Dear Visitor,
Welcome to the homepage of the Research Centre for Natural Sciences.
The Eötvös Loránd Research Network has established both national and international scientific achievements and produced values in Hungarian and universal science by uniting excellence in research, authenticity in science and commitment to society. As the only full-time institution of Hungarian research network, we endeavour to undertake a primary role in the cause of public welfare and founding the future, based upon domestic research traditions, by conducting discovery research promising significant achievements on an international scale and valuable scientific results.
In virtue of its Deed of Foundation, the Research Centre for Natural Sciences (TTK) has carried out multidisciplinary research activities in natural sciences, in the fields of enzymology, organic chemistry, cognitive neuroscience and psychology, as well as materials- and environmental chemistry.
Four institutes of the research centre – namely, the Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, the Institute of Enzymology, the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, and the Institute of Organic Chemistry – have given priority to disciplines that may be interpreted as three independent entities in the dimensions of human, material and environment. The interaction of these systems has defined the disciplines in a wider sense that are associated with scientific mission of the Research Centre for Natural Sciences.
In view of the international trends of research in natural sciences, social expectations, the ongoing research trends and achievements made in the institutes of the Research Centre for Natural Sciences, as well as research focused on these areas and conducted in the Research Centre for Natural Sciences has fulfilled its scientific mission in the fields of research in health science, materials- and environmental science, respectively. It is a common feature of these focus areas that they may be cultivated by a complex, multidisciplinary approach, only. Thus, the Research Centre for Natural Sciences can effectively take advantage of the organization and the benefits of research infrastructure that will be extended by the new building (TTK) of the research centre to be accomplished by the end of year 2013.
Focus areas of research in health science and a multi-disciplinary environment provided by the Research Centre for Natural Sciences have created optimal conditions for research conducted in the institutes of the research centre, in the following fields of science:
- biology (biophysics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, enzymology, genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, interpretation of physiological and pathophysiological processes on cell and- molecular level);
- chemistry (heterocyclic compounds, carbohydrates, polymers and development of new methods of synthesis);
- pharmacology and drug safety (analysis of drug effects on molecular level, experimental developments for the production of new, effective and safe drugs);
- cognitive neuroscience and psychology (societal-, comparative cross-cultural-, cognitive- and developmental psychology, and psychophysiology), respectively.
In the field of research in materials- and environmental science, the Research Centre for Natural Sciences has focused on:
- materials- and environmental chemistry (functional and structural materials, micro- and nanosized surface layers, as well as preparation and study of solid/liquid interfaces; furthermore, developing new procedures and methods decreasing environmental impact of technologies).
- technical physics and material science (production of complex functional materials and nanosized structures targeting the exploration of physical, chemical and biological principles, and their exploitation in integrated micro- and nanosystems)
Complex functional and structural materials, nanometer-scale structures and the designed integrated micro- and nanosystems and micro-technological tools have been used in a wide range of application, already, and this possibility is enlarged by fundamental and applied research carried out in the Research Centre for Natural Sciences. Sensor and bionic applications developed in the research centre imply an important link to focus areas of research in health science. Research made for decreasing environmental impact has been of vital importance, and owing to severe national and European regulations they have had an increasing role in sustainable economic processes.
The Research Centre for Natural Sciences has had a great scientific, technical, educational and social mission to fulfil in the European Union, and within this, in Hungary; it will act as a publicly financed professional research centre. In order to meet these requirements and objectives, we expect the opinion of every responsible citizen. These feedbacks are welcome to the following e-mail address: foigazgato@ttk.mta.hu .