MPGC - recently - now - coming soon
02/20/11
Nature paper by Manabu Shiraiwa
- Birch pollen with allergenic potential. © Christoher Pöhlker/MPI for Chemistry
Long-lived reactive oxygen intermediates that develop on particles in the atmosphere could explain why more and more people are suffering from allergies. Manabu Shiraiwa, MPGC student in the group of Ulrich Pöschl and his co-workers in Mainz and at Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland) have for the first time detected long lived reactive oxygen intermediates on the surface of aerosol particles. These forms of oxygen survive here for more than 100 seconds and in that time react with other air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides. Dust particles are oxidized and nitrated. This is what makes soot particles more toxic and increases the potential of pollen to cause allergies. Processes caused by increased ozone levels combined with aerosol particles seem to play an important role in this modern mass phenomenon.
02/14/11
PhD Seminar in Cologne
- MPGC PhD students during the soft skill seminar in Cologne.
About two thirds of our PhD students attended the first MPGC retreat in Cologne from February 9th to 12th. Come to know each other, mutual presentation of the research projects and soft skill trainings have been the foci of the seminar.
11/18/10
Nation wide survey about working conditions of PhD students
The Max Planck PhD net organised in 2009 a nationwide survey on the working conditions for PhD students in Max Planck Institutes. About 4500 doctoral students carry out a PhD project at one of the about 80 institutes. To get feedback from them how they see their supervision and working environment is important to keep the scientific work attractive and fruitful.
Also the influence of organised PhD programs in graduate schools (IMPRS) has been measured.
Susannah Burrows, PhD student in the MPGC, was one of the authors of the final report. Here the press release in German:
06/29/09
Admission of first doctoral students
The first candidates for doctoral studies at MPGC have been selected in a Steering Committee meeting and briefly afterwards been admitted to the MPGC. Their affiliation with the MPGC began August, 1st 2009.
06/16/09
Official inauguration of the MPGC
The Max Planck Graduate Center with Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz GmbH has been offcially inaugurated Tuesday, June 16th during the ceremonial act on the occasion of 25 years existence of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research. The inauguration was conducted by Doris Ahnen, minister for education, science, youth and culture of the state Rhenia-Palatinate, Prof. Dr. Peter Gruss, president of the Max Planck Society and Prof. Dr. Georg Krausch, president of the Johannes Gutenberg University.