auf dem ‚fast track‘ zur promotion - daad · ... neurosciences and molecular biology in...

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Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Auf dem ‚fast track‘ zur Promotion

International MSc/PhD Programs Neurosciences and Molecular Biology in Göttingen

Michael Hörner

Auf dem ‚fast track‘ zur Promotion

International MSc/PhD Programs Neurosciences and Molecular Biology in Göttingen

Michael Hörner

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen - Facts and Figures

� founded in 1737

� 13 faculties, 180 institutes

� 25,000 students (compared to

130,000 citizens of Göttingen)

� 12 % students from abroad (37 % in

the natural sciences at graduate level)

� 1,300 research cooperations in 80

countries

� one of 9 German universities awarded

by the Excellence Competition

Key Data

The Georg-August-Universität GöttingenThe Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

Max Planck Institutes in Göttingen

The Max Planck Institutes in GöttingenThe Max Planck Institutes in Göttingen

Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry

Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine

Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization

Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity

Max Planck Institute for Solar Systems Research (near Göttingen)

Source: J. Winkler

The North Campus

University and Max Planck Institutes -Collaboration in Research and Training in the Natural Sciences

The Göttingen Natural Sciences Research Community

Neuroscience Program IMPRS: Participating InstitutionsMolecular Biology IMPRS

52

34

1

1. Uni-Bio (Biology: Institute of Microbiology and Genetics)

2. Uni-Med (Medicine: University Hospital)

3. Uni-Phy (Physics: New Physics Building)

4. Uni-Che (Chemistry: Organic, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry)

5. European Neuroscience Institute (ENI-G)

6. MPI-bpc (Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry

7. MPI-ds (Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization

8. MPI-em (Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine)

9. DPZ (Leibniz Institute: German Primate Center)

6 7

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5m

in10 min


The Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences (GGNB)

Concept of GGNBConcept of GGNB

GGNB forms a common roof for thematically focused doctoral programs in the molecular life sciences and the neurosciences regarding ...

� Training

� Measures for quality assurance

� International recruitment

� Examinations and degrees

� Service and organization


Key Features� MSc degree as entry level� interview-based student selection� 3 (+ 1) year PhD projects� thesis committees� methods courses� professional skills & language courses� industry excursions� student-organized conferences� gender equality measures� cultural events

GGNB doctoral programs as the student‘s “home base“

individually tailored curriculum in English

� Molecular Biology (MSc/PhD)

� Neurosciences (MSc/PhD/MD-PhD)

� Biomolecules: Structure – Function – Dynamics

� Biology of Microbial, Animal and Plant Cells

� Molecular Biology of Development and Interaction between Organisms

� Physics and Advanced Microscopy of Biological Systems

� Molecular Physiology of the Brain

� Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience

� Sensory and Motor Neuroscience

� Systems Neuroscience


currently 141 faculty members - up to 400 PhD students

The Doctoral Programs of GGNBThe Doctoral Programs of GGNB

� created in 2000

� integrated MSc/PhD programs

- BSc degree as entry level

- one year of MSc-level courses

- performance-based, direct transfer to PhD project

The International MSc/PhD Programs in Molecular Biology & Neurosciences

A success story!� heavily oversubscribed

10-20 applicants / place

� concepts adopted by many programs in Germany

DAAD & Stifterverband Award 2006

... and the students ...


Key Features• Four year program from the BS to the PhD

• International

� 60-70% students from abroad

� from admission to graduation in English

• 20 students per year, individually selected bya three-step evaluation procedure

• Intensive course program (1st year)

� no semester structure

� 90 credits

• All courses newly established

� lectures (open to all university students)

� tutorials (groups of 10 students)

� methods courses (groups of 5 students)

� lab rotations (3 individual projects)

� seminars (2 presentations per student)

• Research-oriented training

• Direct admission to PhD program after 1 year (without MSc thesis = ‚fast track‘)

PhD/MD-PhD/Dr. rer. nat.

The International MSc/PhD/MD-PhD Program Max Planck Research School Neurosciences IMPRS

1 2 3 40Year

Entry(BSc)

Examinations(written/oral)

Doctoral ThesisThesis Defense

MSc degreeFirst segment (90 Credits)

MScThesis

Doctoral Program (30 Credits)

Applications: 83 159 172 164 227 213 253 150 176 (2000) (2001) (2002) (2003) (2004) (2005) (2006) (2007) (2008)

Selection / Admission

• STEP1: written application documents

• STEP2: written subject test

• STEP3: personal interviews (in Göttingen or by video conference)


Written Subject Test• 2,5h multiple choice test

• 3 sections (biology, chemistry, physics)

• offered in home countries / towns� DAAD offices

� Goethe Institutes

� German embassies

� scientific contacts

• 108 participants at 54 locations in 31 countries (2008)(since 2000: 1597 applicants, > 750 participants > 120 locations in > 50 countries)

Ranking of Application Documents• First screening (esp. India and China)

• Circulation of selected applications (among 6 faculty members)

• Shortlist for written subject test (approx. 50% of all applications)


Doctoral Program: Overview

• Emphasis on doctoral research project

• Supervision by doctoral advisory

committee (Thesis Committee)

• Curricular Requirements (credits)

• Scientific colloquia and seminars

• International research conferences

• Serving as teaching assistants / tutors

• Special courses

• Electives


Typically 2-4 days, small groups of students

34 courses offered in 2006 – 52 courses offered in 2007 continuously enlarged and improved

Advanced Methods Courses

• Working with protein structures – computer-based data analysis

• Analysis of gene expression (whole mount in situ hybridization, RT-PCR)

• Methods for stuyding secretion: Patch clamp, amperometry, TIRFM

• Introduction to animal experiments

• Microbial imaging – Confocal laserscan microscopy and other techniques

• Analysis of gene function (mRNA injection, animal cap assay)

• Biochemical analysis of SNARE-mediated membrane fusion

• Cell migration and development of zebrafish

• Application of FRET microscopy techniques to measure protein interactions and activity

• Molecular Biology of yeast: Applications of the „Tandem Affinity Purification“ tag in yeast with wild type and mutant background

• Generation of transgenic embryos

• Parental RNAi in Tribolium

• Sequence analysis of proteins and their post-translational modifications by MALDI-TOoF and electrospray ionization (ESI) mass sprectrometry

• Introduction to micorarray analysis (1 week, full day, lecture and exercises)

The International MSc/PhD Programs Max Planck Research Schools Neuro/MolBio IMPRS

Course on Scientific Communication

Dr. Heather Sylin Roberts (New Zealand) - 3-4 day block seminar (article, poster, oral presentations), offered annually since 2001

Seminar on Bioethics and Research Ethics

Dr. Roberto Andorno (Argentina) - Weekend seminar, offered annually since 2001

Intercultural Communication Workshop

A. & S. Petersen (Aachen) - Weekend workshop / retreat in collaboration with PhD programs in Ulm & Hannover, offered annually since 2004

Schering AG Berlin: The Drug Discovery Process

Dr. B. Seilheimer (Berlin) - Kickoff meeting & 2-day workshop in GÖ & Berlin excursion, offered annually since 2004

Career Seminar (organized by doctoral students (MPI-bpc + MPI-em + GZMB)

1-h Wednesday talks by invited speakers 6-8 times per year

Professional Skills Courses 2007/2008

Course on Science and Medical Writing for the Public

Dr. Janet Yagoda Shagham (USA) – 5-6 day seminar workshop, offered since 2005

Industry Excursions

1-2 day excursion, first excursion: Solvay Pharma, Sartorius AG, Qiagen, BASF (twice per year)


Neurizons symposium organized by the Neuroscience students

held as a regular bi-annual meetingorganized by PhD students


Extracurricular Activities

• Culture Nights (7-8 per year)

• Poetry Nights

• Chinese New Year

• Indian Nights

• Balkan-Anatolian Night

• Carnival

• Latin-American Night

• Christmas Parties

• Irish Night

• Movie Nights

• Drama Group

• German-Swiss Night

• Culture Quiz Night

• Casino Night …


New Industry Co-operation since 2006: Sartorius stedim AG Göttingen

Industry LabRotations co-operation since 2006

Sartorius Biotechnicum Labs

Projects for LR2 + LR3 2007/08


*42 articles with SCI > 10** 101 arcticles (59 %) as 1st author

PhD graduates currently on postdoc positions 87 percent

Average number of published articles derived from PhD thesis 2.9

Number of published articles in 2004 – 2007 (June) 170**

Average Science Citation Index of published articles 8.2*

Average duration of PhD thesis 3.3 years

Average age at PhD graduation 27.4 years

Dropout rate (early termination of PhD project) 3 percent

66 students have graduated so far ...


THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !



• Industry Excursions (1-2 per year)



• Cultural Excursions (1-2 per year)

• Goslar / Rammelsberg

• Harz Mountains / Brocken Summit

• Grenzlandmuseum Teistungen

• Weimar / Buchenwald (07/2006)


Quality Control - Program

• Internal Evaluations

� mid-term meetings

� curricular planning meetings

� online evaluations of courses

• External Evaluations

� DAAD: evaluations 2001, 2003, 2005

� ZEvA Hannover: accreditation 12/03

� MWK: evaluation 2004

� MPG (IMPRS): evaluation 2005

� DAAD/Stifterverb.: TOP 10 2006

� Excellence Award 2007

The International MSc/PhD Programs Max Planck Research School Neuro/MolBio IMPRS

Major Research Topics� biomolecular dynamics

� supramolecular machineries

� membrane fusion

� cell dynamics and biochemical networks

� nonlinear dynamics, soft matter, complex fluids

� sub-wavelength light microscopy

� X-ray microscopy

� ultrafast laser spectroscopy

� AFM, single molecules

GGNB doctoral programs: Physics & Advanced Microscopy

Major facilities� sub-wavelength light microscopy� X-ray / cryo EM� supercomputer-cluster� nano- / microfabrication

Methods and Training� nanoscale optics and imaging� single molecules, AFM, EM� optical trapping� X-ray imaging� Xray, NMR, ssNMR, high field EPR� ultrafast spectroscopy� theoretical biophysics & atomistic

simulations � Linux course & computational physics� (non-equilibrium) statistical mechanics

3200 processor cores

Highres. Xray lenses Liquid jets

Sub-wavelengthlight microscopy

GGNB doctoral programs: Physics & Advanced Microscopy

� Molecular Biology (MSc/PhD)� Neurosciences (MSc/PhD)

� Biomolecules: Structure – Function – Dynamics

� Biology of Microbial, Animal and Plant Cells

� Molecular Biology of Development and Interaction between Organisms

� Physics and Advanced Microscopy of Biological Systems

� Molecular Physiology of the Brain� Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience

� Sensory and Motor Neuroscience

� Systems Neuroscience


The Doctoral Programs of GGNBThe Doctoral Programs of GGNB

Major Research Topics� neurogenesis

� synaptogenesis

� molecular biology of the presynapse

� Neuronal network

� neurodevelopmental disorders

� neurological and psychiatric diseases:

- Parkinson’s disease

- other aggregopathies

- schizophrenia

- autism

GGNB doctoral programs: Molecular Physiology of the Brain

Major facilities� proteomics� electron microscopy� confocal imaging� STED microscopy� mouse/rat behavioral unit

Methods and Training� electrophysiology� protein expression and purification� neuron cell culture� immunocytochemistry & immuno EM� live cell imaging� mouse embryonic stem cell

manipulations and transgenesis� genetic manipulations (Drosophila,

C. elegans)

GGNB doctoral programs: Molecular Physiology of the Brain