On 5 November 2025, the IMP celebrated its 40th anniversary with a one-day symposium that united past and present members of its community. This special event traced the institute’s scientific journey, reflecting on four decades of discovery while looking ahead to the frontiers that will define the future of molecular life sciences.
The IMP marked its 40th anniversary on 5 November 2025, with a special one-day symposium titled “40 Years of Finding Out.” The event brought together past and present members of the IMP community, featuring talks from distinguished alumni and scientists from around the world. Throughout the day, the program celebrated the institute’s remarkable scientific journey—highlighting how research questions, technologies, and aims have evolved over four decades, while the core spirit of curiosity and discovery has remained unchanged.
Speakers and participants alike reflected on the IMP’s humble beginnings, recalling how a small group of pioneering researchers laid the groundwork for what has become a world-class hub for molecular life sciences.
A celebration with a resolutely forward-looking tone rather than dwelling on historic achievements, the symposium highlighted the exciting new directions in molecular biology and technological innovations that will shape the decades to come. This vision was powerfully captured in the keynote lecture by Michael Bronstein (Scientific Director of AITHYRA), “Catching the Falling Apples: Life Science in the Age of AI,” which explored how artificial intelligence is transforming the way researchers understand and investigate biological systems—pointing the way toward the next generation of breakthroughs.
A particularly meaningful moment of the day was the unveiling of a portrait of Max Birnstiel, the IMP’s founding director, created by artist Philipp Dexheimer, a former postdoc at the institute. The striking artwork—composed of 10,000 oligotubes embedded in resin—beautifully links art and science. Birnstiel's legacy continues to inspire the IMP, not least through the Max Birnstiel Awards, presented at the symposium to recognize outstanding doctoral research in the life sciences. As the celebrations concluded—with the 'Birnstiel Torte' shared among colleagues and friends—the IMP community honoured not only its past achievements but also its enduring commitment to curiosity, collaboration, and discovery.
- 40 Years of Finding Out Programme(PDF, 813 KB)