Organization

The Structure of the MaxSynBio Network

Strategy perspectives for research in synthetic biology developed by members of the Chemistry, Physics and Technology Section and of the Biology and Medicine Section of the Max Planck Society, by experts in Responsible Research and Innovation, by established and emerging project leaders and by research policy analysts.

The research network needs an efficient organizational structure to ensure intense collaborative research work between all participating Max Planck Institutes and research groups, such as:

to identify and integrate new networks partners,
to allow for transparent budget management,
to set up online booking systems for the technology platforms (protein facilities, microfluidics facility),
to organize regular meetings of network members,
to establish the reporting system to BMBF and MPS,
to coordinate the communication with the public,
to coordinate patenting activities.

The management is conducted by the MaxSynBio Coordinator (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sundmacher, MPI-DCTS) in collaboration with the MaxSynBio Steering Committee (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sundmacher, Prof. Dr. Schwille, Prof. Dr. Joachim Spatz, Prof. Dr. Eberhard Bodenschatz, Prof. Dr. Peter Dabrock; 2 representives of the Max Planck Society and an annually changing representative representative of the Independent Research Groups of MaxSynBio).

In managing the network, the Chief Coordinator is supported by a Scientific Coordinator and a Coordination Assistant which form the Coordination Office. This Coordination Office is responsible for all technical organizational issues of the network. Those are:

internal meetings
budgeting
reporting
symposia, etc.

The Chief Coordinator organizes monthly telephone conferences to discuss the status, progress and future directions of the research activities of the network and to reach decisions in case of need.