Home - Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology & Epigenetics

Welcome at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics

The Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg is an interdisciplinary research institution that conducts basic research in two key areas of modern biology.

Immunobiology is concerned with the ways multicellular organisms defend themselves against pathogens. Epigenetics is the study of inheritable traits that are not caused by changes in the underlying DNA sequence.

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Research Groups

Our current labs.

Core Facilities

World-class expertise.

Publications

Institute overview

Staff List

Contact us.

News

Juliane Glaser is the newest group leader at MPI in Freiburg

June 25, 2025

The French scientist studies epigenetic mechanisms of embryonic development with a focus on “jumping genes”

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Various sizes of glowing circles float in front of a dark background.

Running circles in my head

June 10, 2025

How the ELAV protein shapes the brain’s unique circular RNA landscape

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Asifa Akhtar elected foreign member of the Royal Society

May 20, 2025

The Max Planck Director has been selected for her leadership in German science and her research achievements

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A conductor wearing colored gloves conducts six stylized figures playing cellos in two groups, surrounded by a gradient background.

From one to the right

April 07, 2025

Chromatin enzymes play a crucial role in germ layer formation at the onset of zygotic genome activation in Drosophila embryos.

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Healing a broken heart

April 02, 2025

How a vitamin A metabolite could help myocardial infarction patients by modulating blood stem cell activity

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Ankita Kapoor awarded two prestigious fellowships

March 25, 2025

EMBO and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions honor Max Planck researcher with postdoctoral fellowships

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International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025

February 11, 2025

“Women in science attract more women in science”

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Gaining insights into neurological diseases and RNA biology with fruit flies and mini-brains

December 03, 2024

Valérie Hilgers receives an ERC Consolidator Grant

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Seminars & Events

Drone shot of the institute grounds in the evening light – with event details for the 2025 TriRhena Gene Regulation Club in Freiburg

Symposium: TriRhena in Gene Regulation Club

16 June 2025 at the MPI-IE in Freiburg (Germany)

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Biophysical Coffee Meeting

Please sign up until Jun 13th, 2025

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Upcoming Seminars

SGS: Bing Zhu - Regulatory mechanisms of heterochromatin

Jul 3, 2025 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)

MPI-IE, Room: Lecture Hall

1st Biophysical Coffee Meeting Freiburg

New date!

Jul 4, 2025 02:00 PM - 06:00 PM (Local Time Germany)

Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics (MPI-IE), Freiburg, Germany, Room: Lecture Hall

Forschung höchstpersönlich mit Ulrike Boenisch & Thomas Manke: Tiefensequenzierung: Wie wir die Geheimnisse unseres Erbguts entschlüsseln

Oct 1, 2025 11:00 AM c.t. - 12:00 PM (Local Time Germany)

MPI-IE, Room: Hörsaal

Career

Excellent PhD training

We train the next generation of research scientists. Learn more about our PhD program – the International Max Planck Research School for Epigenetics, Biophysics and Metabolism (IMPRS-EBM)

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Welcome Service

We welcome all new arrivals, assist in the onboarding procedure, help you to find a new place and get acquainted with your new colleagues. Learn more about our services.

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Job offers

Open Postdoc positions in Freiburg

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Multimedia

Watch: Can we hack our genes?

November 05, 2023

Epigenetics studies how certain parts of our genome can be switched on or off. Can epigenetics help us to become more musical, fitter, smarter, more beautiful? – Epigenetics TV documentary with Thomas Jenuwein on ARTE

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Swarms & swarming immune cells

Podcast July 07, 2022

podcast

Podcast special by detektor.fm on swarms and swarm intelligence, including an interview with Max Planck scientist Tim Lämmermann on immune cell swarms and pathogen hunting in a collective.

How the immune system learns to defend itself

Video February 11, 2021

podcast

Thomas Boehm talks to detektor.fm editor Dominik Lenze about vaccinations. The Max Planck Director explains how an immune reaction actually takes place during vaccination.