With about 120 employees, the National Institute of Biology (NIB) is the largest independent Public Research Institution for Life Sciences in Slovenia. The Institute was established by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia in 1960. The core activity of the Institute is basic, developmental and applicative research in the fields of biotechnology, biophysics, biomedicine and system biology. The NIB was formed to create new fundamental knowledge in the field of biology and related natural and environmental sciences, transfer this knowledge to use it to improve the quality of life, support environmental policy, and develop biotechnology. Applied and developmental research is undertaken in the fields of marine ecology, terrestrial and aquatic biology, with ongoing work on biosensors, career and training support, marine debris, ballast water management, pharmaceutical residues, and EMODnet.