Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research
The Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI) is a biomedical research institute founded in 1970. Based in Basel, Switzerland, the FMI is affiliated with the University of Basel and the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR). It is named after Friedrich Miescher. As of 2021, the FMI has around 340 collaborators, of which 20 are research group leaders, over 80 are postdoctoral collaborators and over 80 are postgraduate students participating in the FMI International PhD Program. The FMI is directed by Dirk Schübeler.
Established
The FMI is member of EU-LIFE, an alliance of leading life sciences research centres in Europe.[1]
Scientific activities[edit]
The FMI is devoted to the pursuit of fundamental biomedical research. Areas of research are neurobiology, genome regulation, and multicellular systems.
Research is carried out in 20 independent but highly interactive research groups. In addition, several cutting-edge technology platforms – including microscopy & imaging, computational biology, functional genomics, proteomics, structural biology and more – support the research activities.
From 2014 to 2019, the FMI had the highest success rate for ERC grant applications of all European institutions.[2]
Teaching and training[edit]
The FMI is an affiliated institute of the University of Basel.[14] It provides biomedical research and career training for its 80–100 PhD students at a time. FMI selects its highly international student body during a twice-yearly interview-based selection program.[15] Most FMI group leaders have adjunct or full professorships at the University of Basel in the Natural Sciences Faculty. In particular, the FMI participates actively in the teaching program of the Biozentrum of the University of Basel.
The FMI also offers training in biomedical research to postdoctoral fellows. It was designated by a survey of The Scientist in 2012, as the "best place for postdoctoral training" outside of the US.[16][17]
Friedrich Miescher Award[edit]
The Friedrich Miescher Award is Switzerland's highest honor for up-and-coming biochemical researchers. The award is granted every year by the Swiss Society for Biochemistry[25] to the best scientific contribution in this field. Prize winners must be under 40 and must either be Swiss citizens or have conducted the prize-winning research in this country. The award was instituted in 1970, proposed and donated by the FMI. It is named after the Basel scientist who discovered DNA, Friedrich Miescher.