Home | Max Planck Institute for Chemistry

This is where we conduct our research: Our institute is located on the campus of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

This is where we do our research: Our institute is located on the campus of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

We investigate the interactions between air, water, soil, life and climate throughout the history of the Earth up to the present day, which is shaped by humans and known as the Anthropocene.

We investigate the interactions between air, water, soil, life and climate in the course of the Earth's history up to the present human-dominated era, the Anthropocene.

In our laboratories, we analyse water samples, for example, to trace the climate of the past.

We conduct lab experiments analyzing, for example, water samples to determine past climates.

Our scientists also conduct research in many exciting locations around the world, such as high above the Brazilian rainforest.

Our scientists also conduct research in many exciting places on Earth, such as high above the Brazilian rainforest.

With the help of the ATTO climate research tower, we want to find out how rainforests, the atmosphere and the global climate influence each other.

Using the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory ATTO, we aim to understand the interactions between the rainforest, atmosphere, and global climate.

We collect seawater, plankton and air samples with our oceanographic research yacht Eugen Seibold.

We collect seawater, plankton and air samples with our deep-sea research sailing yacht Eugen Seibold.

We use aircraft to explore the atmosphere and collect data there in order to understand natural and anthropogenic aerosol particles and the chemical processes in the atmosphere.

We also carry out experiments on board aircraft, which we use to study natural and anthropogenic aerosol particles and chemical processes in the atmosphere.

Scientific curiosity and teamwork are at the forefront. However, our expeditions also offer plenty of opportunities for adventure.

Scientific curiosity and teamwork are our focus, but we also embrace the spirit of adventure on our expeditions.

News

Amazon rainforest, research tower (photographed from below)

Amazon rainforest emits new stress-defense molecules during El Niño drought

June 02, 2026

New study by the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry shows: The forest chemically adapts to extreme drought – and continues responding long after the stress ends.

Four-panel collage showing a sunlit yellow flowering field, a single wind turbine on a grassy hill, detailed solar panel surface, and a metal electricity pylon against a partly cloudy sky.

Europe benefits from a faster renewable energy transition

June 01, 2026

In response to rising and volatile fossil fuel prices, accelerated deployment of renewable forms of energy to achieve carbon neutrality is expected to benefit not only the climate but also provide substantial air quality, health and economic co-benefits.

Man in blue shirt stands beside measurement device in a laboratory.

Mainz-based atmospheric researcher to receive the 2026 Vilhelm Bjerknes Medal

May 07, 2026

Jonathan Williams has been honored by the European Geosciences Union (EGU) for his pioneering work in the field of volatile organic compounds and their significance in atmospheric chemistry.

Continuous aerosol particle formation over the Amazon rainforest

April 17, 2026

A hidden mechanism continuously forms new aerosol particles from gaseous precursors in the Amazon rainforest, challenging previous assumptions about the sources of cloud condensation nuclei and their role in the hydrological cycle and climate.

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