August 2009: Founding of the HZI branch on the campus of the University Saarbrücken: Scientists at the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) develop new drugs and therapies against infectious diseases.

July 2006: The GBF is renamed Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research. At the same time, the center's new entrance gate was completed. With it, the campus has a new driveway and a new address.

March 2006: The animal house has reached the limits of its capacity. Construction on a new house begins to make room for more than 23,000 animals.

2005: The GBF buys the adjacent building belonging to the innovation center. The purchase adds urgently needed space to house several work groups.

2001: GBF takes a new direction as Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research.

2000: GBF’s very own forum for meetings, congress and workshops aptly named the GBF-Forum, is opened.

1999: Medical applied biotechnology gains increasing influence during the 90’s. Since animal experiments are essential for this, a modern “Animal House” for mouse keeping is established, focusing on vaccine research and strategies.

1997: The GBF is granted the right to produce pharmaceutical agents for use in medical care. “Good Manufacturing Practice” (GMP) quality assurance is applied to the new plant.

1976: The German Research Centre for Biotechnology (GBF) is the result.

1975/76: The Federal Republic of Germany obtains control of the institute, and the state of Lower Saxony joins as partner.

1975: The “Biotechnikum” research and development facility is put on line, changing the focus from basic research in molecular biology to application oriented biotechnology.

1968: Aided by the Volkswagen-Foundation, the IMB is turned into the Gesellschaft für Molekularbiologische Forschung mbH (GMBF).

1965: The Centre´s predecessor is founded, the Institute of Molecular Biology, Biochemistry and Biophysics (IMB), initiated by the chemist Prof. Dr. Hans Herloff Inhoffen. Inhoffen is supported by several scientists of note, especially Nobel award winner Prof. Dr. Manfred Eigen.