IMPRS for Global Biogeochemical Cycles

On 1 September 1997, the "Max Planck Institute for the Study of Global Biochemical Cycles" was officially founded in Jena. Soon after, it was renamed "Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry", today often abbreviated as MPI-BGC. 

We want to better understand how living organisms - including humans - exchange basic resources such as water, carbon, nitrogen and energy with their environment and how this affects global climate and ecosystems.

For our research, we conduct laboratory experiments and field studies, often as multi-annual projects. We operate measurement facilities in ecosystems at towers of varying heights up to 325 metres, make aircraft measurements, use satellite data and study air, water and soil samples using biomarkers, stable isotopes and radiocarbon.