15.05.2026 Success for Marburg’s Department of Pharmacy: New Collaborative Research Center Secured

Marburg University Strengthens Its Leading Position Through Participation in TRR 440

Friederike Kollmeier (left) and Anna Schlauersbach are doctoral students in Prof. Julia Weigand’s laboratory, where they are involved in research on the targeted regulation of messenger RNAs as part of the new Transregio Collaborative Research Center smART

Marburg University has achieved a success in pharmaceutical research: A Transregio Collaborative Research Center (SFB/Transregio) has been approved, in which Marburg scientists are playing leading roles. In SFB/Transregio 440 “smART: specific mRNA targeting,” Prof. Dr. Julia Weigand serves as co-spokesperson alongside the lead institution, Goethe-University Frankfurt with spokesperson Prof. Dr. Harald Schwalbe. A total of approximately 4.5 million euros of funding will be allocated to Marburg University, as announced by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Building on Strengths 

With this success, Marburg University underscores its outstanding position in pharmaceutical research: It is one of the top locations in Germany with 16 professorships, 25 research-driven groups, and 1,300 dedicated students in this department. “The approval of the new Transregio Collaborative Research Center is an impressive proof of the international competitiveness of our pharmaceutical research department,” says Vice President for Research Prof. Dr. Gert Bange. “It shows that we in Marburg combine excellent basic research with high relevance for medical applications. I warmly congratulate everyone involved on this outstanding achievement.”

Further Developing mRNA Technology 

Prof. Dr. Julia Weigand is a professor of pharmacy at Marburg University and conducts research at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

The SFB/Transregio 440 “smART” is dedicated to the targeted control of messenger RNAs (mRNAs), central molecules of gene expression. For a long time, mRNA was viewed in the life sciences merely as a passive, short-lived messenger molecule. Today, it is known that mRNA molecules do far more than simply transport the blueprint for proteins; they also regulate protein production at numerous levels. mRNA demonstrated its enormous potential for application, for example, in the vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The goal of “smart” is to better understand the three-dimensional structure of mRNAs and to influence it in a targeted manner in order to modulate cellular processes. Co-spokesperson Weigand: “We combine approaches from chemistry, biology, pharmacy, and medicine to develop precise tools that can be used to specifically target mRNA—for example, to develop new RNA-based therapies.” The focus is on controlling fundamental processes such as splicing, translation, and the stability of mRNA to increase protein production in cells. Around 23 research groups from institutions in Frankfurt, Marburg, Freiburg, Heidelberg, Gießen and Darmstadt are collaborating on this research.

Strategic Expansion 

With this new research network, Marburg University is further expanding its strategic focus in the life sciences. In the Department of Pharmacy in particular, the development of innovative drug modes of action has been an actively investigated field for years. Close collaboration with strong partner universities and non-university institutions creates optimal conditions for this cutting-edge interdisciplinary research. Looking ahead, the findings are expected not only to deepen the fundamental understanding of biological processes but also to provide new input for the development of innovative therapies and medications.