Institute of Molecular Biotechnology
Encyclopedia
The Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA) is an independent research organisation founded as a joint initiative of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
in cooperation with the company Boehringer Ingelheim an international pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Germany. IMBA operates in close collaboration with the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology
, Boehringer's basic research center both located next to each other at the Campus Vienna Biocenter (VBC).
, RNA interference
, and epigenetics
research performed by independent research groups. The topics actually addressed at the institute are:
(IMP) offer a state-of-the-art infrastructure for scientists who are dedicated to making a difference in biological molecular research.
Services offered comprise the Bioinformatics
department for sequence analysis, scientific data mining
with hardware and software infrastructure. The BioOptics facility offers analytical flow cytometry
, cell sorting and microscopy
. The Electron Microscopy facility provides two transmission electron microscopes
of 100 kV and 300 kV. The Genomics department, for DNA microarray
services and next-generation sequencing devices. There is a protein chemistry department for mass spectrometry
experiments. The Max Perutz Library provides information service for all literature needs.
An animal house helps managing mice colonies, and other facilities include the service department, the workshop, an art department and a kindergarten at service for the staff of the IMP.
The animal facility supervises care of mice and hosts the Austrian Network for Functional Mouse Genomics which focus on transgenic mouse technologies.
coordinate a high-standard international PhD program to training outstanding students who want to pursue a scientific career. The students are selected twice a year and are invited to Vienna for a week of interviews, where the candidates talk to all the group leaders and get to know the institute facilities. The successful candidates are selected in agreement with principal investigator’s choices and the students perspectives.
(IMP).
The construction of the institute started in 2003 until 2006 when it was finally inaugurated. The institute lies wall-to-wall with the IMP, to enhance collaborations and with whom they share the scientific facilities.
IMBA goes on expanding and in 2007 the Vienna Drosophila RNAi Center (VDRC) in collaboration with the IMP is opened.
Since 2007 IMBA has a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) for decision making chaired by Nobel prize winner Eric Kandel.
Josef Penninger, the scientific director has been elected as a full member of The Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), he has been awarded with the Ernst Jung Prize
for Medicine by the Jung-Stiftung for Science and Research, the Descartes Prize for Research by the European Commission and has received the Carus-Medal by the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
During his time in the institute, Dr. Barry Dickson was recognized with the Wittgenstein Award which is the most generously supported research program in Austria, awarded by the Federal Ministry for Science.
The institute has also received support by the European Research Council and Kazufumi Mochizuki has received one of the European Research Council
’s first awarded "ERC Starting grants".
Austrian Academy of Sciences
The Austrian Academy of Sciences is a legal entity under the special protection of the Federal Republic of Austria. According to the statutes of the Academy its mission is to promote the sciences and humanities in every respect and in every field, particularly in fundamental research...
in cooperation with the company Boehringer Ingelheim an international pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Germany. IMBA operates in close collaboration with the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology
Research Institute of Molecular Pathology
The Research Institute of Molecular Pathology is a basic biomedical research center sponsored largely by the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, and located in the Campus Vienna Biocenter ....
, Boehringer's basic research center both located next to each other at the Campus Vienna Biocenter (VBC).
Main Research Areas
IMBA’s vision is to understand the fundamental molecular mechanism in molecular biological processes and currently focus in cell biologyCell biology
Cell biology is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level...
, RNA interference
RNA interference
RNA interference is a process within living cells that moderates the activity of their genes. Historically, it was known by other names, including co-suppression, post transcriptional gene silencing , and quelling. Only after these apparently unrelated processes were fully understood did it become...
, and epigenetics
Epigenetics
In biology, and specifically genetics, epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence – hence the name epi- -genetics...
research performed by independent research groups. The topics actually addressed at the institute are:
- Bones, Immunity and Cancer (Josef Penninger)
- Epigenetic Regulation by the Polycomb and Trithorax group proteins (Leonie Ringrose)
- The piRNA Pathway in the Drosophila Germline - an RNA based Genome Immune System (Julius Brennecke)
- Mechanisms of RNA silencing in human cell (Javier Martínez)
- Asymmetric cell division and proliferation control in Drosophila (Jürgen Knoblich)
- RNA-directed DNA elimination in Tetrahymena (Kazufumi Mochizuki)
- Design and function of molecular machines (Thomas Marlovits)
Core Facilities
IMBA services are shared with the Research Institute of Molecular PathologyResearch Institute of Molecular Pathology
The Research Institute of Molecular Pathology is a basic biomedical research center sponsored largely by the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, and located in the Campus Vienna Biocenter ....
(IMP) offer a state-of-the-art infrastructure for scientists who are dedicated to making a difference in biological molecular research.
Services offered comprise the Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and information technology to the field of biology and medicine. Bioinformatics deals with algorithms, databases and information systems, web technologies, artificial intelligence and soft computing, information and computation theory, software...
department for sequence analysis, scientific data mining
Data mining
Data mining , a relatively young and interdisciplinary field of computer science is the process of discovering new patterns from large data sets involving methods at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics and database systems...
with hardware and software infrastructure. The BioOptics facility offers analytical flow cytometry
Flow cytometry
Flow cytometry is a technique for counting and examining microscopic particles, such as cells and chromosomes, by suspending them in a stream of fluid and passing them by an electronic detection apparatus. It allows simultaneous multiparametric analysis of the physical and/or chemical...
, cell sorting and microscopy
Microscopy
Microscopy is the technical field of using microscopes to view samples and objects that cannot be seen with the unaided eye...
. The Electron Microscopy facility provides two transmission electron microscopes
Transmission electron microscopy
Transmission electron microscopy is a microscopy technique whereby a beam of electrons is transmitted through an ultra thin specimen, interacting with the specimen as it passes through...
of 100 kV and 300 kV. The Genomics department, for DNA microarray
DNA microarray
A DNA microarray is a collection of microscopic DNA spots attached to a solid surface. Scientists use DNA microarrays to measure the expression levels of large numbers of genes simultaneously or to genotype multiple regions of a genome...
services and next-generation sequencing devices. There is a protein chemistry department for mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry
Mass spectrometry is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of charged particles.It is used for determining masses of particles, for determining the elemental composition of a sample or molecule, and for elucidating the chemical structures of molecules, such as peptides and...
experiments. The Max Perutz Library provides information service for all literature needs.
An animal house helps managing mice colonies, and other facilities include the service department, the workshop, an art department and a kindergarten at service for the staff of the IMP.
Associated projects
The Vienna Drosophila RNAi Center (VDRC) is located at IMBA, and is available to researchers worldwide. It collects an RNAi library with above 22,000 Drosophila strains.The animal facility supervises care of mice and hosts the Austrian Network for Functional Mouse Genomics which focus on transgenic mouse technologies.
International PhD Program
The Campus Vienna Biocenter and the University of ViennaUniversity of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
coordinate a high-standard international PhD program to training outstanding students who want to pursue a scientific career. The students are selected twice a year and are invited to Vienna for a week of interviews, where the candidates talk to all the group leaders and get to know the institute facilities. The successful candidates are selected in agreement with principal investigator’s choices and the students perspectives.
History
In 1999 the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology was founded as a joint initiative of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and Boehringer Ingelheim. The Austrian Government and the city of Vienna would also contribute to its funding and in 2002 the geneticist Josef Penninger started as the Scientific Director of IMBA who would recruit Barry Dickson as the first group leader in house and who is actually the director of the neighbor institute Research Institute of Molecular PathologyResearch Institute of Molecular Pathology
The Research Institute of Molecular Pathology is a basic biomedical research center sponsored largely by the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, and located in the Campus Vienna Biocenter ....
(IMP).
The construction of the institute started in 2003 until 2006 when it was finally inaugurated. The institute lies wall-to-wall with the IMP, to enhance collaborations and with whom they share the scientific facilities.
IMBA goes on expanding and in 2007 the Vienna Drosophila RNAi Center (VDRC) in collaboration with the IMP is opened.
Since 2007 IMBA has a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) for decision making chaired by Nobel prize winner Eric Kandel.
Awards
Even being a newcomer in the Molecular Biology community, the IMBA has soon received recognition in the form of awards to its researchers and grants for outstanding projects.Josef Penninger, the scientific director has been elected as a full member of The Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), he has been awarded with the Ernst Jung Prize
Ernst Jung Prize
The Ernst Jung Prize is a prize awarded annually for excellence in biomedical sciences. The Ernst Jung Foundation, funded by Hamburg merchant Ernst Jung in 1967 grants the Ernst Jung Prize in Medicine, now € 300,000, since 1976 and the lifetime achievement Ernst Jung Gold Medal for Medicine since...
for Medicine by the Jung-Stiftung for Science and Research, the Descartes Prize for Research by the European Commission and has received the Carus-Medal by the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
During his time in the institute, Dr. Barry Dickson was recognized with the Wittgenstein Award which is the most generously supported research program in Austria, awarded by the Federal Ministry for Science.
The institute has also received support by the European Research Council and Kazufumi Mochizuki has received one of the European Research Council
European Research Council
The European Research Council is the independent body that funds investigator-driven frontier research in the European Union . It is part of the Seventh Research Framework Programme ....
’s first awarded "ERC Starting grants".