Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG & MUG

About the Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology

The Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology is a joint unit of the University of Gdańsk and the Medical University of Gdańsk. Established in 1993, it offers degree programmes in biotechnology. The Faculty provides three-cycle education, including a three-year Bachelor’s programme, a two-year Master’s programme and a four-year doctoral programme. International educational programmes are also delivered. The biotechnology programme has been awarded the title of the Best Degree Programme by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, while the Polish Accreditation Committee has granted it a distinction for the quality of education.

Since the introduction of the national evaluation system, the Faculty has consistently been ranked in the highest category by the Ministry. In the most recent parametric evaluation, the IFB was awarded the prestigious A+ category. Research teams at the Faculty participate in projects funded by the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP), including TEAM, MPD, HOMING, VENTURES and POMOST programmes, as well as projects financed by the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) and numerous international collaborative initiatives. Research conducted at the Faculty focuses on the mechanisms underlying disease development, molecular analysis of aggressive cancer cells, and the application of molecular biology tools in the diagnosis of metabolic, oncological and infectious diseases. Additional areas of research include photodynamic diagnostics and therapy, as well as structural and functional analyses of viral proteins involved in immune response processes.

Further studies address the impact of environmental factors on protein structure and activity, the role of molecular chaperones in aggregation, proteolysis and DNA replication, and the identification of plant-derived compounds for combating human and plant pathogens. Research is also carried out in the field of plant lipid biotechnology and the use of bacteria as agents of biological plant protection. Faculty researchers are additionally engaged in the development of next-generation antiviral vaccines. The Faculty’s laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation, including advanced confocal microscopes, mass spectrometers, flow cytometers, DNA sequencers, fermenters, facilities for the culture and cryopreservation of bacterial, plant and animal cells, ultracentrifuges, gradient thermocyclers and real-time PCR systems.

The Faculty has secured substantial funding for the development of its research infrastructure, including PLN 20 million from the EU REGPOT programme for the establishment of the Biomolecular Analysis Laboratory. Research teams affiliated with the Medical University of Gdańsk conduct their work in modern laboratories located on the MUG campus, within the Tri-City University Animal House – In Vivo Research Centre. Meanwhile, teams affiliated with the University of Gdańsk have, since the end of 2015, benefited from modern research and teaching infrastructure at the Institute of Biotechnology, situated on the University of Gdańsk campus in Gdańsk Oliwa district. The continuous development of advanced research facilities enables the Faculty to conduct cutting-edge scientific research and to expand its international collaboration. Members of staff regularly publish in leading international scientific journals and are recipients of numerous prestigious awards.