Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME
Our mission
Evolution has produced an unprecedented diversity of different organisms, which, in the constant struggle for survival, have developed sophisticated methods to prevail over their competitors and conquer their ecological niche. The department "Biodiversity Research" has the mission to decode this diversity of species together with their survival tactics developed by evolution over millions of years and to translate them into technical solutions for social problems.
In our work we follow the principle of learning from nature. For many problems we have to face as a modern society, a comparable counterpart exists in nature. Often a highly efficient solution has already been found for such a problem through evolution. Likewise, organisms with very special abilities and characteristics can be found in nature, which could be used for various problems. Within the department "Biodiversity Research" different technologies are used to understand this great evolutionary tool box and to transfer it into innovative applications.