At present, 6 graduate programs and around 300 topics of research
occupy 290 teachers at the Institute of Biological Sciences (ICB), 90%
of whom holding doctoral, master’s or post-baccalaureate degrees.
The laboratories of the Institute’s 10 departments have been responsible
for internationally acclaimed research in Biology, some of them being
considered national standards, such as the Center of Electronic Microscopy.
It is worth pointing out the recent development, at ICB, of a new simple
non-radioactive methodology for the study of DNA impressions and the
American visceral leishmaniasis vaccine.
Among the ICB topics of research responsible for the largest number
of publications are those related to the development of new vaccines
and medications – Biochemistry, Immunology, and Microbiology –
to Genetics and to Ecology. The Unit also makes important contributions
to Botany, Zoology, Morphology, and Parasitology.
To assist researchers and teachers, ICB has four laboratory animal facilities
with hundreds of guinea pigs kept in accordance to international principles
of animal experimentation. UFMG’s laboratory animal facility is
considered one of the best equipped in the country.