Biozentrum of the University of Würzburg
| Biozentrum of the University of Würzburg | |
|---|---|
 Logo Biozentrum Würzburg |
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| Category: | research Institute |
| Carrier: | Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg |
| Consist: | Since 1993 |
| Seat of the wearer: | Wurzburg |
| Type of research: | Basic research |
| Subjects: | Life sciences |
| Areas of expertise: | Biology , chemistry , medicine |
| Management: | Utz Fischer (speaker) |
| Homepage: | www.biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de |
The Biozentrum of the University of Würzburg is a cross- faculty facility of the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg. It conducts basic research and teaching in the field of life sciences and combines the fields of biology, chemistry and pharmacy as well as medicine. Research focuses on the adaptation of plants, mechanisms of human diseases, molecular biophysics and networks, neural control of behavior, environment and organismic interaction, as well as cell function and organ development.
History and goals
The biochemist Ernst Helmreich , his colleague Guido Hartmann and the zoologist Martin Lindauer had the idea of building a biocenter at the University of Würzburg back in the 1970s. At that time, the Faculty of Natural Sciences was divided into several smaller departments. Hartmann, Helmreich and Lindauer saw the negative consequences of the increasing specialization of the individual disciplines. They considered close cooperation between physics, chemistry, biology and medicine to be desirable, even urgent, and they took the initiative to found a center. Chairs from natural science faculties were to be combined in a new institution and a building erected for it.
At the time of the inauguration in May 1993, the term “Biozentrum” referred to what was initially the only inter-faculty institution of its kind in Germany. After the merger with the Plant Sciences and various extensions, the Biozentrum today (as of 2020) consists of 15 chairs (ten from the Faculty of Biology , one from the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy and four from the Faculty of Medicine), several junior research groups and central research institutions.
profile
As a university institution, the Biozentrum has a broad scientific base in order to be able to offer teaching in the subjects of biology, biochemistry and medicine. Research is carried out on the level of whole organisms as well as on the cellular and molecular level. The research areas are divided into adaptation of plants, mechanisms of human diseases, molecular biophysics and networks, neural control of behavior, environment and organismic interaction as well as cell function and organ development.
The Biozentrum relies on specialized equipment centers (core facilities) to make modern technologies accessible to its scientists. It also develops its own technologies to penetrate deeper into the field of life sciences.
Several scientists from the Biozentrum received prizes (including the Leibniz Prize , ERC Advanced and Starting Grants, Communicator Prize ).
Important discoveries were made with the significant contribution of scientists from the Biozentrum. Examples are the work on the role of G proteins by Ernst Helmreich , behavioral physiology and sociobiology by Bert Hölldobler , the development of neurogenetics by Martin Heisenberg and optogenetics by Georg Nagel .
Studies and promotion of young talent
The idea of the Biozentrum is to train students at an interdisciplinary and international research location. The distances between the lecture hall and the laboratory, between learning the theory and practical application are short. The wide range of subjects accommodates the different interests of the students who can later specialize in an active research environment. Study coordinators at the institute accompany and advise students during their training.
Rooms and access to the institute's infrastructure are available for advanced and independent young researchers. Currently (as of 2020), five young research groups supported by Emmy Noether or Heisenberg grants are active at the Biozentrum.
Chairs and institutions
The Biozentrum currently (as of 2020) has 15 chairs:
- Biochemistry - Utz Fischer
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology - Martin Eilers
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology - Christian Häring
- Bioinformatics - Thomas Dandekar
- Biotechnology and Biophysics - Markus Sauer
- Developmental Biochemistry - Manfred Gessler
- Human Genetics - Thomas Haaf
- Microbiology - Thomas Rudel
- Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics - Rainer Hedrich
- Neurobiology and Genetics - Charlotte Helfrich-Förster
- Ecophysiology and Vegetation Ecology - Markus Riederer
- Pharmaceutical Biology - Martin J. Müller
- Animal ecology and tropical biology - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology - Wolfgang Rössler
- Cell and Developmental Biology - Markus Engstler
There are also several independent research and junior research groups, core facilities and supporting facilities.
Awards and events awarded by the institute
With the Theodor Boveri Lecture Award, the institute honors outstanding external scientists. Furthermore, it annually awards the “Biocentre Award” for the three best doctoral theses that were prepared at the Biozentrum. Every two years the Marcella Boveri Prize is awarded to an outstanding young scientist.
The institute organizes interdisciplinary colloquia that are also open to the interested public. Individual research groups offer guided tours for visitor groups and school classes. Every two years, the research activities of the Biozentrum can be viewed as part of the campus festival of the University of Würzburg.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy - History. LMU Munich, accessed on June 4, 2020 .
- ↑ Concept and history - Biozentrum. Retrieved June 4, 2020 .
- ↑ facilities. University of Würzburg, accessed on June 4, 2020 .
- ^ Research. Retrieved June 4, 2020 .
- ↑ Central research institutions - Biozentrum. Retrieved June 4, 2020 .
- ↑ Super-Resolution Microscopy - Chair of Biotechnology and Biophysics. Retrieved June 4, 2020 .
- ↑ Home - cctb. Retrieved June 4, 2020 .
- ↑ Archive - Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize. Retrieved June 5, 2020 (German).
- ↑ ERC FUNDED PROJECTS. Retrieved June 5, 2020 .
- ↑ ERC FUNDED PROJECTS. Retrieved June 5, 2020 .
- ↑ Archive - Communicator Prize. Retrieved June 5, 2020 (German).
- ↑ Third-party funded projects - Biozentrum. Retrieved June 4, 2020 .