As the leading research centre in Europe in the field of environmental health (the connecting discipline between biomedicine and environmental research), scientists in the Helmholtz Zentrum München analyse fundamental processes of disease development, and the damage to, as well as the defence and compensatory mechanisms of, organisms. Such investigations can be carried out successfully using the wide ranging abilities and expertise of the Helmholtz Zentrum München, particularly in the fields of genome research, cell biology, bioinformatics, biomathematics, chemistry, physics, and medicine.

Through the close links with hospitals, it is possible both to investigate the molecular mechanisms of disease development and to develop new individualised approaches in diagnostics, prevention, and causal therapy. This approach, which goes across disciplines and indications, is developed further in line with the rapid progress in health and environment research.

In the future the Helmholtz Zentrum München will strengthen its capabilities in systems biology, chemical biology, structural biology as well as translational research and biophysical imaging.

The research projects of the Helmholtz Zentrum München are focussed on four complementary thematic fields Environmental Factors and Health, Mechanisms of Health and Disease, Infection and Immunity, Ecosystems and Health.

The thematic field ‘Environmental Factors and Health’ investigates the mechanisms of action of chemical and physical environmental factors, as well as the defence and compensatory mechanisms of the organism. Future research will focus, among other topics, on radiation and chemicals that have an impact on tumor development and a role in anti-cancer therapy on the basis of the susceptibility of the individual. A second focus will aim at understanding mechanisms of inflammatory, obstructive and allergic lung diseases under the influence of environmental components and air pollutants. Research on the consequences of air pollution will include diseases of the cardiovascular system.

In the thematic field ‘Mechanistic Principles of Health and Disease’, molecular mechanisms of hereditary diseases are elucidated and questions related to development and homeostasis are answered with the aid of mouse models. Stem cell research also plays an important role. Furthermore, functional modules of biological systems will be identified and clarified, which can lead to mathematical modelling and simulation of disease processes.

The focus in the thematic field ‘Infection and Immunity’ is on the development on new immune and gene therapeutic strategies for the treatment of malignant tumour diseases and chronic virus infections. Research is concerned primarily with tumour diseases of the haematopoietic system. The elucidation of the influence of viral genes and tumour-associated genetic alterations on proliferation, differentiation, and transformation of haematopoietic cells will contribute substantially to understanding the development of these diseases. A further important focus in this thematic field is the analysis of cellular and molecular mechanisms of immune regulation. Building on this, approaches for targeted modulation of the immune system for treating tumours can be developed using in vitro studies and animal models.

The thematic field ‘Ecosystems and Health’ looks at the complex interactions between abiotic and biotic components in environmental ecosystems and their influence on the quality of the most important components of human diet: plants and water. The function and activity of organisms and microbial communities in their environments will be analysed, and attempts made to reduce the application of chemicals in agriculture through activation of plant immunity and microbial functions. This thematic field also contributes to the prevention of environmental diseases through research into environmental processes that are a prerequisite for a healthy basis to life.

The Helmholtz Zentrum München links the fields of biomedicine and environmental research, relying on excellent basic research, international experimental platforms, clinical cooperation groups, and centres for translational medicine.

The Helmholtz Zentrum München collaborates with the Munich universities as well as other leading national and international institutions. The Helmholtz Zentrum München is committed to the training and promotion of the next generation of scientists as well as personnel development of all associates and implementation of equal opportunity.

The Helmholtz Zentrum München facilitates networking, knowledge flow as well as value creation, and promotes the exploitation of new technologies and application of results, for example through management and support of spin-off companies.