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AN INTERNATIONAL NETWORKMAPS host labs are among others:

In Heidelberg: Centre for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), German cancer research centre (DKFZ), and the European Molecular Biology labora-tory (EMBL)

In Germany: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding in Cologne, and the Freiburg University

Abroad: Escola Superior Agraria, Ins. Politécnico de Braganca Portugal Spain, University of Padua Italy, University of Amsterdam Netherlands, University of Dundee UK, James Hutton Inst. Dundee UK, Cambridge University UK, The Sainsbury Lab Norwich UK, Umea University Sweden, University of California Los Angeles USA, Universi-ty of California Riverside USA, University of California Davis USA, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories USA, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Philippines, Tsinghua University China, University of Adelaide Australia, AgriBio Institute Melbourne Australa, CSIRO Agriculture & Food, Wine Innovation Waite Campus Urrbae Australa

Non-academic laboratories: Dienstleistungszentren Ländlicher Raum (DLR) RheinlandPfalz, Julius Kuehn Institute in Dossenheim, AlPlanta Neustadt, FarmersCut Hamburg, BASF Limburgerhof, and Ag Research Ltd in New Zealand

MASTER MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCESMAJOR MOLECULAR AND APPLIED PLANT SCIENCES (MAPS)

More information about MAPs:www.cos.uni-heidelberg.de

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMAPS students are internationally selected and form a small group (max. 12) fully embedded into the scientific life of the COS. MAPS students benefit from an inverted ratio of lecturers to students, lea-ding to high quality mentoring of their progression. MAPS lecturers help students in their choice of academics and industry labs and career prospects.

BEYOND MAPSMAPS alumni have followed exemplary career paths in and outside of academia, illustrating that MAPS training will not only qualify you for an academic career (in plant and in non-plant research areas) of the life sciences but also for a career in the industry.

Semester 1Lectures and MAPS practicals

Semester 2MAPS specific lectures & rotations

Semester 3Full time in MAPS labs

Semester 4Master Thesis

MAPS Graduation

PhD~75%

Research in industry ~15%

Science communicationGovernmental and non-governmental agencies etc …~10%

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MAJOR MOLECULAR AND APPLIED PLANT SCIENCES (MAPS)At the forefront of modern plant science to tackle global future challenges. The major Molecular and Applied Plant Sciences (MAPS) is a re-search-oriented degree program that focuses on the in-depth scientific investigation of the molecular mechanisms that control the processes of plant development and adaption to the environment as well as how to translate this knowledge to applications.

MAPS is a program hosted by the Centre for Organismal Studies (COS) at Heidelberg University which is home to a very active community of plant researchers who are renowned leaders in the fields of plant development, cell biology and physiology and address the global chal-lenges of food security, green technology and climate change.

A RESEARCH DRIVEN CURRICULUMThe MAPS curriculum covers a wide range of topics from plant biochemistry, cell biology, physiology to developmental biology and is organised in blocks of lectures and laboratory work. MAPS is a research driven program and students spend most of their time actively performing laboratory work with access to advanced equipment for high-end microscopy, genomics, transcrip-tomics and metabolomics. All lectures are condensed on the first two semesters during which MAPS students start their lab rota-tions. From the third semester on they spend 100% of their time in research laboratories. We have built an important international network of academic and industrial host labs, which offers many opportunities for our students to discover a very wide range of topics and methodologies.

“During this programme, I especially liked the op-

portunity to join different laboratories and to get

involved in various projects. These lab rotations give me the chance to discover new interests, learn new tech-

niques and to become more and more independent.”

Gabriele Bradamante (Italy), class of 2015/2016

“Obtaining the ability to conceive the ecological and economic consequences of new technologies for nature and society, is important to

me. In my point of view, this is probably one of the most

difficult challenges for scien-tists in order to tackle global

issues.”

Maximilian Reinert (Germany), class of 2015/2016

Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) is one of the model organisms used for studying plant biology and the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced.

Fluorescence image of an Arabidopsis thaliana root. The cells nuclei are in magenta and the plasma membrane in green. Image by Fernan Federici - Cambridge University.

Microfluidics device used to grow Arabidopsis plants in defined micro-environment.

“What I liked most about the Master program was

the small number of students per professor/instructor. This created

an ideal environment for the exchange of ideas,

discussion and sharing of feedback”

Rebecca Vázquez Kiesel (Germany)

class of 2012/2013

MASTER MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCESMolecular and Applied Plant Sciences (MAPS) is one of the majors of the master program Molecular Biosciences. Molecular Biosciences is the main international Master Programme of the Faculty of Bioscien-ces and has been running successfully since 2007. All of the teaching is in English and we welcome students from all over the world. Mole-cular Biosciences offers you the chance to continue your academic career in your favourite field of Biosciences. You can choose between 8 different Majors:

– Molecular and Applied Plant Sciences (MAPS)– Neuroscience– Molecular and Cellular Biology– Cancer Biology– Infectious Diseases– Developmental and Stem Cell Biology– Evolution and Ecology– Systems Biology

Each Major is designed to provide a comprehensive but focussed training in the exciting fields of modern biological research. Each Major represents a special research area in Heidelberg. Our goal is to give you an intensive training and tutoring with a strong emphasis on original research to provide you with an optimal start to our Faculty‘s Graduate programmes, to continue your academic career with your PhD.

BECOMING A MAPS STUDENTFuture MAPS students apply to the master Molecular Biosciences and select MAPS as major. Deadline is every year in mid-march.

www.bio.uni-heidelberg.de/fakultaetbio/en/ mscmolbio_application