| Nodes | projects | institutes | taxonomic groups | co-ordination |
| Prokaryotes & Viruses | 5 | 6 | prokaryotes, viruses, cyanobacteria |
DSMZ, |
| Mycology | 11 | 9 | fungi, incl. lichens | BSM, München |
| Botany | 10 | 11 | vascular plants, mosses, algae, protista | BGBM, Berlin-Dahlem |
| Evertebrata I | 10 | 9 | insecta | SMNS, Stuttgart |
| Evertebrata II | 7 | 5 | mollusca, chelicerata, myriapoda | ZSM, München |
| Evertebrata III | 11 | 7 | marine invertebrates, crustacea, cnidaria i.e. | FIS, Frankfurt |
| Vertebrata | 5 | 11 | fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals | ZFMK, Bonn |