The Individual in the Focus of Life Sciences

Basic data for this project

Description

Individuals differ from one another. Although seemingly banal, this basic premise occupied the philosopher Aristotle almost 2,500 years ago. It not only applies to humans, but to all organisms - individuality and individualisation have become increasingly significant. The reason for this might be the transformation that our planet and society are currently experiencing: climate change, changing habitats, globalisation and the changing world of work. The topical program "The Individual in the Focus of Life Sciences" addresses the question of whether change engenders increasing individualisation and whether such individualisation offers us the chance to master the effects of change. In the field of biology, rapid change increases the necessity for individuals to come up with response strategies. Individualisation offers enormous potential for adaptation when organisms face rapidly changing environmental conditions. Because this research area is of growing cross-faculty interest, this program comprises several joint transdisciplinary projects which investigate individualisation in the context of changing environmental conditions or systems in the process of change.