A new doctoral training programme will tackle seriously complex problems. Called the 'Physics of biological and complex systems', the programme is part of the International Max Planck Research Schools (IMPRS), a group of interdisciplinary centres of excellence run by the Max Planck Institutes in conjunction with German universities.

The new programme will build on the University of Göttingen's expertise in physics and will focus on, for example, the timing of neural networks and the physics of cardiac dynamics. It is a joint venture between two Göttingen-based Max Planck Institutes and the university. The Max Planck Society is devoting approximately €4 million (US$6.2 million) to the programme over the next 6 years.

Helmut Grubmüller, a director at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, oversees the programme and extols its breadth and structure. It will focus both on using basic physics to solve existing biological problems and researching the unique physics of biological systems. Other programmes tend to keep the topics separate. This structured, fast-track PhD programme will involve special courses, lab rotations and methods tutorials to help students earn their PhDs within 3.5 years compared to 4 or more.

Recent recruitments, including Grubmüller and Eberhard Bodenschatz, a director at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, have strengthened the technical expertise in super-resolution optical microscopy. For example, students will learn to image intracellular structures to a resolution of 15 nanometres and perform single-molecule spectroscopy.

Such expertise will help the new programme address the growing interest in nanometre-scale biological techniques. Bodenschatz believes this innovative training will form a bridge between Göttingen's strong physics and biosciences communities. Although the official start date for recruiting students to the IMPRS is 1 May, five of the 30 slots are already filled.

The IMPRS programmes are part of Germany's ongoing efforts to strengthen graduate training. Of the 49 existing schemes, two — the IMPRS for molecular biology and for neurosciences — have already proved successful at Göttingen. The molecular biology programme was recognized in 2006 as one of the top 10 international master's courses in Germany by the German Academic Exchange Service.