Tatiana Ilyina Appointed Director at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology

As of February 2026, Tatiana Ilyina is strengthening the executive board at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen. Founded in 1992, the institute investigates the diversity and function of marine microorganisms and their interactions with their environment. Ilyina will contribute her outstanding expertise on the carbon cycle in the ocean and its role in the Earth’s climate to strengthen and expand the institute’s research focus. She is now starting to build her team at the Max Planck Institute in Bremen and will take up full duties as a director in May 2026.

“Integrating novel empirical microbiological observations into the next generation of Earth system models opens great opportunities for discovery”, Ilyina said. “As director at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, I will be uniquely positioned to drive this integration and realize its full scientific potential. I am genuinely excited to bring together my expertise in modelling with emerging directions in marine microbiology at the institute. The Bremen area feels like the ideal place for this work, given its exceptional strength in marine sciences, and I look forward to helping shape a collaborative research environment that enables bold ideas, deep integration across disciplines, and lasting scientific impact.”

Tatiana Ilyina has led a research group at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology from 2010 until 2026. In 2023, she was appointed professor of Earth system science at the University of Hamburg and the Helmholtz Centre Hereon. Through her research, Ilyina has made significant contributions to a better understanding of the carbon cycle in the ocean and its impact on the climate. For her outstanding achievements, she received the coveted Fritjof Nansen Medal from the European Geosciences Union in 2025, one of the most important awards in oceanography.