To foster collaboration between scientific communities in Europe and around the world
The year 2024 provided ample opportunity for all of these, especially thanks to EMBL’s unique Traversing European Coastlines (TREC) project that fortified existing collaborations while forging new ones. Notably, Bulgaria became EMBL’s newest prospect member state this year.
“EMBL has its expertise in molecular biology and cell biology, but as a European organisation, and for topics like ecosystems, we need to synergise and work with the scientific communities, and with our neighbours. The TREC expedition is a good example of that.”
— James Sharpe, Head of EMBL Barcelona
A flagship project for EMBL’s Planetary Biology transversal theme, TREC presented diverse opportunities to collaborate with long-time partners and build relationships with new ones as researchers traversed Europe’s coastlines for the field sampling phase of the project.
After a brief winter break, TREC started its next phase in late February, resuming the extensive sampling, analysis, and public outreach it began in 2023, with sampling stops in Spain, Greece, Italy, and beyond.
For almost two months, Italy was the stage for the TREC expedition, with a rich programme of events attended by the public, scientists, schools, and high-level political stakeholders.
The TREC expedition concluded its sampling in Greece and strengthened scientific exchange and collaborative networks with their Greek partners during a stakeholder event in Athens.
“The Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science is very excited about Bulgaria joining EMBL as a prospect member. We believe this is a crucial step in integrating Bulgaria’s rapidly evolving molecular and cell biology community within the European research area.”
– Galin Tsokov, Director of the Institute of Education, Ministry of Education and Science, Bulgaria; Minister of Education and Science (June 2023 –January 2025)
EMBL establishes links with organisations in member states through institutional dialogue, strategic alliances, and science policy discourse. The year 2024 provided ample opportunity for all of these, fortifying existing collaborations while forging new ones. Notably, Bulgaria became EMBL’s newest prospect member state this year.
Prospect membership offers new opportunities for scientific exchange and collaboration for all involved. Bulgaria’s scientific community can take full advantage of EMBL’s facilities, training, and professional network.
The Spanish State Secretary for Research, Innovation, and Universities and Secretary General for Research visited EMBL to discuss collaborations and the future of European science.
A high-level Maltese delegation visited EMBL’s Heidelberg campus, strengthening cooperation in bioinformatics, genomics, and marine biology.
EMBL’s youngest site marked the life-science laboratory’s golden anniversary by discussing the future of tissue biology and connecting with stakeholders and top researchers.
“By leveraging EMBL-EBI’s resources and international network, BIOMICS can enhance collaboration, training, and data analysis at iMM (Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes), advancing Portuguese scientific competitiveness.”
– Evangelia Petsalaki, EMBL-EBI Group Leader
EMBL continued to play a key role in nurturing science policy discussions, including with a position paper on the upcoming European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP10). Through a series of workshops and high-level events in Brussels, EMBL has been particularly active in engaging EU stakeholders on the use and uptake of artificial intelligence in science, helping to shape European leadership in the field. Additionally, European Commission-funded Twinning projects offered fruitful ways to build expertise and research capacity with research organisations in Portugal and Slovakia.
EMBL advocated for leveraging Europe’s unique ecosystem of research infrastructures, fostering comprehensive career development, and promoting innovative funding models.
The Centre for Molecular Medicine Norway hosted the 13th annual meeting of the Nordic EMBL partnership for molecular medicine, providing a platform to showcase research undertaken within the partnership and beyond.
EMBL and its partners have received funding from the European Commission for two new Twinning Projects, which will build expertise and research capacity in its member states.
“My experience at EMBL-EBI has been nothing short of transformative. The institute’s commitment to excellence, its fostering of collaboration, and its dedication to nurturing the next generation of scientists have left an indelible mark on my academic journey.”
– Tendai Washaya, PhD Fellow from the University of Zimbabwe, one of the first EMBL-UNESCO fellows
EMBL has an important role to play in the global scientific ecosystem. In 2024, the first EMBL-UNESCO fellows visited EMBL Heidelberg and EMBL-EBI, completing research residencies that focused on infection biology. In addition, the EMBL Imaging Centre continued to empower users from across EMBL's member states to carry out cutting-edge life science research projects. Through participating in the World Economic Forum’s Bioeconomy initiative and annual meeting, EMBL amplified the voice of life sciences in key global forums.
The first EMBL-UNESCO fellows shared insights from their residencies that focused on infection biology.
Scientific visitors to the EMBL Imaging Centre described how specialists and high-tech tools further their scientific projects.
A month-long visit gave a Latvian PhD student an intensive introduction to EMBL microscopy with high-tech tools and new capabilities to use at his home institute in Riga.
“What a rich experience for the first 2024 TREC ‘superstop’. Embedding public engagement within research projects is the way forward, and the involvement of scientific partners and funding bodies along the TREC expedition is a wonderful example for European research.”
— Anne-Marie Alleaume, BIOcean5D outreach project manager at the Tara Ocean Foundation; former Research Technician and Communications Officer at EMBL (2012–2019)
