Visit of State Councillor Karolina Kumar

This was State Councillor Karolina Kumar’s first visit to the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology – so there was plenty to showcase. Our managing director, Prof. Dr Rudolf Amann, and director Dr Tatiana Ilyina therefore first gave Ms Kumar, who has held office since December 2025, and Ms Rolf a tour of our premises and facilities. They provided an insight into the modular building constructed a few years ago to facilitate our institute's growth, presenting laboratories and some of our state-of-the-art microscopes. During a visit to the workshops, where we build large-scale equipment for use on seagoing expeditions, the visitors also learned about some of the challenges of working at sea.

Particular attention was paid to our newly installed NanoSIMS, an instrument that is unique in Europe. This mass spectrometer features a special optical system that achieves an enormous spatial resolution: We can use it to examine structures and processes within individual cells; we can, so to speak, use it to watch the microorganisms at work. 

During the subsequent discussion, it became clear how well the newly appointed director, Tatiana Ilyina, complements the institute’s line of research. Ilyina is a modeller and will integrate findings from microbiology into climate models. “This fits in perfectly with Bremen,” said Kumar, “where, alongside marine research, climate research is also a key scientific focus.”

It was pleasurable and productive visit and we look forward to further fruitful collaboration with the State Councillor.