METIS: the Mid-infrared E-ELT Imager and Spectrograph

METISwill be among the first generation of scientific instrumentson the E-ELT. Focusing on highest angular resolution and high spectral resolution, METISwill provide diffraction limited imaging and coronagraphy from 3-14μm over an 20x20 field of view, as well as integral field spectroscopy at R ~ 100,000 from 2.9-5.3μm. In addition, METISprovides medium-resolution (R ~ 5000) long slit spectroscopy, and polarimetric measurements at N band. While the baseline concept has already been discussed at previous conferences, this paper focuses on the significant developments over the past two years in several areas: The science case has been updated to account for recent progress in the main science areascircum-stellar disksand the formation of planets, exoplanetdetection and characterization, Solar system formation, massive stars and clusters, and star formation in external galaxies. We discuss the developments in the adaptive optics (AO) concept for METIS, the telescope interface, and the instrument modelling. Last but not least we provide an overview of our technology development programs, which ranges from coronagraphicmasks, immersed gratings, and cryogenic beam chopperto novel approaches to mirror polishing, background calibration and cryo-cooling. These developments have further enhanced the designand technology readinessof METISto reliably serve as an early discovery machine on the E-ELT.