In its work, the Institute is primarily concerned with fundamental, multidisciplinary research from the various fields of the biological sciences. research at the Institute focuses on the following scientific disciplines: biochemistry, molecular biology, cytology, animal physiology, neurobiology, neurophysiology, immunology, genetics, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem ecology, environmental protection, taxonomy and organic evolution. In addition to advancing scientific knowledge in these fields, all of the research is important for the development of other fields which have biology at their root (medicine, forestry, pharmacy, agriculture, biotechnology, etc.).

Considering its development programme, personnel, equipment and results, the Institute is a unique scientific organisation in terms of the development of a large number of biological disciplines. Its multidisciplinary approach to research meant gathering together teams of experts specialising in different areas (general biologists, molecular biologists, ecologists, biochemists, chemists, physicists, mathematicians, medics, pharmacists, foresters, agronomists, etc.). These teams were formed depending on the tasks involved for the project in question.

Heads of departments:

Department of Biochemistry - Dr. Ana Đorđević

Department of Cytology - Dr. Branko Filipović

Department of Ecology - Dr. Pavle Pavlović

Department of Evolutionary Biology - Dr. Aleksej Tarasjev

Department of Genetic Research - Dr. Jelena Blagojević

Department of Genetics of Populations and Ecogenotoxicology - Dr. Marija Tanasković

Department of Hydroecology and Water Protection - Dr. Momir Paunović

Department of Immunology - Dr. Đorđe Miljković

Department of Insect Physiology and Biochemistry - Dr. Vesna Perić Mataruga

Department of Molecular Biology - Dr. Melita Vidaković

Department of Neurobiology - Dr. Milica Pešić

Department of Neurophysiology - Dr. Branka Petković

Department of Physiology - Dr. Duško Blagojević

Department of Plant Physiology - Dr. Slavica Ninković