Molecular Biology

18. February 2026

Stress in biology

The stress of life

Viruses, heat, drought: Microbes and plants endure a lot and have developed amazing survival strategies. Biologists such as Isabelle Zink and Wolfram Weckwerth from the University of Vienna aim to better understand these strategies while looking into innovative solutions for diagnostics and food security.

23. March 2023

Nitrogen cycle

Comammox: promising new player in the nitrogen cycle

Comammox bacteria astonished microbiologists worldwide due to their ability to perform the complete nitrification process within a single cell. They occur in numerous natural and engineered ecosystems, but thus far have not been found in marine environments. Microbiologist Dimitra Sakoula is looking for them in the ocean: If she finds them there, it would be "a big deal".

7. October 2022

Guest article by

Tom Higham

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2022

Svante Pääbo: The power of ancient genomics and archaeology

University of Vienna archaeologist Tom Higham congratulates his colleague with whom he has been working together on many projects over the years. He explains Svante Pääbo's key achievements and what the Nobel Prize means for the people working in the field.

12. September 2022

A new interdisciplinary PhD programme

Physics and biology unite to study separation

A new phenomenon has taken the world of cell biology by storm, but its study requires people with a deep understanding of physics and biology. The University of Vienna offers a new PhD programme to nurse a new generation of researchers with the ability to think creatively in both fields.

4. May 2022

Archaeological Science as Game-Changer

What ancient genes tell us about who we are

Using the latest scientific methods, Tom Higham and Katerina Douka from the University of Vienna want to solve a great mystery of human evolution: Why are we the only humans left?

29. March 2022

Cancer research

Survival of the fittest cells

Stephanie Ellis is uncovering the principles of cell competition at the Max Perutz Labs. By understanding how our system eliminates 'loser' cells, she gains knowledge for future cancer therapies.

25. February 2022

Presenting… molecular biologist Verena Baumann

Autophagy: The waste collection in our cells

Our cells produce waste all the time. But how do they get rid of it? In the video, our doctoral candidate Verena Baumann explains how common yeast helps her to understand the cellular waste collection.

11. February 2022

Cancer research

The social network of our cells

Molecular biologist Manuela Baccarini is investigating the way our cells communicate with each other. A ’misunderstanding’ at the cellular level can lead to serious diseases, such as cancer.

20. January 2022

Healthy cells, fit brain

Hoping that we can soon forget about Alzheimer’s

A 'waste collection' tidies up our cells. If something does not go according to plan, serious diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's may develop. Molecular biologist Sascha Martens and his team investigate the associated process – autophagy.

19. January 2022

Meet the scientists

Cell researcher Sascha Martens and his team

Sascha Martens and his team are investigating the mysterious degradation pathways in our cells. In this video, the biochemists from the University of Vienna reveal what keeps them going – despite failures and being borne away: Team spirit, the passion for a topic and their common goal of making a difference.