About

EMBL is Europe’s leading life sciences laboratory

We train students and scientists to perform world-class biological research, and we provide state-of-the-art technologies for a wide range of scientific and experimental services.

Some 1800 people working at six sites throughout Europe produce more than 800 publications per year, and run events and conferences at the cutting edge of biological research.

EMBL seeks to better understand the molecular basis of life. In the process, we’re changing European science.

Organisation

Missions

EMBL, a centre of excellence for Europe's leading molecular biologists, pursues five missions

Scientific Programme

EMBL’s activities are planned in five-year cycles and outlined in a document called the EMBL Programme

Member states

EMBL is an intergovernmental organisation with 27 member states, one associate member and two prospect members

Administration

Administration units support all parts of EMBL and deliver long-term strategic administrative planning

History and Legal Status

EMBL was founded in 1974 to promote molecular biology in Europe, train young scientists, and develop new technologies

International Relations

EMBL fosters international relations at a political, institutional, and scientific level in Europe and worldwide

Partnerships

Cooperative affiliations between EMBL and external institutions of comparable standard, vision, and international vision

Industry

EMBL harnesses its entrepreneurial spirit through technology-transfer programmes and technology spin-offs

Strategy

The Strategy Office works across all of EMBL’s six sites to develop and align the strategic directions of EMBL

Governance
Sites

Barcelona

At EMBL Barcelona, we study how tissues and organs develop and function in health and disease

Grenoble

EMBL's site in France is specialised in Structural Biology research, instrumentation development and services

Hamburg

EMBL Hamburg carries out research in structural and infection biology and provides related services

Heidelberg

EMBL’s headquarters and host to five research units and scientific core facilities

Hinxton

EMBL-EBI provides open data resources that enable discovery, and performs research in Computational Biology

Rome

EMBL’s site in Italy is a centre for research in Epigenetics and Neurobiology

Support EMBL

Innovation in the life sciences is rooted in fundamental research. Today’s technology and improved living conditions are the fruits of our past investments in science. By supporting EMBL research with your philanthropic contribution, you are enabling progress in its purest form.

Find out more about how you can support EMBL

Communications

As a publicly funded organisation, EMBL has both a responsibility and an interest to feed back on its work; communicating its innovative research programmes and cutting-edge science, and bringing the questions, concerns and responses of the public to the laboratory.

Alumni

The EMBL Alumni Relations programme is built to advance EMBL and the relevance of life sciences research in the scientific community and society at large, by fostering connections between the laboratory, its member states, current EMBL staff, EMBL alumni and the public.