The MPIMG is one of the key research institutes for molecular biology and is recognised internationally as a stronghold of genome and genetics research. The overall goal of the combined efforts of MPIMG departments is to gain insight into the development of diseases on a molecular level, thus contributing to the development of novel cause-related medical treatments.

The MPIMG has a large next generation sequencing facility and has outstanding expertise in the field of NGS technology development, operating both Illumina and SOLiD platforms, and in bioinformatics analysis of large-scale genomic information and modelling of complex data. The facility has been used for several large sequencing projects including a current participation in the 1000 Genomes project (www.1000genomes.org), in the GEUVADIS (www.geuvadis.eu), in two ICGC projects (International Cancer Genome Consortium; www.icgc.org), in the Blueprint project (www.blueprint-epigenome.eu/) and in the OncoTrack project (www.oncotrack.eu/).

In particular, the groups involved pioneered the combination of NGS with systems biology to develop a new approach to individualised medicine in a BMBF-funded project (Treat20) and through its participation in OncoTrack.