Institute of Molecular Biotechnology (IMBA)
IMBA is one of the leading biomedical research institutes in Europe, focusing on cutting-edge functional genetics, RNA biology, and stem cell technologies. Since the start of its operations in 2003, IMBA has become the largest institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences – the leading national sponsor of non-university basic research – and has around 250 employees from around 40 nations.
Fifteen different research groups aim to decipher molecular processes in cells: the fields of research comprise molecular and cell biology, stem cell and organoid research, small RNA biology, neurobiology, disease modelling, and epigenetics. Since 2003, IMBA has produced around 1000 publications, a third of them being in the top 10% most cited articles in their respective fields. In total, 21 ERC grants have been obtained by IMBA researchers, and 50% of IMBA´s faculty was elected to an EMBO membership.
Key assets include outstanding infrastructure, a world-renowned team of interdisciplinary scientists, and a vibrant and synergistic environment at the Vienna BioCenter. As with all our neighboring research institutes at the Vienna BioCenter, our working language at IMBA is English.
IMBA fosters creativity. All scientists - from established, world-class experts to promising, new talents - follow their visions with the utmost financial and technical support. These resources give students and faculty the freedom to develop new approaches, design innovative technologies, create novel model systems, and ultimately make groundbreaking discoveries.
Scientific support includes a broad array of top-notch services and facilities, including a Stem Cell Core Facility, Bioinformatics, BioOptics, Electron Microscopes, Metabolomics, Next Generation Sequencing, Protein Chemistry, and more (see our Core Facilities). Young scientists at IMBA and the Vienna BioCenter have an opportunity that many other scientists do not have: they are mentored by a group of people from diverse scientific disciplines and accompanied on their path towards excellence in research (Vienna BioCenter PhD Program).
Public engagement and partnerships are an integral part of IMBA´s research activities. IMBA fosters multidisciplinary interactions that help to integrate diverse perspectives, consider problems from new angles, and think outside the box. Active engagement in creative knowledge transfer activities help to connect the dots between science, society, the economy,and industry. Currently, IMBA holds 22 active patent families and several research results are already being exploited commercially.
IMBA is situated in an exceptional building with integrated artwork and recreation space that offers a creative environment. At the same time, it provides a synergistic forum for academic exchange: a series of seminars, talks, and guest lectures for all faculty members are offered at IMBA and the Vienna BioCenter.