In a society where people are living longer and longer the Center of Excellence on Aging Research (CECAD) at the University of Cologne explores the causes of aging processes and aging-associated disorders. 

More than 400 international scientists from the University of Cologne, the University Hospital Cologne, the Max Planck Institutes for Metabolism Research and Biology of Ageing and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) are forming a highly dynamic research network. Their vision is to unravel the molecular mechanisms of aging and define new therapeutic approaches for the entire spectrum of aging-associated diseases.

Developing new therapies for treating aging-associated diseases requires basic scientific research. Only by identifying the molecular processes that trigger the pathogenesis of a disease, we can possibly find research approaches that will give us a new understanding of age-associated disorders. In the past, neurologists have dealt with dementia, cardiologists with heart disease, and oncologists with tumors. CECAD’s interdisciplinary approach means that scientists are now looking for shared causes of age-associated disorders. Their goal is to find a central mechanism involved in the aging process that would allow scientists and medical professionals to intervene successfully.

CECAD links basic research and the application of new findings, pioneering new approaches for clinical research. Translational research closes the loop, linking disciplines and delivering therapies to patients more rapidly. 

Matter and Light for Quantum Computing (ML4Q) is a Center within the German Excellence Strategy. ML4Q is a joint initiative by the universities of Cologne, Aachen, and Bonn, as well as the Research Center Jülich.

The aim of ML4Q is to develop new computing and networking architectures using the principles of quantum mechanics. Computing and networking power beyond anything classically imaginable would make quantum computers powerful tools in key areas such as materials design, pharmaceutics, or artificial intelligence. Quantum communication could be made effectively secure. ML4Q will build on and extend the complementary expertise in the three key research fields (solid-state physics, quantum optics, and quantum information science) at the partner institutions in order to develop the best hardware platform for quantum information technology, and provide comprehensive blueprints for a functional quantum information network.

The Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS) was established in collaboration with the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research and the Research Center Jülich to contribute new paradigms to the solution of urgent problems in plant performance and production through the exploitation of natural variation and biodiversity.

The aim of CEPLAS is to understand the mechanistic basis of four complex plant traits using an evolutionary approach combined with modern genomic technologies. This knowledge will be used to facilitate engineering of these traits in heterologous species. Thus researchers will be able to engineer a new generation of crop plants harbouring complex traits that are expected to increase yield and make more land available for agricultural purposes. As the only cluster focusing exclusively on plant science within the German Excellence Initiative, CEPLAS applies a new approach, driven by evolutionary analysis and synthetic biology, and contributes new paradigms to solve urgent problems in plant performance. 

Data structures of immense size and complexity ("big data") play an increasingly important role across a wide range of scientific disciplines. The gain of information from big data requires approaches exceeding the limits of classical statistics and serial computing. Instead, novel tools for the storage, processing, visualization, and analysis of data using high-performance computing systems are required. In face of the growing complexity of the underlying models, the development of custom-made algorithms and software solutions is indispensable for the efficient simulation of the problems under consideration. The UoC Center for Data and Simulation Science (CDS), founded in January 2018, addresses these challenges by bringing together scientists from the domain sciences (e.g., natural sciences, life sciences, economics, social sciences, and humanities) and researchers with a strong background in data science and scientific computing. The center aims at developing tools with great innovative capacity and shaping novel scientific disciplines, such as high-performance data analytics. The unique strength of the CDS lies in a proven track record of excellent research in various data-intensive scientific domains with great societal impact which is combined with excellent theoretical and technological foundations.

The Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC) is a biomedical research and educational center within the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Cologne.

The mission of the CMMC is to advance our current understanding of the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of human diseases as a prelude to improving prevention, diagnosis and treatment of many common health problems.

The Cologne Center for Genomics (CCG) is a inter-faculty center for large scale technologies in genomics, supporting both groups from Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the University of Cologne.

The center has a superior infrastructure for all kinds of sequencing, gene mapping and whole genome association studies in complex diseases as well as the validation of copy number variations. It offers various gene expression profiling platforms (Affymetrix, Illumina, ABI, Roche) that may be used for high-throughput production and cross platform validations. It is focusing on massive parallel DNA sequencing platforms, also called next generation sequencing, which have the potential to dramatically accelerate biological and medical research.

The COPT Center is a technology transfer center of the University of Cologne. It was inaugurated in 2015, offering a modern research environment for organic electronics at the interface of science and industry. This promises innovative, energy-saving products such as OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes). Organic electronics is used in a wide variety of areas where flat lighting, displays, solar cells, or sensors are required. The range of applications for organic electronics extends from the automotive industry to medical technology.

The COPT Center is designed to meet the needs of small and medium-sized companies. Its central location in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) ensures short distances to one of the largest industrial regions in Europe. On its total space of around 1000 square meters, the center provides laboratories, a clean room, and open access platforms with extensive scientific and technical equipment and offices. It also offers a wide range of analytical and consulting services. This research infrastructure enables small and medium-sized companies to gauge their options for realizing developments in organic electronics in their products.

The COPT Center is distinguished by the knowledge of its experts, its specific technological equipment, and the excellent infrastructure it provides. The establishment of this technology transfer center was funded by the European Union and the state of NRW.

The Center of Excellence Global South Studies Center (GSSC) brings together research expertise on Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The Global South is characterized by rapid social, economic, cultural, and political change. The GSSC aims to understand the causes and consequences of these processes of change. Participating disciplines are for instance geography, cultural anthropology, history, sociolinguistics, area studies, Latin American history, Romance philology, Islamic studies, modern Chinese studies, and African studies. A special focus of the GSSC is the close cooperation with partners from countries of the Global South. The center serves as an incubator for innovative joint research projects and offers a supportive academic environment for young researchers.

Quantum Matter and Materials (QM2) is a fascinating field of research driven both by the intellectual challenge and the promise for applications. Within QM2, researchers of mathematics, experimental and theoretical physics, inorganic and physical chemistry and crystallography collaborate to unravel the properties of quantum matter. The mathematical structures underlying topological matter, the prospect to functionalize 'Dirac matter' like graphene, new states of matter arising from spin-orbit interactions, quantum matter far from thermal equilibrium, the use of nanostructured materials for wide ranges of applications, and the development of organic electronics are some of the research topics important for QM2.