Copyright: Katrin Boes / MPI-CBG
On April 27, 2023, fifteen girls attended the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) for Girls' Day. They learned about the life of a researcher through presentations and a lab tour. Justina and Kristin, two female PhD students, and MPI-CBG Director Emerita Elisabeth Knust discussed their professions and answered questions such as: What is it like to be a scientist? Can you do research while raising a family? Why did you choose to be a scientist? The girls looked at miniature organ models (organoids) under the microscope in the research lab of MPI-CBG Director Anne Grapin-Botton. Michaela from the Electron Microscopy Facility took the girls on an up-close tour of an electron microscope. The MPI-CBG encourages discussion with interested girls because, even today, female scientists often have a more challenging time in the science world than their male colleagues.
Girls' Day, an initiative of the Federal Ministries for Education and Research (BMBF) and Family Affairs, the Elderly, Women, and Youth (BMFSFJ), is a German-wide campaign that introduces schoolgirls to a variety of careers and activities. Girls are especially encouraged to pursue technical careers in fields where women are still underrepresented, such as "MINT" (mathematics, engineering, natural sciences, and technology).