Within molecular biology, the emphasis is on the multifaceted science of proteins, its theoretical and methodological presentation, and practical familiarization with the methodological arsenal of genetic engineering. The wide range of immunology subjects taught within the specialization covers molecular mechanisms, the body's responses to infections, and pathological defense mechanisms. Microbiology courses present the methodological diversity of the field and its main areas of research (microbial ecology, applied microbiology, basic clinical microbiology, taxonomy).

The main courses are the followings:

Protein Science L: The lecture provides all the information necessary to understand the relationships between the structure, function, and interactions of proteins, including a wide range of methods for studying proteins and their role as drug targets.

Gene technology PR: During the practicals, students go through the in vitro (digestion, isolation, ligation) and in vivo steps (preparation of competent cells, transfection, selection, and clone identification) of molecular cloning. They amplify DNA sequences using polymerase chain reaction and produce recombinant fluorescent proteins in a bacterial expression system.

Immunopathology: The course covers the critical points in the development of pathological immune processes, the characteristics of inherited and acquired immunodeficiency conditions, the development of autoimmune processes and their systemic and organ-specific manifestations, as well as the immune response to tumors, various immunotherapy options, and transplant procedures.

Advanced immunology practice PR: The aim of the practical is to introduce students to several methods based on immunological reactions, which they can later use in their specialized and other studies and work, and which are also used in many other scientific fields for diagnostic, research, and even therapeutic purposes. Emphasis is placed on reactions based on the detection of antigen-antibody binding, as well as the separation of cell populations from blood and their characterization using flow cytometry.

Trends in classical and molecular bacteriology L: The course provides an overview of the main methods used in microbiology and the most important areas of microbiology. The main topics of the methodology are sampling, nucleic acid-based, culture-based, microscopic, and microbial activity measurement methods. A key part of the course is to help students choose the appropriate method for the appropriate scientific question. The course then provides an overview of microbial relationships, the microbiology of aquatic habitats and soil, human microbiology, antibiotics and epidemiology, and applied microbiology topics, including bioremediation.

Classical and molecular methods in microbiology PR Students learn the main methods used in microbiology through practical exercises. These include nucleic acid-based and microscopic methods, chemical measurements (e.g., gas chromatography), algology, and bioinformatic data processing (amplicon sequencing data). All of these methods will be applied to specific environmental samples in the Environmental microbiology practical course.

The research groups of the three departments offer a diverse range of topics in the MSc in Biology program.

Researchers at the Department of Biochemistry focus on studying the structure–function relationships of motor proteins (myosins, helicases), amyloid protein aggregates, proteases of the complement system, and protein–protein interactions, as well as the bioinformatic analysis of so-called linear motifs found in intrinsically disordered proteins. In addition to basic research, several applied research projects have been launched with the aim of drug development.

Researchers at the Department of Immunology study cellular elements of the innate immune system and the complement system, as well as molecules regulating the latter, and the development, regulation, and diversity of the humoral immune response in healthy individuals and in cases of autoimmune diseases (e.g., polyarthritis). In addition to bioinformatic evaluation, their research uses state-of-the-art immunobiotechnology techniques such as flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, surface plasmon resonance, and next-generation sequencing. Their multifaceted relationship with the pharmaceutical industry also provides insight into the latest developments in immunobiotechnology.

The researchers at the Department of Microbiology are interested in environmental microbiology in its broadest sense. To answer questions of microbial ecology (what microbial species are found in a given environment, what activities they perform, and how they organize themselves into communities), they use both traditional (culture-based) and the latest molecular methods of microbiology. Ecological questions aimed at gaining a more complete understanding of the world around us are complemented by studies on possible applications and uses, as well as the description of new species.

Department of Biochemistry

• Dosztányi studies intrinsically disordered proteins and protein regions, focusing primarily on protein–protein interactions mediated by so-called linear motifs, using mainly bioinformatic methods.
• Gábor Erdős is engaged in the bioinformatic study of the behavior of protein-protein interactions mediated by Short Linear Motifs (SLIMs).
• József Kardos’s research focuses on the structural analysis of amyloid protein aggregates and the proteomic study of the complement system in the nervous system.
• Mihály Kovács studies the structure–function relationships of motor proteins, myosins, and DNA helicases, the molecular mechanisms of DNA recombination, and myosin-based drug development.
• András Málnási Csizmadia focuses on the structure–function studies of myosin motor proteins, the development of a microscopic cell biology technique called “molecular tattooing,” and myosin-based drug development.
• András Micsonai’s research area is the structural analysis of proteins and functional nucleic acid motifs using biophysical and bioinformatic methods.
• Tamás Molnár’s research area is the investigation of protein stability, pathological aggregation processes, and related diseases using biophysical and structural biology methods
• László Nyitray’s research focus on protein–protein interactions involved in signaling, using biochemical, biophysical, cell biological, and structural biological methods.
• Gábor Pál studies proteases of the complement system and their inhibition using biochemical, enzymological and directed evolution methods, and conducts research aimed at protease-based drug development.

Department of Immunology

• Mihály Krisztián Józsi studies the role of the complement system in health and in certain diseases. His research focuses on the regulation of the activation of the complement alternative pathway and studies the structure and function of the complement regulatory molecule factor H and the factor H-related proteins.
• Imre Kacskovics analyses the development and diversity of humoral immune responses in healthy individuals and autoimmune patients and conducts antibody-based drug development. He uses state-of-the-art molecular and cell biology methods in his work, most recently next-generation sequencing, which he evaluates using bioinformatics methods.
• Kövesdi Dorottya’s research focuses on B cell maturation and signalling, with a particular emphasis on the differentiation of marginal zone B cells and their role in the pathomechanism of rheumatoid arthritis.
• Barbara Uzonyi is engaged in the study of the complement system; her research focuses on autoantibodies specific to complement proteins and the functional characterization of the factor H-related proteins.

Department of Microbiology

• Tamás Felföldi is engaged in microbial ecology of aquatic habitats: microbiology of shallow lakes and wastewater treatment. He prepares species descriptions for new bacterial and algae species, moreover molecular taxonomic characterization for enchytraeids.
• Erika Tóth is engaged in microbial ecology of aquatic habitats (natural and artificial waters, drinking water and wastewater), impact of nanomaterials, drugs and drug residues on the environment, application of plant growth-promoting microorganisms, description of new bacterial taxa.
• Balázs Vajna-Ferenczy is engaged in the microbiological background of mushroom cultivation, investigation of mushroom-bacteria relationships, role of mushrooms in bioremediation, multivariate and statistical evaluation of microbiological data sets.

Our graduates can continue their research training in doctoral schools in the fields of protein science, immunology, and environmental microbiology. There are also numerous opportunities for employment in applied research areas. These include pharmaceutical research (particularly biological-based medicines), biotechnology research and development (in almost all areas of biotechnology), and companies involved in diagnostics, but graduates can also find employment opportunities at state institutions.