Tradition and modernity

The Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute – was founded in 1992 and has been a member of the Leibniz-Association since 2003.

The scientists at the Leibniz-HKI carry out research into natural products from micro-organisms and into the infection biology of pathogenic fungi. Novel discoveries of natural products are investigated for their biological activity and modified purposefully for possible drug applications. In this context, the institute has been maintaining a rich tradition in Jena bringing in cutting-edge approaches to solutions and research methods beyond that.

The Leibniz-HKI is firmly integrated into the most important Thuringian research centre, the Beutenberg Campus Jena. Beyond the close corporation with the neighbourhood institutes, we collaborate intensively with the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, the Jena University Hospital and the University of Applied Sciences Ernst-Abbe in Jena. This leaves a link in numerous joint research projects and a strong commitment of our staff to academic teaching.

Approximately 440 members of staff are currently employed at the Leibniz-HKI. Further structural units possessing an integrative function and including independent junior research groups and cross-disciplinary institutions are organized around seven scientific departments.

Leibniz-Association

Theoria cum praxi: science for the benefit and good of humanity

The Leibniz-HKI is one of 97 facilities of the Leibniz Association and belongs to section C – life sciences. In the spirit of the name patron Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, the Leibniz-HKI follows his leitmotif Theoria cum praxi and carries out application-oriented basic research of new technologies, processes and procedures as well as scientific information exchange and training of junior academics. The Leibniz-HKI maintains close links with further two institutions in Jena – the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technologies and the Leibniz Institute for Age Research – Fritz Lipmann Institute.