Markus Antonietti, born in Mainz, Germany, in 1960, began his studies in chemistry at his home-town university where he also obtained his Ph.D. in 1985. He was appointed to a professorship in physical chemistry at the University of Marburg in 1991 and became director of the colloid department of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam in 1993. His research focuses on synthesis and properties of functional polymers and optical, X-ray, and hydrodynamic methods to determine structure and dynamics of polymers and colloids.