The Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB)

Welcome to IMB! We are a modern research centre that brings together leading scientists from all over the world. Our researchers tackle ambitious projects at the interface of epigenetics, genome stability, ageing & RNA biology.

About us
Who we are, where we are & what we do...
Research
Our scientists & what they are working on...
Core Facilities
State-of-the-art technologies & services...
Students & Postdocs
Training programmes we offer junior researchers...
Seminars & Events
Conferences, meetings, workshops & more...
Careers
Current opportunities at IMB...

Ulrich's lab will study how cells control mRNA export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and how these mechanisms are hijacked in viral infections.

Laura's lab investigates how mRNA translation is activated in the early embryo.

The 4-day conference focuses on threats to genome stability from endogenous sources, their consequences, and cellular defence measures.

11 Feb 2026
Seminar
Joint Seminar by IQCB & ReALity
A Natural Therapy for Patients with Short Telomeres
Prof. Dr. Jonathan K. Alder (University of Pittsburgh, USA)
18 Feb 2026
Seminar | 4R-RTG
Joint 4R & SFB 1361 Seminar
Dynamic Regulation of RNA:DNA Hybrids During Double-Strand Break Repair
Dr Jennifer Cobb
24 Feb 2026
Workshop | IMB Workshop
IPPro Alumni Event: Turning life science expertise into a consulting career
Stefanie Ebersberger & Robert Görke from d-fine
10 Mar - 13 Mar 2026
Conference | SFB 1361
IMB & SFB 1361 Conference
The evil within: Regulation and repair of endogenous DNA damage
19 Mar 2026
Seminar | IMB Seminar
IPPro-hosted seminar with Prof. Elisa Oricchio
Chromatin remodeling as a mechanism of cancer evolution
Prof. Elisa Oricchio (EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland)

Access the full IMB events calendar by clicking here

Recent Publications

Jan 2026 | Science | Papathanasiou | Beli
DNA-protein cross-links promote cGAS-STING-driven premature aging and embryonic lethality.
Jan 2026 | Nat Chem | Wittmann
Biomolecular condensates sustain pH gradients at equilibrium through charge neutralization.
Jan 2026 | Nat Aging | Beli
DNA damage in macrophages drives immune autoreactivity via nuclear antigen presentation.
Jan 2026 | Nat Commun | Luck | Baumann | Schweiger
Dynamic allele usage of X-linked genes ameliorates neurodevelopmental disease phenotypes in brain…
Jan 2026 | Nature | Hohmann
An ATP-gated molecular switch orchestrates human mRNA export.
Jan 2026 | J Transl Med | Cremer
Single-molecule localization microscopy imaging of extracellular vesicle DNA in recipient cells.
Dec 2025 | Genome Biol Evol | Baumann
Ancestral chromosome-level assemblies reveal post-hybridization genome evolution in the New Mexico…
Dec 2025 | Nat Microbiol | Luck
Toxoplasma effector TgROP1 establishes membrane contact sites with the endoplasmic reticulum during…
Dec 2025 | EMBO J | Beli
Functional landscape of ubiquitin linkages couples K29-linked ubiquitylation to epigenome integrity.
Dec 2025 | Int J Bipolar Disord | Tüscher
Advancing the prediction of factors associated with bipolar disorder risk: utilizing early…

A centre for basic & clinical research on ageing & age-related disease
with Mainz University & its Medical Center, the Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research & TRON
A joint initiative on the mechanisms underlying robustness & longevity
with groups at Mainz University
A joint PhD programme to discover new ways to understand & treat age-related diseases
with Mainz University & its Medical Center
A joint PhD programme to understand why diseases are more common in old age and how we can age healthily
with Helmholtz Munich, the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Leipzig University, Greifswald University Hospital, and Mainz University's Medical Center
The largest network on DNA repair & genome stability in Germany
with groups in Mainz, Darmstadt, Frankfurt & Munich
An initiative bridging the polymer & life sciences to understand biological processes such as ageing
with Mainz University, its Medical Center & the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
IMB’s flagship PhD training programme on epigenetics, genome stability & ageing
with Mainz University & its Medical Center
A DFG-funded PhD programme on how RNA processes contribute to robustness & resilience
with groups from Mainz University & its Medical Center
A DFG-funded PhD programme on the evolution of gene regulatory networks underlying phenotype & lifespan
with Mainz University’s Faculty of Biology

News

IMB welcomes Ulrich Hohmann as a new Group Leader

IMB welcomes Laura Lorenzo-Orts as a new Group Leader

Register now for the IMB & SFB 1361 Conference!

Upcoming Events

11 Feb 2026

18 Feb 2026

24 Feb 2026

10 Mar - 13 Mar 2026

19 Mar 2026

Joint Research Initiatives

A centre for basic & clinical research on ageing & age-related disease

A joint initiative on the mechanisms underlying robustness & longevity

A joint PhD programme to discover new ways to understand & treat age-related diseases

A joint PhD programme to understand why diseases are more common in old age and how we can age healthily

The largest network on DNA repair & genome stability in Germany

An initiative bridging the polymer & life sciences to understand biological processes such as ageing

IMB’s flagship PhD training programme on epigenetics, genome stability & ageing

A DFG-funded PhD programme on how RNA processes contribute to robustness & resilience

A DFG-funded PhD programme on the evolution of gene regulatory networks underlying phenotype & lifespan