Preamble Dr. Wolfgang Heubisch
Bavarian State Minister for Sciences, Research and the Arts
Research in life sciences and biotechnology is already extraordinarily high-performing in Bavaria. With the Bavarian Research Center for Molecular Biosystems (BioSysNet) and a new Core Center at Ludwig-Maximilians-University München (LMU Munich), we want to make the Free State even more competitive in innovative biosystems research and further strengthen its international visibility. For this, we have allocated around 18.1 million euros within the framework of our initiative for the future “Aufbruch Bayern”. Furthermore, we will invest 13.65 million euros in building a research facility for molecular biosystems at LMU Munich.
BioSysNet aims at solving one of the central problems of life sciences: the regulation of gene expression. On the basis of these findings, new diagnostic methods and personalised therapy approaches can be developed. This challenge can only be met if experts from different disciplines collaborate – especially from biochemistry, genetics, bioinformatics, biophysics and medicine. As a consequence, BioSysNet functions as a true network bringing together competencies within our Free State and therefore also attracting renowned scientists from abroad to Bavaria.
This is why besides scientific excellence and disciplinary diversity international experience also played a role in the selection of the five new independent junior research groups. I am delighted that we succeeded in attracting excellent young scientists from renowned European research institutions to BioSysNet and the involved universities.
The network is complemented by the expertise of already established scientists, who receive additional funding for their projects within BioSysNet as so-called associated junior research groups or associated senior research groups.
The exchange between members of the network will contribute to better understanding biological systems on a cellular and molecular level and thus further advancing top biosystems research in Bavaria.
I wish you an inspiring read of the following pages that will inform you about the contents of the funded research projects, the network structure, and the schedule of events.
Munich, April 2012