In March the cooperation agreement between our Institute and the Max-Planck Society (MPG) has been finalized and signed by Prof. Peter Gruss, President and Dr. Ludwig Kronthaler, Secretary General of MPG and by Prof. Jacek Kuźnicki, Director and Prof. Michał Witt, Scientific Director of IIMCB. The agreement concerns the establishment of two Max Planck/IIMCB Research Groups, one in IIMCB, other in the Max-Planck Institute of Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim. Each of the parties will finance a research group with its own budget. On March 22, in Bad Nauheim, a competition for both positions was held. Negotiations with successful candidates are currently underway. A research group in IIMCB is to focus on studies on zebrafish model.