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23 April 2025 Group photo of the conference participants taken in front of the EMBL Imagine Centre in Heidelberg.

EMBL Partnership Conference explores AI in One Health

Fifth EMBL Partnership Conference brings together participants from EMBL and partner institutions to explore how AI can drive innovation in One Health. Conference participants discussed opportunities and challenges in advancing AI in life sciences and the role collaboration.

CONNECTIONS

2025

connections

18 March 2025 Two young males smiling to the camera with a mix of garden and buildings in the background.

Welcome: Alexander Barrington and Miten Mistry

EMBL’s new archivists highlight the importance of safeguarding past records to strengthen the organisation's institutional future. Together, they will focus on developing a sustainable record management framework while keeping records of valuable cultural and historical information.

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2025

people-perspectives

6 March 2025 Collage of four photos. Top left shows a group photo with about 50 people inside a conference room, top right shows a woman speaking at a podium, bottom right shows a male participant with a microphone, and bottom left shows a group photo with seven people in front of an event poster.

It’s EMBL Day in Bulgaria!

EMBL strengthened its ties with its newest prospect member state Bulgaria at a recent ‘information day’ designed for networking and information exchange.

CONNECTIONS

2025

connections

20 February 2025

Welcome: Tim Porter

EMBL-EBI’s new Head of IT and Technical Services (ITS) Operations will strengthen collaborative systems across EMBL and explore our use of cloud-hosting solutions.

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2025

people-perspectivesperspectives

3 February 2025 A cup of yerba mate on a wooden surface and some dried yerba mate next to it.

Scientists map yerba mate genome

Yerba mate is a popular caffeinated beverage. Scientists mapped its genome, revealing surprising facts about its biochemistry and the evolution of caffeine biosynthesis. The findings might pave the way for new varieties of yerba mate.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2025

science-technology

14 January 2025 EMBL Director General Edith Heard (left) and ELLIS President Bernhard Schölkopf (right) are signing the Memorandum of Understanding.

New strategic partnership for AI in the sciences

Memorandum of Understanding between EMBL and ELLIS will drive AI in European life science research, training, and technology. The strategic partnership will promote interdisciplinary training and develop innovative projects that address pressing challenges in human and planetary health.

CONNECTIONS

2025

connections

10 January 2025 Colourful image of mouse cells

Sweet gene regulation in the mammalian embryo

Researchers in the Boulard group at EMBL Rome demonstrated that the catalytic activity of the OGT enzyme is essential for embryonic development, and that when it’s reduced, embryo development is delayed – especially in males.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2025

science-technology

13 December 2024

Speaking the language of DNA

Right from the early days of DNA sequencing, EMBL’s scientists have been instrumental in helping the world understand, decode, archive, and manipulate genomes at scale and across many branches of the evolutionary tree, a task they continue to excel at today.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

26 November 2024

Diving into the world of science

EMBL Grenoble took part in a series of activities during the French Science Week, highlighting EMBL’s research and the TREC scientific expedition.

LAB MATTERS

2024

lab-matters

25 November 2024

Sparking a data revolution

The introduction of computational methods in biology opened up an entirely new world of insights and breakthroughs. Over the last several decades, EMBL has been at the forefront of discoveries and innovations that have not only propelled the field forward but also opened up access to bioinformatics…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

22 November 2024

Celebrating 25 years of EMBL Rome

EMBL Rome celebrates its 25th anniversary this year – some impressions of the symposium and party organised for staff and alumni to mark this special occasion.

LAB MATTERS

2024

lab-matters

15 November 2024 Woman in red jacket outdoors with fall foliage behind her

The value of a scientific meet-up

Yuvarani Masarapu, a junior bioinformatician and doctoral student at SciLifeLab in Stockholm, spent a week with EMBL collaborators, finding solutions to research challenges and expanding her scientific perspective.

CONNECTIONS

2024

connections

4 November 2024 Around 40 international people of all ages posing together before a big mobile laboratory truck with logos of EMBL, TREC, and industry sponsors printed on its side.

TREC in numbers: the expedition’s impact so far

In less than two years, the EMBL-led TREC expedition has demonstrated that large-scale international collaboration is essential for driving ground-breaking planetary and human health research with societal impact. Here, we summarise some aspects of the expedition in numbers.

CONNECTIONS

2024

connections

28 October 2024 A mixed group of people standing on a set of stairs outside a building.

Empowering research infrastructure scientists

The ARISE summer school brought together fellows from across EMBL sites who are working on technology projects as part of EMBL’s Career Accelerator for Research Infrastructure Scientists (ARISE) programme.

CONNECTIONS

2024

connections

17 October 2024 SEM image of sponge cells several grey-cylinder like shapes arranged in a circle, with a green spot in the centre.

Seeing is understanding

Imaging lets us observe biology in action – it makes visible the hidden processes of life. From its founding, EMBL has been a centre of breakthroughs and developments in bioimaging, and it continues to play a pioneering role in this field today.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

16 October 2024

All eyes on science!

EMBL Rome volunteers participated in the European Researchers’ Night organised by the CNR in Montelibretti, attended by over 1,500 visitors. They prepared activities and games reflecting the wide variety of projects conducted at the site and across EMBL.

LAB MATTERS

2024

lab-matters

10 October 2024 A multi-coloured donut representing the structure of an NPC.

“Structurally” sound

The function of biological molecules is intimately linked to their structure. In the 50 years since EMBL was established, its researchers and engineers have constantly provided leadership in structural biology research and services, resulting in many scientific breakthroughs and novel insights.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

8 October 2024 Illustration showing a mitochondrion covered with many ribosomes on the left, and a zoom in to the molecular structure of a ribosome facing a membrane with its smaller subunit on the right.

What we can learn from hungry yeast cells

Scientists at EMBL Heidelberg and University of Virginia revealed a new cellular response to starvation: ribosomes attach to the mitochondrial outer membrane in a very unusual way, via their small subunit. The finding made in yeast might provide insights into how cancer cells survive the harsh…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

27 September 2024 Five PhD students are seen sitting on a set of stairs outside EMBL's Imaging Centre.

Training for the future

Starting in the 1980s, EMBL’s PhD programme has played a notable role in helping train some of the brightest scientific minds in Europe, as well as in building a thriving research community focused on collaboration and innovation.

LAB MATTERS

2024

lab-matters

23 August 2024

Welcome: David Ocaña

EMBL-EBI’s new Head of Applications will use his expertise in cloud infrastructure and security to support the institute’s open data resources.

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2024

people-perspectivesperspectives

16 August 2024 Two trucks with EMBL and TREC logos drive along a road next to the seaside, in the background are hills and houses from the suburbs of Athens.

TREC expedition concludes sampling in Greece

The TREC expedition concluded its sampling in Greece and strengthened scientific exchange and collaborative networks with their Greek partners during a political and scientific stakeholder event in Athens.

CONNECTIONS

2024

connections

2 July 2024

Bulgaria becomes EMBL prospect member state

Bulgaria has become the latest EMBL prospect member state, starting a three-year process toward full membership. The prospect membership opens up new opportunities for mutual exchange and collaboration. Including Bulgaria, EMBL is now supported by 29 full member states, one associate member state,…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2024

embl-announcements

1 July 2024

EMBL celebrates 50 years of cutting-edge life science research

EMBL celebrates 50 years of cutting-edge European research: founded in Heidelberg by the first ten member states, Europe's pioneering Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is now supported by 29 member states and stands for outstanding open research, scientific services for researchers, innovative…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2024

embl-announcements

25 June 2024 In the front, a 3D model of three molecules bound together: METTL6 in (orange), serine tRNA synthetase in (shades of lilac) and serine tRNA (black). In the background an illustration of a construction site. Two trucks with ‘UGA’ and ‘AGA’ written on them are visible at the bottom.

An enzyme with a smart friend

EMBL Grenoble’s Kowalinski Group analysed the structure of an enzyme responsible for modifying tRNA molecules to fine-tune protein production. They discovered that to distinguish almost identical, yet different, tRNA molecules, the enzyme uses help from another enzyme – a type of cooperation…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

21 June 2024

Welcome: Mallory Freeberg

The new Team Leader for Human Genomics at EMBL-EBI shares how curiosity and maths shaped her career and what it takes to be a community builder.

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2024

people-perspectivesperspectives

19 June 2024 In the centre: green angular origami-like shapes stacked on top of each other. Small orange rectangles akin to adhesive tape are placed where the green shapes connect with each other. In the background: a circle in the middle and cancer cells on the left and right.

‘Invisible’ protein keeps cancer at bay

EMBL Hamburg scientists and collaborators discovered a new molecular mechanism in which an unstructured protein disables one of the main cancer-promoting proteins by gluing them into an elongated stack. Data from human patient samples support the role of this mechanism in prostate cancer…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

17 June 2024

TREC in Italy – sampling from coast to coast

For almost two months, Italy was the stage for the TREC expedition, with a rich programme of events organised across the country attended by the public, scientists, schools, and high-level political stakeholders, including Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini.

CONNECTIONS

2024

connections

29 May 2024 Two scientists stand in front of window, talking

12 moments of philanthropy: #5 Friends of EMBL

Starting in 2014, Friends of EMBL engages a diverse range of individuals to support and connect with EMBL research. Through unique events and philanthropic contributions, members play a vital role in fostering a stronger bond between EMBL and society.

CONNECTIONS

2024

connections

28 May 2024 An illustration of cells in a mosaic context, demonstrating the idea of genetic mosaicism in blood stem cells.

Genetic mosaicism more common than thought

Blood stem cells from healthy people carry major chromosomal alterations, a study in Nature Genetics by researchers at the Max Delbrück Center and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) finds. The discovery suggests that we are all genetic mosaics, which may contribute to ageing-related…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

24 May 2024

Stephen Cusack: what I’ve learned

Stephen Cusack, world-renowned structural biologist and former Head of EMBL Grenoble, reflects on his early influences, his achievements, and the lessons he’s learned as he embarks on his next adventure

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2024

people-perspectives

1 May 2024 Alt Text: An artistic representation of gut microbes and sperm cells

Father’s gut microbes affect the next generation

Scientists from EMBL Rome and EMBL Heidelberg found that disrupting the gut microbiome of male mice increases the risk of disease in their offspring. Their findings suggest that a father’s pre-conception environment can have lifelong effects on offspring.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

23 April 2024 This image showcases a processor with neon lights and abstract shapes that represent the flow and integration of spatial omics information. The background shows the analyzed and annotated breast cancer sample.

A universal framework for spatial biology

SpatialData is a tool developed by EMBL scientists in cooperation with multiple research institutions to unify and integrate data from different omics technologies in a spatial environment, providing holistic insights into health and disease. Researchers can now freely access and use SpatialData…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

8 April 2024 Artist’s stylised, semi-abstract representation of artificial intelligence

When AI meets biology

A recent EMBO | EMBL conference provided a forum for researchers to share how AI is making a difference in biology and bioinformatics.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

science-technology

25 January 2024 An oval light blue shape. In the central part, there is a smaller a red object, from which stem many highly branched smaller canals that cover a significant part of the blue surface. The whole sponge image is in placed in a circle. The background around the circle is blue-green.

Ancient ‘relaxant-inflammatory’ response gets sponges moving

Sponges lack muscles and neurons. Yet, they make coordinated movements. Scientists at EMBL Heidelberg have discovered that sponge movement is controlled by an ancient ‘relaxant-inflammatory’ response that is also present in vertebrate blood vessels. The findings shed light on sponge physiology…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2024

sciencescience-technology

21 December 2023 On the left: image of a protein complex in a shape of a yellow doughnut with blue elements. Above it is a drawing of nucleic acid with arrows connecting nitrogenous bases to different points in the protein complex. On the right: a line with peaks indicating the peaks recorded in mass spectrometry. Above two peaks, there are smaller depictions of the doughnut-shaped complex, one with a blue element and one without.

RNA to rule them all

The Kosinski Group at EMBL Hamburg collaborated with other groups in Hamburg to reveal critical steps in Lassa virus ribonucleoparticle assembly and recruitment, and the crucial role played by RNA in in the Lassa virus life cycle.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technology

19 December 2023 Cartoon showing nanoparticles on a conveyer belt passing through a machine. They are ordered by size and the smallest one pass through the machine before the bigger ones. A ray of light enters the machine, where a nanoparticle is being scanned, and leaves it on the other side. A monitor on top of the scanning machine shows an X-ray of a nanoparticle.

‘X-ray vision’ for investigation of mRNA nanomedicines

EMBL Hamburg, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Postnova Analytics GmbH, and BioNTech SE have developed a new method to quantitatively investigate sizes of nanoparticles containing mRNA. It may become an important part of regular characterisation of mRNA nanomedicines in the future.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technology

7 December 2023 Against blue and green background are two faux polaroids, one of an older man holding a coffee cup and the other a man in glasses

Navigating success: an EMBL alumni mentorship story

A recent success story of the Alumni Mentorship Programme is that of Luis Pedro Coelho, a Portuguese former postdoctoral fellow in the Bork Group, and his mentor Frank Gannon, former EMBO Director and EMBL Group Leader and Senior Scientist.

LAB MATTERS

2023

alumnilab-matters

16 November 2023

EMBLetc. issue 101 published

The newest issue of our online magazine dives deep into a critical research direction in developmental biology, structures of promiscuous proteins, EMBL’s newest service offerings in field research, and much, much more.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTSLAB MATTERS

2023

embl-announcementslab-matters

16 November 2023

New evidence on retinal function

A new study from the Asari group at EMBL Rome shows a different retinal function in awake mice compared to isolated retinal samples. These new insights could help to develop prosthetic devices that can act as a retina in the future.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technology

31 October 2023

EMBL’s southern hemisphere connection

Ian Smith, Chair of EMBL Australia´s Council, chats about the synergies between the organisations, opportunities for collaboration, and ideas for exciting new programmes arising out of a recent visit to EMBL Heidelberg.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2023

connectionslab-matters

5 October 2023 A composite image of four 3D micrographs showing the cellular organelles of a phytoplankton marked in different colours.

Spotlight: Seeing into the seas

A new method developed by EMBL scientists can help us identify and investigate plankton species in field samples with greater speed, accuracy, and resolution than ever possible before.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technology

2 October 2023 Outline of a human, purple against red background. Red RNA strand in the background, electrocardiogram across the image. On the right, outline of a Nobel prize medal.

mRNA nanomedicines scoop Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Pioneers of the mRNA nanomedicines technology receive 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or medicine. EMBL is pleased to have supported the development of the application of the mRNA nanomedicine technology through our long-standing collaboration with BioNTech, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technology

28 September 2023 Visual of AlphaFold Protein prediction, embedded into a visual of scientific data

EMBL receives German AI prize

EMBL receives the German AI prize awarded for outstanding services to the research and development as well as application and commercialisation of artificial intelligence (AI) in life science research.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2023

embl-announcementsscience

27 September 2023 A female scientist with shoulder-length hair and black shirt listens to a male scientist in burgundy shirt and white beard, seated to the right.

Five decades of EMBL visits

Structural biologist Shlomo Trachtenberg has made research trips to EMBL from Israel since the late 1970s and reflects on the boost EMBL’s technology provided his research, the ingredients for an ideal research institution, and his ongoing fascination with microscopes.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2023

connectionslab-matters

21 September 2023

Understanding the mechanisms of enzyme catalysis

Enzymes constitute a large fraction of genomes – 20% in humans – which makes them a very important part of life. Despite decades of studies and a rich literature dedicated to understanding the reaction mechanisms of enzymes, the rules of enzyme catalysis are still not fully clear. A new…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

science-technologytechnology-and-innovation

21 September 2023 Man standing outside

Welcome: David Hulcoop

David Hulcoop discusses how his experience bridging organisational cultures will help address critical challenges in drug discovery and target selection at Open Targets.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2023

announcementslab-matterspeople-perspectives

15 September 2023

Switching off the cytokine storm

EMBL Grenoble and University of Geneva researchers shed light on the molecular activation of the MAP kinase p38α, the final ‘switch’ triggering the inflammatory response.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technology

13 September 2023

Exploring Nexus Island

Learn more about the game-based workshop that lets participants experience what it feels like to be a researcher on the TREC expedition.

LAB MATTERS

2023

lab-matters

6 September 2023 A drawing of swordfish and a bubble containing a drawing of a molecular model. Both on blue background representing water.

Swordfish sword under X-rays: SAXS explained

Learn how scientists use bio-SAXS, an experimental X-ray technique, to study the shape and dynamics of proteins and other biomolecules. SAXS can be even used to analyse the structure of mineral particles in the swordfish sword bone, which can help scientists better understand bone ageing.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technology

31 August 2023 Part of a fruit fly embryo imaged against a dark background, with nuclei stained with DAPI (white), and a cluster of pole cells, marked by Vasa protein (yellow)

Spotlight: Off to the pole

For a fruit fly embryo to develop correctly, key factors need to get to the right place at the right time – a journey that starts in the developing egg, as seen in this image from the Ephrussi Group at EMBL Heidelberg

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

picture-of-the-weeksciencescience-technology

22 August 2023 Polaroid style shot of Sergiy Avilov, mentioning the years he was at EMBL

After EMBL: Sergiy Avilov

Ukrainian scientist Sergiy Avilov uses the microscopy skills and scientific network he built at EMBL in his current role heading the Imaging Facility at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics.

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2023

alumnipeople-perspectives

18 August 2023 On green-hued multi-coloured background are four circle photographs of scientists working with high-tech equipment

Bringing scientific services together ‘2RISE’

An upcoming EMBL-led infrastructure management training will help formalise information exchange in the Rhine-Neckar region to widen access to technology and scientific services for members of the Health + Life Science Alliance.

CONNECTIONS

2023

connectionsevents

8 August 2023 Clément Blanchet at the EMBL Hamburg’s P12 beamline’s experimental hutch.

Welcome: Clément Blanchet

Clément Blanchet has been appointed to lead the team working on small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) at EMBL Hamburg. In this interview, he talks his ambitions for the future work of the SAXS Team, his passion for science, and a memorable ‘aha’ moment he had in his early career.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2023

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

4 July 2023 EMBL logo amended to note its upcoming 50th anniversary

Save the date: 4-5 July 2024!

EMBL will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024 with a dynamic scientific symposium. The event will share fundamental research that continues to open the way to scientific discoveries.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2023

embl-announcementsevents

3 July 2023 In the foreground: an intrinsically disordered protein, which has a form of a tangled, unstructured string. In the background: a set of parallel curved lines.

Bringing research on disordered proteins to order

A third of all known proteins are either completely or partially unstructured. EMBL scientists contributed to a new set of guidelines – Minimum Information About a Disorder Experiment (MIADE) – that will help researchers share data on unstructured proteins in a more useful way and will enable…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technology

28 June 2023 Female scientist in white lab coat enjoying camaraderie of colleagues.

After EMBL: Urtė Neniškytė

EMBL Rome alumna Urtė Neniškytė returned to her native Lithuania, helping establish the Vilnius University-EMBL Partnership Institute and advance genome-editing technologies there.

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2023

alumnipeople-perspectives

25 May 2023 Close-up photo of a mother and father with their two young daughters

After EMBL: Heiko Runz and Laurence Ettwiller

From biking together while at EMBL to assistant professorships at Heidelberg University, two academics soon formed a union that took them to the United States., into various industry positions, and now to a life with two young children.

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2023

alumnipeople-perspectives

11 May 2023 An colourful image taken from the World of Molecular Biology exhibition.

The World of Molecular Biology is open 

EMBL´s new permanent exhibition ‘The World of Molecular Biology’ in Heidelberg is now open for registration. The exhibition takes the visitor on a journey of scales, from genomes to ecosystems, and introduces key imaging technologies.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTSLAB MATTERS

2023

embl-announcementslab-matters

10 May 2023 Illustration showing a cute humanoid-shaped robot that spits pink droplets at a sheet.

Time-resolved crystallography for the masses

EMBL Hamburg scientists have contributed to the development of the Spitrobot, a ground-breaking experimental setup that will simplify creating molecular movies. The Spitrobot automates the sample preparation for time-resolved crystallography, which is used to create 3D snapshots of protein…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technology

28 April 2023 two students wear virtual reality headsets

Building a broader European science community

Croatian scientists and students from the Ruđer Bošković Institute and University of Zagreb visited EMBL to exchange ideas with researchers and public outreach experts on ways to increase interest, awareness, and involvement in science.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2023

connectionslab-matters

28 April 2023 Group photograph of people facing the camera holding certificates.

EMBL celebrates 43 new PhDs

On Friday 21 April 2023, EMBL held a graduation ceremony to celebrate its newest group of PhDs who graduated during the last 12 months. The graduating class comprised 43 fellows representing 17 nationalities and all six EMBL sites.

LAB MATTERS

2023

eventslab-matters

20 April 2023 Photo of a human hand introducing a small element into a machine at the SPC Facility.

EMBL Hamburg joins northern European life science consortium

EMBL Hamburg partners with the Hanseatic Life Science Research Infrastructure Consortium (HALRIC) to enhance life sciences research in Scandinavia and northern Germany. The consortium builds on the HALOS project to foster collaborations between industry, hospitals, and universities, leveraging…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2023

connectionslab-matters

18 April 2023 Decorative image showing WormBase ParaSite logo

WormBase ParaSite 18 released

WormBase ParaSite release 18 adds largest number of new genomes and annotations since launch, as well as full integration with AlphaFold.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

science-technologyupdates-from-data-resources

11 April 2023

EMBL and Montenegro: boosting cooperation and enhancing awareness

Europe’s life sciences laboratory EMBL on 5 April welcomed Council delegates Ivana Lagator and Lidija Vukcevic from the Montenegrin Ministry of Science and Technological Development, and University of Montenegro representative Professor Danilo Mrdak, to discuss expanding research and training…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2023

connectionsembl-member-stateslab-matters

4 April 2023 A mobile lab on a road, with the TREC logo on the side.

TREC is underway!

EMBL’s planetary biology flagship TREC expedition has officially started. The new project applies EMBL's expertise and technologies in molecular and cellular biology to current environmental challenges, and connects with a wide range of research disciplines.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2023

embl-announcementseventsscience

4 April 2023 Title slide for the conference, The organism and its environment

Life in context

Upcoming EMBO/EMBL symposium provides a forum to explore how organisms function together, and how they react or adapt to changes at different molecular levels.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

eventsscience-technology

3 April 2023 Two male scientists with safety glasses at EMBL Imaging Centre

Dispensing microscopy expertise

Home to some of Europe’s most cutting-edge tools in molecular biology, EMBL has long shared its expertise and access to these tools through an extensive repertoire of courses, conferences, seminars, and other training. And now included in this mix is a job shadowing programme at EMBL Imaging…

LAB MATTERSSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

lab-mattersscience-technology

23 March 2023 Portrait of a person looking at the camera. In the background there are trees and a white building

Welcome: Alejandro Torres-Sánchez

The new group leader is setting up the first purely theory-focused research group at EMBL Barcelona. He aims to understand fundamental biological principles using mathematical models and computer simulations, in close collaboration with experimental researchers across EMBL.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2023

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

17 March 2023 Liz Duke standing on the left side of the photo, with EMBL Hamburg's P14 beamline and a big screen on the right.

Molecules to Ecosystems: Liz Duke on X-ray imaging

Biological X-ray imaging is an emerging technology that uses X-rays to image tissues or even entire organisms. It will play an important role in EMBL Hamburg’s future service portfolio, and will allow studying life on multiple scales. Team Leader Liz Duke discusses her plans to establish X-ray…

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2023

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

7 March 2023 Black and white photograph showing a group of scientists standing in frnot of a building.

Tracing the history of women in science at EMBL

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2023, EMBL archivist Maria Papanikolaou discusses the traces left by the women in science who have passed through EMBL, irrevocably changing the organisation in small and big ways.

LAB MATTERS

2023

lab-matters

1 March 2023 Moisés Bueno is standing next to the transfer robot. The robot has a form of a yellow robotic arm on a stand. Behind is the CrystalDirect™ Harvester, which is a white cuboid with two transparent dimmed windows for laser protection.

Biology meets engineering

Physicists, engineers and robotics experts work together in EMBL Hamburg’s Instrumentation Team to design instruments that support structural biology research. The team has finished a transfer robot that facilitates automated handling of protein crystals with care and precision. This will help…

LAB MATTERSSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

lab-mattersscience-technology

7 February 2023 BII and EMBL logos are on a white band set against a wavy green background

Promoting European innovation in the life sciences

One of EMBL’s core missions is the development and transfer of scientific know-how and technologies to academia, industry, and commercial entities to facilitate further research, innovations, and commercialisation for the benefit of society at large. Working across Europe, EMBL has partnerships…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2023

connectionslab-matters

9 January 2023

New molecular insights on medical cannabis

EMBL Grenoble researchers have investigated the interaction between THC and some proteins it might bind to. In a recent study, they showed in vitro that THC inhibits an important human enzyme called autotaxin.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2023

sciencescience-technology

12 December 2022 A mother and her child looking through a microscope

Celebrating science in Grenoble

In October 2022, EMBL Grenoble participated in the annual science outreach event Parvis des Sciences, organised by the GIANT campus under the umbrella of the French science week – La Fête de la science.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2022

connectionslab-matters

1 December 2022

Getting closer to stopping toxoplasmosis infection

Recent studies supported by EMBL Grenoble’s expertise in structural biology research and scientific services have identified Altiratinib as a potential drug to stop toxoplasmosis infection and opened up treatment options against malaria.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

18 November 2022 Group photo of speakers and organisers standing in front of a slide saying “Welcome to the DANEMO Symposium”.

Promoting EMBL opportunities for the Danish scientific community

DANEMO is a communication platform and research support initiative launched by DANDRITE at Aarhus University. It aims to encourage scientists in Denmark to engage with EMBL and EMBO. The DANEMO symposium from 3-4 November in Aarhus focused on raising awareness of the new EMBL programme ‘Molecules…

CONNECTIONS

2022

connectionsevents

12 October 2022 A group photo taken at the EMBL Heidelberg site, showing members of EMBL and the Ruder Boskovic Institute

EMBL deepens ties with Croatia

Visit of delegation from the Ruđer Bošković Institute to EMBL Heidelberg marks a new chapter in scientific and institutional cooperation

CONNECTIONS

2022

connectionsevents

7 October 2022 A group of people at EMBL's partnership conference

The EMBL Connection

EMBL's Partnership Conference highlights the value of its networks, bringing researchers together to build new scientific connections.

CONNECTIONS

2022

connectionsevents

29 September 2022 young girl in lab coat

Tools for teachers

EMBL reminds teachers of freely available educational resources and workshops just in time for school.

LAB MATTERS

2022

lab-matters

20 September 2022 8 representatives of both the Dieter Schwarz Foundation and EMBL are standing in the EMBL Imaging Centre foyer facing the camera

Life Science Alliance starts new chapter

Dieter Schwarz Foundation renews 3-year funding to EMBL for the EMBL | Stanford Life Science Alliance, a unique international collaboration bringing together researchers from the two leading institutions to develop transformative technologies and accelerate biomedical research.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2022

connectionslab-matters

15 September 2022 The foreground shows two yellow pipes representing the human gastrointestinal tract coming together, representing the confluence of donor and recipient gut ecosystems. Bacteria can be seen as green shapes inside the pipes and various kinds of interactions between them are shown symbolically as a mixing of colours.

When microbiomes collide

EMBL researchers used data from over 300 human faecal microbiota transplants to gain an ecological understanding of what happens when two gut microbiomes clash.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

9 September 2022 A female career advisor at computer participates in webinar

Insights into scientific careers

As the career landscape continues to change for PhDs and postdocs, the EMBL Fellows’ Career Service offers webinars that present professional options in and beyond academia.

LAB MATTERS

2022

eventslab-matters

7 September 2022 Female scientist stands in laboratory setting

Augmenting science

The Scientific Visitor Programme shares EMBL tools and talent with outside researchers in collaborative, multidisciplinary environments.

LAB MATTERS

2022

lab-matters

1 September 2022 4D reconstruction of a mouse limb with lateral and top view.

Building the ideal limb

EMBL researchers use a “fearless” computer reconstruction and a two-centuries-old mathematical approach to study limb bud growth.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

5 August 2022 A rod-like structure with green and magenta segments representing cellular markers.

Making patterns visible

How do gene expression patterns result in the generation of different cell types? Scientists at EMBL Heidelberg used the zebrafish notochord to find out.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

4 August 2022 An illustration provides representation of fingers hovering over a cell phone

Zooming in to get the full picture

EMBL and UW researchers plus additional collaborators have constructed a complete map of fruit fly embryonic development using machine learning. This research is foundational to better understanding overall embryo development in other species, including humans.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

18 July 2022 Large, elongated purple molecule has an on/off switch on it pointed to on.

The retron switch

EMBL researchers now understand the function of an elusive small DNA in bacteria and have developed a tool that can be used to better understand what might ‘switch on’ bacterial immune defences.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

10 June 2022 A colourful structural model of the doughnut-shaped human nuclear pore complex seen from above.

Puzzling out the structure of a molecular giant

Scientists have solved several mysteries around the structure and function of a true molecular giant: the human nuclear pore complex. They created the most complete model of the complex thanks to combining the program AlphaFold2 with cryo-electron tomography, integrative modelling, molecular…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

7 June 2022 Female scientist photographed in a garden

Welcome: Pascale Cossart

Pascale Cossart, one of the world’s foremost authorities on the biology of Listeria, brings four decades of expertise in intracellular bacterial parasitism to EMBL as a visiting scientist.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2022

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

1 June 2022

EMBL in Italy event held at GSK Vaccines in Siena

The GSK Vaccines site in Siena hosted the annual EMBL in Italy event. The hybrid meeting brought together industry leaders, representatives from biotech start-ups, data scientists, and researchers from academia.

CONNECTIONS

2022

alumniconnections

18 May 2022 The visiting group from the Business Academy Aarhus during lunch at the EMBL Hamburg’s terrace

EMBL Hamburg is helping train lab techs of the future

Students from the Business Academy Aarhus visit EMBL Hamburg annually. Many of them return later as trainees to gain experience as lab technicians. EMBL Hamburg offers great opportunities to learn diverse techniques and work with various equipment. This experience helps them in their future jobs in…

LAB MATTERS

2022

lab-matters

6 May 2022 Drawing of two chromosomes in which a highlighted area is switched around.

Flip-flop genome

Researchers at EMBL Heidelberg found that inversions in the human genome are more common than previously thought, which impacts our understanding of certain genetic diseases.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

5 May 2022 Colourful vertical panels each show different microscopic images possible with the high-tech tools in EMBL's Imaging Centre

Enabling imaging across scales

EMBL’s first Imaging Centre Symposium will occur onsite at EMBL and include tours of the new Imaging Centre on 31 May, introducing participants to the facility and its staff and featuring talks on the rapid developments in imaging technologies that have led to notable biological and medical…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2022

embl-announcementsevents

27 April 2022 Portrait of Kristina Djinović-Carugo

Next Head of EMBL Grenoble appointed

Professor Kristina Djinović-Carugo has been appointed as the next head of EMBL Grenoble. She will join EMBL in July from the Max Perutz Laboratories at the University of Vienna, where she is currently Head of the Department of Structural and Computational Biology and full Professor of Structural…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTSLAB MATTERS

2022

embl-announcementslab-matters

8 April 2022 a metaphor for the process of epigenetic inheritance

A metaphor for epigenetic inheritance

Recent studies from the Hackett group at EMBL Rome have revealed new insights on the mechanism regulating transmission of non-genetic information during embryonic development, and inspired a scientific illustration

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

17 March 2022 EMBL statement visual

EMBL’s statement on the invasion of Ukraine

EMBL condemns in the strongest terms the unjustified military invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, with the support of Belarus, and the resulting loss of life and human suffering. We express our deepest sympathy to the Ukrainian people and to all the victims of this war.  As an…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTSLAB MATTERS

2022

embl-announcementslab-matters

4 March 2022 Science art expressing the concept of transcriptional neighbourhoods regulating transcript isoform lengths and expression levels.

Understanding genomes, piece by piece

Genomes are made up of thousands of individual pieces – genes – which are expressed at different levels. Researchers at EMBL have shed light on how the placement of a gene affects its expression, as well as that of its neighbours.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

4 March 2022 A gloved hand holds a slide with visible wells containing Matrigel immersed in culture medium. A magnified close-up shows a mouse embryo developing over the course of 48 hours

A 3D culture model to study embryo growth

A recent study by EMBL researchers proposes a new method to grow early embryos in the laboratory. With a 3D culture set-up, scientists can closely monitor the changes embryos undergo around the time of implantation.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

2 March 2022 woman stands in front of computer in workplace

Academia, industry, or somewhere else?

New study: EMBL PhDs and postdocs develop skills that make them highly employable in roles that drive research and innovation in academia, industry, and other sectors.

LAB MATTERS

2022

alumnilab-matters

25 February 2022 Three colourful overlapping circles arranged in a row, a fruit-fly embryo being visible within each. Small circles within the embryos represent cell lineages.

Converging lenses on embryo development

Researchers from the Furlong group at EMBL have come up with a way to observe the development of fruit-fly embryos simultaneously at the genetic and cellular levels, generating a high-resolution and integrated view of how different cell lineages form.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

23 February 2022 A photo of the campus of the Aarhus University buildings and green lawn.

Molecular medicine across borders

The 11th annual Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine meeting was hosted in virtual format by DANDRITE, the Danish node of the Partnership, from 31 January–2 February 2022. The programme included updates from all partnership nodes, discussions about opportunities for new collaborations,…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2022

connectionslab-matters

9 February 2022 The logos of EMBL and the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre

EMBL and Latvia deepen collaboration

Agreement signed with Latvia’s Biomedical Research and Study Centre will boost academic exchange and collaboration on some of the largest challenges facing human and planetary health.

CONNECTIONS

2022

connectionsevents

1 February 2022 A photograph of the Amazonian lancehead snake Bothrops atrox

Decoding the secrets of snake venom

EMBL Hamburg’s Grzegorz Chojnowski from the Wilmanns Group developed software called findMySequence, which identifies proteins’ amino-acid sequences based on electron cryo-microscopy and X-ray crystallography data. It’s useful for identifying unknown proteins in samples from natural sources.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

21 January 2022 The cross-section of a cell expressing a green fluorescently tagged protein and illuminated by a blue laser is visible in the foreground, surrounded by a vortex of cells

Cell sorting enters a new dimension

EMBL researchers, in collaboration with BD Biosciences, have demonstrated a new technology that allows rapid image-based sorting of cells. The new technology represents a major upgrade to flow cytometry and has applications in diverse life science fields.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2022

sciencescience-technology

3 January 2022 Mixture of life science symbols inside a circle set against background of green and blue

The start of a journey

This year marks the beginning of EMBL’s next programme ‘Molecules to Ecosystems’ to advance the understanding of life across scales and in the context of changing environments.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2022

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

22 December 2021 Scientific illustrations of MEG3, a very large RNA involved in cell proliferation. IAB and EMBL logos are located in the center of the illustration.

EMBL-IAB collaboration on the rise

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between EMBL and the Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB) a year ago has already catalysed new grants for joint research projects related to cancer and infection biology, thereby deepening collaborative activities.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2021

connectionslab-matters

21 December 2021 A model of the doughnut-shaped nuclear pore complex. Individual molecules are marked in various colours.

Observing the secret life of molecules inside the cell

EMBL Hamburg’s Kosinski Group, the Beck Laboratory at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, and colleagues at EMBL Heidelberg recorded the nuclear pore complex contracting in living cells. They visualised the movement with an unprecedented level of detail with help of new software called…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

20 December 2021 Concentric circles and lines in different colours, representing fingerprints. Text: "Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy."

Fostering diversity and equality

Showing a continued commitment to providing a diverse and inclusive organisation for conducting leading molecular biology research, EMBL has launched an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) strategy.

LAB MATTERS

2021

lab-matters

20 December 2021 A detailed structure map shows two proteins interacting in the foreground, each shown in a different colour. The background shows small green dots marking bacteria

Solving molecular puzzles to find the perfect fit

Using cryo-EM and structural biology techniques, EMBL researchers have shown how two proteins of Legionella pneumophila interact. This finding sheds light on a mechanism critical to the infection process and could lead to the development of new drugs to treat pneumonia.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

15 December 2021 An outline of Earth, covered with depictions of bacteria. The image of Earth is within a the frame of a computer window. There is an “Upload file” button on the bottom left, and a mouse cursor on the right.

Connecting the dots between bacterial genes around the world

Bork Group at EMBL Heidelberg analysed a new global gene database to study how genes emerge and spread across various habitats on our planet. In the future, the group will expand the database and use it for studying microbial gene evolution and dispersal at a finer-grained scale.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

8 December 2021 An illustration of the human gut, with coloured shapes representing bacteria. Three different drugs and drug combinations are shown affecting the bacteria, represented by changes in colour

The impact of drugs on gut microbes is greater than we thought

Researchers studying a massive cohort of European patients have found that commonly prescribed drugs for cardiometabolic disorders can have long-term effects on the gut microbiome. Such effects can complicate the understanding of how disease affects the microbiome and must be taken into…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

7 December 2021 A cartoon image showing a person's arm and a needle with a vaccine being injected into it. The text on the left reads: "EMBL research: How structural biologists at EMBL Hamburg help to develop and improve RNA vaccines"

How structural biology helps to make RNA vaccines

RNA vaccines, such as the ones for COVID-19, represent a new approach in vaccine technology. Cy Jeffries, faculty staff scientist at EMBL Hamburg, explains the clever technology behind RNA vaccines, and how structural biology contributes to its development. EMBL Hamburg collaborated on several…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

29 November 2021 Male scientist in front of blurred woodland background

Welcome: Niccolò Banterle

Using gene editing and three types of microscopy, one of EMBL’s newest group leaders is deciphering the functions of one of the smallest molecules involved in cell division, motility, and signalling, known as a centriole.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2021

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

25 November 2021 Female scientist in front of a background of green plants

Welcome: Maria Zimmermann-Kogadeeva

Maria Zimmermann-Kogadeeva is one of EMBL’s newest group leaders and a computational biologist whose research group applies computational modelling to better understand the metabolism of gut bacteria and their potential to have far-reaching impacts on other organs.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2021

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

9 November 2021 students looking a computer monitor and microscope

New horizons for the EIPP

EMBL's PhD and postdoc programmes evolve to the more multidisciplinary way of doing great molecular biology research.

LAB MATTERS

2021

lab-matters

5 November 2021 A headshot photo of Ken Holmes from July 2021

Ken Holmes

Ken Holmes, outstanding pioneer of structural biology and founder of EMBL´s Hamburg site, died on 2 November 2021 at the age of 87.

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2021

alumnipeople-perspectives

5 November 2021 Three-dimensional rendering of sponge neuroid cells (coloured orange) and sponge digestive cells (coloured green).

More than a gut reaction

What can sponges tell us about the evolution of the brain? Sponges have the genes involved in neuronal function in higher animals. But if sponges don’t have brains, what is the role of these? EMBL scientists imaged the sponge digestive chamber to find out.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

25 October 2021 A collage of the visuals representing each of the three modules of the eSPC platform.

Biophysics analysis made easy with an online tool

EMBL Hamburg’s Sample Preparation and Characterisation (SPC) Facility has released eSPC, an online platform for analysing data from biophysical experiments. The platform enables the scientific community to analyse data from different experiments without the need to travel.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

15 October 2021 In the middle, there are two molecules of pUL21. One is blurred, to represent the molecule’s flexibility. In the background are two neuronal scenes. The one on the left is healthy and has a smooth surface. The one on the right is infected, which is represented by several green viral particles.

How herpes seizes proteins’ means of production

The Graham and Crump groups at the University of Cambridge and the Svergun Group at EMBL Hamburg have discovered a mechanism by which the herpes simplex virus takes control of the molecular machinery of human cells. Their work reveals how a dedicated viral protein hijacks key host proteins, forcing…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

13 October 2021 Illustration of a community of bacteria. Pills represent an antibiotic that can be used to treat an infection, and a second drug that could protect many gut bacteria from antibiotics.

Tackling the collateral damage from antibiotics

Researchers from EMBL’s Typas group and collaborators have analysed the effects of 144 antibiotics on the wellbeing of gut microbes. The study improves our understanding of antibiotics’ side effects and suggests a new approach to mitigating the adverse effects of antibiotics therapy on gut…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

5 October 2021 Illustration of a globe with colourful shapes and symbols superimposed.

A cellular atlas of an entire worm

EMBL scientists and colleagues have developed an interactive atlas of the entire marine worm Platynereis dumerilii in its larval stage. The PlatyBrowser resource combines high-resolution gene expression data with volume electron microscopy images.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

4 October 2021 Logos of University of Tartu and EMBL with text: “memorandum of understanding”. Illustrations of microorganisms in the background.

EMBL strengthens links with Estonia

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between EMBL and the University of Tartu, a leading centre of research and training. The MoU aims to strengthen cooperation between EMBL and the life science research community in Estonia.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2021

connectionslab-matters

29 September 2021 Female scientist working at a biosafety cabinet, wearing a yellow protective gown and black gloves.

Transferable skills

In the lab, Diënty Hazenbrink works with microbes that live in our guts. In her free time, she enjoys wildlife photography. A shared set of skills facilitates both activities.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2021

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

23 September 2021 Pink and blue dominate a blurry image against a black background that is actually a global image of a 30-day-old Octopus vulgaris

The secret life of baby octopuses

Some of the most amazing creatures live in the deep blue sea. The Mesoscopic Imaging Facility (MIF) at EMBL Barcelona was recently involved in studying one unique feature of the octopus: the ephemeral structures on the surface of their skin called Kölliker’s organs.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

8 September 2021 Illustration of two halves of a pill, which releases chemical molecules that are taken up by gut bacteria in the vicinity.

Common medications accumulate in gut bacteria

A new collaborative study led by EMBL group leaders Kiran Patil, Nassos Typas, and Peer Bork has found that common medications accumulate in human gut bacteria. This process reduces drug effectiveness and affects the metabolism of common gut microbes, thereby altering the gut microbiome.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

7 September 2021 Close up of the interior of a light-sheet microscope, featuring optical equipment and a transparent cube.

A flip book for biological systems

In the Mesoscopic Imaging Facility (MIF) at EMBL Barcelona, researchers study the details of biological systems in the context of organs, body parts, or entire organisms. This image shows OPTiSPIM1, one of the custom light-sheet microscope setups available at the facility.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

3 August 2021 illustration of health care providers around a big heart

All heart

A community of scientists is looking at the estimated three billion heart muscle cells in a human heart to better understand heart disease.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

alumniscience-technology

13 July 2021 From right to left, Ilaria Piazza and Ken Holmes’ portraits are side by side in circles on a greenish background

EMBL Alumni Awards 2021

EMBL alumni Ilaria Piazza and Ken Holmes have been recognised for their outstanding contributions, and will receive their awards as part of the celebrations for EMBL World Alumni Day.

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2021

alumnipeople-perspectives

8 July 2021 Two men stand outside in front of a building, holding a document and looking at it.

A hidden medal

We all like a story about rediscovering treasures, right? Well, that’s just what happened recently at EMBL Grenoble!

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2021

alumnipeople-perspectives

29 June 2021

Planetary egg cells

As evocative as a constellation of planets, these egg cells within a mouse ovary are at different stages of maturity.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weeksciencescience-technology

23 June 2021 Bright blue oblong shape with white hairs on surface on black background.

Starlet sea anemone

EMBL PhD student Anniek Stokkermans captured this side view of a Nematostella vectensis larva during this transition, using instrumentation in the Advanced Light Microscopy Facility at EMBL Heidelberg.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

8 June 2021 Two scientists in lab coats working on an instrument in the lab.

EMBL external research community survey

EMBL is conducting an Impact Assessment of our experimental services to understand the value these services have for our external user community. If you have accessed EMBL experimental services at one or more of our facilities to support the conduct of your research, we would like to hear from you.

LAB MATTERS

2021

lab-matters

8 June 2021 Purple, blue and yellow dots on a black background.

Dream team

At EMBL, we have many dream teams – groups of individuals who support each other, innovate, and work together. One of those dream teams bridges two core facilities at EMBL Rome.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

3 June 2021 Illustration of a rocky coastline with sailing boat, mountains, underwater organisms, bridge and factory in the background.

Living laboratories

Under the innovative Planetary Biology research theme, EMBL scientists aim to understand life in the context of its environment.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

1 June 2021 Two purple and white spheres against dark background.

Nuclear twins

Captured by EMBL postdoc Arina Rybina, these ‘nuclear twins’ are two daughter nuclei straight after division of a HeLa cell.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

25 May 2021 Microscope image of an engineered human blood vessel, featuring individual cells outlined in pink with blue nuclei.

Barriers against malaria

The Bernabeu Group aims to increase our knowledge of cerebral malaria, using in vitro engineered networks of human blood vessels and brain cells.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

21 May 2021 Image of a mosquito on a clear surface

EMBL scientists support malaria research

EMBL scientists support research on malaria by providing freely available data resources and using innovative experimental approaches. Our Course and Conference Office facilitates the exchange of knowledge in the field by hosting the annual BioMalPar conference.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

28 April 2021 Artistic representation of brain and DNA

Uniting strengths to expand research

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory and the Italian Institute of Technology have signed an agreement to expand the scope of their collaboration to include areas of mutual interest and in the context of EMBL’s 2022-2026 Programme “Molecules to Ecosystems”.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2021

connectionslab-matters

27 April 2021 Microscope image of liver cells, highlighted in various colours.

Painting liver cells

A page from a biologist’s colouring book? EMBL’s new interior wall design? Not quite – a bunch of liver cells, grown in the lab so that scientists can learn about fatty liver disease, or steatosis.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

20 April 2021 Black-and-white sphere with coronavirus spike protein structures and a two-layered ring of virus membrane superimposed.

Variations on a spike

What does coronavirus’s spike protein look like in 3D? EMBL scientists and colleagues used cryo-electron tomography and molecular dynamics simulations to find out.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

13 April 2021 EMBL Heidelberg's main building, the top of the façade lit up by sunlight.

Morning sun

Throwback to June 2014: While EMBL Heidelberg’s main entrance is still in the dark, the well-known EMBL logo is already lit by the morning sun.

LAB MATTERS

2021

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

6 April 2021 Sea anemone polyp seen through a microscope, cell nuclei and muscles highlighted.

A multifunctional mouth

This image of a young Nematostella vectensis polyp shows two of the characteristic tentacles as well as the gaping mouth of the animal.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

30 March 2021 A close-up photo of a shiny droplet of liquid that has been placed into one of the wells of a crystallisation plate.

Droplet beauty

Scientists at EMBL Hamburg use droplets of protein solution to grow protein crystals. By exposing the crystals to X-rays, they are able to determine the protein’s molecular structure.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

23 March 2021 Man pouring water in a glass bottle to make coffee.

Green coffee at EMBL

The cafeteria at EMBL Heidelberg now offers espresso and cappuccino with a more intense flavour and which are produced in a ‘green’ way.

LAB MATTERS

2021

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

16 March 2021 Pink blooming tree in front of functional building.

Italian Spring

EMBL’s site in Monterotondo has recently been blessed with blue skies and sunshine, leading to trees blooming early on campus.

LAB MATTERS

2021

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

9 March 2021 This photo shows the European Photon and Neutron (EPN) science campus on the peninsula at the confluence of the Isère and Drac rivers, where EMBL Grenoble is located.

Touch of springtime in Grenoble

This photo shows the European Photon and Neutron (EPN) science campus where EMBL Grenoble is located. A delightful spring breeze in the air melts the last remaining patches of snow in the mountains.

LAB MATTERS

2021

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

4 March 2021

Induced pluripotent stem cells reveal causes of disease

Scientists in the Stegle group and colleagues have studied induced pluripotent stem cells from around 1,000 donors to identify correlations between individual genetic variants and altered gene expression. They linked more than 4,000 of the genetic variants responsible for altered expression…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

2 March 2021

Sleeping beauty

Like caterpillars turning into beautiful butterflies, fruit fly larvae have to go through metamorphosis to finish their development. However, despite the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster being one of the best studied model organisms in biology, comparatively little attention has been given to this…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

26 February 2021 Woman with long brown hair stands in front of snow scene with arms crossed in front of her.

Welcome: Sinem Saka

As one of EMBL’s newest group leaders, Sinem Saka will combine multiple technologies, such as microscopy and single-cell omics, to solve biological puzzles.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2021

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

22 February 2021 A scientist (only their hand is visible) inserting a 96-well plate into a sample dispensing device in the Sample Preparation and Characterisation Facility in Hamburg.

SPC Facility in Hamburg supports a new pan-European consortium

The Sample Preparation and Characterisation (SPC) Facility at EMBL Hamburg is one of the founding members of the Molecular-Scale Biophysics Research Infrastructure (MOSBRI). Within this new European initiative, the SPC Facility will offer services related to membrane proteins, protein complexes,…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2021

connectionslab-matters

16 February 2021 Microscopy images of coronavirus-infected cells in blue and red, arranged on a clockface. Illustrations of virus particles.

Finding coronavirus’s helper proteins

A team of EMBL scientists and colleagues have analysed how the novel coronavirus affects proteins in human cells. They identified several human proteins as potential drug targets to prevent viral replication.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

16 February 2021 An assembly of proteins in an enzyme, presented in a cartoon style.

Cellular modern art

This week's Picture of the Week, which could also be a masterpiece of modern art, shows the enzyme RNA polymerase III, an assembly of 17 individual proteins combined into this complex structure.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

11 February 2021 Maria-Theresa Licka holding a smartphone displaying an app she developed. Vineyards, houses and hills in the background.

Coding between the vines

EMBL Teen Maria-Theresa Licka shares how female scientists guided & inspired her to develop an app to ID vine disease.

LAB MATTERS

2021

lab-matters

9 February 2021 Crystal cubes seen through a microscope

Purity, beauty, and perfection

The regular structures of crystals are a source of inspiration and fascination to us humans. While the crystals in this picture were not grown in nature, but instead by Petra Drncova from EMBL Grenoble, they share the same attributes as those found in nature.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

2 February 2021 A bacterial cell with the parts needed for information flow from DNA to messenger RNA to protein highlighted in different colours.

The central dogma of molecular biology

This colourful image shows biological information flow in action: It’s a supramolecular assembly of DNA, RNA and proteins, observed directly inside a bacterial cell while turning genetic information into protein.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

29 January 2021 Flags of EMBL, Italy and CNR

Strengthening collaborations in Italy

EMBL and CNR have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen scientific cooperation. The agreement will foster collaborative projects and integrate them within the European and global scientific landscape.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2021

connectionslab-matters

26 January 2021 Two X-ray mirrors installed in the macromolecular crystallography beamline P14 at EMBL Hamburg. The mirrors are visible in the photo as dark rectangular crystal blocks, with two metal holders supporting the crystals in a stress-free position. The mirrors are inserted into a vacuum-compatible stainless steel vessel.

Mirror, mirror

Scientists at EMBL Hamburg use specially designed mirrors to reflect and focus X-ray beams onto tiny crystals made of proteins or other biological molecules.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

20 January 2021

The SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 lineage

A note on the coronavirus variant B.1.1.7, which has first been described in the U.K. and has spread to 57 countries. The note summarises epidemiological information about the spread of B.1.1.7 in the U.K. collated and in part conducted by researchers from EMBL-EBI.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

19 January 2021 3D rendering of a human cell, attacked by a virus.

Cell under attack

It’s almost a year since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic, affecting all our lives. While the virus continues its grip on the world, scientists are understanding it better and better, increasing our knowledge about it and opening up new ways to fight it.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

15 January 2021 young man with beard and mustache stands in front of window with blurry background

Welcome: Olivier Duss

One of EMBL’s newest group leaders, Olivier Duss, will explore how RNA folds into functional structures and how it works with proteins to control a diverse range of activities in the cell.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2021

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

14 January 2021 An electron microscopy photo shows two bacterial cells surrounded by several white fibrils of the amphibian peptide.

Toadlet peptide transforms into a deadly weapon against bacteria

Researchers at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and EMBL Hamburg, in collaboration with scientists in Israel and Spain, have discovered remarkable molecular properties of an antimicrobial peptide from the skin of the Australian toadlet. The discovery could inspire the development of…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

sciencescience-technology

12 January 2021 A metallic tool.

Homage to a vital tool

Structural biologists want to study proteins at the atomic level. The device shown in this Picture of the Week is essential for this.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2021

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

22 December 2020

Cells in the holiday spirit

It is that time of year to get into the holiday spirit, prepare for some time at home and relax after a strange and stressful year. Even the cells in our Picture of the Week are getting into the holiday spirit, forming this colourful Christmas tree.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

18 December 2020

Stronger together

Gene activation requires the cooperative activity of multiple transcription factors. Until now, the mechanism used by these factors to coordinate their actions has been poorly understood. EMBL’s Krebs group presents a DNA footprinting method that makes it possible to determine whether…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

15 December 2020 Snowy mountains behind functional buildings. The Moon is up in the sky.

First powder over EMBL Grenoble

The first snowflakes have fallen on the Vercors Mountains, right behind the EMBL Grenoble building, and an almost full moon is showing up during a sunny morning.

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

8 December 2020 Windowed façade reflecting leafless trees.

Clear views

With the external scaffolding removed, another step in the construction of the EMBL Imaging Centre is complete. Now we get a first glimpse of the final look of this stunning building.

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

7 December 2020 Female scientist stands in front of electron microscope that is taller than she is

Seeing deeper inside cells

While cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) was first envisioned in 1968, the advances the Mahamid group are bringing to this 3D method for studying molecules directly inside cells are new, and are likely to greatly expand its use.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

2 December 2020 The image is a green coloured cell, with a wild and textured surface which is composed of many different shapes and shadows.

Scratching the surface on cell differentiation

Scientists in the Diz-Muñoz group at EMBL Heidelberg are working to build understanding of the role that mechanical properties play in affecting cell behaviour – a young and rapidly developing field of study. They have developed and successfully used a highly specialised technique to manipulate…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

1 December 2020 Rainbow on a cloudy sky above technical buildings.

Rainbow over the Hanseatic city

Hamburg hosts one of EMBL’s six sites. The city is notorious for its windy and rainy weather. Lots of rain also means a high chance of beautiful rainbows!

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

24 November 2020 Red loops on a black background are dotted with bright red flecks and pale blue ovals as part of a confocal microscope image of bone marrow cells.

A loopy baseline

Studying cancers means also knowing what healthy cells look like. In this case, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) from healthy bone marrow are a bit ‘loopy’.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

23 November 2020 Tube-like structures of a cell at sub-cellular level in red and grey.

Replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2 in 3D

Researchers have studied SARS-CoV-2 replication in cells and obtained detailed insights into the alterations induced in infected cells. This information is essential to guide the development of urgently needed therapeutic strategies for suppressing viral replication and induced pathology.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

20 November 2020 The Reichstag building (left) and Paul-Löbe-Haus (right) in Berlin, as seen in daylight from across the Spree river.

Sharing our vision for the future

EMBL Director General Edith Heard introduced EMBL’s future plans during a parliamentary event at the Paul-Löbe-Haus of the German Bundestag in Berlin. She shared examples of EMBL’s research and outlined how EMBL’s activities will develop.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2020

connectionslab-matters

17 November 2020 Car parking rooftop with a solar power plant under construction on it.

Solar power

Despite the cold autumn weather, workers are busy on the rooftop of the parking garage at EMBL Heidelberg. The 2176 m² rooftop is getting transformed into a combination of a green roof and a photovoltaic plant. The planted green roof will retain rainwater, while the solar panels – installed in…

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

10 November 2020 Green coloured brain cells next to a microfluidic network.

Understanding malaria

To help understand cerebral malaria the Bernabeu group has created in vitro engineered networks of human blood vessels.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

4 November 2020 SARS-CoV-2 is represented as a sphere with spike proteins poking out of its surface, which give it a corona-like appearance. The spike proteins resemble triangular ‘bushes’ with three tips at the top. In the background, a cell surface is visible with ACE2 proteins poking out of it in many places. The virus is about to attach to the cell surface. The sybodies, represented as tiny V-shaped structures, bind to the viral spike proteins at their tips.

Scientists identify synthetic mini-antibody to combat COVID-19

By screening hundreds of sybodies (synthetic mini-antibodies), scientists have identified one that might stop SARS-CoV-2 from infecting human cells. This work, which holds promise for treating COVID-19, was conducted by EMBL Hamburg and collaborators from the Centre for Structural Systems Biology…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

3 November 2020 Rainbow above the EMBL building in Heidelberg, surrounded by woods.

Under the rainbow

On autumn days without Heidelberg’s characteristic fog, the woods present themself in beautiful colours. You may even capture a rainbow.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

27 October 2020 Microscopic image of a cell, nucleus visible in bright green, cell membrane stained with a purple dye against black background.

Party at the nucleus?

The nucleus of this cell fluoresces in bright green thanks to GFP-labelled nucleoporin proteins. EMBL scientists use engineered nucleoporins as 3D reference standards to improve super-resolution microscopy.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

20 October 2020 Greyscale image of two sheep grazing.

Ecological lawn mowers

In 2012, EMBL used ecological lawn mowers to keep the grass short around the Advanced Training Centre at EMBL Heidelberg.

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

16 October 2020 Abstract graphic with big waves of black, white and grey somewhat like yin and yang, with two brain-shaped leaves in the upper right and lower left quadrants, one of which is green and more leafy-looking.

Taking charge by seeking ways to achieve gender balance

A three-day virtual conference, ‘Gender Roles and their Impact in Academia’, explored how biology, social structures, and unconscious bias shape gender roles, and discussed ways to achieve equal opportunities for men and women in academia.

LAB MATTERS

2020

eventslab-matters

15 October 2020 Four blue circular objects are surrounded with green structures, and the central blue circle with pink structures. The blue circles are human cell nuclei, and pink and green structures are proteins.

Repurposing drugs for a pan-coronavirus treatment

Scientists from the Beltrao Group at EMBL-EBI and collaborators identified drug targets common to SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, and MERS-CoV, three pathogenic coronaviruses. They also found potential drugs that could be repurposed as COVID-19 treatments, and against emerging coronavirus strains in the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

15 October 2020 Dr. Maria Arruda looks towards the camera with a serious but kind expression

Respecting diversity: the role of the scientist

Maria Arruda is on a mission to make scientists think more about the role they play in society. After a career in academia and the life sciences, she is trying to help others see the bigger picture when it comes to the responsibility of the scientist.

LAB MATTERS

2020

eventslab-matters

13 October 2020 Sea anemone polyp in side view showing two arms.

Crazy arms

Sea anemones are amazing creatures. Despite their plant-like appearance and their tendency to remain fixed in one spot, they are actually animals.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

8 October 2020 Alvaro Crevenna, heads EMBL Rome’s Microscopy Facility. Credit: EMBL

Beyond the lens – microscopy at EMBL Rome

Research facilities play a crucial role in the advancement of science by supporting scientists with specialised expertise and state-of-the-art equipment. The Microscopy Facility at EMBL Rome exemplifies this role by making a wide variety of light microscopy technologies available to its researchers…

LAB MATTERSSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

lab-mattersscience-technology

6 October 2020 A filmstrip showing the healing process of a wound on cellular level.

Time heals all wounds

We’ve all had wounds at certain times in our lives. But they heal due to the self-repairing mechanisms in the body.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

5 October 2020 EMBL and Vilnius University logos on a background of genomic data

New partnership in Lithuania

On 8 September, EMBL and Vilnius University Life Sciences Center signed a framework agreement for the establishment of the VU LSC–EMBL Partnership for Genome Editing Technologies.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2020

connectionslab-matters

1 October 2020 A group of people in an office are holding a videoconference. Some of the participants are wearing masks and gloves

Boosting the life sciences through alumni networks

EMBL’s network of alumni plays a vital role in advancing the life sciences globally. EMBL provides research, services, and infrastructure that help former staff to do this effectively. For several years EMBL has been discovering more avenues to help the life sciences across Europe. A key part of…

CONNECTIONS

2020

connectionsevents

29 September 2020 Oliver Billker, Director of MIMS, is standing at the podium in front of a microphone. Behind him, a projected slide says “Welcome to Umeå University”.

The Nordic EMBL Partnership: supporting national research

The partnership between EMBL and four Nordic research institutions aims to stimulate scientific exchange and inspire scientific collaborations. This year’s conference of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine included many talks by EMBL researchers and a presentation by EMBL’s…

CONNECTIONS

2020

connectionsevents

29 September 2020 A metal rack holding glass test tubes with yellow and red solutions in them.

Colourful test tubes

To study the effect of commonly used drugs on bacterial envelopes, EMBL scientists applied a biochemical assay using a colour reaction. The deeper the red, the stronger the disruptive effect of the drug.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

24 September 2020 The conference key visual shows a variety of species engulfed by fire, reflecting the conference title, ‘Our House Is Burning: Scientific and Societal Responses to Mass Extinction’.

Dinosaurs, dodos, and the future of life on Earth

EMBL’s 21st Science and Society Conference will address scientific and societal responses to mass extinctions. Ahead of his keynote speech, renowned palaeontologist Mike Benton explains how looking into the deep past can give us vital insights into the future of life on Earth.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

eventsscience-technology

22 September 2020 Black and white electron microscope image of Anopheles mosquito gametes, looking much like feathery fern leaf stencils

A bloom of crystals

How does your crystal garden grow? EMBL's Electron Microscopy Core Facility was able to capture this garden of blooming crystals as they studied mosquito reproductive cells.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

18 September 2020 Composite image of mouse cells and human cells showing different levels of luminescence, indicated as different colours.

Human and mouse cells run at different speeds

The internal clock that governs the development of embryos ticks slower for humans than for mice. Differences in the speed of biochemical reactions underlie the differences between species in the tempo of development.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

17 September 2020 Colorful illustration conveys the balancing act women in science face, going between family and work responsibilities and wanting to succeed in both roles.

Indirect impacts of a pandemic on women in science

The EMBL conference that explored direct and indirect impacts from the current pandemic on women in science allowed for information and story sharing both in the form of lectures but also via online platforms like Slack and social media that included Twitter.

LAB MATTERS

2020

eventslab-matters

15 September 2020 Fluorescent microscopic image of fruit fly larva with tubular heart cells in gold and the remainder of image in magenta

Fruit fly with a heart of gold

Not just another pretty fruit fly. This magenta and golden drosophila larva is lit up with a fluorescent molecule to help researchers study heart formation.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

10 September 2020 Two researchers at EMBL's state-of-the-art Electron Microscopy Core Facility (EMCF). A female scientist is using a binocular microscope, a male scientist is standing next to her.

Level up!

ARISE fellowships to offer first-ever comprehensive training for bioscience infrastructure operations

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matters

8 September 2020 A network of tubes and cells in red and blue.

Not a galaxy far, far away

While this may seem like a nebula made up of interstellar clouds of dust and ionised gases, this image isn’t of a galaxy beyond the Milky Way.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

7 September 2020 science diplomacy

Looking forward

Two EMBL speakers gave presentations that looked toward the future and at ways to trailblaze on the endless frontier of science.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2020

connectionslab-matters

4 September 2020 Portrait picture of Erin Tranfield, member of the EMBL Alumni Association Board, against a blue-green background.

Supporting the alumni community

Erin Tranfield recently joined the EMBL Alumni Association Board as one of 15 newly elected members. Here, she talks about her new role on the board and reflects on how a life-changing event made her refocus her perspective on work and life.

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2020

alumnipeople-perspectives

3 September 2020 Left: Slice of a cell in grey. Right: Two 3D reconstructions of parts of the slice, showing the internal structure.

Nuclear pores in their natural context

Scientists from the Beck group have studied the 3D structure of nuclear pores in budding yeast. They show how the architecture of the nuclear pore complex differs inside cells compared to its form observed in vitro studies.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

31 August 2020 3D image of plant cells. The ones identified by the algorithm are brightly coloured.

Intelligent software tackles plant cell jigsaw

Starting with computer code and moving on to a more user-friendly graphical interface called PlantSeg, the Kreshuk Group at EMBL and collaborators built a simple open-access method to provide the most accurate and versatile analysis of plant tissue development to date.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

26 August 2020 Colorful illustration conveys the balancing act women in science face, going between family and work responsibilities and wanting to succeed in both roles.

COVID-19’s indirect attack on women

More than 500 people have registered for an EMBL conference, "The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on women in science: Challenges and solutions." Scheduled for 9 September, the conference is free and open to all. Pre-registration is still available and required to attend.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

eventsscience-technology

25 August 2020

Training the next generation of molecular biologists

The EMBL International PhD Programme is one of EMBL’s flagship training programmes. It forms part of our efforts to train and inspire talented scientists to become skilled and creative future leaders. Submission of applications for the current PhD student recruitment round is now possible.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTSLAB MATTERS

2020

embl-announcementslab-matters

25 August 2020 Fruit fly larval cells looking like blue lightning

Breathing beneath the skin

Beautiful flashes of blue colour help light the way for researchers to study cells in fruit fly larva that provide oxygen to tissues.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

20 August 2020 A portrait photo of Geetika Malhotra, new Head of Web Development at EMBL-EBI.

Welcome: Geetika Malhotra

The Web Development team provides a central source of web design and development for EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI). In July, Geetika Malhotra joined the team as their new Head.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2020

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

18 August 2020 Three cells, each looking like a face.

Three little ghosts

Despite their ghostly appearance, these are very real cell nuclei infected with Influenza A virus – the only influenza virus known to cause pandemics.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

11 August 2020 Different parts of a fruit fly arranged into an artificial green eye.

The eye of science

This image is a composite of lateral pentascolopidial organs, a wing imaginal disc pouch, and an epithelial wound in a Drosophila larva. The organs are arranged here like eyelashes. Cells surrounding an epidermal wound appear as the iris and pupil of this artistic eye.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

4 August 2020 A long string of cells - red in the centre, yellow at the border.

Fish close-up

This group of cells represents an interesting example of organ formation where cells simultaneously move and change their shapes in a highly coordinated manner.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

3 August 2020 A woman with glasses holds a book. The book cover says "Gene naming rules". Thought bubbles float around her head and display gene symbols like BRCA1.

Bagpipe and Pokemon, or how not to name a human gene

The human genome harbours about 19 000 protein-coding genes, many of which still have no known function. As scientists unveil the secrets of our DNA, they come across novel genes that they need to refer to using a unique name. The Human Genome Organisation’s Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC) at…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

28 July 2020 Small dots. Some in bright yellow.

An ocean of droplets

Bacterial cells are embedded in microfluidic droplets in oil. The fluorescence indicates the presence of the targeted DNA strain with the help of a characteristic DNA sequence.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

20 July 2020 A magnifying glass hovers over the human gut, revealing its biodiversity.

Unparalleled inventory of the human gut ecosystem

An international team of scientists has collated all known bacterial genomes from the human gut microbiome into a single large database. Their work will allow researchers to explore the links between bacterial genes and proteins, and their effects on human health.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

16 July 2020 A collage of portrait photos of Jessica Vamathevan, Jan Korbel, and Nassos Typas.

Changes in senior roles at EMBL

Three changes in senior staff positions have been confirmed at EMBL today. Jessica Vamathevan becomes Head of Strategy, Jan Korbel becomes Head of Data Science for EMBL Heidelberg, and Nassos Typas becomes Senior Scientist.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTSLAB MATTERS

2020

embl-announcementslab-matters

14 July 2020 The image shows a larva of Platynereis dumerilii, a marine worm. The body of the worm is shown in grey. Muscle strands are coloured in red. The muscles of one individual strand are highlighted in different, brighter colours.

Muscular worm larva

The image shows a larva of Platynereis dumerilii, a marine worm. The image here was produced by Constantin Pape, a visiting predoctoral fellow in the Kreshuk group at EMBL Heidelberg.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

13 July 2020 scientists teaching about the microbiome

Applications for virtual learning lab open

The European Learning Laboratory for the Life Sciences (ELLS), EMBL’s education facility, invites secondary school science teachers to participate in a virtual training course this autumn entitled ‘Introducing your microbiome’.

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matters

8 July 2020 Alexander Aulehla on the left and Paul Flicek on the Right

Two EMBL scientists become EMBO Members

This year, EMBO elected 63 new members, including Alexander Aulehla, Group Leader and Senior Scientist at EMBL Heidelberg, and Paul Flicek, Associate Director of EMBL-EBI Services, Senior Scientist, Group and Team Leader at EMBL-EBI.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTSLAB MATTERS

2020

embl-announcementslab-matters

8 July 2020 The Logo of the ALPX company.

ALPX – smart crystallography

The CrystalDirect® technology, combined with the web-based CRIMS software enable a fully automated, remote-controlled protein-to-structure pipeline.

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matters

8 July 2020 Artwort illustrating various aspects of infection research. The centre of the image shows a cartoon representation of a coronavirus. The spheric shape has been overlaid with a map of the world to illustrate the global spread of viruses. The edges of the artwork feature images of potential virus hosts (bats, poultry, dromedary), a group of humans, a microscope, pills, a syringe and vaccine vial, protein structures, and an illustration of a human lung. The background is set in yellow and red colour.

What COVID-19 is teaching us

The virtual EMBL Conference ‘SARS-CoV-2: Towards a New Era in Infection Research’ explored the importance of fundamental research, collaboration, and data science in containing the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and discussed opportunities to improve our response to pandemics in the future.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

eventsscience-technology

7 July 2020 The rainbow pride flag hanging in front of the Advanced Training Centre at EMBL Heidelberg. Picture taken in summer 2020.

Pride at EMBL

EMBL brings together more than 1700 people from all over the world, from a variety of academic and cultural backgrounds. This creates an environment in which there is constant exchange of both scientific knowledge and cultural heritage. While it seems obvious that EMBL, as an international…

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

6 July 2020 EMBL Director General Edith Heard standing at a laboratory work bench, facing the camera. Edith Heard on the left side, lab bench with pipettes and equipment on the right. Photo taken by érôme Brébion at Institut Curie, Paris.

Edith Heard elected senator of the Max Planck Society

EMBL Director General Edith Heard has been elected a senator of the Max Planck Society, one of Germany’s leading scientific research organisations. She joins the Senate along with Nobel Laureates and EMBL alumni Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and Stefan W. Hell, as well as nine additional new…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTSLAB MATTERS

2020

embl-announcementslab-matters

3 July 2020 stem cells neurons differentiation

From stem cells to neurons

Scientists at EMBL Heidelberg have investigated stem cells and how they differentiate to become neurons. Their approach included an assessment of the complex interplay of molecules during the differentiation process and generated fundamental new insights into the role of a protein called Sox2 in…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

2 July 2020 epigenetic reprogramming, epigenetic memory, Hackett group

Unravelling epigenetic reprogramming

A study conducted by the Hackett group at EMBL Rome has identified key factors controlling the complex system of gene regulation during early embryo development, shedding new light on the mechanisms behind these events and on their evolutionary implications. Their findings are published in Nature…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

30 June 2020 Beekeeper checking one of the hives near the Adacned Training Centre at EMBL Heidelberg.

Busy bees at the ATC

Local beekeeper Jörg Staffel has set up three bee colonies on the grass slope in front of the ATC building.

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

29 June 2020 Gene Editing and Embryology Facility at EMBL Rome

Editing the mouse genome to study SARS-CoV-2 infection

To study how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells, the Gene Editing and Embryology Facility (GEEF) at EMBL Rome will generate mice that express a human version of a protein called ACE2. The mouse line will be shared with preclinical research collaborators carrying out vaccine and antibody trials, and with the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

25 June 2020 Scientists in the Hackett group at EMBL Rome doing lab work

Silencing the SARS-CoV-2 receptor with epigenetic modifications

EMBL scientists develop a new molecular tool to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice. This tool is able to cause targeted epigenetic modifications of specific genes in specific cell populations. They will use it in mice to target airway cells that express the ACE2 protein – the receptor that…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

23 June 2020 EMBL's Equality and Diversity Officers. Zac O'Sullivan (left) and Luisa Vieites Rodrigues (right)

Equality and diversity at EMBL

EMBL is striving to make its labs and offices a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. To achieve this goal, EMBL's Equality and Diversity Officers, Luisa Vieites Rodrigues and Zac O'Sullivan, are working closely with leadership and the EMBL community. In this interview, they share their…

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matters

23 June 2020

Delicious science

Elisa Kreibich from EMBL’s Krebs group baked an EMBL cake for the farewell of Alexandra Martitz, the first master student in their lab.

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

18 June 2020 Illustration of gender balances in academia

Closing the gender gap

To explore the origins of gender imbalances in academia and possible ways of overcoming them, international experts will meet for the virtual EMBL | EMBO | HHMI conference ‘Gender Roles and their Impact in Academia’ from 13–15 Oct 2020. The conference’s outcomes will be integrated into a…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2020

embl-announcementsevents

16 June 2020 Tissue culture plates in an incubator.

Understanding how SARS-CoV-2 behaves in the gut

Scientists at EMBL and Heidelberg University Hospital are studying how the novel coronavirus behaves in the gut to try to better understand its epidemiology and prevent its spread. To do this, they are combining advanced imaging and sequencing technologies to study coronavirus in human intestinal…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

16 June 2020 Composite image of fly larvae organs making up a flower

From fly to flower

In this composite image, visual artist Mona Kakanj assembled three different biological structures in fly larvae into a flower. The original images were taken as part of a research project by Parisa Kakanj in Maria Leptin’s group.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

15 June 2020 Arise logo

Life sciences open their doors for engineers

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory has secured 6.8 million Euros funding from the European Commission to launch a unique training programme. The ARISE Programme will train and develop Europe’s next generation leadership for research infrastructures in the life sciences.

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matters

15 June 2020 Key visual for the virtual EMBL conference ‘SARS-CoV-2: Towards a New Era in Infection Research’. Credits: Aleksandra Krolik/EMBL

Improving our response to emerging pandemics

The emergence of previously unknown pathogens, such as the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, raises many questions. To explore these questions in an international scientific forum, EMBL will host the virtual conference ‘SARS-CoV-2: Towards a New Era in Infection Research’ on 3 July. Invited…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2020

embl-announcementsevents

9 June 2020 This image shows the structure of a bacterial group II intron

Genetic cut and paste at atomic resolution

Researchers in the Marcia group at EMBL Grenoble and the De Vivo lab at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa have obtained some of the most detailed ever snapshots of the splicing process in systems known as group II self-splicing introns. The new insights will help scientists to develop…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

9 June 2020 Beamline Hamburg

Shining high-brilliance beams on coronavirus structure

EMBL researchers are studying COVID-19-related molecules by exposing them to high-brilliance X-ray beams. The Svergun group at EMBL Hamburg is using biological small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) as part of a global effort by scientists to elucidate the structural organisation of SARS-CoV-2…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

9 June 2020 Mouse embryonic fibroblasts and their cell skeletons

Glow-in-the-dark cell skeletons

This image shows mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), their cell skeletons (green) and nuclei (blue) under a confocal microscope, photographed by Julia Hansen in the lab of Matthieu Boulard at EMBL Rome.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

8 June 2020 Microscopic image showing a macrophage that has been infected with Salmonella (green), causing cellular cathepsins (red) to locate to the nucels (blue).

Re-trafficking proteins to fight Salmonella infections

Scientists including members of EMBL’s Typas group have investigated how immune cells called macrophages respond to infection by the intracellular pathogen Salmonella enterica. They discovered that Salmonella causes newly produced cathepsins to accumulate in the nuclei of infected cells to…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

2 June 2020

Organelles in space

This image is a 3D-rendering of the automatic segmentation of a HeLa cell, made by Julian Hennies from the Schwab team at EMBL Heidelberg.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

1 June 2020 An illustration of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq)

Enabling functional genomics studies in individual cells

Scientists at EMBL Heidelberg have developed a new method, called Targeted Perturb-seq (TAP-seq), which increases the scale and precision of functional genomics CRISPR–Cas9 screens by orders of magnitude. Their method overcomes limitations in previous applications of single-cell RNA sequencing,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

27 May 2020 Automated sample changer and diffractometer at the ID30B X-ray crystallography beamline at ESRF Grenoble.

Facilitating COVID-19 structural biology research

EMBL and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) restart the activities of the Joint Structural Biology Group in Grenoble to support coronavirus-related projects. A new initiative will allow users to be granted access to the High-Throughput Crystallisation (HTX) lab at EMBL and to a…

CONNECTIONS

2020

connectionsscience

22 May 2020

The hunt for neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

Scientists hope that a legacy of the novel coronavirus in recovered COVID-19 patients – antibodies in their blood – could lead to drugs to treat others. The Merten group at EMBL Heidelberg has pivoted its microfluidics platform to support the search for neutralising antibodies that could…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

22 May 2020

EMBL scientists investigate rare lung disease

Researchers in EMBL’s Zaugg group have studied the causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a rare disease that causes high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. The study, carried out in collaboration with Stanford University School of Medicine, compared lung cells of patients…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

19 May 2020 EMBL group leader Georgia Rapti

Welcome: Georgia Rapti

The nervous system has fascinated Georgia Rapti ever since her first introduction to biology. Her research group in the Developmental Biology unit will focus on understanding the early biological events involved in the nervous system’s formation.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2020

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

15 May 2020 Cell division

Tracing the origins of cells

Researchers from the Sharpe group at EMBL Barcelona have published a method to track the developmental history of a cell using the gene editing tool CRISPR–Cas9, but without the need to create transgenic organisms.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

13 May 2020 Close-up photograph of servers at EMBL Heidelberg's data centre.

Understanding the role of our genes in SARS-CoV-2 infections

EMBL scientists will contribute to the new German COVID-19 OMICS Initiative to study the biological mechanisms contributing to coronavirus infections. EMBL group leaders Jan Korbel and Oliver Stegle, who is also affiliated with the DKFZ Heidelberg, will coordinate the set-up of IT infrastructures…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

11 May 2020

EMBL SPC facility supports COVID-19 projects

The Sample Preparation and Characterisation Facility (SPC) at EMBL Hamburg reopens to support scientists working on Covid-19 research. The SPC Facility is one of the best equipped facilities in Europe is therefore in high demand from external users. Re-opening the facility also allows experts at…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

6 May 2020

Wings without wings

The image shown here, taken by Daniel Rios-Barrera from the Leptin Group shows the cells of the early wing tissue of the fly during larval development.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

29 April 2020 The Influenza virus

Understanding the influenza virus

The infectious disease commonly known as flu is caused by the influenza virus. It spreads around the world in seasonal outbreaks, causing millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Stephen Cusack, Head of EMBL Grenoble, has been studying different aspects of the influenza…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

28 April 2020

Dancing chromosomes

In human cells, the genetic material is packaged into 23 different DNA molecules, the chromosomes. Each chromosome is present in two copies, one inherited from the paternal sperm, and the other from the maternal egg. During most of the cell’s life, chromosomes take the shape of long,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

28 April 2020 Close-up view of the interior of a protein analytics system

Exploring synthetic antibodies to stop coronavirus

Scientists at EMBL Hamburg and Karolinska Institutet Stockholm aim to find synthetic antibodies – known as nanobodies – that bind a surface protein of the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Nanobodies could prevent the virus from entering human cells and causing COVID-19.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

24 April 2020 Collage of images representing wet and dry lab research and healthcare

Why share data during a pandemic?

In March 2020, planes were grounded, streets went quiet, and our lives changed forever. But while the world came to a halt, many scientists were ramping up their efforts to understand the new virus.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

23 April 2020 Key visual for the EMBO | EMBL symposium ‘The Four-Dimensional Genome’

EMBL hosts its first virtual conference

The virtual EMBO | EMBL symposium ‘The Four-Dimensional Genome’ brought together 470 participants. Here, Jürgen Deka, Head of External Scientific Training, discusses how he and his team overcame the organisational challenges.

LAB MATTERS

2020

eventslab-matters

22 April 2020 Portrait photo of Brendan Rouse, EMBL's Environmental Officer

Welcome: Brendan Rouse

Brendan Rouse came to Heidelberg in March as EMBL’s Environmental Officer, tasked with monitoring the organisation’s environmental impact and promoting sustainable practices. Here, he discusses his plans for the new role.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2020

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

21 April 2020

Evolution of the eye

This Picture of the Week shows a stained cryosection of a retina – the light-sensitive part of the eye – of an ancient fish, the lamprey.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

16 April 2020 Micropipette tips in a liquid-handling robot

Helping to scale up coronavirus testing

Scientists at EMBL Heidelberg are contributing their expertise in a community effort to develop large-scale testing methods for coronavirus. Their goal is to increase the capacity and speed of testing, which is crucial for containing the pandemic.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

14 April 2020

Gazing at healing wounds

What may look like a branch of a tree with the first flower buds emerging after winter are, in fact, tracheal cells of a fruit fly larva and their nuclei.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

7 April 2020

Exciting science!

EMBL is all about exciting science, through which we aim to achieve a fundamental understanding of biological processes.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

1 April 2020

Understanding brain tumours in children

The causes of 40 percent of all cases of certain medulloblastoma – dangerous brain tumours affecting children – are hereditary. These are the findings of a recent genetic analysis carried out by scientists from EMBL and numerous colleagues around the world.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

31 March 2020 Portrait of Bastian Drees, Head of Library

Welcome: Bastian Drees

Bastian Drees is a biophysicist turned librarian, who joined EMBL in January as the new Head of Library. Here, he discusses the changing role of libraries and how they can help scientists organise and share their results.

LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2020

lab-matterspeople-perspectives

31 March 2020

Artistic life sciences

Paola Bertucci, from the Arendt Group at EMBL Heidelberg, studies the evolution of Platynereis dumerilii – a species of annelid polychaete worm.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

24 March 2020

Springtime in Heidelberg

The iconic ATC – celebrating its 10 year anniversary this year – reflects the blue sky, the clouds and the rays of the Sun.

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

17 March 2020

Wrapped in purple

The medaka shown in this Picture of the Week was captured by Eva Hasel, a postdoc in the Leptin group at EMBL Heidelberg.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

11 March 2020 Leukaemia stem cells are located in a patient’s bone marrow (shown here in blue) in the so-called stem cell niche. The green structure is the bone itself. Credit: Dr. Raphael Lutz, Haas Lab

€2.45 m to investigate leukaemia causes and therapies

The Heidelberg-based LeukoSyStem consortium investigates leukaemia stem cells in acute myeloid leukaemia. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research financially supports this collaboration between Heidelberg University Hospital, HI-STEM gGmbH, the German Cancer Research Center and EMBL.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2020

embl-announcementsscience

10 March 2020

It’s Lab Ski Day!

This image, taken by Raphaël Cohen-Aberdam from the Cipriani team, shows that the weather for the Grenoble Lab Ski Day 2020 was just perfect!

LAB MATTERS

2020

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3 March 2020

Snowy day

Colder winter weather has finally arrived EMBL-EBI. It’s the first time the site has seen snow this winter.

LAB MATTERS

2020

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

25 February 2020

Accidental beauty

In the Trivedi Group at EMBL Barcelona, Krisztina Arató and Jia Le Lim study the early development of zebrafish embryos.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

11 February 2020

Breathe in, breathe out

This image shows the tracheal system of a live fruit fly larva. Daniel Rios from the Leptin Group and Dimitri Kromm from the Hufnagel Group used this advanced microscope to investigate the dynamics of tracheal cells during development.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

5 February 2020

Protecting data in the cloud

Cloud computing offers unprecedented opportunities for global-scale research collaborations. It also presents a unique set of challenges in terms of data protection and the ethics of data sharing.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

5 February 2020

Cancer mutations occur decades before diagnosis

Researchers at EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and the Francis Crick Institute have analysed the whole genomes of over 2600 tumours from 38 different cancer types to determine the chronology of genomic changes during cancer development.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

5 February 2020

Analysis of human genomes in the cloud

Scientists from EMBL present a tool for large-scale analysis of genomic data with cloud computing. Main advantages of the new tool, called Butler, are continuous system monitoring and its ability to self-heal in case of failure, allowing for 43% more efficient data processing than previous…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

5 February 2020

Chromothripsis in human cancer

Researchers at Harvard Medical School and EMBL-EBI have carried out the largest analysis across cancer types of the newly discovered mutational phenomenon chromothripsis.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

sciencescience-technology

4 February 2020

From cosmetics to blood cells

Morgan Oatley and her colleagues in Christophe Lancrin’s group investigated how haematopoietic stem cells emerge from the endothelium in developing mouse embryos.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

31 January 2020

Statement on Brexit

Today marks the next chapter in the UK’s relationship with Europe. While we wait to see what a future relationship brings, researchers will continue to work across borders to tackle society’s most pressing problems, such as climate change, ageing, and disease.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTSLAB MATTERS

2020

embl-announcementslab-matters

28 January 2020

Injured lung

Muzamil Majid Khan, a postdoc in the Pepperkok team at EMBL Heidelberg, studied the piece of tissue visible in this image.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

14 January 2020

Ring of fire

This image has been composed from thousands of individual super-resolution microscopy images. It was created by Markus Mund in the Ries Group.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

7 January 2020

Skittles for science

What might also be an artistic representation of a scattered bowl of Skittles is actually a 3D reconstruction of a high-pressure frozen HeLa cell.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2020

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

31 December 2019

Tumour takeover

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. It is so deadly because tumours often return after successful cancer treatment. This recurrence is caused by individual dormant cancer cells remaining inside the breast. These cells can develop into active cancer cells…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

24 December 2019

Launching proteins

What looks like a photo-series of an explosive eruption are actually uptaking proteins, captured by Markus Mund from the Ries Group at EMBL Heidelberg. The images were made in an attempt to learn how the different proteins that take up molecules into the cells via endocytosis – the cellular…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

17 December 2019

Reshaping our DNA

DNA is present in each cell of our body. If all the DNA from one human cell was removed and aligned in a single strand, it would in theory add up to a total length of about two metres. In order to fit into the nucleus of a cell, DNA has to be compressed by […]

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

13 December 2019

Graduation Ceremony 2019

Forty-seven PhD students from all of EMBL’s six sites were celebrated during EMBL’s 2019 Graduation Ceremony on Friday 13 December

LAB MATTERS

2019

lab-matters

10 December 2019

Birth of two HeLa stars

This picture of the week, taken by Arina Rybina in the Ellenberg group at EMBL Heidelberg, shows a high-resolution 3D microscopy image of living human cells: HeLa cells. In this fascinating fluorescing microspace, two newly formed daughter nuclei are captured to study the assembly of nuclear pore…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

3 December 2019 Black and blue hexagon shapes with some yellow and red hot spots

Skin mosaic

This beautiful mosaic of mostly hexagonal cells is the outer skin layer of a zebrafish larva as seen under a microscope. Each skin cell exhibits a unique pattern of actin ridges. Actin is a family of globular multifunctional proteins found in almost all eukaryotic cells. Actin forms microfilaments,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

26 November 2019

EMBL makes insulin visible

The hormone insulin helps to remove sugar from the blood after a meal. This is important, as in the long term high blood sugar levels damage our bodies. Diabetes of type 1 or type 2 is a direct consequence of a failure to produce sufficient insulin or to release it from the cells in which […]

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

19 November 2019

Formation of a brain

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. Yet despite it being the organ that makes us conscious beings – and despite the fact that researchers have been studying it for generations – it’s still a constant source of surprise. To help lift the veil on some of its mystery, Lina…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

5 November 2019

A mix of sensations

Traditionally, we talk about having five senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. In reality, our bodies are capable of much more. Sitting right under our skin are a variety of sensory neurons, which are specialised in detecting light touch, pain, temperature, itch or the body’s position.…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

29 October 2019

Inside out, and grub becomes fly

The three bluish blobs shown in the top right corner of this image may not resemble the sphere of noodles that is the human brain, but they are still essential – at least for the fruit fly. This Picture of the Week shows the brain lobes of Drosophila. It’s an insect so tiny and so […]

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

22 October 2019

A perfect model

Is it a fungus or a strange plant? Actually it’s the larval form of Platynereis – a group of marine ringed worms. Scientists have been using them in their studies for the past 70 years, and they are among the preferred lab organisms. They are easy to keep in the lab, and under temperature and…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

15 October 2019

Bringing life science to you

EMBL not only produces excellent science and innovative technologies; it also shares its knowledge and experience with partners from around the world – and with the public. As well as offering teacher training in the European Learning Laboratory for the Life Sciences, science movie nights, and…

LAB MATTERS

2019

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

9 October 2019

Science for everyone

During the Nacht der Forschung 2019, everyone was able to become a scientist for a day at EMBL

LAB MATTERS

2019

eventslab-matters

8 October 2019

The zebrafish earned its stripes

Despite missing the characteristic stripes one would expect from a zebra – or a zebrafish – the fractals in this Picture of the Week show a zebrafish; or at least some cells in a zebrafish embryo, a few hours after fertilisation. Zebrafish are not only popular aquarium fish, they are also an…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

1 October 2019

The evolution of the eye

Model organisms are species that are studied extensively to understand particular biological phenomena and processes, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. The small marine ringed worm Platynereis dumerilii gained…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

25 September 2019

A giant called dumpy

Fruit flies have something that we don’t have: they produce a protein called dumpy. This protein is the largest created by insects, and is comparable in size to the largest human protein – titin. While titin is vital for our muscle function, dumpy connects the soft cells of the insect’s…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

17 September 2019

The end of a productive day

It’s evening and the Sun is setting over the mountains surrounding the city of Grenoble – home to one of EMBL’s six sites – bathing the mountaintops in fiery red light. The Picture of the Week, taken by Zuzanna Kaczmarska shows the lab she worked in after a long and busy day. Bottles…

LAB MATTERS

2019

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

10 September 2019

Tracking the beginning of life

All mammalian life starts with the fusion of egg and sperm, resulting in the creation of a single cell called a zygote. This develops into an embryo through a series of cell divisions, in which the number of cells doubles at each step. Todays’ Picture of the Week was taken by Manuel Eguren of the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

3 September 2019

A robust allrounder

This gorgeous image of a stained adult marine worm was created by former EMBL postdoc Hernando Martinez using structured microscopy. The worm itself was captured during plankton extraction off the coast of Sweden. There are over 10 000 species of these swimming worms, and they have adapted to every…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

27 August 2019

Where science meets art

The most basic building blocks of life are the biological molecules in our cells. While these molecules are too small to see with most microscopes, they have incredibly complex and beautiful structures. Therefore, the Protein Data Bank in Europe (PDBe), The Art Society CANTAB and The Art Society…

LAB MATTERS

2019

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

20 August 2019

When life takes shape

Today’s picture of the week is not only a colourful one, it is also a snapshot of the vast number of shapes that the cells inside an animal body can adopt. How this variety comes about is investigated in the Leptin group at EMBL Heidelberg.  To understand the shapes of the cells in fruit fly…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

13 August 2019

Have fun, be protected

Working in a lab very often requires some kind of protection: gloves, safety goggles, lab coat, hearing protection. Sandra – now at BASF in Ludwigshafen – had fun getting ready for her work in the medicinal chemistry lab at EMBL! Here, she is about to grind potassium permanganate and copper…

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2019

people-perspectivespicture-of-the-week

6 August 2019

The muscles that regulate blood pressure

Low blood pressure (hypotension) or high blood pressure (hypertension) are risk factors for many diseases and affect more than 20% of the global population. How blood pressure is regulated is part of the research done in the Heppenstall group at EMBL Rome.  In today’s Picture of the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

30 July 2019

Swiss day!

The 1700 people working at EMBL’s six sites come from more than 80 different countries. Many of them haven’t come straight from their home country to one of the EMBL sites but have also lived in other countries in between. While all of them are proud to work at EMBL they are also proud of…

PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES

2019

people-perspectivespicture-of-the-week

23 July 2019

Muscle games

Every single moment of our life we use our muscles – most of the time without even thinking about it. Some muscles, like our heart, we cannot even control at all. How our brain communicates with our muscles is still not fully understood. The communication between our brain and our skeletal…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

16 July 2019

The birth of new cells – when two become four

This colourful picture, taken by EMBL postdoc Arina Rybina using a confocal fluorescence microscope, shows human cells in the process of cell division. Eventually, each mother cell brings into existence two identical daughter cells. To visualise the process by light microscopy, different cell…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

15 July 2019 The pyramids represent chromatin domains in the wild-type situation. The reflection in the water below represents the rearrangements in the mutant fruit fly chromosomes. At first glance the (regulatory) landscapes look very similar, but there are lots of changes to the topology, and yet these have little impact on the nature of the landscape (gene expression). IMAGE: Beata Edyta Mierzwa in collaboration with EMBL.

Rearranging chromosomes

Does rearranging chromosomes affect their function? EMBL scientists reveal uncoupling of 3D chromatin organisation and gene expression.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

sciencescience-technology

9 July 2019

Working with a view

EMBL has six sites in Europe and the newest is EMBL Barcelona. It opened in October 2017 and is still growing. Eventually, it will be home to eight research groups, all of them working to discover how tissues and organs function and develop. EMBL Barcelona is located in the Barcelona Biomedical…

LAB MATTERS

2019

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

2 July 2019

Cell duplication

What looks like a pair of scary alien eyes is actually the final stage in the duplication of a cell. Cell duplication is preceded by a process called mitosis, in which the replicated chromosomes are separated into two new nuclei. Mitosis is the prerequisite for a cell to divide into two identical…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

25 June 2019

A colourful day at EMBL-EBI

EMBL is an intergovernmental organisation, currently supported by 26 member states, one prospect and two associate member states. There are more than 1700 people working at EMBL, who come from more than 80 countries, creating a multicultural environment. EMBL also operates from six sites in Europe:…

LAB MATTERS

2019

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

18 June 2019

A no-brainer

Have you ever wondered what reflex testing is about? Why does your doctor tap the space below your knee with a hammer to see if your leg kicks forward? At the centre of this involuntary reaction is the muscle spindle, of which you can see a close-up in today’s Picture of the Week. Muscle spindles…

LAB MATTERS

2019

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

11 June 2019

Rainbow lab

Laboratories all over the world are often chaotic, a bit messy and look grey and unwelcoming. Not so in this lab, pictured by EMBL staff member Emily Savage. The differently coloured fluids, arranged in a row, bring vivid colours into the more subdued environment of the lab. The picture was taken…

LAB MATTERS

2019

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

4 June 2019

Colourful yeast

Most of us love brewer’s yeast, or at least the food that it’s helped us to produce since ancient times. Without Saccharomyces cerevisiae (its Latin name) we couldn’t enjoy wine, beer or most types of bread. Besides its role in food production, S. cerevisiae is also an important model…

LAB MATTERS

2019

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

31 May 2019 EMBL scientists in a bar for the event Pint of Science

A thirst for science

EMBL got together with the global science festival Pint of Science to explain and celebrate science.

LAB MATTERS

2019

eventslab-matters

28 May 2019

A fiery end to a productive day

EMBL’s sites provide spectacular views, such as this fiery sunset at the Wellcome Genome Campus in Hinxton. The campus, in the heart of the Cambridgeshire countryside, is home to several institutes and organisations working on genomics and computational biology. Among them is EMBL’s European…

LAB MATTERS

2019

lab-matterspicture-of-the-week

21 May 2019

From fruit flies to cancer treatment

This image – resembling a network of rivers and canals – actually shows the tracheal tip cell of a fruit fly. Fruit flies are heavily used in research and they are a common model organism in developmental biology. Researchers at EMBL use the larvae of fruit flies to study tracheal cell…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

14 May 2019

Walking on DNA

EMBL is a world-leading organisation for life science research. Its scientists work in diverse research fields spanning the whole of molecular biology. While the molecules the researchers are working on are often microscopic and impossible to see with the naked eye, one research topic clearly…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2019

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

7 May 2019

EMBL sees it all

The hexagons visible in this Picture of the Week are the eyes of an ordinary housefly, visualised with a scanning electron microscope. Former staff member Anna Steyer, who captured this brilliant image, has coloured seven of the receptor areas of the eye to create a stylised version…

LAB MATTERS

2019

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28 November 2018 EIPOD postdocs work together as part of the Corporate Summer School.

Science in industry

EMBL postdocs discover industry-led research opportunities at the Corporate Summer School

LAB MATTERS

2018

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8 October 2018 Gareth Griffiths and Rein Aasland at the CASE awards.

Excellent alumni

EMBL alumni Gareth Griffiths and Rein Aasland receive the 2018 “Volunteer of the Year” award

CONNECTIONS

2018

alumniconnections

22 March 2018

LifeTime – a visionary proposal for an EU Flagship

Following the completion of the Human Genome Project  in 2001, scientists and the media described the genome as “the book of life”, holding the answers to the way genes are linked to disease. Yet, seventeen years later, we are still deciphering how cells interpret this book. Since…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2018

connectionslab-matters

12 March 2018 Robert Prevedel talks about EMBL and microscopy at the Internationale Gesamtschule Heidelberg. PHOTO: EMBL/Hugo Neves

Science in a suitcase

School students build fluorescence microscopes designed by members of the Prevedel group and ELLS

LAB MATTERS

2018

eventslab-matters

21 September 2017

Fish on fire

New study by Paola Kuri and Maria Leptin shows how inflammation happens in zebrafish in real time

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2017

sciencescience-technology

6 July 2017

CSSB opens its doors

On 29 June, at a ceremony in front of 700 guests, the Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB) in Hamburg, was officially opened. At the event on the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) Campus in Hamburg, Helmut Dosch, Chairman of the DESY Board of Directors, presented Head of EMBL Hamburg…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2017

connectionslab-matters

19 December 2016 The 2016 intake of EMBL PhD students

First year PhDs complete their training

For the past two months EMBL Heidelberg has hosted around 60 first year PhD students from EMBL’s International PhD Programme (EIPP). From thousands of applicants, the students were selected from over 40 countries to work on their PhD research at one of EMBL’s five sites – Grenoble, Hamburg,…

LAB MATTERS

2016

lab-matters

7 December 2016

Cycle of life

Paul Nurse’s failed experiment inspired a career that would uncover key mechanisms of cell division

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2016

sciencescience-technology

30 August 2016

Atomic proportions

EMBL and ESRF scientists and mechanics work together on upgrade for one of Europe’s big X-ray sources

CONNECTIONS

2016

connectionsscience

4 August 2016 45 pupils from Saarland, Germany visit EMBL-EBI

Just try!

German students visit EMBL-EBI on a tour to explore a new culture and different career paths

LAB MATTERS

2016

lab-matters

21 April 2016 Both the John Kendrew and Lennart Philipson Awards consist of a gold medal and a cash prize of €5,000, presented in recognition of the very special work of alumni. PHOTO: EMBL Photolab

Alumni awards

EMBL rewards the special work of alumni through the John Kendrew and Lennart Philipson awards.

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2016

alumniembl-announcements

21 April 2016 Anne Ephrussi wears the medal of the Order of Légion d’Honneur, the highest distinction in France. PHOTO: EMBL Photolab/Marietta Schupp

Awards & Honours

EMBL scientists regularly receive prestigious awards – meet the latest honourees.

LAB MATTERS

2016

lab-matters

12 February 2016 Cells formed circles where blinking happened in a wave, rolling outwards from the centre. IMAGE: EMBL/C.Tsiairis

In sync

What do cells in an embryo have in common with schools of fish, swarms of fireflies, and applauding audiences?

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2016

sciencescience-technology

17 December 2015 Digital zebrafish embryo provided the first complete developmental blueprint of a vertebrate in 2008. IMAGE: EMBL/Keller et al.

SPIM doctors

From initial development to a start-up company: Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) at EMBL.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2015

sciencescience-technology

30 November 2015 on course - the comprehensive catalogue for biomedical training in Europe

Toolkit for trainers

The new Toolkit for Trainers, an online resource hosted at EMBL-EBI, helps biomedical science trainers create and explore new ways of teaching.

LAB MATTERS

2015

lab-matters

24 November 2015 No coincidence: organisers of this year’s PhD Symposium gather at EMBL Heidelberg 22–24 October for Just by Chance? Randomness and variability shaping biology. PHOTO: EMBL Photolab/Marietta Shupp

EMBL in pictures

A snapshot of the many activities and events that took place in the world of EMBL this Autumn.

LAB MATTERS

2015

eventslab-matters

30 October 2015

One hard pull

Fibres that pull membrane to form a vesicle exert a force that’s 2500 times a yeast cell’s own weight

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2015

sciencescience-technology

14 October 2015

Lighting the way

A microscopy technique is poised to shine new light on biological questions: as sheets of light can scan everything from developing embryos to single cells or functioning brains, a technique called light-sheet microscopy is gaining traction. It enables scientists to observe living cells in three…

LAB MATTERSSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2015

lab-mattersscience-technology

2 October 2015 The 1000 Genomes Project: a timeline

A lasting legacy

1000 Genomes Project pushed technologies and knowledge forward to understand what is 'normal' human genetic variation

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2015

sciencescience-technology

17 September 2015 The scientists combined data from a variety of techniques to better understand how rats – and humans – age. IMAGE: Brandon Toyama/Salk Institute

Ages apart

Multifaceted approach reveals how brain and liver age, helps explain why ageing brain loses plasticity.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2015

sciencescience-technology

26 August 2015 Hands-on sessions were a crucial part of the course. PHOTO: EMBL Photolab/Marietta Schupp

Super impressions

"It's like living a review!" Participants of recent super-resolution microscopy course share their highlights

CONNECTIONS

2015

connectionsevents

12 August 2015 Organiser Lars Steinmetz invites young researchers to the conference. PHOTO: EMBL Photolab/Claudiu Grozea

Make it personal

Leading scientists will gather in Heidelberg this November to discuss the potential of personalised health.

CONNECTIONS

2015

connectionsevents

17 July 2015

Science of Spider-Man

Web of lies? Science Movie Night reveals science behind the most famous spider bite in film history.

LAB MATTERS

2015

eventslab-matters

27 May 2015

ELIXIR accelerates

ELIXIR receives major Horizon 2020 funding to ‘EXCELERATE' activities over the next four years.

LAB MATTERS

2015

lab-matters

25 February 2015 The team used computer simulations to investigate the mitotic spindle's strength. IMAGE: EMBL/F. NÉDÉLEC

Under pressure

How strong does a spindle need to be? Videos put cell’s chromosome-separating machinery to the test

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2015

sciencescience-technology

27 January 2015 Building blocks TAF8 (blue), TAF10 (green) and TAF2 (not shown) form a module in the cytoplasm before entering the nucleus to form TFIID. IMAGE: EMBL/I.BERGER

Come together

First experimental proof that a key cellular machine forms by uniting pre-assembled modules.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2015

sciencescience-technology

26 January 2015

Awards & Honours

EMBL scientists regularly receive prestigious awards – meet the latest honourees.

LAB MATTERS

2015

lab-matters

23 January 2015 Silvia Rohr. PHOTO: EMBL PHOTOLAB/MARIETTA SCHUPP

Let there be light

PhD student Silvia Rohr on studying eyes – and talking about it for a general audience.

LAB MATTERS

2015

lab-matters

20 January 2015 COMPARE project

Beyond COMPARE

New project aims to speed up detection and response to disease outbreaks using genome technology.

LAB MATTERS

2015

lab-matters

18 December 2014

Alumni awards

Announcing winners of the John Kendrew Young Scientist Award, and inaugural Lennart Philipson Award.

LAB MATTERS

2014

alumnilab-matters

11 December 2014

Lighting the way

EMBL Hamburg celebrates four decades of vision, pioneering research and beamline services.

CONNECTIONS

2014

connectionsevents

5 December 2014

Four decades at EMBL

Employee number 47 retires, leaving behind a legacy that intricately linked her life with EMBL.

LAB MATTERS

2014

alumnilab-matters

19 November 2014

Foods are us!

Appetite to ZzZzZzZ… bite-sized highlights from this year’s Science and Society conference.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2014

eventsscience-technology

11 November 2014

Polish connections

Alumna Anna Bartosik shares insights and hopes for EMBL's newest prospect member state, Poland.

LAB MATTERS

2014

alumnilab-matters

3 November 2014

Witamy! EMBL welcomes Poland as prospect member state

In a Statement of Intent signed this month, Poland becomes a prospect member state of EMBL, and the new partners agree to explore possibilities for long-term cooperation, with a view to the country becoming a full member state within three years. “Poland has a strong and active life science…

CONNECTIONS

2014

connectionsevents

21 October 2014 Map of EMBL-EBI users

Job dispatched

How does EMBL-EBI run millions of jobs for its users while moving its two large data centres?

LAB MATTERS

2014

lab-matters

17 October 2014

A toast to EMBL

German Science Minister and other honoured guests celebrate 40 years of ‘Learning from life’.

LAB MATTERS

2014

eventslab-matters

17 October 2014

Witness to history

EMBL Alumna Frieda Glöckner looks back more than four decades to where it all began.

LAB MATTERS

2014

alumnilab-matters

8 October 2014

EU Codefest

Pooling programming and problem-solving expertise in bioinformatics at EMBL-EBI.

CONNECTIONS

2014

connectionsevents

6 October 2014

Hungary joins EMBL as prospect member state

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) welcomes Hungary as its newest prospect member state. In a Statement of Intent signed this month, Hungary and EMBL agree to explore possibilities for long-term cooperation, with a view to the country becoming a full member state within three years.…

CONNECTIONS

2014

connectionsevents

21 August 2014

Drawing on nature

PhD Symposium poster reveals how a cell’s inner workings serve as both inspiration and toolkit.

LAB MATTERS

2014

eventslab-matters

31 July 2014 Global Alliance for Genomics and Health

New genomics API

New genomics API allows researchers to share anonymised genetic data seamlessly across platforms.

LAB MATTERS

2014

lab-matters

8 July 2014 Head of EMBL Monterotondo, Philip Avner, makes a toast.

Buon Compleanno!

EMBL Monterotondo celebrates double anniversary with fun, fireworks, festa and familiar faces

LAB MATTERS

2014

alumnilab-matters

1 July 2014 Vasily Sysoev

Back to school

School ambassadors show next generation that scientists are more ‘role model’ than ‘mad professor’

LAB MATTERS

2014

lab-matters

1 July 2014

In our DNA

To photographer Horst Hamann, it's the people, not the science, that make EMBL unique

LAB MATTERS

2014

lab-matters

1 July 2014

For the record

New EMBL Archive will serve as a record of accomplishments, past, present and future

LAB MATTERS

2014

alumnilab-matters

1 July 2014 Illustration: Aad Goudappel, Rotterdam

Five for the future

Scientists from EMBL's five sites reflect on the opportunities and challenges that might lie ahead

LAB MATTERS

2014

lab-matters

1 July 2014 Question mark

Q&A

Which scientific breakthroughs would EMBL scientists most like to see in the next 40 years?

LAB MATTERS

2014

lab-matters

1 July 2014 Alumna Siyi Zhang celebrates completing a 12.4K race in San Francisco

Getting shirty

Staff and alumni around the world get active in EMBL running shirts to celebrate our anniversary

LAB MATTERS

2014

alumnilab-matters

25 June 2014

On target

A new EMBL-EBI biomedical initiative works to determine the best target proteins for new drugs.

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2014

connectionslab-matters

25 June 2014

Chain reactions

Scientists determine the structure of auxin response factors: daisy-chains that regulate gene expression

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2014

sciencescience-technology

10 June 2014

Czech Republic becomes EMBL’s 21st member state

Forty years after its foundation, EMBL announces its 21st member state: the Czech Republic. Building on a successful bilateral relationship, the Czech Republic’s membership grants Czech scientists access to EMBL’s state-of-the-art instruments, facilities and world-class training…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2014

embl-announcementsevents

22 April 2014

Argentina joins EMBL as associate member state

At a signing ceremony today, Argentina joins the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) as an associate member state. The move strengthens the ties between the European and Latin American life science communities. It grants Argentinian scientists access to EMBL’s world-class facilities and…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2014

embl-announcementsevents

27 March 2014

Where do you start when developing a new medicine?

A pioneering public-private research initiative between GSK, the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is to harness the power of ‘big data’ and genome sequencing to improve the success rate for discovering new medicines. The new Centre for…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2014

connectionslab-matters

7 March 2014

Slovak Republic becomes EMBL Prospect Member State

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) welcomes the Slovak Republic as the first country to join its new Prospect Member scheme. In a Statement of Intent signed last month, the Slovak Republic and EMBL agree to explore the possibilities for long-term cooperation, with a view to the…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2014

embl-announcementsevents

24 February 2014

Pan-European imaging infrastructure gains momentum

Europe is uniting to make state-of-the-art imaging technologies accessible to biomedical researchers throughout the continent in a concerted manner. The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and seven countries (Belgium, Finland, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom)…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2014

connectionslab-matters

2 February 2014

Making your brain social

In many people with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, different parts of the brain don’t talk to each other very well. Scientists have now identified, for the first time, a way in which this decreased functional connectivity can come about. In a study published online today…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2014

sciencescience-technology

10 November 2013

What are you scared of?

What do bullies and sex have in common? Based on work by scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo, Italy, it seems that the same part of the brain reacts to both. In a study published today in Nature Neuroscience, the researchers found that – at least in…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

23 October 2013

Bigger, better, faster

The molecular machine that makes essential components of ribosomes – the cell’s protein factories – is like a Swiss-army knife, researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas in Madrid, Spain, have found.…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

13 October 2013

Choreographed origami

An important step in building ribosomes – the cell’s protein factories – is like a strictly choreographed dance, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have discovered. To build these factories, other ‘machines’ inside the cell have to…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

25 September 2013

Without a trace

Migrating cells, it seems, cover their tracks not for fear of being followed, but to keep moving forward. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have now shown that cells in a zebrafish embryo determine which direction they move in by effectively…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

12 September 2013

Potential new drug target for cystic fibrosis

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg and Regensburg University, both in Germany, and the University of Lisboa, in Portugal, have discovered a promising potential drug target for cystic fibrosis. Their work, published online today in Cell, also uncovers a…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

11 August 2013

From fireman to arsonist

Like a fireman who becomes an arsonist, a protein that prevents cells becoming cancerous can also cause tumours, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Grenoble, France, have discovered. The finding, published today in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, stems…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

11 August 2013

PS: It’s not cholesterol

How our body processes cholesterol has a well-known impact on our health, but it turns out that another ‘fat molecule’ – or lipid – may be at the heart of some diseases which were thought to involve cholesterol. A group of proteins linked to conditions such as metabolic syndrome and some…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

7 August 2013

Cells eat themselves into shape

The process cells use to ‘swallow’ up nutrients, hormones and other signals from their environment – called endocytosis – can play a crucial role in shaping the cells themselves, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have found. The study,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

11 July 2013

How to build your gate

It’s a parent’s nightmare: opening a Lego set and being faced with 500 pieces, but no instructions on how to assemble them into the majestic castle shown on the box. Thanks to a new approach by scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

14 May 2013

But what does it do?

Although we know the tool’s general purpose, it can sometimes be difficult to tell if a specific pair of precision tweezers belongs to a surgeon or a master jeweller. It is now easier to solve similar conundrums about a type of protein that allows cells to react to their environment, thanks to…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

24 April 2013

Pushing the boundaries of transcription

Like musicians in an orchestra who have the same musical score but start and finish playing at different intervals, cells with the same genes start and finish transcribing them at different points in the genome. For the first time, researchers at EMBL have described the striking diversity of…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

27 March 2013

Become a member of Euro-BioImaging

Euro-BioImaging, the pan-European open access research infrastructure for biological and medical imaging technologies, invites leading European imaging facilities to submit proposals to participate. Applications to become a Euro-BioImaging node will be reviewed by a board of independent…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2013

connectionslab-matters

11 March 2013

Havoc in biology’s most-used human cell line

HeLa cells are the world’s most commonly used human cell lines, and have served as a standard for understanding many fundamental biological processes. In a study published today in G3: Genes, Genomes and Genetics online, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

28 February 2013

DNA’s twisted communication

During embryo development, genes are dynamically, and very precisely, switched on and off to confer different properties to different cells and build a well-proportioned and healthy animal. Fgf8 is one of the key genes in this process, controlling in particular the growth of the limbs and…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

28 February 2013

Zeroing in on heart disease

Studies screening the genome of hundreds of thousands of individuals (known as Genome-wide association studies or GWAS) have linked more than 100 regions in the genome to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

11 February 2013

One disease, two mechanisms

While prostate cancer is the most common cancer in elderly Western men it also, but more rarely, strikes patients aged between 35 and 50. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, in collaboration with several other research teams in Germany*, have…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

4 February 2013

Learning from the linker

Mature cells can be reprogrammed to pluripotency and thus regain the ability to divide and differentiate into specialized cell types. Although these so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) represent a milestone in stem cell research, many of the biochemical processes that underlie…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

31 January 2013

The mutation police

Scientists at the EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in the UK have discovered how our genome keeps the effects of mutations in check. The discovery, published in the journal Cell, will help in the study of diseases such as cancer and…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

23 January 2013

EMBL-EBI researchers make DNA storage a reality

Researchers at the EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have created a way to store data in the form of DNA – a material that lasts for tens of thousands of years. The new method, published today in the journal Nature, makes it possible to store at least 100 million hours of…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

17 January 2013

The cell that isn’t

This may look like yet another video of a dividing cell, but there’s a catch. You are looking at chromosomes (red) being pulled apart by the mitotic spindle (green), but it’s not a cell, because there’s no cell membrane. Like a child sucking an egg out of its shell, Ivo Telley from the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

6 January 2013

Protein production: going viral

A research team of scientists from EMBL Grenoble and the IGBMC in Strasbourg, France, have, for the first time, described in molecular detail the architecture of the central scaffold of TFIID: the human protein complex essential for transcription from DNA to mRNA. The study, published today…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2013

sciencescience-technology

19 December 2012

Sync to grow

Gene expression wave in the lower part of the future vertebrae column of a mammalian embryo. As the wave goes forward, new pre-vertebrae are formed and the future vertebrae column elongates. (Image and video credit: Nature) In a nutshell: The size of pre-vertebrae in a mammalian embryo is…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

5 December 2012

My microbes

In a nutshell : The gut metagenome is the collection of all the genomes of all the microbes  in the human intestinal tract : it is specific to each human, like a second genetic signature At least in healthy humans, this personal metagenome is stable over time The gut metagenome is…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

31 October 2012

Spot the difference

In a nutshell: 1st map combining human genetic variation at different scales – from single letters to large chunks Based on genomes of 1092 healthy people from Europe, the Americas and East Asia Could help identify genetic causes of disease, rather than just links Data made freely available in…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

27 September 2012 Diagram showing looping DNA

Loop the loop, DNA style

In a nutshell: Looping and unlooping DNA adjusts readout from gene and spread of regulation throughout the genome When a gene forms a loop, its output increases, as the transcription machinery that reads it is trapped into moving only along that gene When the gene loop is undone, transcription…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

23 September 2012 Cartoon showing cell communication

Cellular eavesdropping made easy

In a nutshell: New method allows precise analysis of proteins released by cells over time (distinguishes them from proteins in the cells’ culture serum) Advantages: cells don’t have to be starved: avoids bias and allows more cell types to be studied; can follow fast reactions like immune…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

5 September 2012 ENCODE researchers found that most of our DNA has a function: controlling when and where genes are turned on and off.

Fast forward for biomedical research

Today, an international team of researchers reveal that much of what has been called ‘junk DNA’ in the human genome is actually a massive control panel with millions of switches regulating the activity of our genes. Without these switches, genes would not work – and mutations in these regions…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

2 August 2012 Different inhibitors (yellow, grey) fill the cave-like active site of the cap-snatching protein (the endonuclease, in green) differently, even though they all bind to the active site’s two metal ions (magenta).

Catching the cap-snatcher

Researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Grenoble, France, have determined the detailed 3-dimensional structure of part of the flu virus’ RNA polymerase, an enzyme that is crucial for influenza virus replication. This important finding is published today in PLoS…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

19 July 2012 The female (left) fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is larger than the male (right). Image credit: EMBL.

Of flies and men

What do you get when you dissect 10 000 fruit-fly larvae? A team of researchers led by the EMBL- European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) in the UK and the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics (MPI) in Germany has discovered a way in which cells can adjust the activity of many…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

12 July 2012

Italy pledges to be part of ELIXIR research infrastructure

Italy has pledged to participate in ELIXIR, a major undertaking to safeguard the results of life science research in Europe. With one of Europe’s larger economies now demonstrating its commitment to ELIXIR, this burgeoning research infrastructure is well placed to continue its excellent progress.…

CONNECTIONS

2012

connectionsscience

5 July 2012

Stop and go

A traffic policeman standing at a busy intersection directing the flow of vehicles may be a rare sight these days, but a similar scene appears to still frequently play out in our cells. A protein called Lem4 directs a crucial step of cell division by preventing the progress of one molecule while…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

21 June 2012

Flu fighters

Savira pharmaceuticals GmbH, a spin-off of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) based in Vienna, Austria, has signed a collaboration and license agreement with Roche, thus further strengthening the links between fundamental research and major pharmaceutical development companies. This…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

3 June 2012

Shape-shifting shell

As a retrovirus matures, the two parts of its shell protein (red and blue or yellow and blue) dramatically rearrange themselves, twisting and moving away from each other. (Credit: EMBL/T.Bharat) Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have for the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

3 June 2012

Video Release: Filming life in the fast lane

“This video shows a fruit fly embryo from when it was about two-and-a-half hours old until it walked away from the microscope as a larva, 20 hours later,” says Lars Hufnagel, from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany. “It shows all the hallmarks of fruit fly…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

3 June 2012 Silenced genes in a cell

Export extravaganza

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have conducted the first comprehensive census of human cells’ export workers. In a study published online today in Nature Cell Biology, they found an unexpected variety of genes involved in transporting…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

31 May 2012 Word cloud of proteins

The cell’s ‘New World’

In one of the most famous faux pas of exploration, Columbus set sail for India and instead ‘discovered’ America. Similarly, when scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, set out to find enzymes – the proteins that carry out chemical…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

24 May 2012 Cell vesicles serve as transport pods to ferry cargo around the cell.

Picture Release: More than meets the eye

These spheres may look almost identical, but subtle differences between them revealed a molecular version of the robots from Transformers. Each sphere is a vesicle, a pod that cells use to transport materials between different compartments. The images, produced by Marco Faini from John…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

24 May 2012 Microglial cells

Locating ground zero

Like emergency workers rushing to a disaster scene, cells called microglia speed to places where the brain has been injured, to contain the damage by ‘eating up’ any cellular debris and dead or dying neurons. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

22 April 2012 Abstract image showing DNA code

A matter of priorities

Just as banks store away only the most valuable possessions in the most secure safes, cells prioritise which genes they guard most closely, researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have found. The study, published online today…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

20 March 2012 A slice through the tails of mouse sperm.

Picture release: Spring tails

As spring arrives, flowers seem to bloom everywhere – even under the microscopes at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany. But the ‘flowers’ in this picture actually help an animal, not a plant, to pass on its genes. The image, which has been false-coloured…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

picture-of-the-weekscience-technology

18 March 2012

Need for speed

Like any law-abiding train passenger, a molecule called oskar RNA carries a stamped ticket detailing its destination and form of transport, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have found. They show that for this molecule, moving in the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

1 March 2012

Flying high in Europe

Today a consortium of leading IT providers and three of Europe’s biggest research centres (CERN, EMBL and ESA) announced a partnership to launch a European cloud computing platform. ‘Helix Nebula ‐ the Science Cloud’, will support the massive IT requirements of European…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

28 February 2012

Making the most of what you have

The bacterium Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which causes atypical pneumonia, is helping scientists uncover how cells make the most of limited resources. By measuring all the proteins this bacterium produces, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

23 February 2012

New distributed research infrastructure for structural biology

Breakthroughs in biomedical science are a step closer today, with the launch of a new distributed research infrastructure for the science of structural biology: Instruct. The launch of Instruct will give academic and commercial scientists across Europe access to a full portfolio of integrated…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

19 February 2012 Diagram of the Elongator protein

Trapped in a ring

In fairy tales, magic rings endow their owners with special abilities: the ring makes the wearer invisible, fulfils his wishes, or otherwise helps the hero on the path to his destiny.  Similarly, a ring-like structure found in a protein complex called ‘Elongator’ has led researchers at the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

14 February 2012

Stretching helices help keep muscles together

Myomesin stretching to 2.5 times its length. Credit: EMBL/Wilmanns. In this video, a protein called myomesin does its impression of Mr. Fantastic, the leader of the Fantastic Four of comic book fame, who performed incredible feats by stretching his body. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

2 February 2012 Fruit fly embryo showing the cells that will become the gut and heart

Collective action

If you wanted to draw your family tree, you could start by searching for people who share your surname. Cells, of course, don’t have surnames, but scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have found that genetic switches called enhancers, and the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

19 January 2012 Artist's impression of a chromosome exploding

Rigged to explode?

An inherited mutation in a gene known as the guardian of the genome is likely the link between exploding chromosomes and some particularly aggressive types of cancer, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) and the University…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

12 January 2012

Evolution by ‘copy-paste’

A team of geneticists and computational biologists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and Cancer Research UK reveal how an ancient mechanism is involved in gene control and continues to drive genome…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

8 January 2012 Diagram of chromatin enhancers

Tracking genes’ remote controls

As an embryo develops, different genes are turned on in different cells, to form muscles, neurons and other bodily parts. Inside each cell’s nucleus, genetic sequences known as enhancers act like remote controls, switching genes on and off. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2012

sciencescience-technology

13 October 2011 In the absence of viral RNA (top), the part of RIG-I that senses viral RNA is exposed (orange), whilst the domains responsible for signalling (blue and pink) are out of reach of the signalling machinery. When RIG-I detects viral RNA, it changes shape (bottom), and the signalling domains become accessible to sound the alarm.

Intruder detected: raise the alarm!

When a thief breaks into a bank vault, sensors are activated and the alarm is raised. Cells have their own early-warning system for intruders, and scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Grenoble, France, have discovered how a particular protein sounds that alarm when it…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

18 August 2011 Circling chromosomes. Chromosomes (blue) form a ‘belt’ around the centre of the spindle (green), discovered by the EMBL scientists.

Fishing games gone wrong

When an egg cell is being formed, the cellular machinery which separates chromosomes is extremely imprecise at fishing them out of the cell’s interior, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have discovered. The unexpected degree of trial-and-error…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

7 August 2011 The new microscope that developed by scientists at EMBL, which can follow single molecules by the millisecond Credit: EMBL/H.Neves.

Live from the scene: biochemistry in action

Researchers can now watch molecules move in living cells, literally millisecond by millisecond, thanks to a new microscope developed by scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany. Published online today in Nature Biotechnology, the new technique provides…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

21 July 2011 Microglia (green) in a mouse brain. The nuclei of all cells in the brain are labelled blue. Credit: EMBL/ R.Paolicelli

Gardening in the brain

Gardeners know that some trees require regular pruning: some of their branches have to be cut so that others can grow stronger. The same is true of the developing brain: cells called microglia prune the connections between neurons, shaping how the brain is wired, scientists at the European…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

21 July 2011 Model of the inner ring (green) of the nuclear pore, showing its components.

A hot species for cool structures

A fungus that lives at extremely high temperatures could help understand structures within our own cells. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and Heidelberg University, both in Heidelberg, Germany, were the first to sequence and analyse the genome of a heat-loving fungus,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

5 July 2011 Lennart Philipson, 1929-2011.

Obituary – Lennart Philipson

Lennart Philipson, who served as EMBL’s second Director General, has passed away. Lennart headed EMBL for over a decade between 1982-93, a crucial time for molecular biology when different scientific disciplines in the life sciences were becoming increasingly interlinked. He reorganised the…

LAB MATTERS

2011

lab-matters

17 June 2011 Condensin loops around several strands of DNA, keeping it coiled up and easier to transport. (Artistic impression) Image credits: EMBL/ P. Riedinger

Keeping it together

As any rock-climber knows, trailing a long length of rope behind you is not easy. A dangling length of rope is unwieldy and hard to manoeuvre, and can get tangled up or stuck on an outcropping. Cells face the same problem when dragging chromosomes apart during cell division. The chromosomes are…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

20 April 2011 Artistic impression of the 3 human gut types.

What’s your gut type?

In the future, when you walk into a doctor’s surgery or hospital, you could be asked not just about your allergies and blood group, but also about your gut type. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and collaborators in the international MetaHIT…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

20 March 2011

The informant: a jumping gene

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have developed a new method for studying gene regulation, by employing a jumping gene as an informant. Published online today in Nature Genetics, the new method is called GROMIT. It enables researchers to…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

11 March 2011

Small code change, big effect

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have developed a new method which enables researchers to label any protein of their choice with any of a wide variety of previously available compounds, in living cells, by introducing a single reactive…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

6 March 2011 By silencing genes two at a time in cells like these, the scientists can analyse the genes’ combined effects. In this microscopy image of human cells, nuclei are shown in red, cell membranes in green, and the cellular scaffolding in blue.

Suggesting genes’ friends, facebook-style

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), both in Heidelberg, Germany, have developed a new method that uncovers the combined effects of genes. Published online today in Nature Methods, it helps understand how different genes can…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

4 March 2011 Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, and Iain Mattaj, Director-General of EMBL, signing the Memorandum of Understanding.

European Commission and EMBL renew cooperation

In a Memorandum of Understanding signed today, the European Commission (EC) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) formalise their desire to maintain and further develop their cooperation. “I am delighted to sign the renewed and strengthened Memorandum of Understanding between the…

LAB MATTERS

2011

lab-matters

14 February 2011 3D structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis’ enzyme PriA

Two in one

In a paper published online today in PNAS, scientists from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Hamburg, Germany, reveal new insights into the workings of enzymes from a group of bacteria including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. The new findings…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

3 February 2011

Blood-clotting protein linked to cancer and septicaemia

In our not-so-distant evolutionary past, stress often meant imminent danger, and the risk of blood loss, so part of our body’s stress response is to stock-pile blood-clotting factors. Scientists in the Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), a collaboration between the European Molecular…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

2 February 2011

The human genome’s breaking points

A detailed analysis of data from 185 human genomes sequenced in the course of the 1000 Genomes Project, by scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, in collaboration with researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, UK, as well as the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

23 January 2011 Micropilot detected cells at particular stages of cell division

Intelligent microscopy

The sight of a researcher sitting at a microscope for hours, painstakingly searching for the right cells, may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to new software created by scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany. Presented today in Nature Methods, the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2011

sciencescience-technology

12 December 2010 This cryo-electron microscopy image shows the 3D structure of the ribosome (yellow/blue) bound to the signal recognition particle (SRP) and the SRP receptor (both in red). Below it is an atomic model of SRP (green-yellow/orange) and its receptor (pink). Image credits: EMBL/Schaffitzel.

How cells export and embed proteins in the membrane

Like an overprotective parent on the first day of school, a targeting factor sometimes needs a little push to let go of its cargo. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Grenoble, France, have visualised one such hand-over. They were the first to determine the structure…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

2 December 2010 Euro-BioImaging will provide open access to state-of-the-art biological imaging techniques like fluorescence microscopy, which produced this snapshot of chromosomes (blue) being pulled apart in a dividing egg. Image credits: EMBL/ T. Kitajima

Better imaging from bench to bedside

From microscopy to computer tomography (CT) scans, imaging plays an important role in biological and biomedical research, but obtaining high-quality images often requires advanced technology and expertise, and can be costly. Euro-BioImaging, a project which launches its preparatory phase today,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

16 November 2010

One-touch make-up – for our cells

The cells in the different parts of this video are always the same (grey), but, like actors using make-up to highlight different facial features, they have fluorescent labels that mark different cellular components in different colours: blue shows the nucleus, yellow shows tubulin (a component of…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

8 November 2010 Signing the declaration of accession to the EIROforum: Massimo Altarelli, Chairman of the XFEL Management Board (left) and Francesco Romanelli, Chairman of the EIROforum (right). In the back (left to right): Francesco Sette (ESRF), Felicitas Pauss (CERN), Iain Mattaj (EMBL), Richard Wagner (ILL), Rowena Sirey (ESO) and David Southwood (ESA)

European XFEL joins EIROforum

At the Autumn 2010Council meeting of the EIROforum, a partnership of seven European intergovernmental research organisations with large research infrastructures, the Directors General unanimously accepted the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser Facility (European XFEL), based in Hamburg, Germany, to…

LAB MATTERS

2010

lab-matters

27 October 2010

1000 Genomes Project ushers in new era for human genetics

The 1000 Genomes Project, a major international collaboration to build a detailed map of human genetic variation, has completed its pilot phase. The results are now published in the journal Nature and freely available through the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

2 September 2010 A virtual Platynereis brain (left), created by averaging microscopy images of the brains of 36 different individuals, onto which scientists mapped gene activity (right). Perspective shows the brain as viewed from inside a Platynereis larvae, at 48 hours' old. Image credits: EMBL/R. Tomer

Brainy worms: Evolution of the cerebral cortex

Our cerebral cortex, or pallium, is a big part of what makes us human: art, literature and science would not exist had this most fascinating part of our brain not emerged in some less intelligent ancestor in prehistoric times. But when did this occur and what were these ancestors? Unexpectedly,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

25 August 2010

Freeze or run? Not that simple

Fear can make you run, it can make you fight, and it can glue you to the spot. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo, Italy and GlaxoSmithKline in Verona, Italy, have identified not only the part of the brain but the specific type of neurons that determine…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

5 August 2010

Constant overlap

During cell division, microtubules emanating from each of the spindle poles meet and overlap in the spindle’s midzone. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have uncovered the molecular mechanism that determines the extent of this overlap. In a…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

3 August 2010 These electron microscopy images show mitochondria in a normal cell (top) and a close-up of a mitochondrion with structural defects, in a cell that cannot produce IRPs (bottom). Image credits: Bruno Galy/ EMBL

Supply and demand

Most organisms need iron to survive, but too much iron is toxic, and can cause fatal organ failure. The same is true inside cells, where iron balance must also be maintained. In a study published today in Cell Metabolism, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

4 July 2010 The Fly Digital Embryo at different developmental stages, with cell nuclei coloured according to how fast they were moving (from blue for the slowest to orange for the fastest). The fruit fly embryo is magnified around 250 times. IMAGE: Philipp Keller

Digital Embryo gains wings

The scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, who ‘fathered’ the Digital Embryo have now given it wings, creating the Fly Digital Embryo. In work published today in Nature Methods, they were able to capture fruit fly development on film, and were the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

24 June 2010 These microscopy images show that a protein from the NSL complex (green) and MOF (red) both bind to all chromosomes in male (right) and female (left) fruit flies - overlap is shown in purple. On the male X chromosome, MOF binds not only to promoter regions but also to the body of the genes, generating a brighter signal (pink). Image credits: Akhtar/EMBL.

A life-changing partnership

Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and the Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology Freiburg have identified a novel protein complex that regulates around 4000 genes in the fruit fly Drosophila and likely plays an important role in mammals, too.…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

31 May 2010 This microscopy image shows that, in a mouse embryo, MiR451 (dark purple) is produced only in the liver, where red blood cells are being formed at this developmental stage. Image credits: Kasper Rasmussen/EMBL

Making enough red blood cells

Red blood cells, the delivery men that take oxygen to cells all around the body, have short lives. To keep enough of them in circulation, the human body produces around 2 million of these cells every second – even more in response to challenges like severe blood loss. In a study published today…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

2 May 2010 These microscopy images show the region of the embryo larva that will develop into the adult fruit fly’s wing. In cells genetically manipulated so that PR-DUB cannot remove the gene-silencing tag (left), a gene which would normally be silenced becomes turned on (red) - a situation which is corrected when PR-DUB’s activity is restored (right). Image credits: J.Mueller/EMBL.

Tags on, tags off

During embryonic development, proteins called Polycomb group complexes turn genes off when and where their activity must not be present, preventing specialised tissues and organs from forming in the wrong places. They also play an important role in processes like stem cell differentiation and…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

8 April 2010 This image shows the 5,372 samples as dots colour-coded for the six major clusters identified by comparing gene expression profiles. The left and right panels of the figure are projections of the same three-dimensional shape viewed from two different perspectives. Image credit: Brazma / EMBL.

Variations on the genetic theme

Just like members of an orchestra are active at different times although playing the same piece of music, every cell in our body contains the same genetic sequence but expresses this differently to give rise to cells and tissues with specialised properties. By integrating gene expression data from…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

1 April 2010 Each of these large images of dividing cells is composed of several microscopy images of human cells in which different individual genes were silenced. The smaller images are placed according to genes’ effects: images for genes that affect chromosomes make up the chromosomes (red/pink), while the mitotic spindle (green) is composed of images for genes that affect it. IMAGE: Thomas Walter & Mayumi Isokane / EMBL

Movies for the human genome

Name a human gene, and you’ll find a movie online showing you what happens to cells when it is switched off. This is the resource that researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and their collaborators in the Mitocheck consortium are making freely…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

18 March 2010

What makes us unique? Not only our genes

Once the human genome was sequenced in 2001, the hunt was on for the genes that make each of us unique. But scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and Yale and Stanford Universities in the USA, have found that we differ from each other mainly because…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

4 March 2010

Bacterial balance that keeps us healthy

The thousands of bacteria, fungi and other microbes that live in our gut are essential contributors to our good health. They break down toxins, manufacture some vitamins and essential amino acids, and form a barrier against invaders. A study published today in Nature shows that, at 3.3 million,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

31 January 2010

MicroRNA: a glimpse into the past

The last ancestor we shared with worms, which roamed the seas around 600 million years ago, may already have had a sophisticated brain that released hormones into the blood and was connected to various sensory organs. The evidence comes not from a newly found fossil but from the study of microRNAs…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

26 January 2010 This image shows the three-dimensional structure of Death-Associated Protein Kinase (green and yellow) when bound to calmodulin (violet and blue). It was obtained by X-ray crystallography. Image credit: Mathias Wilmanns / EMBL

How to shoot the messenger

Cells rely on a range of signalling systems to communicate with each other and to control their own internal workings. Scientists from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Hamburg, Germany, have now found a way to hack into a vital communications system, raising the possibility of…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

19 January 2010 Image credit: Rachel Melwig & Christine Panagiotidis / EMBL

Membrane-coat proteins: bacteria have them too

Although they are present almost everywhere, on land and sea, a group of related bacteria in the superphylum Planctomycetes-Verrucomicrobia-Chlamydiae, or PVC, have remained in relative obscurity ever since they were first described about a decade ago. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2010

sciencescience-technology

10 December 2009 These microscopy images show the cellular reprogramming uncovered by EMBL scientists. On the left is an ovary of a normal adult female mouse, with a close-up (top left) showing the typical female granulosa cells. When the Foxl2 gene was silenced in these cells (right, top right: close-up), they took on the characteristics of Sertoli cells, the cells normally found in testes of male mice. Image credit: Treier / EMBL

The Battle of the Sexes

Is it a boy or a girl? Expecting parents may be accustomed to this question, but contrary to what they may think, the answer doesn’t depend solely on their child’s sex chromosomes. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany and the Medical Research…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

10 December 2009 These microscopy images demonstrate the effects of Notch signalling on the hearts of newborn mice (top) and of adult mice after a heart attack (bottom). In a normal neonatal heart (top left), the two major heart chambers (ventricles) are clearly separated by tissue (septum). But when Notch signalling was inactivated in an embryo’s heart muscle cells, the septum between the ventricles of the newborn mouse’s heart was incomplete (asterisk). The same defect commonly occurs in humans with congenital heart disease, often leading to circulatory distress. In the images of adult hearts (bottom), healthy tissue is shown in red and damaged tissue in blue. Normally (bottom left), a heart attack causes extensive tissue damage to the left ventricle (right-hand cavity), but mice in which Notch was re-activated after the heart attack had reduced tissue damage (bottom right) and improved cardiac function. Image credit: EMBL

From fruit fly wings to heart failure. Why Not(ch)?

Almost a century after it was discovered in fruit flies with notches in their wings, the Notch signalling pathway may come to play an important role in the recovery from heart attacks. In a study published today in Circulation Research, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

8 November 2009

Drought resistance explained

Much as adrenaline coursing through our veins drives our body’s reactions to stress, the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is behind plants’ responses to stressful situations such as drought, but how it does so has been a mystery for years. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

4 November 2009 fluorescence microscopy images of fruit fly embryos

Deciphering the regulatory code

Embryonic development is like a well-organised building project, with the embryo’s DNA serving as the blueprint from which all construction details are derived. Cells carry out different functions according to a developmental plan, by expressing, i.e. turning on, different combinations of genes.…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

30 September 2009 In the centre, a structural model determined by X-ray crystallography shows how the two tags (attached to a short section of the histone protein – all in cyan) fit neatly into the Brdt pocket (purple). In the background image, hypercompaction by Brdt causes relatively diffuse chromatin (stained blue inside the nuclei of two cells on the top left) to compact and clump together (two on the bottom right).

Putting the squeeze on sperm DNA

In the quest for speed, olympic swimmers shave themselves or squeeze into high-tech super-suits. In the body, sperm are the only cells that swim and, as speed is crucial to fertility, have developed their own ways to become exceptionally streamlined. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

21 September 2009 This microscopy image, taken ten days after injury, shows that the muscle fibres of normal mice (left) had re-grown, while in mice which couldn’t boost C/EBPβ production (right) there were still many fibres that had not regenerated (arrowheads), and the tissue had a number of scars (arrows).

To regenerate muscle, cellular garbage men must become builders

For scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo, Italy, what seemed like a disappointing result turned out to be an important discovery. Their findings, published online this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), provide…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

13 September 2009 In normal skin (left), the stem cells at the base, shown in green, differentiate into skin cells, shown in red. In mice whose skin has neither C/EBPα nor C/EBPβ (middle), this differentiation is blocked: green-labeled stem cells appear in upper layers of skin, and there are no differentiated skin cells (no red staining). This also happens at the initial stages of basal cell carcinomas. In skin where C/EBPα is present but has lost its capacity to interact with E2F, a molecule that regulates the cell cycle (right), skin cells start differentiating abnormally, before they have properly exited the stem cell ‘program’ (yellow/orange). This is similar to what is observed in the initial stages of squamous cell carcinomas, a more aggressive and invasive skin tumour.

How stem cells make skin

Stem cells have a unique ability: when they divide, they can either give rise to more stem cells, or to a variety of specialised cell types. In both mice and humans, a layer of cells at the base of the skin contains stem cells that can develop into the specialised cells in the layers above.…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

13 August 2009

Raising the alarm when DNA goes bad

Our genome is constantly under attack from things like UV light and toxins, which can damage or even break DNA strands and ultimately lead to cancer and other diseases. Scientists have known for a long time that when DNA is damaged, a key enzyme sets off a cellular ‘alarm bell’ to alert the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

2 August 2009

Scientists open doors to diagnosis of emphysema

Chronic inflammatory lung diseases like chronic bronchitis and emphysema are a major global health problem, and the fourth leading cause of death and disability in developed countries, with smoking accounting for 90% of the risk for developing them. Work by scientists at the European Molecular…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

7 July 2009

Scientists identify cholesterol-regulating genes

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the University of Heidelberg, Germany, have come a step closer to understanding how cholesterol levels are regulated. In a study published today in the journal Cell Metabolism, the researchers identified 20 genes that are involved…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

25 June 2009 The microscope image of the dorsal closure of a fly embryo shows alternating stripes of epithelial cells with aligned microtubule bundles (green) and epithelial cells treated with a microtubule-destroying drug (blue). Labelled in red is the protein actin that lines the border of cells, particularly the amnioserosa cells occupying the eye-shaped opening.

Uncovering how cells cover gaps

Researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, came a step closer to understanding how cells close gaps not only during embryonic development but also during wound healing. Their study, published this week in the journal Cell, uncovers a fundamental…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

23 June 2009 Lattice maps for immature HIV particles. The 3D computer reconstruction shows the immature Gag lattice of HIV that matures to form the protein shell of the infecious virus. Maps are shown in perspective such that hexamers on the rear surface of the particle appear smaller. The side of the particle toward the viewer lacks ordered Gag. IMAGE: John Briggs/EMBL

New electron microscopy images reveal the assembly of HIV

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the University Clinic Heidelberg, Germany, have produced a three-dimensional reconstruction of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), which shows the structure of the immature form of the virus at unprecedented detail. Immature HIV is…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

9 June 2009 Reflect applied to a pubmed webpage. Protein names found in the text are highlighted in blue, chemicals in orange. Pop-up windows provide extra information on the biomolecules.

New EMBL service makes web browsing efficient for biologists

The life sciences are scaling up and produce huge amounts of data and new literature at an amazing pace. The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) now offers a new free service to help researchers, teachers and students keep up-to-date with scientific literature on the web, especially when…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

28 May 2009

Sugarcoating fruit fly development

Proteins are the executive agents that carry out all processes in a cell. Their activity is controlled and modified with the help of small chemical tags that can be dynamically added to and removed from the protein. 25 years after its first discovery, researchers at the European Molecular Biology…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

30 April 2009

Recycler protein helps prevent disease

Recycling is important not only on a global scale, but also at the cellular level, since key molecules tend to be available in limited numbers. This means a cell needs to have efficient recycling mechanisms. Researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and Heidelberg University,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

24 February 2009 A full body shot of Medaka juveniles, taken by Philipp Keller, from the lab of Ernst Stelzer at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), with a newly developed microscope called Digital Scanned Laser Light Sheet Fluorescence Microscope. Picture credits: Philipp Keller, Stelzer Group, EMBL

Picture Release

‘Useless fish with big eyes’. This is what Medaka, the name of the Japanese killifish in the pictures, means in Japan where it originally comes from. While its eyes are undeniably big, the fish has proven remarkably useful for scientists. It is a simple model organism, amenable to…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

4 February 2009 High resolution image of the key domain of the influenza virus polymerase. The active site responsible for RNA cleavage is shown in red. Its activity is crucial for the virus to multiply in human cells

New findings reveal how influenza virus hijacks human cells

Influenza is and remains a disease to reckon with. Seasonal epidemics around the world kill several hundred thousand people every year. In the light of looming pandemics if bird flu strains develop the ability to infect humans easily, new drugs and vaccines are desperately sought. Researchers at…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

25 January 2009

Re-write the textbooks: transcription is bidirectional

Genes that contain instructions for making proteins make up less than 2% of the human genome. Yet, for unknown reasons, most of our genome is transcribed into RNA. The same is true for many other organisms that are easier to study than humans. Researchers in the groups of Lars Steinmetz at the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2009

sciencescience-technology

3 December 2008

Picture Release

Cell division is one of the most fundamental processes of life. It explains how one cell can give rise to an organism of several million cells, it determines the shape of different life forms and it underpins our body’s capacity to heal when injured. Often we only notice how important cell…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

20 November 2008

Uncovering secrets of life in the ocean

The best-selling novel The swarm captured the imagination of countless readers with the fascination of marine life. But it also showed how little we understand life in the depth of the ocean. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the Max Planck Institute (MPI)…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

22 October 2008

Picture Release

What at the first sight could be pictures of planets or other cosmic structures are actually microscope images of balls (cysts) of human kidney cells. They were taken by Emmanuel Reynaud, in the group of Ernst Stelzer at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), with a widefield microscope.…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

16 October 2008

Researchers establish international human microbiome consortium

Today at a meeting organised by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, scientists from around the globe announced the formation of the International Human Microbiome Consortium (IHMC), an effort that will enable researchers to characterise the relationship of the…

LAB MATTERS

2008

lab-matters

23 July 2008

Open access to large-scale drug discovery data

The Wellcome Trust has awarded £4.7 million (€5.8 million) to EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) to support the transfer of a large collection of information on the properties and activities of drugs and a large set of drug-like small molecules from the publicly listed…

LAB MATTERS

2008

lab-matters

11 July 2008

Teaching old drugs new tricks

Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) discovered a new way to make use of drugs’ unwanted side effects. They developed a computational method that compares how similar the side effects of different drugs are and predicts how likely the drugs act on the same target…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

9 July 2008

Zooming in on genetic shuffling

Genetic recombination, the process by which sexually reproducing organisms shuffle their genetic material when producing germ cells, leads to offspring with a new genetic make-up and influences the course of evolution. In the current issue of Nature, researchers at the European Molecular…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

4 July 2008

New research sheds light on the molecular basis of crib death

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a condition that unexpectedly and unexplainably takes the lives of seemingly healthy babies aged between a month and a year. Now researchers of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Monterotondo, Italy, have developed a mouse model of the so-called crib…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

20 June 2008

Scientists fix bugs in our understanding of evolution

What makes a human different from a chimp? Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) have come one important step closer to answering such evolutionary questions correctly. In the current issue of Science they uncover…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

30 May 2008

X chromosome exposed

Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and the EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) in Hinxton, UK, have revealed new insights into how sex chromosomes are regulated. A chromatin modifying enzyme helps compensate for the fact that…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

28 May 2008

Securing the future of Europe’s biological data resources

In a contract signed today, the European Commission has awarded €4.5 million to a pan-European consortium to decide upon the best way to unite Europe’s biological data resources into a sustainable, integrative bioinformatics network for the life sciences. The European Life-science…

LAB MATTERS

2008

lab-matters

7 May 2008

Platypus genome sequence published

UK-based researchers at the Medical Research Council Functional Genomics Unit in Oxford and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute in Cambridge have revealed the genetic makeup of the one of the world’s strangest mammals. They have analysed the DNA…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

4 May 2008

Getting wise to the influenza virus’ tricks

Influenza is currently a grave concern for governments and health organisations around the world. Now one of the tactics used by influenza virus to take over the machinery of infected cells has been laid bare by structural biologists at the EMBL, the joint Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interaction of…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

8 April 2008

An unexpected way to cause leukaemia

Leukaemia – cancer of blood or bone marrow – is caused by mutations that allow defective blood cells to accumulate and displace healthy blood. To devise effective therapies it is crucial to know which mutations cause leukaemia and which cell type gives rise to leukaemic cells. Researchers from…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

5 February 2008

Europe’s most common genetic disease is a liver disorder

Much less widely known than the dangerous consequences of iron deficiencies is the fact that too much iron can also cause problems. The exact origin of the genetic iron overload disorder hereditary hemochromatosis [HH] has remained elusive. In a joint effort, researchers from the European Molecular…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

22 January 2008

International consortium announces the 1000 Genomes Project

Drawing on the expertise of multi-disciplinary research teams, the map developed by the 1000 Genomes Project will provide a view of biomedically relevant DNA variations at a resolution unmatched by current resources. The European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI), working with long-term collaborator…

LAB MATTERS

2008

lab-matters

8 January 2008

Life savers in the gut

Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) have discovered that proteins that regulate the body’s iron household play a vital role in making sure enough nutrients and water are absorbed in the intestine. Mice lacking these proteins suffer from weight loss and…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2008

sciencescience-technology

17 December 2007

An ambulance man for muscle damage

It does not take much to injure a muscle. Sometimes one sudden, inconsiderate movement does the job. Unfortunately, damaged muscles are not as efficient at repair as other tissues such as bone. Researchers of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s Mouse Biology Unit (EMBL), Italy, and…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

11 December 2007

ArrayExpress database doubles in size to 100,000 hybridisations

ArrayExpress, the publicly available database of transcriptomics data at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), has doubled in size in 2007, reaching the 100,000-hybridisation milestone. The database now holds snapshots of gene expression…

LAB MATTERS

2007

lab-matters

5 December 2007

The closest look ever at native human tissue

Seeing proteins in their natural environment and interactions inside cells has been a longstanding goal. Using an advanced microscopy technique called cryo-electron tomography, researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) have visualised proteins responsible for cell-cell…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

2 December 2007

How cells keep in shape

Cells in our body come in various shapes and sizes. Each cell is shaped in such a way as to optimise it for a specific function. When things go wrong and a cell does not adopt its dedicated shape, its function can be impaired and the cell can cause problems in the body. Researchers at […]

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

12 November 2007

Luxembourg joins EMBL

Today, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) announces Luxembourg as the new member of its international community. Accepted by EMBL’s council and ratified by the parliament of Luxembourg, the Grand-Duchy has officially joined the institute as the 20th member state. “EMBL is…

LAB MATTERS

2007

lab-matters

23 October 2007

The East Wing and a new dawn for the EMBL-EBI

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) officially opens its new East Wing today with a reception for prominent guests. The East Wing will be jointly opened by Ian Pearson, Minister of State for Science and Innovation, UK, and Robert-Jan Smits,…

LAB MATTERS

2007

lab-matters

21 October 2007

Scientists uncover how hormones achieve their effects

New insights into the cellular signal chain through which pheromones stimulate mating in yeast have been gained by scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory [EMBL]. Similar signal chains are found in humans, where they are involved in many important processes such as the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

3 October 2007

EMBL reaches north

Today the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the University of Helsinki, Finland, the University of Oslo, Norway, and Umeå University, Sweden, officially launch their new Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine. The agreement will encourage scientific exchange and collaborations…

LAB MATTERS

2007

lab-matters

15 September 2007

A molecule that protects from neuronal disorders

Many neuronal disorders, including epilepsy, schizophrenia and lissencephaly ─ a form of mental retardation ─ result from abnormal migration of nerve cells during the development of the brain. Researchers from the Mouse Biology Unit of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Italy,…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

28 August 2007

Minimum Information Standards ─ all for one and one for all

Three papers published by EMBL scientists and their collaborators will make it much easier to share and compare information from large-scale proteomics data. The papers are published in Nature Biotechnology on 8 and 26 August. As the quantity of available biological information and the use of…

LAB MATTERS

2007

lab-matters

9 August 2007

A unique arrangement for egg cell division

Which genes are passed on from mother to child is decided very early on during the maturation of the egg cell in the ovary. In a cell division process that is unique to egg cells, half of the chromosomes are eliminated from the egg before it is fertilised. Using a powerful microscope, researchers…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

30 July 2007

Uncovering the secrets of the deep

The UniProt Consortium, which includes the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), has added a new database repository for metagenomic and environmental data to its family of protein sequence databases. Metagenomics is the large-scale genomic…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

11 July 2007

EMBL expands to Australia

Today, delegates representing the 19 member states of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) offered Australia associate membership in EMBL’s international community. The membership is planned to start officially in January 2008 and will initially last for seven years. “EMBL…

LAB MATTERS

2007

lab-matters

9 July 2007

A stepwise retreat: how immune cells catch pathogens

To protect us from disease our immune system employs macrophages, cells that roam our body in search of disease-causing bacteria. With the help of long tentacle-like protrusions, macrophages can catch suspicious particles, pull them towards their cell bodies, internalise and destroy them. Using a…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

8 July 2007

A gene that protects from kidney disease

Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the University of Michigan have discovered a gene that protects us against a serious kidney disease. In the current online issue of Nature Genetics they report that mutations in the gene cause nephronopthisis (NPHP) in humans and…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

29 June 2007

Modern brains have an ancient core

Hormones control growth, metabolism, reproduction and many other important biological processes. In humans, and all other vertebrates, the chemical signals are produced by specialised brain centres such as the hypothalamus and secreted into the blood stream that distributes them around the body.…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

22 June 2007

New compound effectively treats fungal infections

A new mechanism to attack hard-to-treat fungal infections has been revealed by scientists from the biotech company Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc., California, and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory [EMBL] outstation in Grenoble, France. In the current issue of Science they describe…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

15 June 2007

Casting the molecular net

Scientists at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital (Canada), the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (Germany), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) have created a new computational method called NetworKIN. This method uses biological networks to better…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

14 June 2007

New findings challenge established views about human genome

The ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements (ENCODE), an international research consortium organised by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today published the results of its exhaustive, four-year effort to build a “parts list” of…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

10 June 2007

Researchers shed light on shrinking of chromosomes

A human cell contains an enormous 1.8 metres of DNA partitioned into 46 chromosomes. These have to be copied and distributed equally into two daughter cells at every division. Condensation, the shortening of chromosomes, allows the cell to handle such huge amounts of genetic material during cell…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

5 June 2007

Uncovering the molecular basis of obesity

Why does the same diet make some of us gain more weight than others? The answer could be a molecule called Bsx, as scientists from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the German Institute for Nutrition (DIFE), Potsdam, and the University of Cincinnati report in the current issue of…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

3 June 2007

New insights into the neural basis of anxiety

People who suffer from anxiety tend to interpret ambiguous situations, situations that could potentially be dangerous but not necessarily so, as threatening. Researchers from the Mouse Biology Unit of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Italy have now uncovered the neural basis for…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

22 May 2007

The first public nucleotide sequence database turns 25

It was the world’s earliest public database of DNA and RNA sequences and remains Europe’s primary nucleotide sequence resource. The database is maintained by EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute in Hinxton (UK) in collaboration with its US and Japanese counterparts GenBank and…

LAB MATTERS

2007

lab-matters

16 May 2007

Mechanism of microRNAs deciphered

Over 30% of our genes are under the control of small molecules called microRNAs. They prevent specific genes from being turned into protein and regulate many crucial processes like cell division and development, but how they do so has remained unclear. Now researchers from the European Molecular…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

4 May 2007

A matter of force

When a cell divides, normally the result is two identical daughter cells. In some cases however, cell division leads to two cells with different properties. This is called asymmetric cell division and plays an important role in embryonic development and the self-renewal of stem cells. Researchers…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

20 April 2007

The origin of the brain lies in a worm

The rise of the central nervous system (CNS) in animal evolution has puzzled scientists for centuries. Vertebrates, insects and worms evolved from the same ancestor, but their CNSs are different and were thought to have evolved only after their lineages had split during evolution. Researchers from…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

6 March 2007

An architectural plan of the cell

Like our body every cell has a skeleton that provides it with a shape, confers rigidity and protects its fragile inner workings. The cytoskeleton is built of long protein filaments that assemble into networks whose overall architecture and fine detail can only be revealed with high resolution…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

4 March 2007

A clearer view on biology

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) has developed a new computational tool that makes images obtained with cutting-edge microscopes even sharper. The technological advance and its applications are published in this week’s online issue of the journal Nature Methods. Since the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

25 February 2007

A first glimpse of the influenza replication machine

In 1918, 50 million people died during a worldwide influenza pandemic caused by mutation of a bird-specific strain of the influenza virus. Recently H5N1, another highly infectious avian strain has caused outbreaks of bird flu around the world. There is great concern that this virus might also…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

12 February 2007

A signal that protects the liver from hepatitis and cancer

Liver cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide; every year sees more than 400,000 new cases, and most of the victims die in less than one year. Despite extensive research, the underlying molecular mechanisms of the disease are poorly understood. A new study by researchers from the Mouse…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

11 February 2007

Putting an old drug to a new use

We all know that iron deficiencies are dangerous, but also too much iron is bad for our health. Our body stores excess iron in various tissues, where it can lead to organ failure and even death if not treated before irreversible damage has occurred. Researchers from the Innsbruck Medical…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

2 February 2007

Investigating the invisible life in our environment

Microorganisms make up more than a third of the Earth’s biomass. They are found in water, on land and even in our bodies, recycling nutrients, influencing the planet’s climate or causing diseases. Still, we know surprisingly little about the smallest beings that colonise Earth. A new…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

8 January 2007

UK PubMed Central launched

From today scientists will be able to access a vast collection of biomedical research and to submit their own published results for inclusion in a new online resource. Based on a model currently used by the US National Institute of Health, UK PubMed Central (UKPMC) will provide free access to a…

LAB MATTERS

2007

lab-matters

8 January 2007

Getting to the bottom of memory

Phone numbers, the way to work, granny’s birthday – our brain with its finite number of nerve cells can store incredible amounts of information. At the bottom of memory lies a complex network of molecules. To understand how this network brings about one of the most remarkable capacities of…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2007

sciencescience-technology

29 December 2006

Roadworks on the motorways of the cell

A cell is a busy place. In a permanent rush hour, molecules are transported along a dynamic motorway system made up of filaments called microtubules. Microtubules constantly grow and shrink and are rapidly assembled wherever a cargo needs to go, but during this transportation process they need to…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

14 December 2006

Magna Carta for Researchers

Today, Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for Science and Research, received a statement of support for the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers from EIROforum. “The EIROforum partners warmly welcome this valuable initiative by…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2006

connectionslab-matters

11 December 2006

Better, faster, easier

Today the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) launches its new, faster and easier website with an exhaustive search engine at its centre. The web interface has been streamlined on the basis of user feedback from a recent extensive…

LAB MATTERSSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

lab-mattersscience-technology

27 November 2006

CiteXplore

Today the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) launches CiteXplore, a new freely accessible literature resource service. Biological researchers require two crucial sources of information: scientific literature published in peerreviewed…

LAB MATTERSSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

lab-mattersscience-technology

2 November 2006

Helping muscle regenerate

Muscle wasting can occur at all ages as the result of genetic defects, heart failure, spinal injury or cancer. A therapy to cure the loss of muscle mass and strength, which has a severe impact on patients’ lives, is desperately sought. Blocking a central signal molecule, researchers from the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

6 October 2006

Giving European science a headstart through training

Today, the German Minister for Education and Research, Annette Schavan, breaks ground for the new training and conference centre for the life sciences that will be built on the EMBL campus in Heidelberg. The German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), the Klaus Tschira…

LAB MATTERS

2006

lab-matters

27 September 2006

How nature tinkers with the cellular clock

The life of a cell is all about growing and dividing at the right time. That is why the cell cycle is one of the most tightly regulated cellular processes. A control system with several layers adjusts when key components of the cell cycle machinery are produced, activated and degraded to make sure…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

3 September 2006

Lost in the labyrinth

Blood cells have limited lifespans, which means that they must be continually replaced by calling up reserves and turning these into the blood cell types needed by the body. Claus Nerlov and his colleagues at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) unit in Monterotondo, Italy, in…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

25 August 2006

A wandering eye

Eyes are among the earliest recognisable structures in an embryo; they start off as bulges on the sides of tube-shaped tissue that will eventually become the brain. Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg have now discovered that cells are programmed to make…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

25 August 2006

A switch between life and death

Cells in an embryo divide at an amazing rate to build a whole body, but this growth needs to be controlled. Otherwise the result may be defects in embryonic development or cancer in adults. Controlling growth requires that some cells divide while others die; their fates are determined by signals…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

6 August 2006

Alleviating the burden of Multiple Sclerosis

Depression, coordination and speech problems, muscle weakness and disability are just a few of the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Researchers from the Mouse Biology Unit of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Italy and the Department of Neuropathology at the Faculty of…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

11 July 2006

Mapping the protein world

In the early days of X-ray crystallography obtaining a three-dimensional model of a protein required wire models, screws, bolts and years of tedious calculations by hand. Today macromolecular models are built by computers – thanks to sophisticated software and in particular a package called…

LAB MATTERSSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

lab-mattersscience-technology

29 June 2006

Croatia becomes EMBL’s 19th Member State

Croatia has officially joined the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) as the organisation’s 19th Member State. The Croatian parliament ratified its membership after EMBL’s council had accepted the country’s application. “Joining EMBL is a very important step…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTSLAB MATTERS

2006

embl-announcementslab-matters

16 June 2006

Cracking a virus protection shield

Ebola, measles and rabies are serious threats to public health in developing countries. Despite different symptoms all of the diseases are caused by the same class of viruses that unlike most other living beings carry their genetic information on a single RNA molecule instead of a double strand of…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

29 May 2006

New potential drug target in tuberculosis

Tuberculosis remains one of the deadliest threats to public health. Every year two million people die of the disease, which is caused by the microorganism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Roughly one third of the world’s population is infected and more and more bacterial strains have developed…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

10 April 2006

Getting to the heart of cardiovascular diseases

Today three research organisations announce the merging of their expertise to fight cardiovascular diseases, which are among the most common health problems and causes of death in the world. The Magdi Yacoub Institute (MYI) at the UK’s Harefield Heart Science Centre, Imperial College London,…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2006

connectionslab-matters

5 April 2006

With joint forces against Malaria

Today the network of excellence for Biology and Pathology of the Malaria Parasite (BioMalPar), will bring together the world’s elite in the field of Malaria research at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg. At the second annual BioMalPar conference, organised jointly…

CONNECTIONS

2006

connectionsevents

28 March 2006

Bringing science out of the lab into the classroom

Science is moving more rapidly than ever; one groundbreaking discovery chases the next at an incredible speed. School teachers have trouble keeping up with the pace, and many pupils call science classes “boring”. Today, Europe’s major research organisations launch Science in…

LAB MATTERS

2006

lab-matters

16 March 2006

A balancing act between the sexes

Recent research at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) reveals new insights into how cells achieve equality between the sexes. A new link discovered between the membrane surrounding the nucleus and the male X-chromosome in fruit flies may play a crucial role in determining how active…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

16 February 2006

Waking a sleeping virus

A detailed structural picture of a molecule that plays a key role in activating the Epstein Barr Virus in human cells has now been obtained by researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the Institut de Virologie Moléculaire et Structurale (IVMS), associated with the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

22 January 2006

The closest look ever at the cell’s machines

Today researchers in Germany announce they have finished the first complete analysis of the “molecular machines” in one of biology’s most important model organisms: S. cerevisiae (baker’s yeast). The study from the biotechnology company Cellzome, in collaboration with the…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

11 January 2006

The giant protein titin helps build muscles

Imagine grabbing two snakes by the tail so that they can’t wriggle off in opposite directions. Scientists at the Hamburg Outstation of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and collaborators from King’s College in London have now discovered that something similar happens to a…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2006

sciencescience-technology

21 December 2005

A key that opens cells to the deadly malaria parasite

Researchers at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) in India and a unit of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in France have made a key discovery about a molecule that helps the malaria parasite infect human cells. India is one of the countries…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

6 December 2005

Setting the standard for computer models of life

In the December 6 issue of Nature Biotechnology, scientists from 14 different organizations around the world, including the EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute, propose a new quality standard for biochemical models. MIRIAM [for Minimum information requested in the annotation of biochemical…

LAB MATTERSSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

lab-mattersscience-technology

24 November 2005

The earliest animals had human-like genes

Species evolve at very different rates, and the evolutionary line that produced humans seems to be among the slowest. The result, according to a new study by scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory [EMBL], is that our species has retained characteristics of a very ancient ancestor…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

15 November 2005

Many needles, many haystacks

Most of what happens in cells is the work of machines that contain dozens of molecules, chiefly proteins. With the completion of human and other genomes, researchers now have a nearly complete ‘parts list’ of such machines; what’s lacking is the manual telling where all the pieces…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

13 November 2005

Limiting the damage in stroke

Scientists at the Universities of Heidelberg and Ulm and a unit of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo, Italy, have discovered that a specific signal within brain cells may determine whether they live or die after a stroke. Their study, published online (November 13) by…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

6 October 2005

Defusing dangerous mutations

Mutations in genes are the basis of evolution, so we owe our existence to them. Most mutations are harmful, however, because they cause cells to build defective proteins. So cells have evolved quality control mechanisms that recognize and counteract genetic mistakes. Now scientists of the Molecular…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

4 September 2005

A new link between stem cells and tumors

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg and the Institute of Biomedical Research of the Parc Científic de Barcelona (IRB-PCB) have now added key evidence to claims that some types of cancer originate with defects in stem cells. The study, reported this week in…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

29 August 2005

EBI and Ghent University launch PRIDE

The European Bioinformatics Institute and Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) – Ghent University have launched the PRoteomics IDEntifications database (PRIDE). PRIDE allows researchers who work in the field of proteomics – the large-scale study of proteins – to…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2005

connectionslab-matters

25 August 2005

A double punch for female survival

Achieving equality between the sexes can be a challenge even for single cells. Since evolution began removing bits of male DNA to create the ‘Y’ chromosome, males have had a single copy of certain key genes on the X chromosome, whereas females have two. Normally this would lead females…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

18 July 2005

Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit initiates second phase

The first rate research from the Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU) is now set to continue for the long-term. The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the Medical Faculty of University of Heidelberg, who formed the joint venture in 2002, have announced their plans to initiate a…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2005

connectionslab-matters

13 July 2005

Actin moves chromosomes

Microtubules need a helping hand to find chromosomes in dividing egg cells, scientists have discovered. Although it was generally accepted that microtubules act alone as the cellular ropes to pull chromosomes into place, a new study by researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

12 July 2005

Hunt for human genes involved in cell division under way

A systematic search through human genes has begun at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany. Working within the MitoCheck consortium that includes 10 other institutes throughout Europe, the EMBL scientists will silence all human genes, one-by-one, to find those…

CONNECTIONSLAB MATTERS

2005

connectionslab-matters

1 July 2005

Trees, vines and nets: microbial evolution changes its face

EBI researchers have changed our view of 4 billion years of microbial evolution. Christos Ouzounis and colleagues have gained intriguing quantitative insights into how gene families are transferred, not only ‘vertically’ through passage from one organism to its progeny, but also…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

21 April 2005

Whale bones and farm soil: Sequencing biodiversity

Instead of sequencing the genome of one organism, why not sequence a drop of sea water, a gram of farm soil or even a sunken whale skeleton? Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg and their US collaborators have done just that, and the result is a new…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

11 April 2005

A new way to share models of biological systems

Today sees the launch of BioModels, the world’s first database of annotated biological models. BioModels is the result of a collaboration led by the European Bioinformatics Institute (UK) and the SBML Team, an international group that develops opensource standards to describe biological…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

31 March 2005

The transparent organism

A novel high-tech microscope will be brought to the marketplace, giving laboratories everywhere fascinating new insights into living organisms. EMBLEM Technology Transfer GmbH (EMBLEM), the commercial entity of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), announced today that it has signed a…

CONNECTIONS

2005

connections

28 February 2005

Double recognition of EBI scientists by the ISCB

The International Society for Computational Biology has named two scientists from the European Bioinformatics Institute as the winners of its awards for 2005. Janet Thornton wins the Senior Scientist Accomplishment Award while the Overton Prize goes to Ewan Birney. Thomas Lengauer, the ISCB’s…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2005

embl-announcements

3 February 2005

Biology in four dimensions

Most things that happen in the cell are the work of ‘molecular machines’ – complexes of proteins that carry out important cellular functions. Until now, scientists didn’t have a clear idea of when proteins form these machines – are these complexes pre-fabricated or put…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

1 February 2005

European bioinformatics grid receives 8 million Euro

The Commission of the European Union has awarded 8.3 million Euro to a pan-European task force who will improve access to biological information for scientists throughout and beyond Europe. The EMBRACE Network of Excellence, which encompasses computational biologists from 17 institutes in 11…

EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2005

embl-announcements

25 January 2005

How do cells travel through our bodies?

One of the most basic yet least understood processes in our bodies is how cells crawl along tissues. This behavior is essential to the formation of an embryo and other processes, but it must be tightly controlled. A disturbance can lead to the spread of cancer cells or diseases like Spina…

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2005

sciencescience-technology

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