Home | IMPRS Principles of Microbial Life

Welcome to the IMPRS “Principles of Microbial Life” in Marburg, Germany!

We are dedicated to offering excellent research opportunities for junior scientists with background in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics and bionformatics from all over the world. With us you can do a PhD in different branches of microbiological research, including

Cellular organization & architecture
Microbial communities & host-microbe interactions
Natural products & chemical biology
Physical biology
Physiology & metabolism
Signal transduction & information processing
Systems & synthetic biology.

Since 2003 the IMPRS in Marburg offers an international PhD program which provides interdisciplinary training in modern microbiology, state-of-the-art research facilities, and mentoring by world class scientists. Our thriving scientific community and academic landscape will give you the freedom to embark on your scientific journey!

Our key features

Some quick facts about our program.

All events & activities

See our seminar program, workshops & other events.

Upcoming events

Michel Oklitschek

Combinatorial control of type IVa pili formation by MglA, SgmX, FrzS and SopA in Myxococcus xanthus

Oct 23, 2024 11:00 AM (Local Time Germany)

MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology, Room: Lecture hall / On site

Paul Alejandro Gomez Coronado

Engineering of growth-coupled Escherichia coli biosensors

Oct 25, 2024 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)

MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology, Room: Lecture Hall / Hybrid

Graduate Students Mini Symposium X - 2024

Oct 28, 2024 01:15 PM (Local Time Germany)

MPI for Terrestrial Microbiology, Room: Lecture Hall / Hybrid

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Our graduate program International Max Planck Research School Principles of Microbial Life: From molecules to cells, from cells to interactions (IMPRS-µLife) is a collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, the University of Marburg and the Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO).

Join us!

Our research

Our training program