Botanical Garden

Welcome to the Faculty of Biological Sciences

Botanical Garden
Image: Anne Günther/FSU

The Faculty of Biological Sciences represents a broad variety of biological disciplines as well as the nutritional sciences and pharmacy. Famous scholars such as the botanist Matthias Jacob Schleiden (1804-1881) and the zoologist Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) worked here with their sunny and dark sides.

The Faculty of Biological Sciences cooperates with other faculties of the Friedrich Schiller University and non-university research institutes of the Max Planck Society and the Leibniz Association in several coordinated research projects. These projects are part the Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse" funded by the German Research Foundation.  

  • Exzellence cluster Balance of the Microverse
    Image: Anna Schroll
    Research Cluster Balance of the MicroverseExternal link

    The Research Cluster investigates the complex interactions of microorganisms with other organisms and with their environment, which are of great significance for the functioning of ecosystems, our climate and the well-being of plants, animals and humans.

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Latest News

    • Life
    Pigments that can do more

    New study from the Cluster of Excellence ‘Balance of the Microverse’ sheds light on the bacterial use of biomass with potential for biofuels and new antibiotics
    The comparison of two cultures of Clostridium thermocellum with filter paper as a cellulose source shows the influence of the pigment YAS on cellulose degradation by the bacterium.
    Image: Jana Krabbe, Leibniz-HKI
    • Life
    Pandora’s microbes—the battle for iron in the lungs

    An interdisciplinary research team from the Cluster of Excellence ‘Balance of the Microverse’ has discovered a new group of bioactive natural substances in pathogenic bacteria of the genus Pandoraea.
    Blue-colored electron microscope image of Pandoraea sputorum, a pathogen from the lung microbiome that has been little studied to date.
    Image: Elena Herzog, Leibniz-HKI
    • Life
    When fungi take your breath

    A study from the Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse" reveals: Infection with Aspergillus fumigatus not only changes the lungs—the intestines and metabolism also play a surprising role.
    𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴 (orange) along the hyphae of the pathogenic fungus 𝘈𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴 (blue).
    Image: Liubov Nikitashina (Leibniz-HKI) und Sandor Nietzsche (EMZ-UKJ)
    • Life
    International standards for the analysis of oxidised fatty acids

    An international research team developed comprehensive guidelines for the standardised quantification of oxidised fatty acids using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.
    Dr. Markus Werner and Dr. Robert K. Hofstetter (right) in the laboratory.
    Image: Oliver Werz
    • Life
    Viral world organized

    International research team from the Cluster of Excellence “Balance of the Microverse” develops speedbreaking analysis tool
    Vclust enables the fast and reliable analysis and clustering of millions of viral genomes.
    Graphic: Juliane Seeber (Gemini generated)
    • Life
    Yet another result?!

    Study on the reproducibility of behavioural experiments with insects now published
    A common grasshopper (Pseudochorthippus parallelus) - this species is often used as a model organism in evolutionary biology.
    Image: Holger Schielzeth/Universität Jena
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