Long Night of Sciences

It was tropical hot, it was exciting, and it was playful, funny and inspiring. For the Long Night of Science 2019, the MDC attracted its visitors for the first time not only to the Campus Buch, but also to the new research building in Mitte.

Anyone wishing to uncover the mysteries of life must explore the realm of molecules and genes. At the Long Night of the Sciences, visitors to the MDC will voyage through this fascinating cosmos in the company of experts.

The artist Emilia Tikka spent three months as a guest in the MDC labs to gather inspiration for her work “ÆON. Trajectories of Longevity and CRISPR.”

A permanent exhibition at the MDC gives insights into the past and present of microscopy. Short videos, accessible via QR codes, now provide more information about the devices.

During the "Long Night of Sciences" on June 15, visitors can see something that hardly anyone has seen before - simply because it is still so new: spinal cord neurons and skeletal muscle tissue that have been cultivated together from stem cells.

The common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a classic model organism. The biologist Robert Zinzen and his team are studying this organism to better understand how the nervous system develops. Visitors to the Long Night of the Sciences will be able to examine the flies under the microscope and watch cellular gene regulation unfold on screen.

The winners of the Best Scientific Image Contest 2018 will be announced at the opening of the microscopy exhibition “Invisible - Visible - Transparent” on July 25. Here is a preview of the best images.

Science under the stars: This year’s Long Night of the Sciences brought more than 6,000 interested members of the public to the Berlin-Buch campus – despite the intense summer heat.

1st place: Colorful spider (Matthias Richter, lab of Anje Sporbert, MDC) This is a tiny spider...

Once again the Long Night of Sciences brought thousands of curious visitors streaming onto campus and into the MDC for a glimpse into daily life in our laboratories. The event was an opportunity for exchange for both the scientists who offered tours and the public who will eventually benefit from their work.