Baumeister is the pioneer of cryogenic-electron tomography, which enables researchers to construct 3D images of large molecules and the insides of cells. For this work, he was awarded Hong Kong's Shaw Prize for life science and medicine this year. Now based at the iHuman Institute at the ShanghaiTech University in China, he continues to study the molecular machinery involved in type 2 diabetes. My colleagues and I had a big European Research Council grant for work on neurotoxic aggregates inside cells. But we have mandatory retirement in Germany. My contract was extended beyond the normal retirement age, and my colleagues in China knew that and said, 'Why not come to China and you can continue'' I also had offers from the United States to continue my research there, but they would have requested that I move there permanently. With ShanghaiTech University, I can come and go. I have been there six times this year, typically for two weeks at a time. There are things I had to get used...
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