Research Centres

The Bernal Institute is the largest Materials research institute at the University of Limerick. It was named after John Desmond Bernal, one of Ireland’s most influential 20^th Century scientists from Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. His research included the first x-ray diffraction pattern of a protein and ground breaking work on the structure of viruses and proteins which lead to the foundation of molecular biology. This development fundamentally changed the focus of biochemical research and the understanding of biological activity.

The Department of Chemical Sciences makes up the majority of researchers within the Bernal Institute and its three pharmaceutical centres.