Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems – Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 10-02-2019 Hannah-Noa Barad receives Minerva Fellowship The Postdoctoral Researcher in the Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems lab receives the Fellowship for two years. Hannah-Noa Barad Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 01-02-2019 Dr. Dhruv Singh becomes Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Congrats and good luck to Dr. Dhruv Singh Dhruv Pratap Singh

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 21-01-2019 Hannah-Noa Barad receives a Minerva PostDoctoral Fellowship.

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 02-11-2018 Nanorobots propel through the eye Scientists developed specially coated nanometer-sized vehicles that can be actively moved through dense tissue like the vitreous of the eye. So far, the transport of nano-vehicles has only been demonstrated in model systems or biological fluids, but not in real tissue. The work was published in the journal Science Advances and constitutes one step further towards nanorobots becoming minimally-invasive tools for precisely delivering medicine to where it is needed. Zhiguang Wu Tian Qiu Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 30-08-2018 A boost for biofuel cells In chemistry, a reaction is spontaneous when it does not need the addition of an external energy input. How much energy is released in a reaction is dictated by the laws of thermodynamics. In the case of the spontaneous reactions that occur in the human body this is often not enough to power medical implants. Now, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart, together with an international team of researchers, found a way to boost the energy output by storing and bundling the energy of many spontaneous enzyme reactions. The work is published in the journal Nature Communications and shows how abundant, simple enzyme reactions can be used to power energy-hungry reactions and electronic devices. Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 03-07-2018 Vector Foundation 2018 MINT-Innovation Grant Congratulations to Mariana Alarcón-Correa and Vincent M. Kadiri Mariana Alarcon-Correa Vincent Mauricio Kadiri

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 12-06-2018 Kai Melde won the "Excellent Communication Award" at the International Conference on Ultrasonics 2018 in Caparica Portugal.

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 16-05-2018 Best of luck – start at IIT Pisa Dr. Stefano Palagi moves back to Italy and joins the Bioinspired Soft Robotics research team at the IIT and the Center for Micro-BioRobotics in Pisa. Best of luck and lots of success! Stefano Palagi Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 20-04-2018 Peer Fischer wins an ERC Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (2,5 M€).

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 20-04-2018 Peer Fischer receives ERC Advanced Grant The head of the Micro, Nano and Molecular Systems Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Stuttgart receives 2.5 Mio Euro from the European Research Council (ERC), which funds cutting-edge research in all disciplines. Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 02-03-2018 Best of luck - Move to Cambridge Dr. Hyeon-Ho Jeong starts his Postdoc at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. We wish him lots of success. Jeong Hyeon-Ho Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 14-02-2018 Best of luck - Start at Caltech Humboldt Fellow Dr. Zhiguang Wu leaves the group for Caltech and we wish him lots of success. He has already located the case that holds the micromotor that won Richard Feynman’s famous challenge. Zhiguang Wu Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 20-09-2017 Eunjin Choi and Hyeon-Ho Jeong, respectively, received the 2017 scholarship awards from the Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in the FRG (VeKNI e.V).

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 06-09-2017 Peer Fischer is named Steinhofer lecturer at the University of Freiburg and he receives the associated prize of the Steinhofer-Foundation.

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 25-08-2017 International Conference on Micro and Nanomachines The 2017 International conference on micro- and nanomachines will be held in Wuhan, China, from the 25-28 August and will be co-chaired by Peer Fischer Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 02-08-2017 Steinhofer lecture Peer Fischer, head of the Research Group "Micro-, Nano- and Molecular Systems" at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Stuttgart, was awarded with a Steinhofer lecture 2017 of the University of Freiburg "for his fundamental work in the field of targeted 3D-production of artificial nanostructures and their application in biomedicine". Professor Fischer gave his lecture on "How to Teach Nanoparticles and Enzymes to Swim". Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 01-08-2017 Faculty position Congrats and good luck to Dr. Vijay Chikkadi who will start his own group this summer as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science Education Research (IISER) Pune. Chikkadi kudleppa

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 27-07-2017 Tian Qiu, Stefano Palagi, and Fabian Adams win the Best Oral Paper Award, at the 10th Hamlyn Symposium on Medical Robotics, London 2017.

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 13-07-2017 Max Planck PhD student receives his second award from Materials Research Societies Hyeon-Ho Jeong, PhD student in the Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Research Group headed by Peer Fischer at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart is the recipient of the graduate student award combined with a grant of 450 Euro from the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS). He received the award at the Spring Meeting 2017 in Strasbourg, France. Jeong Hyeon-Ho Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 27-06-2017 Jan-Philipp Günther and Vincent Mauricio Kadiri won the first poster prize on the NanoBioMater 2017 Summer School and International Conference for their contribution "Nanorheology and Nanopropellers in Biological Fluids".

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 12-06-2017 Cover Article Back Cover Our paper "Nanodiamonds that Swim" is the Back-cover article for Advanced Materials, 12 June 2017, DOI: 10.1002/advs.201500016 JiKae Kim Udit Choudhury Jeong Hyeon-Ho Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 23-05-2017 Hyeon-Ho Jeong was awarded this year's Graduate Student Award at the 2017 E-MRS Spring Meeting in Strasbourg.

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 02-05-2017 Special issue Stefano Palagi, Tian Qiu and Peer Fischer are editing a special issue in the journal Micromachines on “Locomotion at Small Scales: From Biology to Artificial Systems” Stefano Palagi Tian Qiu Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 14-02-2017 New drive for tiny vessels Miniaturized robots can be propelled through biological fluids by an enzymatic reaction or ultrasound Nanorobots and other mini-vehicles might be able to perform important services in medicine one day – for example, by conducting remotely-controlled operations or transporting pharmaceutical agents to a desired location in the body. However, to date it has been hard to steer such micro- and nanoswimmers accurately through biological fluids such as blood, synovial fluid or the inside of the eyeball. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart are now presenting two new approaches for constructing propulsion systems for tiny floating bodies. In the case of one motor, the propulsion is generated by bubbles which are caused to oscillate by ultrasound. With the other, a current caused by the product of an enzymatic reaction propels a nanoswimmer. Peer Fischer Sámuel Sánchez

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 12-01-2017 Our research in Der Spiegel und Die Zeit Our nanorobots are the topic of a special report on robots in the newspaper Die Zeit and Der Spiegel has previously covered our research, also highlights our work in its 2017 March 11 issue. Kai Melde Andrew Mark Tian Qiu Tung Chun Lee Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 20-12-2016 Peer Fischer wins World Technology Award 2016 Dr. Peer Fischer, head of the Micro- Nano- and Molecular Systems Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and Professor of Physical Chemistry, University of Stuttgart, has received the World Technology Award 2016. Professor Fischer was selected among 32 nominees and then among six finalists in the category “Information Technology – Hardware” that recognizes achievements in the field of IT hardware, including such significant subcategories as manufacturing and robotics. Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 20-12-2016 Peer Fischer has received the 2016 World Technology Award for IT Hardware. Together with his group, he has developed new 3D nanofabrication methods and nanorobots, made the first reciprocal microswimmer, and realized the first swimming soft microrobot that moves using only body shape changes.

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 01-12-2016 Hyeon-Ho Jeong was awarded the MRS Gold Graduate Student Award for a presentation on Chiral Plasmonic Nanosensors at the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting in Boston.

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 21-09-2016 Holograms with sound A new way of shaping sound waves in 3D aids technology and could be useful for medical ultrasound applications Sound can now be structured in three dimensions. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and the University of Stuttgart have found a way of generating acoustic holograms, which could improve ultrasound diagnostics and material testing. The holograms can also be used to move and manipulate particles. Peer Fischer Kai Melde Andrew Mark

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 10-08-2016 Congratulations Debora Walker receives a Humboldt Postdoctoral fellowship to go to Harvard (August 2016). Debora Schamel

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 05-08-2016 ERC Grant We are awarded an ERC Proof of Concept Grant (August 2016). Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 20-06-2016 Humboldt fellowship Congratulations to Dr. Zhiguang Wu who has been awarded a Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers (June 2016). Zhiguang Wu

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 12-06-2016 Faculty position Congrats and good luck to Dr. Ji Tae Kim who has started as Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Hong Kong (June 2016). JiKae Kim

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 05-04-2016 Tian Qiu has been granted the “National Award for Outstanding Self-financed Chinese Students Abroad 2015” by the China Scholarship Council (April, 2016).

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 16-03-2016 Featured Nature Materials article Our article on soft microrobots is discussed in Nature News & Views. Stefano Palagi Andrew Mark Kai Melde Tian Qiu Alberto Sanchez Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 11-12-2015 Per Mikroschwimmer zur Magenwand Ein mit Enzymen beschichteter Mikropropeller verflüssigt lokal die Magenschleimhaut, um sie zu durchdringen Helicobacter pylori macht es vor. Das im menschlichen Magen häufig vorkommende Bakterium versteht es, sich auch durch die zähe Magenschleimhaut hindurchzubewegen. Zu diesem Zweck scheidet es Substanzen aus, die den pH-Wert ihrer Umgebung verändern und damit den gelartigen Schleim verflüssigen. Forscher des Max-Planck-Instituts für Intelligente Systeme in Stuttgart haben dieses Prinzip aufgegriffen und nach ihm ein künstliches Mikrovehikel geschaffen, das ebenfalls viskose Schleimhäute durchdringen kann. Die Forscher verbinden damit eine konkrete Hoffnung: Eines Tages könnten solche Schwimmer vielleicht pharmazeutische Wirkstoffe direkt an die Magenwand transportieren – und dort für eine effektive Aufnahme in die Blutbahn sorgen. Debora Schamel Peer Fischer Jeong Hyeon-Ho

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 02-09-2015 Fellow of the RSC Peer Fischer is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 22-07-2015 Cover Article Our paper "Selectable nanopattern arrays for nanolithographic imprint and etch-mask applications" is the cover article for Advanced Science, May 6, 2015, DOI: 10.1002/advs.201500016 Jeong Hyeon-Ho Andrew Mark Mariana Alarcon-Correa Insook Kim Tung Chun Lee Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 03-07-2015 Featured highlight "Nanoswimmers: Designed for speed" Nature Nanotechnology 10, 568 (July 2015). Debora Schamel Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 23-06-2015 Congratulations to Tian Qiu, Andrew Mark, Debora Schamel, and Alejandro Posada whose video entry won the “Microrobotics Design Challenge” at the Hamlyn Symposium in London. (June, 2015).

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 20-06-2015 Congratulations Alex Solovev, who just left the group as a Humboldt postdoctoral fellow, has been appointed a Professor at Fudan University under the 1000’s talents program. (June, 2015) Alexander Solovev

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 08-06-2015 Fabian is interviewed by SWR 2 and the lab appears on Indonesian TV Fabian Adams starts his project in the group and talks about the potential of miniaturized, minimally invasive medical procedures: Fabian Adams

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 27-05-2015 Featured "Hot Paper" Our paper "Dynamic Inclusion Complexes of Metal Nanoparticles Inside Nanocups" is the frontispiece for Ang. Chem. Int. Ed. 54, 6730-6734 (2015). Mariana Alarcon-Correa Tung Chun Lee Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 13-05-2015 Dr. Andrew G. Mark awarded with Günter Petzow Prize 2015 Young scientist honoured for outstanding research in the field of material science Andrew G. Mark will be awarded this year’s Günter Petzow Prize from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems. He will be honoured for his significant contribution to the development of a new nanofabrication technique for manufacturing, precisely and efficiently, hybrid multifunctional nanostructures with diverse 3D shapes. Andrew Mark

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 12-05-2015 Congratulations Eisenberger scholarship Dr. med. Fabian Adams is awarded a Ferdinand-Eisenberger fellowship. The scholarships frees Dr. Adams from his clinical duties (University Clinic, Univ. of Freiburg) so that he can devote the next 12 months to research here at the Micro Nano and Molecular Systems lab. Fabian Adams

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 10-05-2015 Congratulations Dr Jerome Roche leaves the group to start as an Assistant Professor at the University of Toulouse (May, 2015). Jerome Roche

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems Award 05-02-2015 Andrew Mark receives the 2015 Günter Petzow prize for his contribution to the development of nanoGLAD and its applications (e.g. Nature Materials 12, 802).

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 05-12-2014 Our work in the news, on TV, radio, etc. Our work on realizing a microscallop and nanopropellers that can move through biological tissue is in the news. Our group appears on TV, radio, in newspapers, and on multiple news sites. (December 2014). Tian Qiu Tung Chun Lee Andrew Mark Peer Fischer

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 07-11-2014 Tiny vehicles for medical applications Micro- and nano-swimmers can be propelled through media similar to bodily fluids Micro- or even nano-robots could someday perform medical tasks in the human body. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart have now taken a first step towards this goal. They have succeeded in constructing swimming bodies that simultaneously meet two requirements: they are small enough to be used in bodily fluids or even individual cells, and they are able to navigate through complex biological fluids. Peer Fischer Tian Qiu Andrew Mark Debora Schamel John Gibbs

Micro, Nano, and Molecular Systems News 01-08-2014 Congratulations Tung-Chun (John) Lee will leave the group and move to a faculty position at University College London, where he will start his own group in the Center for Materials Discovery. (August 2014) Tung Chun Lee