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The United States leads in genetics-related output in the Nature Index, with six institutions ranking among the world’s top 10.
Leading by a clear margin is Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with more than double the Share of most other institutions in the top 10.
European institutions, including Germany’s Max Planck Society and the French National Centre for Scientific Research, also perform well in this area.
The rankings below refer to institutions’ genetics-related output by article Share (a fractional metric) and article Count. Data is from the current Index window at the time of writing of 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025.
Leading institutions in genetics in the Nature Index
Institutions are ranked by article Share for the period 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025. Each institution's article count (Count) is also listed.
| Rank | Institution | Country | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | United States | 40.19 | 128 |
| 2 | Max Planck Society | Germany | 30.58 | 101 |
| 3 | National Institutes of Health | United States | 28.47 | 55 |
| 4 | Stanford University | United States | 18.99 | 39 |
| 5 | Columbia University | United States | 18.67 | 46 |
| 6 | Chinese Academy of Sciences | China | 17.99 | 75 |
| 7 | French National Centre for Scientific Research | France | 16.09 | 119 |
| 8 | University of Cambridge | United Kingdom | 15.53 | 52 |
| 9 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | United States | 15.28 | 74 |
| 10 | Washington University | United States | 14.30 | 37 |
1. Harvard University
Share 40.19
Harvard University is the global leader in genetics research. Its Share in the topic is almost one-third higher than that of the Max Planck Society, in second. It also has more than double the Share of the institutions in ranks 4 to 10 on this list.
Together with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard forms the most prolific partnership in genetics output in the index.
The Boston metropolitan area, where these two institutions are based, is a hub of leading institutions, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, which helps to accelerate biology-based research and cross-sector partnerships.
2. Max Planck Society
Share 30.58
The Max Planck Society is a German-based academic collective renowned for its work in the physical and biological sciences.
Among its genetics-focused institutions are the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, based in Berlin, which studies areas such as genome function and regulation, and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, which explores topics such as the genetic basis of cellular processes.
In a country-based ranking of genetics output in the index, Germany ranks third. Its Share in the topic is around half that of China, in second place.
3. National Institutes of Health
Share 28.47
As the world’s largest funder of biomedical research, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a heavy hitter in genetics.
The NIH is made up of 27 institutes, including the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, which supports research on the structure and function of the human genome. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, also in Bethesda, is another key NIH institute for genetics research, where teams are looking into topics such as the genetic components of developmental disorders.
4. Stanford University
Share 18.99
In the genetics-related output in the index, less than one Share point separates California-based Stanford University, in fourth place, and Columbia University in New York, in fifth.
At the Stanford Department of Genetics, which is run out of the university’s medical school, researchers are studying topics ranging from the genetic components of brain regeneration to the automation of gene-editing experiments. In 2022, it was announced that a team at Stanford had set the world record for the fastest DNA-sequencing technique, at 5 hours and 2 minutes, performed on 16 March 2021.
5. Columbia University
Share 18.67
Columbia University’s genetics researchers benefit from the institution’s location: in the Nature Index 2024 Science Cities ranking, New York City topped the charts in biological sciences.
The university has several departments that support genetic research. Its Centre for Precision Medicine and Genomics, for example, specialises in areas such as pharmacogenomics – work that aims to predict how an individual’s genetics will affect their response to drugs and doses.
6. Chinese Academy of Sciences
Share 17.99
The only China-based institution in the top 10 for genetics-related output in the index, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) encompasses several Beijing-based institutes devoted to the study of genetics. This includes the Beijing Institute of Genomics, known for its work on the Chinese Superhybrid Rice Genome Project, which aims to produce rice crop varieties with improved traits through genetic sequencing.
7. French National Centre for Scientific Research
Share 16.09
The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), in Paris, is the second European institution to make this list, bolstered by the strength of its research partnerships.
Together with the Paris-based French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), CNRS forms the third strongest research collaboration in genetics in the index. The pairing’s collaboration score is marginally lower than that of CAS and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In 2024, CNRS and INSERM launched the Cellular Identities and Destinies national research programme, worth €50 million (US$58.7million) over seven years. The project is exploring how cells determine their fate based on genetic code — insights that could inform future disease management.
8. University of Cambridge
Share 15.53
The University of Cambridge’s Department of Genetics has been instrumental in key discoveries in the field. Last year, a team from Cambridge published a study that described how modern humans descended from at least two ancestral populations — not one, as previously thought — after performing genome sequencing on human DNA.
The University of Cambridge’s strong performance in genetics research is a major factor in the UK’s standings in the topic. The country ranks fourth in the world for genetics-related output in the index.
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Share 15.28
As part of the leading collaboration in genetics in the index, MIT is a major player in the field.
In 2004, together with Harvard University and Harvard-affiliated hospitals, MIT launched the Broad Institute, a leading biomedical research centre. The Broad Institute is known for its human genome-mapping work and research into the genetic drivers of diseases. Its researchers are involved in more than 100 private and public collaborations spanning more than 40 countries.
10. Washington University
Share 14.3
Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, ranks 10th in genetics-related output in the index. Home to the McDonnell Genome Institute, an NIH-funded genetic sequencing centre, its scientists have made key contributions to the Human Microbiome Project, which explored how microbes influence health and disease.
Its researchers have also worked on the Cancer Genome Atlas, a comprehensive catalogue of genomic changes linked to cancer.
