8 September 2026

Photo: DESY

Prof. Henry Chapman is a leading expert in serial femtosecond crystallography.

Every two years, the North German Science Prize is awarded for outstanding achievements in the context of exceptional cross-state research collaborations. This year, the focus is on the life sciences. Among the recipients is a project in which cluster spokesperson Prof. Henry Chapman has a leading role.

How migratory birds use the Earth’s magnetic field for navigation at the molecular level is one of the great mysteries of biology. The project “The Magnetic Sense of Migratory Birds: From Quantum States to Biological Function” is addressing this for the first time with atomic precision, combining biology, biophysics, and structural biology: Using time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography, the project aims to test whether the protein cryptochrome 4 changes its shape in response to a magnetic field and functions as a magnetic field sensor in animals. Serial femtosecond crystallography is a specialty of Henry Chapman, who conducts research as a professor at the University of Hamburg, a lead scientist at DESY, and a member of the Cluster of Excellence “CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter.”

In this award-winning project, researchers from two Clusters of Excellence in different federal states are collaborating. Participants include the University of Hamburg, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), and the European XFEL in Hamburg. The jury rated the project as an internationally unique achievement in light of the infrastructure utilized.

In addition, another project involving the University of Hamburg received an award: “Disrupt, Evade, Exploit: Gene Expression and Manipulation of the Host Response in DNA Virus Infections” (DEEP-DV) investigates mechanisms in DNA virus infections that can contribute to chronic diseases. The Initiative for Digital Implant Research (IDIR) was honored as the third project.

The North German Science Prize is endowed with a total of 250,000 euros. The three winners will share the prize money, each receiving 83,000 euros. The prize is awarded by the North German Conference of Science Ministers (NWMK) to recognize outstanding cross-state research collaborations that achieve scientific excellence, strengthen scientific networks in Northern Germany, and promote their visibility and competitiveness.

Presse release: Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Kultur, Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (PDF)