A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At
Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major
strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability.
Shaping science, sharing tomorrow.
At the
Faculty of Science there are 6 departments to make a fundamental connection with: Biology, Chemistry, Information and Computing Sciences, Mathematics, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Physics. Each of these is made up of distinct institutes that work together to focus on answering some of humanity’s most pressing challenges. More fundamental still are the individual research groups – the building blocks of our ambitious scientific projects.
The
Department of Biology consists of 12 research groups, which are organised within two institutes: the
Institute of Biodynamics and Biocomplexity (IBB) and the
Institute of Environmental Biology (IEB). The department of Biology coordinates the teaching of the Bachelor’s programme in Biology, as well as the Master’s programmes and PhD courses that are offered through the
Graduate School of Life Sciences. Each Institute promotes the maintenance of a high-quality and interactive research environment.
The research division of
Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Biophysics has the mission to acquire novel insights into the structure and function of cells and to decipher the cellular basis for human diseases such as cancer and neurological disorders. To achieve this goal, we combine the latest methods in molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics and microscopy. We are interested in the mechanisms underlying cytoskeletal dynamics, membrane transport and signalling pathways that underlie cell proliferation and differentiation, neuronal development and synaptic plasticity. We investigate cellular processes at a broad range of levels, from single molecules and protein networks to cells, tissues, and whole organisms. The main research topics within the division are cellular organisation and dynamics, molecular neuroscience, biophysics, synaptic physiology, molecular oncology and molecular targeted therapies. The division also encompasses the
Utrecht Nanobody Facility, the
Cellular Engineering Facility and the
Biology Imaging Center (BIC), an expert center for advanced light microscopy that houses a large number of advanced microscopy setups.