News

Detec­tive work at sea: whale research via envi­ron­men­tal DNA

Detailed knowledge about whales in European waters will be provided by the Biodiversa+ project "eWHALE", which started in January and is led by molecular ecologist Bettina Thalinger from the University of Innsbruck. The transnational research project brings together partners from science, industry and the public to establish a far-reaching, non-invasive cetacean and biodiversity monitoring system using water samples.

The Hippo and the Hydra

A new study describes the development of the body axis in the immortal freshwater polyp Hydra. It is controlled by the so-called Hippo signaling pathway, which, among other functions, ensures that our organs do not continue to grow indefinitely. The Department of Zoology at the University of Innsbruck was significantly involved in the research and provided important data.

Impor­tant genetic ori­gin of our senses iden­ti­fied

Researchers have deciphered the function of a gene that is essential for the formation of neural structures in the head of vertebrates and their perception of the environment. A group of international researchers led by the University of Oxford and including Ute Rothbächer's team at the University of Innsbruck’s Institute of Zoology, published their findings in Nature.

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Zoology goes YouTube

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Spannende Einblicke in die Welt der Zoologie.

Presentation of the zoology master program

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We are a community of researchers, students, staff, and visitors interested in how animals develop, function, behave, and interact. We conduct research at multiple levels of organization - from the cellular basis, function, and behavior of animals to the interactions between organisms and humans. To this end, we maintain intensive relationships on a national and international level and cooperate with other institutes and scientific institutions around the world.