Forschungsverbund Berlin (IGB)

IGB is one of the eight institutes legally represented by Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. (FVB) and thus a part of FVB. IGB is a creative, lively and diverse place for conducting research and teaching. Scientists from a whole range of disciplines work under one roof. Hydrologists, chemists, physicists, microbiologists, limnologists, fish ecologists, ecotoxicologists and fisheries biologists from all over the world investigate the fundamental processes governing rivers, lakes and wetlands, and join forces to develop measures conductive to sustainable water management by taking an integrative research approach. We pool our discipline-based research in six research departments. Added to this are three cross-cutting research domains in which we address topics of high scientific and/or societal relevance. IGB is Germany’s largest research centre for freshwaters.  IGB – Department of Ecophysiology and Inland Fisheries – Ecotoxicology group; The Department of Ecophysiology and Aquaculture focuses to investigate the ecophysiological impacts of multiple environmental factors on aquatic vertebrates, in particular fishes and amphibians. The goal is to create the scientific foundations for sustainable aquaculture and to shed light on how biotic and abiotic factors including endocrine disruptors influence on the various physiological functions of individual vertebrates with regard to reproduction, stress, development, growth and behaviour. The ecotoxicology group is an internationally recognized research group in endocrine disruption of amphibians with more than 20 years of experience in assessment of modes of action of endocrine disruptors using amphibians as model but also markedly involved in the development and validation of the OECD TG 231. The group is experienced in development of highly sensitive biomarkers and endpoints for endocrine disruption in both, amphibians and fishes, by using in vivo and in vitro approaches and collaborates with research groups, contract laboratories and business organizations worldwide. The group is equipped with state-of-the-art flow-through exposure system, chemical, biochemical and molecular biological labs to assess endocrine effects in vivo and in vitro.