The Institute for the Biology and Chemistry of  Proteins (IBCP), a research unit (UMR 5086) administered jointly by the CNRS and by Lyon University, is located in Lyon (France) in the Gerland area,at the confluence of the Rhone and the Saone rivers.This institute was created administratively in 1990 on the initiative of CNRS as a CNRS Unit research (UPR 412) and became UMR in 1999. From 1990 to 2006, the IBCP was directed by Pr Alain Cozzone assisted by Pr Robert Garrone (1990-2004) and by Pr Gilbert Deléage (2005-2007).
The IBCP is one of several research units making up the Federated Research Institute (IFR 28) "Biosciences Gerland-Lyon Sud ". It constitutes the "Protein Science" department.

The current building dates from 1992 (phase 1), and was extended in 1997 (phase 2, North West wing) and again in 2003 (phase 3, two additional floors), making a current surface area of 4500 m2 distributed over 5 floors. A last extension is on the way and should be completed in 2012

In general, the aim of the research carried out at the IBCP is the study of proteins in their biological context. Approaches used include integrative cellular (cell culture, various types of microscopies) and molecular techniques, both experimental (including biocrystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance) and theoretical (structural bioinformatics).

Research at the IBCP is organised through 2 distinct research units:
UMR 5086 Molecular and Structural Bases of Infectious Systems (BM2SI) Head :G. Deléage

This units put together 7 researchs groups which mainly work on molecular determinants of infections mechanisms by using biochemistry, structural biology or bioinformatics approaches.

FRE 3310 "Tissue malfunction and therapeutic engineering" (DyHTIT). Head : B. Verrier
This units put together 6 researchs groups .

IBCP will become a federation of research units (FR 3302) which consists to share materials and other things common and useful to both hosted units. Altogether, it includes about 180 people (researchers, university academic staff, technicians, administrative staff), representing 9 nationalities, of which half have tenured positions.

The IBCP houses the Lyon-Gerland site of the Rhone-Alpes Bioinformatics Centre (PRABI).