Our research

The fundamental research carried out at the Institute seeks to answer questions about how health works at the most basic level. Although this research does not always have an immediate practical application, it can lead to important discoveries and innovations later on.

In the biomedical field, we study the underlying mechanisms of human health and disease at the level of molecules, cells and the organism.

Without this fundamental research, there would be no clinical research (involving patients) and no new treatments for diseases.

Today's discoveries are laying the foundations for tomorrow's medicine, to the benefit - one day - of thousands of patients.

Without fundamental research, there would be no translational or clinical research (involving patients) and no new treatments for diseases.

Focus on our 5 research programs

Today, the Institute has 31 research groups based around 5 programs

7 technological core facilities to support research

To advance their research, our researchers need cutting-edge technologies. These tools are found in 7 platforms which are shared with all the Institute's laboratories and can also be made available to external researchers.

A-Z of studied diseases

Attracting talents from all over the world, de Duve Institute's research groups focus on fundamental research in fields as varied as cancer, viral and bacterial infections, diabetes, genetic diseases and many others.

We study over 100 diseases !

Support our project "Humus"

Support the humus project to accelerate research into new antibiotics

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health issue: bacterial infections are killing more and more people, and the WHO warns that by 2050, more than 10 million people worldwide will die from them each year. Simple surgical procedures could be called into question, even in healthy individuals, due to the microbiological risk.

The de Duve Institute is launching the humus project, a citizen science initiative.
The aim is to collect 10,000 soil samples in Belgium, thanks to the voluntary commitment of citizens, in order to search for the potential antibiotics of tomorrow.

Here's how it works

Support the humus project

o With €60, you provide 20 collection kits to volunteer citizens

o With €150, you co-finance the Humus app to geolocate samples and connect participating citizens

o With €2,500, you enable research into new bioactive molecules for 1 month