Lab work, as pictured here at the Centre for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB), awaits students not just after graduation.

Biology, the science of life, encompasses a multitude of disciplines. This diversity is reflected in the variety of subjects to be studied at the Faculty of Biology and Geography, ranging from organismic disciplines in Zoology and Botany to molecular aspects in Genetics, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. The various groups collaborate closely with the Centre for Medical Biotechnology (ZMB) and the Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU).

Research at the Faculty focuses on three main
areas. In Medical Biology, biologists from the Faculty work in close cooperation with medical scientists to understand the principles of human diseases on a mo­lecular level. Building on this knowledge, they aim to develop specific treatment strategies with minimal side effects for rare or previously incurable diseases. In the closely associated DFG-funded Research Training Group, Transcription, Chromatin Structure and DNA Repair in Development and Differentiation, young PhD students have the opportunity to explore the principles of gene regulation under healthy and pathological conditions in an excellent research environment.

The Faculty's second focus is on water ecology and environmental sciences. Research in this field ranges from studies on biodiversity to parasitology and applied disciplines in the assessment of water bodies. In this context, scientists from the Faculty have acquired the EU project WISER (Water bodies in Europe: Integrative Systems to assess Ecological status and Recovery), which is aimed at developing new methods of assessing and restoring aquatic ecosystems.

Empirical research in teaching and learning is the third main focus of the Fa­culty. It responds to the educational challenges resulting from comparative international studies on science teaching.

In order to complement the focus on teacher training, research-based Bachelor and Master programmes are currently being introduced. The courses in Medical Biol-ogy, for example, which prepare young scientists for
academic and industrial research, have attracted considerable interest in the past few years. In addition, accreditation processes are underway for the Bachelor/Master programmes Biology and Environmental Toxicology. An international Master programme entitled Transnational Ecosystem Based Water Management, which trains graduates in ecology, technology and management, is offered in cooperation with the University of Nijmegen (Netherlands).