Our mission

We decode the molecular mechanisms of biological information processing to drive proof-of-principle applications in information technology, biotechnology and medicine.

Every cell has to read its own genome, sense its surroundings and decide what to do next. We study how that decision is made, and what happens when it goes wrong. 

We work with zebrafish and medaka, two small vertebrates that develop in full view under the microscope, and combine genetics, genome editing, live imaging, chemical screening and bioinformatics. Our questions run from the regulatory DNA that switches genes on, through the clocks and hormones that tie an animal to its environment, to the cellular responses provoked by chemicals and nanomaterials. 
The institute hosts vital, world-class resources that power the broader scientific community: 

News

IBCS-BIP & COS Launched 1st German Fish Model Research Meeting

Our institute members, Prof. Dr. Nicholas Simon Foulkes, Dr. Sepand Rastegar, Dr. Laetitia Préau and Dr. Rima Siauciunaite, drove the success of the first inaugural German Fish Model Research Meeting at Heidelberg September 2026. This was an unique gathering for fostering collaboration and sharing innovative ideas using various fish models such as zebrafish, cavefish, killifish, medaka etc ...

 
Moving Beyond Mammals: New Chemical Safety Test Predicts Human Toxicity

In a major milestone for safety research, an international team led by Drs. Thomas Dickmeis and Carsten Weiss has established a breakthrough method to evaluate the toxic effects of chemicals on humans. By replacing traditional mammalian models with a strategic set of alternative, non-mammalian organisms, this new approach delivers faster, highly ethical, and reliable risk assessments. Read the feature on the KIT website.

How an Eyeless Cave Fish Is Rewriting the Rules of DNA Repair

Having spent millions of years isolated in total darkness, blind cave fish have completely lost their eyes. Yet, by studying this unique organism, an international research team led by Prof. Nicholas Foulkes discovered that a key DNA repair enzyme—long believed to only fix light-induced damage—can also repair DNA damages that have nothing to do with light. Find out more.