Welcome to the Faculty of Biology
Faculty of Biology
has three main areas of research: medical biology, water and environmental research
and empirical teaching and learning research.
The faculty in numbers
> 1600 students
7,5M€ grants
7,85 M€ budget
54 non scientific staff
130 scientific staff
22 professors
The website of the Faculty of Biology is currently under construction!
Our research focuses
from molecular biology issues, through the level of organs and organisms to complex ecosystems
Research focus Medical Biology
Biomedical research at the Faculty aims to identify disease mechanisms at the molecular level and to develop biotechnological methods that can be used to influence these processes in order to develop more precise diagnostics and novel active substances.
Research focus Water and environmental research
The focus of the working groups on "Water Research" is on questions relating to the development, changes and restoration of aquatic biodiversity from the level of genes and species communities to ecosystems and their function. In addition to basic research, the focus is on interdisciplinary, application-oriented research projects.
Research focus Empirical teaching and learning research
The research focus on subject-related empirical teaching and learning research investigates questions relating to the learning and teaching of biology at school, at university or at extracurricular learning venues. In cooperation with other working groups in subject didactics and teaching-learning research, they also investigate interdisciplinary questions. They are integrated into the Interdisciplinary Center for Educational Research (IZfB) and the Center for Teacher Education (ZLB).
Latest news from the Faculty of Biology
Autumn 2025
Autumn 2025
Heat check for freshwater organisms
Global Atlas of Thermal Tolerance
- von Janina Balzer
- 07.10.2025
Climate change not only causes temperatures on land and in the sea to rise, but also leads to warming rivers, lakes, and streams – with serious consequences for the animals living within them. A research team at the University of Duisburg-Essen has published the largest openly accessible collection of data on the thermal tolerance of freshwater organisms to date. This data helps water management and government authorities to enact preventive measures to protect animals living in and around water.
Autumn 2025
Research project on leukaemia in children
A new, twofold approach
- von Birte Vierjahn
- 13.10.2025
Scientists at the University of Duisburg-Essen are researching new therapies for aggressive forms of childhood leukaemia. For the first time, their approach tries to distinguish between two subtypes using so-called nanobody PROTACs. These attack diseased tissue while sparing healthy cells. The José Carreras Leukaemia Foundation is supporting the project, led by Prof. Dr. Shirley Knauer and Dr. Mike Blueggel from the Faculty of Biology, with 143,740 euros for two years.
Autumn 2025
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung funds a novel approach to targeted protein degradation A New Path in Personalized Cancer Therapy through Nanobody PROTACs
[13.10.2025] Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung will fund a new research project starting in October 2025 that explores tumor-specific protein degradation strategies. The goal is to develop novel therapeutic approaches for head and neck cancers, including laryngeal carcinoma.
The team led by Dr. Mike Blüggel at the Center of Medical Biotechnology (ZMB) is developing tailored nanobody-based PROTACs designed to selectively target the survival enzyme Survivin.
Summer 2025
From Muscle Soreness Molecule to Protective Shield
How Lactate Defends Cells under Stress
- von Janina Balzer
- 12.09.2025
Many people are familiar with lactate primarily from sport, where it is produced in muscle cells during physical exertion. However, the molecule could also play an important role in other cell types. Researchers at Essen University Hospital and the Center for Medical Biotechnology at the University of Duisburg-Essen propose that lactate, together with iron, forms a previously overlooked defence system against oxidative stress. This could open up new therapeutic opportunities in medicine, for example in cancer therapy or in neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases.
Summer 2025
New Research Project at the UDE
Nanobodies Against Cancer
- von Birte Vierjahn
- 10.09.2025
Cancer cells often survive even strong therapies, partly due to a protein called survivin. A research team at the Center of Medical Biotechnology at the University of Duisburg-Essen is now looking to disable this protection specifically. The aim is to bind survivin and break it down using novel nanobodies. This could make tumour cells more sensitive to treatment again. The project is funded by the Brigitte and Dr Konstanze Wegener Foundation.