Affiliated with the University of Basel and Novartis Biomedical Research, the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research maintains an active and productive network with its scientific partners in industry and academia – at an international, national and local level.

University of Basel

The FMI is an affiliated institute of the University of Basel. FMI students are enrolled at the University of Basel, and FMI professors with full or adjunct professorships have all rights and privileges of full university professors.

Novartis

As an affiliated institute of Novartis Biomedical Research, the FMI has extensive experience in the translation of its research findings into biomedical application. The FMI has over 50 collaborations with Novartis colleagues.

The FMI applies a patent policy based on industry standards. Novartis Pharma AG has first right of refusal on IP originating from the FMI.

International partnerships

FMI scientists participate in a number of major scientific initiatives and networks, working with many different partner institutes and universities worldwide.

EU-Life
EU-LIFE is an alliance of top research centers in life sciences to support and strengthen European research excellence and be a voice for research in European policy. The FMI is one of 15 partner institutes, from 15 European countries.

Life Time
This pan-European initiative aims to revolutionize healthcare by creating a paradigm shift in our understanding of how genomes function within cells, and how cells form tissues and dynamically remodel their activities when tissues progress towards disease. The FMI is an institutional partner.

Neurex
The ‘Neuroscience Upper Rhine network’ connects neuroscience researchers and professors from Strasbourg (France), Freiburg (Germany) and Basel (Switzerland) for discussions and collaborations over research projects, technical issues or training programs.

Swiss partnerships

NCCR-RNA&Disease
The research activities within the Swiss National Centre Competence in Research (NCCR) RNA & Disease aim at advancing our understanding of fundamental mechanisms in RNA biology, identifying disease phenotypes related to these mechanisms and developing ideas for novel therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. Several FMI groups are members.

NCCR-Synapsy
Researchers and psychiatrists of the Swiss National Centre Competence in Research (NCCR)-Synapsy have joined forces to study the biological basis of psychiatric disorders. Several FMI groups are members.

Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB)
The SIB is a community of bioinformatics research groups from the major Swiss schools of higher education and research institutes. The FMI is one of the SIB partner institutions, and some FMI groups are also SIB affiliated groups.

Local partnerships

Basel Stem Cell Network
FMI is a founding member.

Biozentrum of the University of Basel

FMI group leaders contribute to the graduate level teaching at the Biozentrum.
FMI group leader Silvia Arber is also a Full Professor and heads up a research group at the Biozentrum.
We have ongoing research collaborations.

Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE) of the ETH Zürich

We run a joint workshop and share some resources.
We have ongoing research collaborations.

Department of Biomedicine (DBM) of the University of Basel and University Hospital of Basel

We collaborate with the DBM on the selection of students to our MD-PhD Program.
We have ongoing research collaborations, among which is an ERC Synergy grant shared between a group at the FMI and a group at the University Hospital Basel.

Institute of Ophthalmology Basel (IOB)
IOB co-Director Botond Roska used to be a group leader at the FMI until 2018 and many IOB researchers are FMI alumni.

Microscopy Network Basel
We are an active member of this network, which organizes courses, instrument demonstrations and conferences

Neuroscience Network Basel
FMI is a founding member.

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute
Like the FMI, this institute is also affiliated with the University of Basel.