Macromolecular Networks is a joint approach by experts in biophysics, biochemistry, genetics, molecular and cell biology, and molecular medicine to tackle a central question of the life sciences: how the vectorial flow of energy, matter and information in cells, and in particular across membranes, is brought about by macromolecular interactions and their modulation by small effector molecules.

Under this overarching roof, topics ranging from protein structure and dynamics, macromolecular assemblies, organellar membrane biogenesis, functions of membrane-protein complexes, protein-lipid interactions and trafficking all the way to cellular behaviour, multicellular development and the biogenesis of disorders are studied from a molecular perspective in both, fundamental and applied, projects involving a range of study objects from viruses over microorganisms to plants, animals and man.

Doctoral candidates thus acquire a very broad and profound perspective in molecular systems biology which is considered mandatory for successful life scientists in the future.

This thematic priority developed from long-standing cooperation among most of the participating researchers.
The areas: structural biology, neuroscience, molecular medicine, and molecular botany and microbiology have been structured at the Ruhr-University over many years following a dedicated appointment policy.

The basis has been provided by the DFG Collaborative Research Centre "Molecular Biology of Complex Performances of Botanical Systems" (SFB480), the DFG Collaborative Research Centre "GTP- and ATP-dependent Membrane Processes" (SFB642) and further the International Max-Planck Research School in Chemical Biology (IMPRS-CB).

In 2002, the Ruhr-University opened the "Centre of Excellence: Proteincentre", involving a cooperation of the Faculties of Biology, Chemistry, and Medicine to pool resources and to boost protein science.