The Lower Saxony Ministry of Finance, as shareholder of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH, has appointed Prof. Dr. Yvonne Mast as interim scientific director until a new scientific director is appointed on the basis of the joint appointment process with the Technical University of Braunschweig. The appointment was necessary due to the transfer of Prof. Dr. Jörg Overmann to Munich. Jörg Overmann was Scientific Director of the DSMZ from February 1, 2010, to July 31, 2025. Bettina Fischer remains Administrative Director of the Leibniz Institute DSMZ.