Life and Medical Sciences Bonn
LIMES (Life and Medical Sciences Bonn) is an institute and science center at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn . The research groups based there are jointly researching metabolic control mechanisms and cellular signaling pathways in growth, aging and the regulation of the immune system . Metabolic diseases such as obesity , lipid storage diseases, diabetes and autoimmune diseases are also in focus . The working groups of the interdisciplinary LIMES institute come from the fields of biology , chemistry and medicine .
The joint research initiatives of the LIMES institute include the two special research areas SFB 645 and SFB 704 and the graduate college GRK 804, which are funded by the German Research Foundation. The institute's training programs include the Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biomedicine and the Master’s degree in Life & Medical Sciences.
The new construction of the first of two construction phases of the LIMES Institute in Poppelsdorf was completed in 2010.
history
In 2000, the interdisciplinary LIMES concept was created in order to carry out joint biomedical research and training programs. The concept was based on 3 pillars:
- the establishment of joint third-party funded projects, such as research groups and special research areas, funded by the German Research Foundation .
- the establishment of innovative courses with the aim of training excellent young scientists.
- the establishment of an interdisciplinary center for basic biomedical research, the LIMES center, in which the working groups involved in the joint research and training programs can work together “under one roof”.
- As part of the 1st pillar
- 2001 the DFG research group FOR 425 with Hoch as speaker
- 2002 the Graduate College GRK 804 with Famulok as speaker (in the same year Famulok also received the DFG Leibniz Prize for his research in the field of RNA technologies)
- 2005 the Collaborative Research Center SFB 645 with the topic “Biomembranes” with Hoch as speaker
- In 2006 the Collaborative Research Center SFB 704 on the local regulation of the immune system with Kolanus as spokesperson was acquired.
The LIMES Institute has also been involved in the DFG excellence cluster "ImmunoSensation: the immune sensory system" since 2012.
- As part of the 2nd pillar, the interdisciplinary course in molecular biomedicine was set up for 30 students per year in 2003/2004 . In 2006 a summer exchange program Life Sciences and Culture Bonn was started for students at Harvard University in America . Building on the Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biomedicine, a Master's degree in Life & Medical Sciences is also offered.
- The 3rd pillar of the LIMES concept was realized with the construction of the new LIMES bio center in Bonn-Poppelsdorf, which offers approx. 3,700 m² of space for laboratories and offices of currently 10 working groups as well as central rooms and a common infrastructure for research and teaching .
Research areas
- Chemical biology, medicinal chemistry, biochemistry
- Immunobiology
- Cell biology, membrane biology
- Developmental biology, genetics
- physiology