Eine Wissenschaftlerin arbeitet im DNA-Labor mit einer Pinzette an Probenmaterial..

Laboratories

Our laboratories combine collections, state-of-the-art analytical techniques and interdisciplinary research – and support researchers in their projects.

A space for integrated research

The laboratories at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin provide a space for integrated research. Their proximity to the collection, their state-of-the-art analytical equipment and their interdisciplinary research approaches make the museum a unique research institution.  

The laboratories are aaccessible to museum personnel, students, PhD candidates, postdocs and visiting researchers for their research projects.

Eine Person arbeitet im Labor an einem Mikroskop; auf dem Tisch stehen mehrere Glasgefäße mit in Flüssigkeit konservierten Reptilienpräparaten.

Collection care laboratories

The Collection care laboratories ensure the long-term preservation of historical wet collections and oversee objects from conservation through to international loan schemes.

Laborarbeit an einem beschrifteten Knochenpräparat mit rotierendem Werkzeug.

Molecular genetics laboratories

From DNA extraction to ancient DNA analysis, the molecular genetics laboratories support research in evolutionary biology, systematics and population genetics directly within the collections.

Integrated Zoological Research Laboratory

Spanning over 700 m², the zoological research laboratory combines light and electron microscopy, histology and gene expression studies to enable a comprehensive analysis of zoological specimens.

High-performance computing (HPC cluster)

With 640 processor cores and 8.5 terabytes of memory, the HPC cluster enables computationally intensive simulations and analyses that would not be possible on individual computers.

Bioacoustics Laboratory

The Bioacoustics Laboratory conducts research into animal sounds and acoustic communication – working closely with the museum’s archive of animal sounds, the most comprehensive of its kind in the world.

Eine Person im Laborkittel bedient einen großen CT-Scanner in einem Labor. In der geöffneten Scan-Kammer steht ein Probenbehälter.

3D Lab

Using X-ray-based CT techniques and 3D scanners, the laboratory reveals the hidden structures of biological, palaeontological and geological objects – for research and the digitisation of collections.