The 16th International Symposium "Horizons in Molecular Biology" will take place on 09th - 12th of September 2019 at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany.

The aim of the Symposium is to bring together senior scientists and young researchers from different fields to promote scientific exchange and to provide exciting insights into the frontiers of Molecular Biology. This year the keynote lecture will be given by Michael Rosbash (Brandeis University, USA) - winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2017.

Registration is open!

Registration deadline is 31.08.2019.

Only those poster abstracts submitted by 21.07.2019 will be published in the Horizons 2019 booklet.

If you have any questions please consult our FAQ section or Contact Us.

Many of us were driven to pursue science because we were fascinated by the marvels and beauty of the natural world around us. But what keeps us in the race? Is it purely our quest to answer challenging scientific questions? Or is it more career oriented desire to succeed in academic life? Or should we think of science more as a 9-to-5 job? The creative process of science is rarely a straightforward ‘’eureka’’ moment. Obstacles faced by scientists include long work-hours, pressure to publish and get grants and the need for success at each career stage. The accompanying stress can affect social and personal life and in extreme cases can lead to mental health issues.

In the panel discussion, we sill discuss the ebb and flow of academia – from the exciting quest for knowledge to the harsh reality – emphasizing some aspects of the vast landscape of what it means to be a scientist. Topics chosen for this year’s discussion are:

·         Being a scientist: job or passion?

·         How critical is the choice of scientific project and group in which to pursue it? How can a productive PI-student relationship be established? How can the power and responsibility of a PI be used to benefit this relationship?

·         Work-life balance: who decides what is reasonable? When things go wrong, what help is available and from whom?

·         Communication in science: what forms does it take and how important is it?

Join the discussion with our speakers on Thursday, September 12th.

The Career Fair is organized annually in conjunction with the Horizons in Molecular Biology Symposium and this year will take place on the 9th of September.  As organizers of the 13th Horizons Career Fair, our goal is to bring together pre- and postdoctoral students from different molecular biology fields with representatives of fascinating career paths one could pursue. This year we have a very exciting list of speakers! Join us in listening about a wide range of opportunities and career paths one could pursue after obtaining a doctoral degree in Science.

This year's list of speakers includes:

Simone Mayer – academia – group leader at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research.

Christine Mieck – publishing – Associate editor at Nature Communications

Bernd Reichert – science policy – head of the European Innovation Council's SME Instrument in the European Innovation Council, EU Commission

Andreas Laustsen – bio-entrepreneurship – Associate Professor at the Technical University of Denmark & Biotech Entrepreneur

Beata Mierzwa – science art – scientist and artist, combining the two in Beata Science Art

Micheal Becker – industry  – head of laboratory in the area of kidney disease research at Bayer AG

Magdalena Wienken – industry/consulting – Manager Tissue Profiling Data Strategy and Operations at Definiens GmbH

Not only talks, but also workshops on important soft skills will be given during the Career Fair:

"Fundamentals of Grant Writing" with Angelika Hofmann

"Presentations that Pop: Bringing Science to Life" with Deb Koen