Hardly any other region boasts such a concentration of excellent research in the field of molecular biology and molecular medicine as the Biotech Cluster Rhine-Neckar.

Overall, about 3200 scientists work in the prestigious research facilities, universities, and academies of the metropolitan region.

The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), the European Laboratory for Molecular Biological (EMBL), and the University of Heidelberg, with its Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), count among the leading research institutes for genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics. The research is focused in particular on personalized medicine and cancer.

Important research facilities in the metropolitan region:

• German Cancer Research Institute (DKFZ)
• European Laboratory for Molecular Biology (EMBL)
• Ruprecht Karls University of Heidelberg
• Center for Molecular Biology, Heidelberg (ZMBH)
• University of Mannheim
• Mannheim University of Applied Sciences

German Cancer Research Institute (DKFZ)

The German Cancer Research Institute (DKFZ) is the largest biomedical research facility in Germany today and a member of the Helmholtz Society of German Research Centers. The DKFZ was established in 1964 by decree of the state government of Baden-Wuerttemberg as a foundation under public law.

Over 2.500 employees, more than 1000 of them scientists, explore the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and work on detecting risk factors for cancer. Decisive progress has been made at the DKFZ in recent years, both in basic research and in developing new clinical procedures. This progress received special recognition in 2008, when Prof. Harald zur Hausen was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his outstanding scientific contribution to research into human papilloma viruses (HPV).

In the Cancer Information Service (Krebsinformationsdienst – KID), employees of the DKFZ inform affected persons, their relatives, and interested members of the public about the widespread disease cancer.

European Laboratory for Molecular Biology (EMBL)

The European Laboratory for Molecular Biology (EMBL) – established in 1974 and financed by 20 member states – is dedicated to basic research in molecular biology. In Heidelberg and four secondary locations in Europe, 1400 employees from 60 countries are active in approximately 85 independent research groups.

In addition to basic research in molecular biology, the EMBL provides services for scientists from all member countries, offers highly qualified training, and develops new instruments for biological research.

Heidelberg University

The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, founded in 1386, is the oldest university in Germany. Over 28 000 students are currently enrolled in the "Ruperto Carola". The university is characterized by its world-famous scientific competence in numerous core themes of biological and medical research and by its proven commitment to the training of young academics.

In the Department of Biosciences about 100 scientific working groups are involved in molecular-biological research. Numerous cooperative activities, among others with the DKFZ and the EMBL, strengthen the regional network.

Center for Molecular Biology Heidelberg (ZMBH)

The Center for Molecular Biology, Heidelberg (ZMBH), was founded at the University of Heidelberg in 1985 and has contributed substantially in recent years to the consolidation of the region's scientific reputation. This is especially true in the areas of gene expression and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Like other institutes in the region, the ZMBH impressively combines basic research with excellent training. The concept of the ZMBH as an interdisciplinary institute alongside the classical schools of the university was successfully adopted by other centers in the years that followed, e.g., the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), the Biochemistry Center (BZH), and the Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN).

University of Mannheim

The University of Mannheim is one of the leading German universities in the field of economic sciences. It was founded in 1967 and has its roots in the State Business School of 1907. A distinctive feature is the close dovetailing of all specializations offered at the university with the economic sciences. Approximately 10.000 students are enrolled in the University of Mannheim.

Mannheim University of Applied Sciences

The Mannheim University of Applied Sciences looks back at a 100-year tradition. Practice-related teaching is interwoven here with application-oriented research and with the promotion of international scientific and cultural exchange. Around 4400 students study in nine departments.

The Department of Biotechnology offers two courses of study for a bachelor's degree in biotechnology and biological chemistry, as well as a master's degree course. The biotechnological institutes – including the Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology – place special emphasis on the relation between application and research.

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