Marine Microbiology in focus: First international Graduate Program in Life and Geosciences launched

As a joint venture of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, the University of Bremen and IUB a new international graduate program began on November 21, 2002: The International Max Planck Research School for Marine Microbiology (MarMic).

[ Nov 25, 2002]  Graduate students with a special interest in marine life and geosciences now will be able to benefit from the Bremen accumulation of know-how and facilities in the field of marine research: Scientists of four major research institutions will offer their expertise to contribute to the new international graduate program MarMic, and state-of-the-art equipment permits study and research on microbial life using the best combinations of modern and classical methods.

The program covers topics of microbiology and oceanography and aspects of molecular biology, ecology, botany, chemistry and geosciences. Teaching and research will be interdisciplinary and will include the latest molecular and micro sensor techniques as well as computer science approaches. To participate in MarMic graduate students need a Bachelor of Science (or an equivalent qualification) and an excellent command of English. As degrees the 4-year-program offers either the doctorate (Dr. rer nat.) or the Ph. D. It also will be possible to graduate with a Master of Science after one year. MarMic is open to highly qualified and motivated applicants of all nationalities.

On 21 November 2002, MarMic was officially opened at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen. The first MarMic participants, ten students from six different countries, met with their professors for the opening seminar. IUB’s representative there was Dr. Antje Boetius, IUB professor of microbiology and advisor of IUB’s first student in the MarMic program who comes from the US and will join the school in April. Other IUB professors contributing to the program and sending students are Dr. Laurenz Thomsen, in the field of oceanography and marine geosciences, and Dr. Matthias Ullrich, in microbial ecology.