Access

The EMBL Archive aims to make as much material publicly accessible as possible, while also appropriately controlling access to confidential, private and sensitive material and complying with data protection, copyright, and other applicable legislation.

The restrictions and access conditions of archival collections are documented in the descriptions of the holdings within the publicly accessible EMBL Archive Catalogue. 

Please contact us to request conditions of access to the material that interests you.

Reference and Research services 

We provide online and in-person reference and research services for archive users, namely EMBL staff, visitors, and external researchers. 

For an onsite visit to our Archives Reading Room or an online consultation of our holdings, please contact us via e-mail. 

Use the Archives 

Holdings in which EMBL owns the copyright are available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Other items may be protected by third-party copyright and/or related rights. You may be able to use them under a copyright exception; otherwise you need permission from the rights holder(s). Please check each catalogue record, or contact the EMBL Archive for further information.

To cite material from our collections, please use the following format:

EMBL Archive, [Title of Item], [Reference code]

Example: EMBL Archive, Centrosomes and Spindle Pole Bodies (2005), DE 2324 TRA-EXT-A-2005/19  

Please acknowledge the material you have referenced from the EMBL Archive.

Featured Stories of EMBL’s Archives Use

Here are stories showcasing how our collections have been utilized within EMBL and beyond. Stay tuned as we continuously update these stories, offering deeper insights into how EMBL’s archives inspire both internal and external users.

Max Planck Digital Story – Pioneers of Knowledge

The Max Planck Institute has created a digital story about the Nobel Laureates of the Max Planck Society, and used images from the Christiane (Janni) Nüsslein-Volhard collection.

EMBL 5Oth Anniversary

The EMBL Archive collaborated with the EMBL Communications department to provide content for the 50th Anniversary History site, as well as for the Flashback Friday articles featured on the EMBL Archive blog.