German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE)

The mission of the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE) is to conduct experimental and clinical research in the field of nutrition and health. Scientists at the DIfE pursue these scientific goals by interdisciplinary cooperation comprising a broad spectrum of experimental, medical and epidemiological methods.

Therefore the researchers focus on three areas:

• the role of nutritional habits and factors in the development of obesity and its complications, particularly type-2-diabetes,
• the role of nutrition in healthy aging, in particular the effect of effect of nutrition on metabolic and functional decline in aging, and
• the biological basis of food choice and nutritional behavior.

The aim is to understand the molecular basis of nutrition-dependent diseases, and to develop new strategies for prevention, treatment, and nutritional recommendations.

DIfE is an independent foundation and member of the Leibniz Association, an alliance of scientific institutions.

The Leibniz Association connects 96 independent research institutions that range in focus from the natural, engineering and environmental sciences via economics, spatial and social sciences to the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic and ecological relevance. They conduct knowledge-driven and applied basic research, maintain scientific infrastructure and provide research-based services. The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer to policy-makers, academia, business and the public. Leibniz Institutes collaborate intensively with universities - in the form of "WissenschaftsCampi" (thematic partnerships between university and non-university research institutes), for example - as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to an independent evaluation procedure that is unparalleled in its transparency. Due to the importance of the institutions for the country as a whole, they are funded jointly by the Federation and the Länder, employing some 20,500 individuals, including 11,500 researchers. The entire budget of all the institutes is approximately 2 billion Euros.

Furthermore DIfE is one partner of the German Center for Diabetes Research that is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).