At the Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT), the fiber optics and biophotonics research focuses will be working together more closely in the future. As part of this collaboration, Markus Schmidt will be heading a new research group at IPHT. He has also received an endowed professorship of fiber optics at the University of Jena. This professorship is being funded by the Foundation for Technology, Innovation, and Research of Thuringia (STIFT) as well as Analytik Jena AG and IPHT. This will greatly strengthen both fundamental research and the development of methods and instruments for the application of fiber sensors in the life sciences at IPHT. [The PDF below contains the full German press release]