The institute of animal nutrition is part of the veterinary faculty of the Free University of Berlin. It offers all relevant analytical methods that are required for biological and laboratory nutritional research including the facilities and techniques for feed processing and production. Main activities are nutritional studies and the impact of feed composition and feed additives on the intestinal microflora and the gut associated immune system in pigs and poultry. The laboratory equipment allows performing basic nutritional research as well as a broad range of cultural and molecular microbiological techniques. A close cooperation exists to the institute of nutrition, Veterinary University of Vienna. (Jürgen Zentek)