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About the department

The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (MBG) is part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Aarhus University and comprises research within the areas of Plant Molecular Biology, Neurobiology, RNA Biology and Innovation, Protein Science, Cellular Health, Intervention and Nutrition and Bioinformatics. The department hosts 158 full time scientific staff, 77 technical/ administrative staff and 83 PhD students. 165 of the department's scientific staff and PhD students come from abroad from 49 different countries. The department is responsible for two educations, Molecular Biology and Molecular Medicine, with a yearly uptake of 120 students in total.

The main tasks of the Department of Molecular Biology are to to provide research-based teaching at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral level, to do research at an international level, to transfer knowledge to companies, and to disseminate research activities and results of our research in molecular biology to our stakeholders (foundations, current and potential students, potential new researchers, the Danish population, etc.).

Research largely takes place in collaboration with researchers from other laboratories, both in Denmark and abroad, and often in collaboration with researchers from other research areas. Several of the department's researchers also have a collaboration with industry.

The Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics strives to ensure that new knowledge generated by researchers is communicated to a wider group in society, and as far as possible leads to the development of new products and technologies. Among other things, this is reflected in collaboration with companies, patents, entrepreneurship, industrial PhD's, collaboration with secondary school pupils as well as dissemination of knowledge to the general public.  

Staff and students

  • 158 scientific staff 
  • 77 technical and administrative staff 
  • 83 PhD students
  • 35 Master's thesis students
  • 541 Master and bachelor students (in molecular biology and molecular medicine)

165 of the department's employees come from abroad from 49 different countries (October 2023)

See a list of the department's staff, PhD students and students writing their MSc thesis

Education

The department's staff participate in the education of students in biology, medical chemistry, molecular medicine, molecular biology and biotechnology.

Read more about the education.

Research

The research at the department covers the five main areas:

  • Plant Molecular Biology
  • Neurobiology
  • RNA Biology and Innovation
  • Protein Science
  • Cellular Health, Intervention and Nutrition
  • Bioinformatics

Read more about the research

The department is localised at four different locations