BIMSB staircase, 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (German and English).
Spaghetti in the brain – What happens in our brains when we develop Alzheimer’s disease? The Birol lab will show how researchers use brain organoids to better understand the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases – and how they sometimes encounter spaghetti-like proteins in the process. Visitors will be able to observe neurons under a microscope and watch their activity unfold in real time. Max Delbrück Center, MDC-BIMSB, registration at the information desk on the ground floor, 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. (English).
Under the stars
Pub quiz with Tom & Darren – An interactive and wide-ranging quiz: visitors will compete in small teams and answer questions to test their everyday and specialist knowledge. Max Delbrück Center, Campus Buch, lawn by the blue bear, 10:15 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. (German).
Art and culture above the rooftops of Berlin – Anyone looking for a change of pace can head to the MDC-BIMSB rooftop terrace. From 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., DJ d0erte will play electronic music. From 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., Alexandra Huchet (onetwothreesun) will present abstract video mapping art, including scientific imagery. Max Delbrück Center, MDC-BIMSB, rooftop terrace, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Admission: Tickets for events Berlin-wide are €7.50. Entry for children under six is free of charge.
Locations: MDC-BIMSB, Hannoversche Straße 28, 10115 Berlin. Campus Berlin-Buch, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, 13125 Berlin.
Further information
- Highlights on the website of the Max Delbrück Center
- Getting to Buch und Mitte
- Our full program
- Online-Tickets
Contact
Jana Schlütter
Deputy Head
Communications and Marketing
Max Delbrück Center
+49 30 9406 2121
jana.schluetter@mdc-berlin.de or presse@mdc-berlin.de
- Max Delbrück Center
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The Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association lays the foundation for the medicine of tomorrow through our discoveries of today. At locations in Berlin-Buch, Berlin-Mitte, Heidelberg, and Mannheim, interdisciplinary teams investigate the complexity of disease at the systems level – from molecules and cells to organs and entire organisms. Together with academic, clinical, and industry partners, and as part of global networks, we turn biological insights into innovations for early detection, personalized therapies, and disease prevention. Founded in 1992, the Max Delbrück Center is home to a vibrant, international research community of around 1,800 people from over 70 countries. We are 90 percent funded by the German federal government and 10 percent by the state of Berlin.
