Max-Planck-Institut für biologische Intelligenz

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Max-Planck-Institut für biologische Intelligenz

Zu den Modellorganismen gehören Drosophila, Zebrafische, Mäuse und verschiedene Vogelarten.

Das MPI-BI ist ein internationales Forschungsinstitut an dem die Strategien untersucht werden, dank denen Tiere immer neue Herausforderungen ihrer Umwelt meistern können. Das Max-Planck-Institut für biologische Intelligenz ist eine außeruniversitäre Forschungseinrichtung, die sich der Grundlagenforschung zu Themen der Verhaltensökologie, Evolutionsforschung und Neurowissenschaften verschrieben hat

. Das Institut besteht aus sieben Forschungsabteilungen, rund 20 unabhängigen Forschungsgruppen sowie diversen Serviceeinrichtungen.

23/06/2026

Call them Dr., please! 🎓 We are incredibly proud of our recently graduated PhDs and wish them all the best for their future! 🎉✨

19/06/2026

Upcoming Monday, we start into the week with our new “IMPRS Lecture Quartet” with Prof. Dr. Michael Kiebler, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Enard, Prof. Dr. Angelika Harbauer and Dr. Nadine Gogolla.

The event is addressed to (early-career) scientists – hope to see you there!
📅 June 22 at 13:00-16:30 p.m.
📍 Room NQ105, Martinsried

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München & Max-Planck-Institut für Psychiatrie

15/06/2026

A day full of science, curiosity, and connection! It was wonderful to see the community come together to share knowledge and push the boundaries of interdisciplinary neuroscience – exactly what the Munich Brain Day is all about. 🧠 ✨

Talks sparked new ideas, posters led to insightful discussions, and the data blitz sessions highlighted the exciting work of early career scientists. The energy carried on into the evening, where conversations continued in a relaxed and social setting.
Thank you to everyone who contributed, presented and participated for making this event such a success!

➡️ https://munichbrainday.com
Max-Planck-Institut für Psychiatrie / Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München / TU München

10/06/2026

Small birds with big moves. 🪶🪩

Dancing, rapid wing snaps and acrobatic jumps – manakins are known for some of the most spectacular courtship displays in the animal kingdom. A new study reveals that the dazzling dances of manakins may have been enabled by a shift to a fruit-rich diet. These birds didn’t always eat the same foods they do today. Over time, some species transitioned to a fruit-heavy diet and that change set off a cascade of evolutionary effects.

By analyzing genomes, researchers found that key changes in taste and digestion evolved before these birds developed their spectacular mating behaviors. Manakins even re-evolved the ability to taste sweetness by rewiring existing taste receptors. Even more surprising: changes in a digestive enzyme may help them handle toxic compounds in unripe fruit, unlocking more energy for their high-performance displays.

🔗 Press release: https://www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-06-baldwin
📄 Scientific publication: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(26)00625-1

02/06/2026

: Ruffs co-displaying in their natural environment in Finland. A territorial Resident male (dark feathers) interacts with a submissive Satellite male (white feathers) whilst a female (on the left) is watching. The research on this complex courtship provides fascinating insights into the dynamic changes of cooperation and competition.

Find out more: https://www.bi.mpg.de/kuepper
📸 Picture by Simon Vandepitte

04/05/2026

: Cichlids are highly social animals and use different strategies when caring for their young. Lamprologus ocellatus, for instance, builds nests in abandoned snail shells. Inside this protective cave, the young cichlids can grow, be cared for and guarded by their parents.

Find out more: https://www.bi.mpg.de/baier
📸 Picture by Ash Parker

24/04/2026

💡 Curiosity beyond the classroom on Girls’ and Boys’ Day 🚀

Yesterday, 25 young minds visited our Institute for a day full of new perspectives. In the morning, they became scientists in our MaxLab, running their own experiments. In the afternoon, discovering exciting careers like IT specialist, precision mechanics, scientist, electronics technician and microscopy expert. 🧠🔧🔬

Thanks to all colleagues who contributed to making this day a success!

16/04/2026

🚧 We went underground 👷‍♀️👷‍♂️

The extension of the subway line U6 to Martinsried will significantly improve accessibility to the campus for researchers, students, staff, and guests. For the third time, employees of our Institute were able to join a guided tour of the construction site. Led by Stefan Schaudig, project lead and managing director of the town hall in Planegg, the tour offered exclusive insights into the development of the project. The extension of the U6 subway line to Martinsried is expected to open in 2028. 🚇

More information: https://www.planegg.de/rathaus-and-buergerservice/unsere-gemeinde/u6-verlaengerung-nach-martinsried

13/04/2026

Constructing a nest underwater is no easy task, especially without hands! Yet shell-dwelling cichlids are true underwater architects, transforming empty snail shells into protective nests. The building steps are innate, the fish follow a precise construction sequence and finish a nest on average in three hours.

After encountering a snail shell, the fish dig a pit using their body and mouth. Then they grasp the shell with their mouth and maneuver it clockwise into the pit, repeating this until the shell sits tip-down in the sand, with its opening protruding upward. Finally, rapid body movements are used to flick sand over the shell, covering the nest.

If we made you curious, how the cichlids know what the nest should look like and how to build one, take a deep dive into the new research from our Institute.

🔗 Press release: https://www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-04-baier
📄 Scientific publication: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(26)00324-6

10/04/2026

When we think of nests, we often picture birds weaving together twigs and leaves. But did you know that some fish are also experts in building a home?

🐟+🐚 =🏠 Shell-dwelling cichlids are true underwater architects, transforming empty snail shells into protective nests.

The building steps are innate: Even without prior experience, they follow a precise construction sequence. But here’s the surprising part:
⏱️ They become more efficient with practice.
💡 They adjust their strategy when the shell shape changes.
🧠 They remember what they’ve learned, even after long breaks.

Why this matters: For a long time, it was believed that behaviors like nest building were purely instinctive. This new research shows a more nuanced picture. Even behaviors we think of as “hardwired” can involve learning, memory and adaptation.

🔗 Press release: https://www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-04-baier
📄 Scientific publication: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(26)00324-6

Cell Press Current Biology

Adresse

Am Klopferspitz 18
Planegg
82152

Telefon

+498985781

Webseite

https://www.bi.mpg.de/de

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