On 8th October 2025, we, the students of the LIMES master’s programmes in “Biochemistry” and “Immunobiology: from molecules to integrative systems”, had the opportunity to visit the modern Bayer AG Research and Development Centre in Wuppertal.
Upon our arrival, we were warmly welcomed by our on-site contact Dr Burkhardt, who introduced us to the fascinating history and research activities of Bayer AG and vividly explained the path from the idea to the development of a new drug.
This was followed by a varied programme offering insights into different research areas and laboratories such as the substance warehouse, where we learnt about the organisational processes involved in drug research, as well as the chromatography and SYMO laboratories. Visiting the pharmacology department was particularly exciting for us, as we learnt about modern research approaches in preclinical development, including the use of advanced cell and tissue models for drug testing and toxicity studies. The final part of the programme focused on the High Throughput Screening laboratory, which offered impressive insights into automated screening processes.
The excursion ended with an open question-and-answer session, during which we had the opportunity to speak with Dr Burkhardt about research processes and potential career paths within the pharmaceutical industry, particularly at Bayer AG. Overall, the visit provided valuable insights into industrial research structures, linking our theoretical knowledge to real-world applications and opening up new perspectives for our future careers.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Dr Burkhardt and the entire Bayer AG team for providing these valuable insights.
Karl
In October 2025, I’ve had the opportunity to take part in a one-day excursion to the Bayer Research Center in Wuppertal as part of my ‘Immunobiology’ studies at the LIMES institute.
We arrived at the Bayer campus in the morning and were warmly welcomed by Dr. Nils Burkhardt on our way to the building. After a brief introduction to Bayer’s history, motivation and current research, we were split into two smaller groups and were guided through various laboratories.
Starting in the substance warehouse, we were shown how millions of different test compounds are stored and distributed worldwide. This was followed by a short stop at the chromatography laboratories. Before lunch, we also visited the SYMO laboratories. Here, they showed us different laboratory units and devices and explained their function. Above all, we also had the opportunity to ask questions about the researchers’ careers and daily routines. We gained a deeper insight into the group’s working methods and leaned how they work on various projects simultaneously.
For lunch, we were invited to visit the cafeteria and choose from a wide range of dishes.
I particularly enjoyed the visit of the pharmacology department. We were again divided into smaller groups and were allowed to look at organoids derived from iPSCs, which serve as models for kidney and heart tissue. It was very impressive to see the different cell types of the kidney organoids in the microscopy and to observe the contraction of the heart tissue.
Finally, were introduced to the high-throughput screening laboratories. There, many different machines were arranged in a specific manner aiming for a useful workflow to allow for the efficient execution of current experiments. In general, it was very interesting to see the many different state-of-the-art devices that are used at Bayer.
I am very thankful for this opportunity to take part in the excursion because it gave an interesting impression of the industrial work environment. We learned about the project-based working manners and gained good insights into the career and everyday life of a researcher at Bayer. As this was my first visit to an industrial research center during my studies, I am sure that this experience will be very helpful when choosing my future career.
Hofius
In October 2025, 18 students of the master’s programs “Biochemistry” and “Immunobiology: from small molecules to integrative systems” participated in an excursion to the Bayer site in Wuppertal to gain insights into industrial research and development. The day started off with an introduction about Bayer’s history and current projects by Dr. Burkhardt, before we were separated into smaller groups to visit the laboratories. The first stop was the chromatography department, followed by a visit to the place where, currently, 4.2 million compounds are stored and organised. Additionally, we saw the laboratories, where small molecules are newly synthesised to add to the compound library. After a lunch break, we got fascinating insights into current work on kidney and heart organoids in the pharmacology department. The last stop, which was the laboratory for high throughput screening, was particularly interesting, as it gave an idea about how this complex process is implemented in practice to find possible new drug candidates. Overall, the visit was incredibly insightful, especially since the people in every department were very welcoming and always open to questions. This enabled us to understand how high-scale research in the industry is being done in contrast to academic environments, offering a valuable perspective for our future.
Meinert