Science Magazine of the Max Planck Society

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magdeburg, in collaboration with a research team in Brazil, have now propagated large quantities of Zika viruses in the lab. more

In the event of an impending global flu pandemic, vaccine production could quickly reach its limits, as flu vaccines are still largely produced in embryonated chicken eggs. Udo Reichl, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, and his colleagues have therefore been working on a fully automated method for production in cell cultures that could yield vaccines in large quantities in a crisis. more

Normally, Peter Benner and his colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magdeburg work on complicated numerical methods to optimize the automatic control of technical systems and equipment. Recently, however, their research was applied to resolve a political conflict centering around drug cultivation, herbicide spraying and border violations in South America. more

Wood waste and straw contain valuable substances for the chemical industry, and these substances are what chemists from the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung in Mülheim an der Ruhr and the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magdeburg want to get their hands on. The researchers are looking for ways to convert biomass into useful chemical compounds and use them as energy sources or raw materials. more

Now even paraplegics can ride a bike – thanks to functional electrical stimulation, a method that takes the place of the nerve signals of the brain. At the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems in Magdeburg, Thomas Schauer is working on a sophisticated control system for this technology, which also helps get stroke patients quickly back on their feet. more

Clean, efficient and reliable – that’s how the power of the future should be. An example of this
is the electric current generated by fuel cells fed with biomass. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS are smoothing the way from the farm to the electrical outlet. more