Joint conference with MPG in Munich
27 March 2009 (Volume 4 Issue 3)
The ‘MPG RIKEN Bilateral Conference on Interdisciplinary Cooperation’ was held at the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG) headquarters in Munich from January 21 to 23.
Science sessions in three areas - life science, materials science and physics - were held, with the subjects varying from the extremely small, such as manipulation of single molecules, to the entire universe. Lots of lively discussions ensued among the 28 participants from RIKEN and 28 researchers from eight Max Planck Institutes.
Kai Simons of the Max Planck Institute (MPI) of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics gave a talk on cell membranes and phase separation, and Stefan W. Hell of the MPI for Biophysical Chemistry reported on a novel technology on fluorescence in nanoscopy and its application to lipid dynamics in plasma membranes.
Tetsuya Ishikawa of the RIKEN SPring-8 Center introduced the compact X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) project. Masahiro Teshima of the MPI for Physics and Toshikazu Ebisuzaki of the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute (ASI) described their research in high-energy astrophysics by multi-wavelength carriers.
MPG-RIKEN joint meetings were held on the 23rd with RIKEN Executive Director Yoshiharu Doi, RIKEN ASI Director Kohei Tamao, its Deputy Director Yoshihito Osada, where they discussed the details of their further cooperation. They agreed to set up one or more associated research laboratories in certain areas and promote exchanges of researchers, especially young ones.
At a courtesy visit with MPG Secretary General Barbara Bludau to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the cooperation agreement, both institutions confirmed that they would enhance their collaboration in future.
