Biology in Leiden internationally competitive and influential

Biological research in Leiden is very good to excellent, and socially extremely relevant.  This is the conclusion of an international commission of fellow professionals, who visited the Institute of Biology in Leiden (IBL) in September 2005. The commission examined criteria such as quality, production, scientific and social-economic impact and evaluated whether the research would have future benefits. 

Excellent management, high social relevance

Bicyclus anynana To better understand evolutionary processes, a great deal of research is conducted in Leiden into the patterns on the wings of butterflies.  The big question is: how do gene paths lead to the enormous variation in morphology, which in turn is the basis of natural selection?

The Institute as a whole received an assessment of between 4 and 5 on a scale of 1 - 5.  A 5 ('excellent') means that the research is internationally outstanding and will probably have a substantial effect on the field in question.  A 4 ('very good') means that the research is competitive internationally, and plays a leading role nationally.  According to the commission, the IBL is managed excellently and the social relevance of the research is very high. 

Cutting edge science
The 11 separate sections also each received a praiseworthy assessment.  Molecular development genetics and Evolutionary Biology received the maximum score on all the aspects assessed.  In the view of the commission, 'cutting edge science' is carried out in the IBL.  

The process whereby plants are genetically modified is derived from a simple soil bacterium which used this mechanism millions of years ago to be able to infiltrate plants with its DNA.  The Leiden Institute of Molecular Developmental Genetics  is researching the molecular mechanisms on which this is based.    Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Results of cooperation already visible
The IBL research institute has been in existence since January 2003.  At that point all biological research, from cell biology to behavioural biology, came together in one institute.  This merger was applauded by the review commission.  According to the commission, the results of this research cooperation can already been seen, and there is an excellent atmosphere within the institute. 

Because the institute is relatively young, the commission expects that it has not yet reached its full potential.  The commission considers it very important that the institute, which is currently spread over four locations, should be gathered in one location as soon as possible.  In the future, IBL research will concentrate on two main areas: Bioscience and Biodiversity. 

• The text of the review report, including a written response from the IBL research institute
• The Leiden Biological Institute

14 March 2006/HP