Interdisciplin­ary Research in Molecular Bioengineering

The Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC) of the TUD Dresden University of Technology was founded as a unique interdisciplinary center focusing on research and teaching in molecular bio-engineering in 2000. Since 2016 it is one of the three institutes of the central sientific unit Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering  (CMCB). The BIOTEC was and is a essential part of implementing the Biotechnology Initiative of the Free State of Saxony within the TU Dresden. The main goal in establishing and developing this center was to link the revolutionary change within molecular and cell biology to Dresden's traditionally strong background in engineering. Dresden's aspired innovation advantages as a location for developing state-of-the-art biotechnology are already visible in some parts. The BIOTEC plays a central role in the  "Health Sciences, Biomedicine and Bioengineering" profile of the TU Dresden, fostering interdisciplinary research and developing of innovative technologies, which drive the progress of modern life sciences in the areas of molecular cell and developmental biology, biophysics and computational biology.

The BIOTEC hosts top international research groups working on genomics, proteomics, biophysics, cellular machines, molecular genetics, tissue engineering, and bioinformatics. The research center has about 100 members from over 35 countries, including Eastern and Western Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. These researchers have diverse backgrounds, covering biology, medicine, physics, chemistry, computer science, and engineering. The BIOTEC offers excellent lab facilities and infrastructure, as well as close links to companies residing in the same building.

Establishing and developing a strong and internationally competitive research center focusing molecular bioengineering required a powerful nucleus. The BIOTEC started with five professorships and one research group recruited within the Biotechnology Initiative of the Free State of Saxony. Through the interdisciplinary work of these researchers from different fields and faculties, the development of the center was catalyzed, and the main goal of building an internationally competitive research structure is now well achieved. Today, the BIOTEC has 13 core research groups, including five professorships. Their work has given rise not only to novel discoveries in modern life sciences, but the translation of these finding into economically useful innovations.

The BIOTEC is located within the BioInnovation Center in Dresden, which has provided an atmosphere essential for its development. In accordance with its motto "Science and Economy under one roof", the BioInnovation Center offers a unique opportunity for knowledge and technology transfer between the research center and start-ups working on biotechnology and related fields of cutting-edge technology.

Located right next to the BIOTEC is the research building of the Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD). The Center for Molecular Bioengineering B CUBE (ZIK B CUBE), is also located close-by. Both insitutes are also part of the CMCB. Contact with the nearby Max-Planck-Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and the TU faculties are maintained as well by the BIOTEC. Faculty members of the BIOTEC teach in Bachelor Courses, international Masters Courses and on PhD student level.