Together with three Clusters of Excellence (Freiburg's CIBSS – Centre for Integrative Biological Signaling Studies(externer Link), Cologne's CECAD – Excellence on Aging and Aging-associated Diseases(externer Link), and Bonn's ImmunoSensation(externer Link)) the DFG's North American office was an exhibitor at Cell Bio 2025, the most recent annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) and the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) in Philadelphia in early December. At a spacious exhibition booth, visitors to the conference were able to hear about career and funding opportunities for internationally mobile researchers in Germany and learn about the interdisciplinary focus areas of the three Clusters of Excellence.

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The federal and state governments promote international competitiveness in research at German universities through the Excellence Strategy(interner Link), which is administered by the DFG and the Science Council in Germany. Thanks to long funding periods it enables scientific excellence in the Excellence Clusters funding line; boosts the profiles of the participating universities; helps establish permanent structures, and improves cooperation amongst important players in academia, such as the Max Planck Institutes. In short, Clusters of Excellence are a game changer for German university research and are a highlight of the German research network, which helps us regularly promote Germany as a prime location for research and innovation abroad. Because the USA plays a globally prominent role in many research fields, conferences held by professional associations in the US are important venues for these promotional activities.

The ASCB was held this year Dec. 6 - 10 in Philadelphia; with 3,500 participants, it is the most important conference in the field of cell biology. At our booth, the three DFG-funded Clusters of Excellence covered such topics as the marvels of communication in the molecular language of life (Freiburg to immunology as the key to better health (Bonn) to efforts to understand the molecular and cellular processes of aging in order to promote healthy aging (Cologne).

Because microscopy and other analytical methods play a prominent role in cell biology, suppliers of optical systems have traditionally dominated the exhibition area at ASCB conferences; increasingly, however, techniques for automating laboratory experiments have been added. More recently, suppliers of AI tools have also joined the fray in order to better evaluate the rapidly growing flood of data, which will hopefully lead to an unexpected leap in understanding and a paradigm shift.

The DFG-funded clusters are also working on this. In addition to a booth in the exhibition section of the conference, the DFG organized a “Scientific Session” as part of the conference program. At this event, “Cell Biology in Germany: An Introduction to Three Research Hubs,” the three representatives presented their respective research priorities and the exceptionally good career opportunities available for the participating researchers and also for internationally mobile talent. Making German Clusters of Excellence an even stronger magnet for international talent is the raison d’etre for DFG's advertising efforts in North America. The clusters also help to attract attention beyond the Max Planck Institutes, which are already well known and highly regarded abroad.

The next annual meeting of the ASCB will take place in San Diego on the West Coast in 2026.