University of Geneva
Department of zoology and animal biology

The department employs 94 scientists grouped in 11 independent research laboratories, located in the building Sciences III, in the campus of the faculty of sciences. These laboratories are all involved in cutting edge research in a variety of fields and use a large panel of animal models. Three laboratories study the molecular genetics of Drosophila melanogaster, those of Dr Pierre Spierer and Dr François Karch (genetic and epigenetic control of developmental gene expression) and that of Dr Daniel Pauli (oogenesis). Two laboratories are specialized in the study of phylogeny using molecular tools: Dr Jan Pawlowski (protist and invertebrate phylogeny), and Dr Juan Montoya (vertebrate phylogeny) while Dr Michel Milinkovitch’s laboratory (artificial and natural evolution) investigates Evo-Devo issues.

While the laboratory of Dr Bob Peck studies protists, that of Dr Jean-Louis Bény is specialized in cardio-vascular physiology and the laboratory of Dr Brigitte Galliot studies the molecular biology of cniderians as well as their regeneration. The remaining three laboratories study various aspects of the genetic control of vertebrate development; Dr Ivan Rodriguez is an expert of pheromones in mammals and fishes, Dr Denis Duboule's laboratory studies mammalian morphogenesis and Dr Roland Dosch maternal genes in the zebra fish.

In addition to these research laboratories, Dr Patrick Descombes leads the medecine-sciences inter-faculties genomic platform, launched by the national research centre 'Frontiers in Genetics', whose offices are based within our department.

More than two centuries after its beginning, the department of zoology and animal biology thus maintains this tradition of interdisciplinary research and teaching, as reflected by the numerous research projects carried out on a variety of animal model systems.