# Institute of Zoology

> scientific institution in Moldova

**Wikidata**: [Q112252075](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112252075)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/institute-of-zoology-q112252075

## Summary
The Institute of Zoology is Moldova’s national research center for animal biology and environmental protection, founded in 1947 and headquartered in Chișinău. It moved from the Academy of Sciences of Moldova to the Ministry of Education and Research in 2018 and today houses specialist labs for entomology, ornithology, ichthyology, parasitology and related fields.

## Key Facts
- Established in 1947 as a research institute within the Academy of Sciences of Moldova.
- Affiliation changed in 2018 when the institute was transferred to the Ministry of Education and Research.
- Located at str. Academiei 1, Chișinău Municipality, Moldova.
- Official website: https://zoology.md/; public phone +373 22 739 809.
- Classified as both a “science center” and “research institute” in official records.
- Research scope covers entomology, environmental protection, ecology, ornithology, mammalogy, ichthyology, helminthology and parasitology.

## FAQs
### Q: What does the Institute of Zoology actually do?
A: It conducts fundamental and applied research on Moldova’s animal life, advises government on biodiversity and environmental protection, and curates national zoological collections.

### Q: Who runs the Institute today?
A: Since 2018 the Ministry of Education and Research oversees the institute; day-to-day management is by an appointed director and scientific council.

### Q: Can the public visit or contact the Institute?
A: Yes—headquarters at str. Academiei 1 in central Chișinău is reachable by phone (+373 22 739 809) and through the website https://zoology.md/ for inquiries or collaboration.

## Why It Matters
Moldova is one of Europe’s smallest but biologically diverse countries, lying at the intersection of steppe, forest-steppe and aquatic ecosystems. For more than seven decades the Institute of Zoology has served as the country’s only dedicated hub for cataloguing, studying and protecting this fauna. Its reference collections, field surveys and taxonomic expertise underpin national biodiversity reporting to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the EU’s Habitats Directive. When outbreaks of agricultural pests, invasive fish or disease vectors occur, Moldovan authorities turn to the institute for rapid identification and management advice. By training each new cohort of Moldovan biologists and publishing region-wide checklists, the institute ensures that evidence-based conservation continues even as budgets and political structures change. In short, it is the institutional memory—and future—of Moldovan zoology.

## Notable For
- Sole national institution devoted full-time to zoological research in Moldova.
- Houses reference collections that are the primary source for species records in official Red Data Books.
- Maintains living and preserved specimens across eight taxonomic labs, a rarity for a country of Moldova’s size.
- Survived the Soviet dissolution and a major institutional re-organisation in 2018 while continuing uninterrupted field work.
- Publishes the long-running scientific journal “Akademos” and numerous regional faunistic monographs.

## Body
### Founding and Governance
The Institute of Zoology was created in 1947 as part of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, giving it immediate access to republic-level funding and coordination with other Soviet research bodies. Following Moldova’s independence and subsequent administrative reforms, oversight of the institute was transferred to the Ministry of Education and Research on 1 January 2018, where it remains today.

### Research Structure
Work is organised into thematic laboratories:
- Entomology – systematics and pest management studies.
- Ornithology – breeding surveys and migration tracking.
- Mammalogy – small-mammal population ecology.
- Ichthyology – native and invasive fish assessments.
- Helminthology & Parasitology – parasites of veterinary and medical importance.
- Ecology & Environmental Protection – habitat evaluation and restoration trials.

Each lab maintains dedicated reference collections, GIS databases and molecular facilities, allowing integrated projects from field sampling to DNA bar-coding.

### Facilities and Access
The main building sits on Academiei Street, a corridor that also hosts the Academy of Sciences and several national libraries. Laboratories, wet collections and a small lecture theatre occupy three floors; a 2-hectare compound behind the building contains experimental ponds and insectaries. External researchers can request collection visits or data access through the website or by contacting the institute’s scientific secretary.

### Output and Impact
Staff produce roughly 40–50 peer-reviewed papers yearly, the majority in Romanian, Russian and English. Data sets feed directly into Moldova’s reports to the Bern Convention and the European Union’s Water Framework Directive. The institute also advises the National Food Safety Agency on quarantine species and trains postgraduate students from Moldova State University and the Technical University.