Lab Matters

From the lab bench to the community: enjoying a day of activities around science and ‘intelligences’

EMBL Grenoble took part once again in Parvis des Sciences, highlighting EMBL efforts towards engaging more with the public and the importance of the human factor in AI development.

What counts in science?

A recent pan-EMBL event provided an opportunity to reflect on responsible research assessment in scientific institutions.

ARISE summer school provides training in research infrastructure management

Through a week-long series of workshops and discussions, ARISE fellows learned about key aspects of research infrastructure management, scientific service provision, and entrepreneurship.

EMBL celebrates 50 years of its French site

Together with institutional partners, alumni, and collaborators who have been part of EMBL scientific journey over the years, participants engaged in insightful discussions and reflected on EMBL Grenoble's key scientific milestones.

CIM and EMBL join forces to study how to curb red tides and anticipate the effects of marine heatwaves

Around 40 researchers will participate in this joint initiative, which will take place at the Toralla Marine Science Station in Vigo, Spain.

Every drop counts: a dive into Oceans Day

On this Oceans Day, EMBL’s Science Education and Public Engagement (SEPE) Team joined forces with the German-American Institute (DAI) to bring the underwater world closer to families in Heidelberg.

Thornton Building opens: a hub for collaboration and innovation

EMBl-EBI’s new building enables the translation of the institute’s data management expertise into solutions for global challenges

Working towards more responsible research assessment

A member of EMBL’s Responsible Research Assessment Working Group shares his thoughts on the importance of reforming strategies to assess research and researchers.

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.

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.

Progress report on sustainability

EMBL’s Head of Sustainability shares the steps the organisation has taken to make its research more sustainable.

The EMBL Course and Conference Programme: a legacy of excellence

As we mark EMBL’s 50th anniversary, we celebrate not only the groundbreaking research and discoveries that have emerged from this prestigious institution but also the rich history and profound impact of the EMBL Course and Conference Programme.

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.

Inspiring young minds by breaking language barriers

A hands-on workshop offered an excellent opportunity for scientists to connect with children with whom they share a common language.

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.

Science City Day at EMBL Hamburg

A major public engagement event at EMBL Hamburg attracted thousands. A video captures the spirit of the day from participants.

Run, Scientist, Run: engaging with science through play

A life-size game inspired by the Traversing European Coastlines (TREC) expedition provides the public with an inside view of the world of coastal ecology research.

Celebrating 50 years of infinite curiosity

What makes EMBL unique? Among many things, it’s the infinite curiosity of its community.

Looking back: EMBL in the 1970s and 1980s

A special Coffee with EMBL session celebrated EMBL’s 50th anniversary by inviting alumni to reflect on the organisation’s first two decades.

Sparking curiosity: the Curiosity microscope

BIOcean5D is an EMBL-coordinated project co-funded by the European Union that unites 31 institutes to address pressing global challenges on marine biodiversity.

We are EMBL: Diego Benusiglio on decoding ‘surprise signals’ and the ETPOD programme

Diego Benusiglio, ETPOD postdoc in the Asari group at EMBL Rome, talks about his peculiar postdoctoral programme and his passion for science and Swing music

The Environmental Research Initiative enabling important new research at EMBL

The Environmental Research Initiative is a community effort of donations empowering EMBL scientists to solve global environmental challenges through molecular biology.

Gaining skills and building connections in infection biology

The first EMBL-UNESCO infection biology research fellows share observations after residencies with EMBL researchers.

Insights and wisdom from the women of TREC

On International Women’s Day 2024, we hear from some of the women who have been working tirelessly in the field and behind the scenes as part of the Traversing European Coastlines (TREC) expedition.

We are EMBL: Simone Heber on RNA, bicycling, and Ironman

Simone Heber talks about studying RNA transport, organising the Bike Club at EMBL, and participating in the Ironman World Championship.

The Fuchs Fund and its unique approach to supporting EMBL PhD students

The Fuchs Fund, started by Lilo and Manfred Fuchs in 2017, has become a lifeline for EMBL students facing adversity during their PhD journeys.

Anne Ephrussi: what I’ve learned

After 32 years at EMBL – leading a developmental biology research group and later simultaneously serving as EMBL’s Dean for its PhD programme, Anne Ephrussi has retired, ready to start her life’s next chapter.

We are EMBL: Jacqueline Toussaint on strange bacteria and bioinformatics

Jacqueline shares her experience of EMBL's international PhD programme.

We are EMBL: Renato Alves on Bio-IT and stargazing

Renato Alves talks about his time at EMBL, the Bio-IT project, his wishes for EMBL in its anniversary year, and how a passion for night hikes and stargazing led to the creation of EMBL’s astronomy club.

Welcome: Kyle Morris

Kyle Morris joins EMBL-EBI as Electron Microscopy Data Bank (EMDB) Team Leader.

Reflections for the future during EMBL’s 50th anniversary year

EMBL’s link to other sciences and its tradition of collaborative discovery carry on, providing the model and means to address big challenges, including climate change and biodiversity loss.

Klaus Tschira and the ATC

A pivotal conversation 20 years ago led to the creation of the iconic 'double-helix building' that is EMBL's Advanced Training Centre.

Latvia becomes EMBL’s 29th member state

Latvia’s life sciences sector will benefit from expanded access to the leading European research, services, and training provided by EMBL.

EMBL and UGA signed the renewal of their agreement for the delivery of a doctoral degree

The two institutions celebrated the renewal of the partnership agreement initiated in 1999 for the delivery of a doctoral degree and a joint training certificate during UGA’s Welcome Day for doctoral students.

We are EMBL: Selina Storm on PETRA IV and new perspectives for EMBL Hamburg

EMBL Hamburg is located at the PETRA III synchrotron, which in the future, will be upgraded to PETRA IV. Selina Storm is theEMBL@PETRA IV Programme Manager. Here, she speaks about her role and the benefits of PETRA IV for EMBL.

We are EMBL: Victor Armijo on instrumentation in supporting research

Victor Armijo, a mechatronics engineer at EMBL Grenoble, talks about his dream job, highlighted in EMBL’s exhibition ‘The World of Molecular Biology’.

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.

Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger visits EMBL exhibition ‘The World of Molecular Biology’

Representatives from politics, research and the philanthropist community joined the Minister's visit to EMBL exhibition “The World of Molecular Biology” in Heidelberg and welcomed the dialogue between science and society initiated by the exhibition.

ERC Consolidator Grants awarded to two EMBL researchers

Alba Diz-Muñoz and Arnaud Krebs from EMBL Heidelberg have received grants to work on projects that aim, respectively, to understand the cellular mechanics that control cell division and investigate the regulatory networks that govern transcription factor function.

How AI shapes the life sciences: an interview with Oliver Stegle

EMBL scientist Oliver Stegle explains how AI-based tools have the potential to transform our ability to better understand the complexity of life and how these tools will shape the future of life science exploration.

TREC – Towards the end of the first phase

The TREC expedition has come to the end of its first phase. The last superstop of 2023 was hosted by CIIMAR in Porto and, despite the adverse weather conditions, included many scientific and public engagement activities.

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.

Looking back on 20 years of structural biology collaboration in Grenoble

On this date (15 November), 21 years ago, the EMBL, ESRF, ILL, and IBS directors signed a memorandum of understanding to create the Partnership for Structural Biology (PSB) on the European Photon and Neutron (EPN) science campus in Grenoble.

Celebrating European collaboration at the TREC supersite in Bilbao

A celebratory event at the Maritime Museum Bilbao marked the partnerships that make possible the TREC expedition on land and at sea along the European coast.

Enjoying a science day in Grenoble

EMBL Grenoble was once again present for the science outreach event ‘Parvis des Sciences’ on Saturday 14 October 2023.

We are EMBL: Sihyun Sung on time-resolved structural biology

In this interview, Sihyun Sung, Postdoctoral Fellow at EMBL Hamburg, talks about making molecular movies with time-resolved serial X-ray crystallography, his sources of inspiration, and the value of forging deeper connections with friends and colleagues.

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.

AI in biology and health: opportunities and challenges

EMBL gathered together government, industry, and academic researchers to explore how to leverage the power of AI and machine learning to advance research.

AI at EMBL: enabling responsible innovations in the life sciences

EMBL stands as a leader, exemplifying how to harmoniously integrate AI in research and through its delivery of data services.

We are EMBL: Victoria Yan on open science and how it has transformed the way we do research

Victoria Yan, Open Science & Research Information Specialist, talks about the importance of open science, the challenges she has faced in her career, and what she enjoys about working at EMBL

We are EMBL: Gerald Pfister on scientific support and field work

Gerald Pfister, Head of the Flow Cytometry Facility at EMBL Rome, talks about his private and professional passions and a return to his roots as part of the TREC project.

Understanding developmental plasticity in time and space

A two-week practical course introduced participants to the intricacies of studying the dynamic interplay between organisms and their changing environment and how it impacts development and evolution.

A night to share the wonders of science 

EMBL Rome celebrated the European Researchers’ Night by participating in an event organised at the CNR Campus in Montelibretti.

We are EMBL: Zuzana Koskova on her experience as a PhD student at EMBL Heidelberg

Zuzana Koskova is a PhD student from Slovakia who, at the age of 19, left her country to pursue her career in biological sciences in Germany. In this interview, she talks about her interests, career aspirations, and recent participation at the Info Day held in Bratislava, where she had the…

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.

We are EMBL: Valentina Lorenzi on human reproductive development

PhD student Valentina Lorenzi is using single-cell sequencing data to create a map of the developing human reproductive system.

Forging collaborations across the Nordics

The 12th annual meeting of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine took place in Espoo, Finland, between 11-14 September 2023.

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.

We are EMBL: Thomas Haize on sampling along the coast of Europe

Thomas Haize talks about his passion for the ocean, what TREC means to him, a day in the field, and the captivating beauty of underwater photography.

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.

TREC: Exploring the ocean’s oxygen supply

As part of the EMBL-led Traversing European Ecosystems (TREC) expedition, scientists are studying plankton to understand biodiversity, health, and our planet’s future.

We are EMBL: Sabrina Krueger on being a skill development guide

Sabrina Krueger, scientist-turned-training officer, shares her approach to this role and the need to be ‘true to yourself’.

EMBL leadership comments on the UK’s association to Horizon Europe

EMBL Director General and Deputy Director General respond to the announcement by the European Commission and UK Government

ERC starting grants for two EMBL Heidelberg researchers

Jordi van Gestel and Maria Zimmermann-Kogadeeva each receive 1.5 million EUR funding for research projects on microbial predators and the gut microbiome respectively

We are EMBL: Therese Welander on enabling science

Therese Welander talks about her inspiration, and supporting science by solving problems and overcoming challenges.

We are EMBL: Emerald Perlas on infrastructures and technology in research

Emerald Perlas, Head of the Histology Facility, talks about his experience in supporting multidisciplinary research at EMBL Rome and keeping up with technological advances.

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.

Bringing advanced life science technologies to the field

EMBL’s newly deployed Advanced Mobile Laboratory (AML) is bringing cutting-edge technologies to the European coast to help researchers study ‘life in context’.

EMBL alumni: Emily Perry on filling the skills gap to advance genomic medicine

By upskilling researchers on bioinformatics skills and tools, EMBL alumna Emily Perry is helping to make genomic medicine more accessible.

From academia to industry: exploring new career paths

EMBL organised a five-day summer school to help PhD students and postdocs learn more about research and development (R&D) related industry career roles.

Imaging-based spatial-omics: EMBO Practical Course at EMBL Rome 

The first EMBO Practical Course on imaging-based spatial-omics was organised at EMBL Rome to explore the latest techniques to visualise RNA transcripts and proteins in their native tissues.

We are EMBL: Rutuja Yelmar on her life as a PhD student at EMBL Grenoble

Rutuja Yelmar, predoctoral Fellow at EMBL Grenoble in the Kowalinski group, talks about her passion for research, daily inspiration, and the importance of collaboration in achieving her goals.

EMBL-EBI’s new building set to support data growth and innovative partnerships

Construction begins on EMBL-EBI's new building named after Janet Thornton.

Spotlight: Shedding light on deadly parasites

This single-celled organism the size of a dust particle is capable of causing deadly tropical diseases in both humans and livestock –Trypanosoma brucei, in an image by Luciano Dolce from EMBL.

EMBL and ZEISS enter long-term strategic partnership

Through the collaborative framework agreement, EMBL and ZEISS aim to accelerate the development of imaging technology to advance life science research.

2022 EMBL Annual Report published

EMBL’s 2022 Annual Report is now available online, including a downloadable ‘Year in Review’.

EMBL scientists elected to EMBO Membership

Three EMBL group leaders and six EMBL alumni were recognised for their contributions to the life sciences.

Research assessment reform at EMBL: an interview with Wolfgang Huber

Wolfgang Huber discusses why research assessment needs reform and how this could make science more diverse, more inclusive, and better

Serbia becomes EMBL prospect member

Starts three-year process toward full membership, opening up new opportunities for mutual exchange and collaboration.

Connecting scientists, engaging citizens

The TREC expedition stop in Sopot offered an opportunity to create connections with Polish scientists and citizens around the topics of planetary biology and ocean science.

Welcome: Sihem Bennour

Sihem Bennour, new head of HR, foresees a deeper culture of information sharing, listening, and problem solving with EMBL staff.

We are EMBL: Jürgen Bauer on translating ideas into applications

Jürgen Bauer talks about translating science into applications with societal benefit, his journey from the lab bench to business development, and technology transfer at EMBL.

We are EMBL: Adriana Castillo Caballero on multicultural science and creativity

Adriana Castillo Caballero talks about her curiosity-driven career, the importance of the people in her life, and her dreams for the future

TREC on Twitter: a life-in-context journey through the social media lens

TREC scientists, outreach specialists, and a crucial support team have been on the road, exploring life at European coasts.

Janet Thornton retires: a pioneer in structural bioinformatics

In recognition of Janet Thornton’s retirement, we look back at some of her biggest accomplishments shaping the field of bioinformatics.

IMAGINE-ing next-generation technology to help biologists

EMBL researchers and collaborators have begun an impactful innovation-development journey, thanks to a European Commission ‘IMAGINE’ grant.

EMBL and SciLifeLab cooperate on data science

The third meeting between EMBL and SciLifeLab communities took place in Uppsala and focused on data science, aiming at further expanding the collaboration

Sharing knowledge, widening access across Europe

European Commission and EMBL renew commitment, agree on new areas of cooperation, in new EC DG’s first infrastructure visit since appointment.

We are EMBL: Martin Pelosse on his role at the Eukaryotic Expression Facility

Martin Pelosse, Scientific Expert at EMBL Grenoble Eukaryotic Expression Facility, explains the platform’s role in supporting the site’s cutting-edge research activities and its future applications.

We are EMBL: Carolin Sauer on supporting cancer research

Postdoctoral researcher Carolin Sauer is leveraging long-read sequencing to develop new detection methods for various cancers.

We are EMBL: Timothy Shayers on building maintenance and renovation in Rome

Timothy Shayers talks about his role in overseeing the renovation works at EMBL Rome, his past experiences around the world, and his personal passions.

100th issue of EMBLetc. published

First published in 1999 as a black-and-white printed newsletter for EMBL staff and alumni, EMBLetc. has undergone many transformations in its 24 years of existence.

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.

The hairy single-celled Tetrahymena provides a work reset

Dey Group holds second annual ‘labbatical’ to step outside daily research tasks with the help of single-celled model organisms.

Vizgen joins EMBL science-industry programme

Vizgen, the life science company dedicated to improving human health by visualising single-cell spatial genomics information, has joined EMBL’s Corporate Partnership Programme.

Bioinformatics powers international effort to map gene function

EMBL-EBI is making a key contribution to a historic effort to understand the function of every human gene

Celebration of the next ten years of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine

The Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine celebrates the signing of its renewed ten years agreement between EMBL and the Universities of Aarhus, Oslo, Umeå, and Helsinki.

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.

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.

The Human Genome Project at 20: interview with Ewan Birney

On the 20th anniversary of the Human Genome Project, we look back at its history, wonder and potential.

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…

We are EMBL: Angelika Thomasson on administrative support to EMBL staff

Angelika Thomasson, administrative assistant at EMBL Grenoble, talks about her role in supporting her colleagues in organising events and travels, what she enjoys about EMBL, and which famous female scientist she would like to have coffee with.

Nikon Europe increases support for EMBL’s innovative scientific training programme

Nikon Europe has intensified its engagement with EMBL's Corporate Partnership Programme to support young scientists.

We are EMBL: Eduard Avetisyan on the role of IT in structural biology

Eduard Avetisyan leads the EMBL Hamburg IT team. He joined EMBL after transitioning from particle physics research to IT. Besides providing standard IT user support, his team also enables smooth processing and computational analysis of structural biology data. Here, he talks about the joys and…

Human genome editing: regulations, risks, and ethical considerations

Scientists have the technology to edit the human genome. But when should they, and who contributes to these decisions?

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…

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…

Shining light on the mechanics of embryo development

A new microscope built by EMBL researchers, based on Brillouin scattering principles, allows scientists to observe the dynamics of mechanical properties inside developing embryos in real time.

ERC Advanced Grant awarded to EMBL Rome researcher

Interim head of EMBL Rome Cornelius Gross has been awarded an Advanced grant from the European Research Council (ERC) for his project TERRITORY, aimed at investigating the neural basis of territorial aggression and fear.

We are EMBL: Audrey Spielmann on providing lab support

Audrey Spielmann, Lab Support Manager, talks about her role in supporting the research done at EMBL Grenoble.

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.

EMBL explores synergies in neuroscience research with French partners

Scientists from EMBL and its French academic partners gathered at EMBL Rome for a workshop to foster collaboration and advance research in neuroscience.

Welcome: Thomas Quail

New group leader Thomas Quail studies the fundamental processes that determine how proteins organise the genome inside a cell.

Welcome: Gergely Papp

Together with his team, Gergely Papp pushes the frontiers of technology development in the field of structural biology.

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…

EMBL Barcelona: Five years down the road

EMBL’s site by the sea completed its fifth year of operations. We look back at some key milestones and achievements since 2017.

TREC: A two-year mission to study human impact on Europe’s seas and coastal regions

EMBL is leading the TREC project: the first pan-European and cross-disciplinary effort to examine life in its natural context.

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.

EMBL Grenoble showcased at Biophysical Society Meeting

EMBL’s French site was highlighted in a short film presenting its expertise in structural biology research and services.

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…

Spotlight: Using light and sound to see into the brain

Researchers in the Prevedel Group use photoacoustic spectroscopy setup to test and optimise probes before their usage in mouse neuroscience.

Molecules to Ecosystems: Jo McEntyre on data services

Jo McEntyre talks about data services, open data and a new era for research assessment.

EMBL welcomes Estonia as full member

The Baltic nation of Estonia has become a full member of EMBL, joining the organisation as its 28th member state.

New EU-funded Project: Fragment-Screen

EMBL is one of the partners of this project that aims to accelerate drug discovery and development, bringing in expertise from EMBL Grenoble and EMBL-EBI.

Supporting scientists across Europe: the SPC Facility at EMBL Hamburg

EMBL Hamburg’s Sample Preparation and Characterisation (SPC) Facility offers scientists access to almost all available biophysics technologies. The facility’s staff provides advice and support with experiments and data analysis. The facility is conveniently located just next to the EMBL…

Welcome: Hanh Vu

Group Leader Hanh Vu studies ‘immortal’ flatworms that can grow and de-grow to understand better factors that determine organisms’ sizes.

Scientific passion that seeds passion

A recent student visitor shares her impressions from visiting EMBL’s Vincent group as we recognise International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

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…

ERC Consolidator Grant success at EMBL

EMBL Rome group leader Jamie Hackett receives EUR 2 million for the ModLogic project, aimed at understanding how chromatin modifications impact gene activity.

EMBL partners with UNESCO to drive progress on shared goals

New agreement with UN organisation will enable cooperation in the fields of open science, capacity building, and talent development

BIOcean5D targets marine biodiversity

EMBL hosts inaugural meeting for major interdisciplinary project designed to boost understanding of ocean life

Vikas Trivedi from EMBL Barcelona receives ERC Synergy Grant

The group leader, together with three other principal investigators, has been awarded the ERC Synergy Grant, one of the most prestigious public grants in Europe.

Spotlight: A ‘devil’ of a flatworm

Tasmanian flatworms add to an EMBL researcher’s collection as she studies principles that control animal body size.

Spotlight: Colours of the colon

Mucus present in the mouse colon can be visualised using Alcian blue staining, as imaged here by EMBL predoctoral fellow Linda Decker.

Molecules to Ecosystems: Rob Finn on the Microbial Ecosystems transversal theme

Rob Finn, one of the co-chairs of the Microbial Ecosystems theme, discusses his work, the challenges of multidisciplinary research, and how the theme is already helping to promote the exchange of scientific ideas.

Spotlight: Zebrafish embryos to make this season jolly

Zebrafish embryos during gastrulation, a very early stage of development, to study the effect of temperature on vertebrate embryo development.

Spotlight: Establishing a colour palette for antibiotic resistance

To identify which drugs disrupt bacterial envelope integrity, the Typas group uses a molecule called chlorophenyl red-β-D-galactopyranoside.

Understanding marine biodiversity across space, time, and human impacts

Europe-wide project studies coastal and marine biodiversity from viruses to whales

Edith Heard elected as member of the French Academy of Sciences

The Director General of EMBL was elected by her peers to become a member of one of France’s oldest national science academies.

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.

New chair of EMBL Council

EMBL alumnus and eminent molecular biologist Peter B. Becker has been named the next chair of EMBL’s Council as of January 2023.

Making a great postdoc program even better with our member states

EMBL’s EIPOD-Learning in Context programme focuses on interdisciplinary research that explores ‘life in context’ and adds a new collaborative dimension with member state organisations.

Welcome to EMBL: Talya Dayton

The new group leader in Barcelona aims to understand how cells behave in health and in disease, and approaches her favourite hobby, cooking, very similarly to her work in the lab.

EMBL scientists receive prestigious ERC Starting Grant

Three EMBL scientists received this year’s ERC Starting Grants, and will be awarded €1.5 million over five years to carry out research projects.

Welcome: Jordi van Gestel

Looking to understand microbial predator-prey relationships, EMBL’s newest group leader tackles a molecular ‘arms race’ in his lab.

EMBLetc. receives digital-first makeover

The biannual magazine that highlights EMBL’s research, people, and projects now has a new online home.

Two in one: combining MASSIF-1 and CrystalDirect

Researchers and engineers have integrated a CrystalDirect harvester into the fully automated beamline MASSIF-1, a unique combination of structural biology technologies that is now open to external academic users.

Setting priorities for preprints and open science

Newly appointed member of the ASAPbio Board of Directors, EMBL Group Leader Gautam Dey speaks about preprints, data management, and open science.

Welcome: Flora Vincent

After a postdoc at Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, Flora Vincent has joined EMBL’s Developmental Biology unit to further explore the world of phytoplankton.

Teaming up to drive forward time-resolved crystallography

The recent construction of the new ID29 beamline in Grenoble is pioneering a new way of doing experiments in time-resolved crystallography and opening up technology transfer possibilities

Ardan Patwardhan and Wim Hagen receive Scientific Achievement Award

The Royal Microscopical Society awarded Ardan Patwardhan and Wim Hagen with Scientific Achievement Award

Examining life along Iceland’s coasts

The final pilot project in Iceland marked the countdown to the ‘Traversing European Coastlines’ (TREC) expedition to study coastal ecosystems and their response to changes in the environment.

EMBL Barcelona and CRG kickstart new era of digital biology in Barcelona

The institutes have launched a joint new initiative which aims to make biology as engineerable as an aeroplane or a bridge.

Tools for teachers

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

AlphaFold developers and EMBL alumnus among Breakthrough Prize recipients

Cell biologist Anthony Hyman and DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis and John Jumper were announced among 25 Breakthrough Prize recipients

PETRA IV and future opportunities at EMBL Hamburg beamlines

EMBL joined a kick-off event focusing on the developments related to the upgrade of the PETRA III synchrotron storage ring to PETRA IV at the DESY campus, where EMBL Hamburg is located. PETRA IV could open new possibilities at EMBL Hamburg, contributing to the goals of the EMBL Programme…

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.

Summer in Science – life in a research lab

20 secondary school students from all over Italy participated in the fourth edition of Summer in Science at EMBL Rome.

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.

Augmenting science

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

ERC Proof-of-Concept grant provides way to realise commercial potential of ‘SpaceM’ technology

A new grant will provide a way for fundamental metabolomic research to realise its commercial potential and promise in aiding drug development and precision medicine.

Strengthening scientific ties between EMBL and Iceland

EMBL delegation including the Director General visits Iceland marking another stage in this deepening scientific collaboration

Spotlight: EMBL Imaging Centre, Heidelberg

EMBL’s imaging centre makes advanced microscopy technologies accessible to the international scientific community.

Molecules to Ecosystems: Virginie Uhlmann on the Theory transversal theme

Virginie Uhlmann, Research Group Leader at EMBL-EBI and one of the co-chairs of the Theory@EMBL transversal theme, chats about how this theme will open up new research avenues.

Visualising Life: The EMBL Lautenschläger summer school returns to Heidelberg

The EMBL Lautenschläger summer school, held 4–15 Jul 2022, introduced students from a range of scientific backgrounds to interdisciplinary life science research.

A summer of scientific exchange in Barcelona

EMBL’s site by the sea hosted a trio of conferences this summer, covering topics ranging from vascular biology to engineered living systems to evolution.

Molecules to Ecosystems: Jan Kosinski on the Infection Biology transversal theme

Jan Kosinski, Group Leader at EMBL Hamburg and one of the co-chairs of the Infection Biology theme in EMBL’s new programme, chats about how this theme will support his work and help establish new collaborations.

Welcome: Maria Papanikolaou

EMBL’s new archive and records manager, Maria Papanikolaou, explains the dual role she and an additional colleague will have in the Office of Science Information Management.

EMBL Rome’s Gene Editing and Embryology Facility generates transgenic mice to understand human diseases

The GEEF facility at EMBL Rome supports scientists worldwide with scientific expertise and state-of-the-art gene editing technologies.

Three EMBL scientists elected as EMBO Members

Cornelius Gross, Miki Ebisuya and Nassos Typas join EMBO, the prestigious organisation for the life sciences.

EMBL welcomes first generation of ARISE fellows

Participating researchers will lead projects to develop novel technologies for better science.

EMBL 2021 Annual Report published

EMBL’s 2021 Annual Report is now available, sharing mission highlights from the year in a new digital-first, sustainable format.

The world needs science, and science needs women

EMBL Director General Edith Heard joined other L’Oreal-UNESCO Laureates in Paris for a series of events celebrating these outstanding researchers and their contributions.

Supporting the African BioGenome Project to build bioinformatics capacity

The African BioGenome Project and EMBL have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support each other in building genomics and bioinformatics capacity across Africa

EMBL and IIT: Launching new avenues of collaboration

EMBL and IIT scientists met in person at EMBL Rome to strengthen their collaboration and explore new opportunities for scientific exchange

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.

Teamed up to innovate

A new formal collaboration agreement enables will help smooth the transition from fundamental science to innovation.

Fergal Martin – Eukaryotic Annotation Team Leader

Fergal Martin discusses the importance of open access data and his work in different biodiversity initiatives

Edith Heard elected as a member of The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters

EMBL Director General Edith Heard has been elected as a foreign member of The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters in recognition of her academic excellence. Heard is among 15 new members of the Academy, which has been advancing basic research and interdisciplinarity for nearly 280 years.

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…

Organisations should embrace open science faster – interview with Prof. Dame Janet Thornton

Janet Thornton, the inaugural winner of the FEBS Journal Open Science Award, explains the importance and impact of open science.

Peter Harrison – Genome Analysis Team Leader

Peter Harrison discusses the importance of data accessibility and his passion for biodiversity and agricultural genomics.

Royal Society honour for Eileen Furlong

EMBL’s Head of Genome Biology announced as Fellow of the Royal Society for her exceptional contributions to science.

Anne Ephrussi elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences

The honour recognises distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.

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…

Meet the next Head of EMBL Grenoble

Slovenian structural biologist Kristina Djinović-Carugo will join EMBL in July as the new Head of EMBL Grenoble. We spoke to her about her background, research interests, and plans for EMBL Grenoble.

Greater than the sum of our genes: DNA does not define us

Ewan Birney discusses the input of both genetics and our environment in making us who we are

“If you want science to move forward, you have to share it”

EMBO Director Fiona Watt discusses preprints, data sharing, and evaluation in light of EMBL’s new Open Science policy

EMBL consolidates ties with Sapienza University

EMBL and the Sapienza University of Rome confirm their reciprocal interest in intensifying collaborations and launch new opportunities for exchange of expertise

Matthias Hentze receives Centenary Award

EMBL Heidelberg’s Matthias Hentze receives the Biochemical Society’s Centenary Award for his discoveries in RNA biology.

Welcome: John Lees

John Lees joins EMBL-EBI as a Group Leader in Pathogen informatics and modelling.

“Summer in Science” is back! A full immersion in science for high school students

After a two-year break, the summer school organised by Adamas Scienza and EMBL in collaboration with CNR is back. It will take place at the International Research Campus of Monterotondo (Rome) from 13 to 24 June 2022.

Judith Zaugg from EMBL Heidelberg receives ERC Consolidator Grant

Judith Zaugg, Group Leader at EMBL Heidelberg, has been awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant of €2 million funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. Over the next five years, the grant will enable her group to study cellular interactions in the human bone…

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…

A postdoc conference spotlighted in tweets

EMBL hosted a futuristic infection biology conference, but it offered even more: an opportunity for postdocs to share their work and network towards future research homes.

Break the bias – an interview with Louise Mullany

An exploration of what gender bias looks like in science and how organisations and individuals can address it

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.

‘The World of Molecular Biology’ exhibition

The new permanent ‘The World of Molecular Biology’ exhibition will open in mid-2023 at EMBL’s headquarters in Heidelberg. It will encourage people to actively engage with science and its relevance for everyday life.

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,…

Welcome: Michael Dorrity

Michael Dorrity, one of EMBL’s newest group leaders, is studying how the environment influences early life stages in zebrafish.

Investing in Italy by translating EMBL expertise to the market

Experiences at EMBL Rome led former group leader to establish his start-up in Italy, developing a new generation of gene therapies.

Fostering excellence, diversity, and mobility in the Nordic EMBL Partnership

Ahead of the annual meeting of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, we spoke with its new Speaker, Mark Daly. Mark Daly, FIMM Director, recently accepted the post of Speaker of the Nordic EMBL Partnership. He explains his vision of the future cooperation between EMBL and the Nordics.

EMBL Imaging Centre kickstarts training with workshop for undergraduates

The new EMBL Imaging Centre held its first on-site training workshop, introducing undergraduate students to the basics of volume electron microscopy. This marks the first of many opportunities to aid capacity-building in imaging techniques in Europe.

A new era for European molecular biology

EMBL announces details about its next programme, ‘Molecules to Ecosystems’. It will guide studying life across scales and in context with changing environments.

Welcome: Melissa Harrison

Melissa Harrison joins EMBL-EBI as the new Team Leader of Literature Services. We found out more about her plans for open access publishing and Europe PMC.

Kristina Haase from EMBL Barcelona receives ERC Starting Grant

Kristina Haase, Group Leader at EMBL Barcelona, will receive €1.5 million over the next five years to develop her project on 3D vascularised in vitro cardiac tissues.

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.

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.

EMBL and Gulbenkian strengthen their scientific collaboration

The agreement focuses on reinforcing the collaboration between scientists to strengthen our understanding of the organism in its environment.

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.

Open science at EMBL: a transparent way of working

EMBL announces the release of its new Open Science Policy, contributing to positive culture change across the life sciences.

Eileen Furlong honoured with Leibniz Prize

EMBL Senior Scientist and Head of the Genome Biology Unit is among the researchers honoured for outstanding work by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG).

Strengthening collaborations in France

EMBL and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) signed a memorandum of understanding.

EMBL Imaging Centre launches first open call for users

The new EMBL Imaging Centre has announced its first open user call, and new project evaluation process and training opportunities.

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.

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.

Welcome: Tudor Groza

Tudor Groza joins EMBL-EBI as our new Phenomics Team Lead. We found out from Tudor exactly what this new role will entail

Building a 3D placenta on a chip

A new model could serve as a platform to investigate critical placenta barrier phenomena, including defence against bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

EMBL Imaging Centre welcomes first external user

Correlative microscopy service enables PhD student from Switzerland to study structure and location of proteins cells use to communicate.

EMBL experimental services enable European researchers to tackle global societal challenges

Independent impact review finds EMBL experimental services are ‘critical’ for research and endorses EMBL as a world-class service provider for academia and industry.

New horizons for the EIPP

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

EMBL Hamburg trains future generations of life scientists in using SAXS

Each year, EMBL Hamburg’s Svergun Group offers practical EMBO courses and lecture courses on biological small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The courses provide young scientists an opportunity to gain hands-on experience by measuring their own samples, and by exploring different aspects of SAXS…

Welcome: Svetlana Dodonova

Svetlana Dodonova is one of EMBL's newest group leaders, leading a team of researchers who will study how genetic material is organised inside cells using structural biology approaches.

Open data on the rise: the value of EMBL-EBI data resources

Independent study reveals that EMBL-EBI open data resources are critical for the life sciences.

Science for sustainability

The engagement of US and European Big Science facilities

Life sciences have key role in developing climate change solutions

EMBL attends COP26 to argue for strategy to involve molecular biology in the Green Recovery

Analysis and sorting with flow cytometry

A technology around since the ‘60s, flow cytometry has increasing applications. New leadership at EMBL’s flow cytometry facilities is looking to ease use, expand training, and encourage more collaboration.

The human genome, data sharing, and drug discovery: a career profile with Ian Dunham

Ian Dunham walks us through his career so far including working on the human genome project, seeing his work on the cover of Nature and his current role as Director of Open Targets.

EMBL DG joins National Academy of Medicine

Professor Edith Heard is among new members elected to US National Academy of Medicine

EMBL and Ifremer cooperate to advance ocean sciences

The two organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding to support scientific cooperation in the exploration of coastal and oceanic ecosystems.

EMBL welcomes young scientists

This autumn, students begin their PhD in research groups across EMBL’s six sites.

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.

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.

Celebrating Hungary-EMBL collaborations for life sciences research

EMBL and Hungarian research institutes will collaborate to address urgent biological and environmental challenges.

Proteins, art and seeing the world through a new lens

Hundreds of school children explore the beauty of proteins through art

EMBL and Helmholtz Health join forces

EMBL and Helmholtz Association have signed a memorandum of understanding. The expanded collaboration of both institutions will focus on research related to health.

New horizons for virtual learning

EMBL's science education department makes the latest scientific research more accessible for teachers and students.

Cryo-Electron Microscopy Service Platform supports research on protein transport

Giulia Zanetti from the Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology (ISMB) in London explains how the collaboration with the Cryo-Electron Microscopy Service Platform enabled her group to reveal the structure of protein transport complexes.

Welcome: Liz Duke

The new team leader at EMBL Hamburg talks about her plans to establish biological X-ray imaging and high-throughput tomography.

Inspiring the next generation of life scientists

EMBL launches new mentoring opportunity, linking Master’s students with postdoctoral researchers.

Edith Heard elected to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina

EMBL Director General Edith Heard has been elected a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Her admission to the ‘Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine’ section recognises her outstanding professional contributions to science.

MASSIF-1 beamline in Grenoble supports COVID-19 drug discovery

MASSIF-1, run jointly by EMBL Grenoble and the ESRF, is a beamline for macromolecular crystallography. It is used by the research community to study the 3D structure of proteins, which is important for drug development.

Peer Bork honoured with Novozymes Prize and ISCB Senior Scientist Award

Distinctions recognise Peer’s development and sharing of bioinformatics tools as well as his significant contributions to bioinformatics research, education, and services.

A black redstart visits

Mehdi Khadraoui, a former member of the EMBL Communications team, took this close-up of a black redstart.

EMBL Director General welcomes new EMBO Director

EMBL Director General Edith Heard has warmly welcomed Fiona Watt, who will become the new director of EMBO.

New life science Imaging Centre preparing for user access

The EMBL Imaging Centre is preparing for external user access, after an on-time and on-budget build and handover to the science team.

Welcome: Sarah Dyer

EMBL welcomes Sarah Dyer, the new Non-Vertebrate Genomics Team Leader at EMBL-EBI.

New head for EMBL’s Developmental Biology Unit

Dr Alexander Aulehla has been appointed the new Head of EMBL’s Developmental Biology Unit, and will take up the role starting in July 2021.

EMBL welcomes appointment of Maria Leptin as new President of the ERC

EMBL Director General Edith Heard has warmly welcomed the appointment of Professor Maria Leptin as the next President of the European Research Council (ERC)

Welcome: Anna Erzberger

Anna Erzberger, one of EMBL’s newest group leaders, will provide unique perspective as a theoretical biological physicist.

Illuminating protein complexes in cells

EMBL group leaders Julia Mahamid, Anna Kreshuk & Jonas Ries awarded Chan Zuckerberg Initiative grant to advance what we see inside cells.

EMBL scientists elected as EMBO Members

John Marioni, Alex Bateman, and Takashi Hiiragi have been elected to EMBO Membership.

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.

Molecular biology stepping up to solve environmental challenges

EMBL’s EU Green Week event showcased various ways molecular biology research can help solve environmental challenges.

The power of community

EMBL Director Matthias Hentze describes the Environmental Research Initiative: a community effort to solve global environmental challenges.

Joining forces to solve global challenges

EMBL and the Swedish Science for Life Laboratory sign agreement to advance science together.

Michael Zimmermann receives FEBS Anniversary Prize

The Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie has awarded a FEBS Anniversary Prize to Michael Zimmermann for his gut microbiome research.

EMBL and Inserm to join forces

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between EMBL and Inserm to strengthen their scientific cooperation.

EMBL and Tara Ocean Foundation sail forward with formalised cooperation

The EMBL-Tara Ocean Foundation collaboration will expand opportunities to jointly explore molecular connections between ocean and humankind.

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”.

EMBL Director General elected to US National Academy of Sciences

EMBL Director General Edith Heard has been elected into the US National Academy of Sciences, recognising her contributions to research.

EMBL DG joins WHO Science Council

Edith Heard has been appointed to a new World Health Organization advisory council.

EMBL strengthens collaborations in the French academic landscape

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between EMBL, Collège de France, and the Institute of Biology of the Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS).

Team Science: building diversity and inclusion in research

In a talk on 29 April, Professor Jeanette Woolard will share her experience of creating a more positive research culture

Structural biology at EMBL: driving technology development

Florent Cipriani, who recently retired as Head of the Instrumentation Team after a long career at EMBL Grenoble, is one of the pioneers of instrumentation development in this field.

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.

Welcome: Matthew Hartley

The challenges and opportunities when setting up a global archive for bioimages

From molecules to ecosystems: EMBL and IAB sign memorandum of understanding

This MoU formalises a 15-year collaboration between the two institutes and strengthens Grenoble as a European research centre in the life sciences.

Welcome: Ana Boskovic

The new group leader at EMBL Rome will study how embryos can inherit non-genetic information from their parents that causes stable and heritable effects

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.

Italian Spring

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

VAAM Research Award for Nassos Typas

Nassos Typas has received the German VAAM Research Award.

Wolfgang Huber becomes ISCB Fellow

The contribution of EMBL Group Leader and Senior Scientist Wolfgang Huber has been recognised by the International Society for Computational Biology

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.

After the lecture: Tracey Brown

Tracey Brown from Sense about Science shares her thoughts on the need to empower women to share and access scientific information.

EMBL prepares women postdocs for leadership

Members of EMBL’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee explain how EMBL is choosing to challenge through its LEAP mentoring programme.

From crisis to recovery: achieving an equal future in a post-COVID-19 world

EMBL invites Simon Gallow, an advocate at UN Women UK, to give a talk marking International Women’s Day.

Bridging Excellence: a unique transatlantic opportunity for postdocs

Applications are now open for the Life Science Alliance’s Bridging Excellence Fellowships, enabling postdocs to carry out collaborative projects at EMBL and Stanford University.

The European Climate Pact: EMBL plays its part

EMBL's Environmental Officer Brendan Rouse explains more about his role as a European Climate Pact Ambassador.

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.

Reflecting on allyship as women in science

Being a woman in science takes allies, not just great science. Here, EMBL’s L’Oréal–UNESCO Fellows talk about support networks.

Feldberg Prize for Anne Ephrussi

Anne Ephrussi has been awarded the German Feldberg Prize 2022 in recognition of her outstanding research.

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,…

Welcome to EMBL: Gautam Dey

Gautam Dey is fascinated by the evolutionary origins of the nucleus, and is looking forward to making the most of EMBL's infrastructure.

Allyship and support: an interview with Janet Thornton

Professor Dame Janet Thornton discusses work–life balance, the support she has received during her career, and how organisations can help staff during the COVID-19 pandemic

Understanding Earth’s oceans together

EMBL and EMBRC have signed a memorandum of understanding for increased scientific collaboration.

Coding between the vines

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

Opinion: Allyship and Women in Science

Roshni Mooneeram discusses what Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is to her, and what the meaning of allyship is.

Show your support for open COVID-19 data

Open letter galvanises life science community in support of open COVID-19 data

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.

Issue #51 of Science in School now available

The latest issue of Science in School highlights the eight members of EIROforum.

Welcome: Nicoletta Petridou

New group leader Nicoletta Petridou explains her fascination with the complexity of early embryo development, and how the interdisciplinary nature of EMBL will aid her research.

DKFZ and EMBL intensify cooperation

EMBL and the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg are increasing their already existing collaborations with a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions.

EMBL courses and conferences: learning lessons and looking ahead

EMBL has a packed schedule of courses and conferences for 2021, ready to go ahead virtually, regardless of limitations on physical gatherings

Welcome: Timo Zimmermann

The EMBL Imaging Centre is scheduled to open in 2021 with Timo Zimmermann as Team Leader for advanced light microscopy technology development and service provision.

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.

EMBL becomes newest Instruct Centre

EMBL’s sites in Grenoble, Hamburg, and Heidelberg form the newest Instruct Centre. The new centre offers users access to a broad range of state-of-the-art facilities.

Discover the wonderful world of proteins: first virtual PDB Art exhibition

Schoolchildren create exquisite protein-inspired artworks

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.

EMBL Scientific Visitor Programme opens eyes and doors

Facilitated by EMBL’s Scientific Visitor Programme in 2019, Silvia Dias Almeida spent a year in the Diz-Muñoz group, helping solidify her career plans and set her up for a competitive PhD programme in biomedical imaging.

EMBL group leader Miki Ebisuya receives ERC Consolidator Grant

Funding by the European Research Council (ERC) will support research on the timing of developmental processes in mammals

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.

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative recognises EMBL scientists

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has recognised four EMBL researchers with their most recent awards, showing how tech trailblazers are integral to advancing science and medicine.

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!

Statement on recent paper on mentorships in academia

EMBL’s Eileen Furlong, Chair of the Equality and Diversity Committee and Head of the Genome Biology Unit, responds to the recent Nature Comms paper on the potential effects of mentor–mentee relationships.

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.

ARISE fellowship programme readying for applications

Ever-evolving technology and related budgetary, regulatory, and management challenges prompted EMBL to establish its new ARISE fellowship programme, which begins accepting applicants in December.

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…

Bringing AI out of the black box

Why should researchers make artificial intelligence more transparent and how can they do it?

EOSC: shaping Europe’s digital future

EMBL’s Rupert Lück is engaged in developing the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC): the infrastructure that will support the future of data sharing and analysis in Europe.

Ecological lawn mowers

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

EMBL forms new collaborations in France

EMBL and CIML have signed a memorandum of understanding that will open up new scientific opportunities.

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.

Welcome: Meytal Landau

New associate group leader at EMBL Hamburg investigates the structure of functional amyloids in bacteria and in human disease

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.

EMBL strengthens collaboration with Spanish research

On 9 October, EMBL and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding that paves the way for stronger collaboration between these two leading research institutions.

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…

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.

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.

Level up!

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

Achieving personalised therapeutics

A decadal roadmap points the way to cell-based medicine for Europe

Looking forward

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

EMBL scientists receive prestigious ERC Starting Grants

Maria Bernabeu and Wojciech Galej have each been awarded €1.5 million to research malaria and pre-mRNA splicing, respectively.

An organoid cell atlas to enhance biomedical research

EMBL-EBI is one of the eight European institutes involved in the Humanoid Cell Atlas initiative, a new open-access platform that combines single-cell profiling and organoid technology

EMBL Fellows’ Career Service celebrates first birthday

As the EMBL Fellows' Career Service program reaches a milestone, it reflects on its first year and looks forward to ways to improve its offerings to EMBL postdocs and predocs.

Royal Microscopical Society award for Yannick Schwab

The Head of the Electron Microscopy Core Facility at EMBL Heidelberg receives Mid-Career Scientific Achievement Award 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.

Welcome: Simone Mattei

The new team leader offering services in electron microscopy discusses his hopes and plans for the forthcoming EMBL Imaging Centre

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.

Arrivederci Phil!

As he enters retirement, Head of EMBL Rome Phil Avner reflects on his scientific career and memories from his time as Head of EMBL’s site in Italy

Bridging artificial intelligence and the life sciences – launch of ELLIS Heidelberg

Researchers from all life science disciplines – from fundamental biological research to medical applications – generate immense datasets. Analysing these datasets and gaining new knowledge from them is a growing challenge for scientists. The fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine…

Response to the proposed compromise on the EC’s Multiannual Financial Framework

EMBL Director General Edith Heard and EMBO Director Maria Leptin respond to the current proposal on the Multiannual Financial Framework.

Funding to predict the risk of infectious disease outbreaks

European collaboration receives funding to explore risks and impact of future infectious disease outbreaks.

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.

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’.

Latvia becomes EMBL prospect member state

Latvia has joined EMBL as a prospect member, starting a three-year process toward full membership.

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.

ALPX – smart crystallography

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

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…

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…

Restructure of senior management

The governing Council of EMBL has approved Director General Edith Heard’s restructure of senior management with effect from 1 July 2020.

Welcome: Ellie McDonagh

Open Targets welcomes new Informatics Science Director

EMBL boosts national and international sharing of genomic data

A national consortium including EMBL and the DKFZ is set to launch the German Human Genome–Phenome Archive, creating an invaluable bridge between fundamental biomedical research and applied healthcare.

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.

Sharing our passion for science with the world

EMBL is joining the virtual seminar series ‘Life Science Across the Globe’ – a timely initiative to foster international scientific exchange across countries and continents, starting on 1 July.

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…

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.

EMBL survey studies effects of COVID-19 pandemic on life scientists

Jan Korbel and Oliver Stegle have performed a survey of fellow life scientists to learn how the current crisis, with partial or complete institutional shutdowns, is affecting their work.

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.

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.

EMBL welcomes NetApp in its Corporate Partner Programme

EMBL welcomes NetApp, a leader in cloud data services empowering global organisations to change their world with data, as member of the Corporate Partnership Programme of the EMBL Advanced Training Centre.

Nordic EMBL Partnership awarded €210,000 funding

The Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine has been awarded 210,000 euros. The funds will be used to train the next generation of specialists and research leaders in molecular medicine in the Nordic countries.

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.

EMBL statement on Earth Day 2020

To address global challenges, we need to better understand life in the context of environmental change, says EMBL Director General Edith Heard

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.

Response to the resignation of ERC President Mauro Ferrari

EMBL Director General Edith Heard responds to the resignation of the President of the European Research Council (ERC)

EMBL shares expertise with four European institutes

Three international teams involving EMBL Heidelberg have been granted funding from the European Commission for three Twinning projects with institutes in Portugal and the Czech Republic.

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.

EMBL’s response to the coronavirus outbreak

EMBL is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for our staff and visitors.

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.

The history of EMBL in many voices

Stories from EMBL’s past are captured via the EMBL Archive’s Oral Histories programme

Science for all: the origins of Native Scientist

How Joana Moscoso bridges the gap between science and society

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!

Snowy day

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

Baden-Württemberg Science Minister visit

Theresia Bauer and EMBL discuss organisational developments and future strategies

Annual Reception 2020: An evening with friends

Annual Reception celebrates EMBL’s achievements in 2019 and explores its way ahead

Welcome: Lucia von Bredow

EMBL’s new Science and Society Manager shares her plans for fostering multidisciplinary dialogue

Luxembourg funds research collaborations with EMBL

2020 call now open for FNR funding of bilateral projects between EMBL and Luxembourg

Edith Heard wins L’Oréal–UNESCO Award

EMBL Director General recognised alongside four other exceptional women in the life sciences

Building microscopes to learn biology

How EMBL’s ‘Microscope in Action’ introduces teenagers to the basics of fluorescence microscopy

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.

Chan Zuckerberg grant for Global BioImaging

New grant will increase collaboration between imaging centres and fuel scientific discovery

Antibody engineering for therapy and diagnosis

The new EMBL spinoff company Araxa Biosciences GmbH aims to set new standards for the development of antibody-based therapeutics and diagnostics

Judith Reichmann receives Paul Ehrlich prize

Judith Reichmann will receive this year’s Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize for Young Researchers

Science in School #49 available

The latest issue of the free magazine, Science in School, is now available for teachers worldwide.

Bridging Excellence Fellowships

The call for applications for Bridging Excellence Fellowships is now open

EMBL book club: a forum for diverse perspectives

The club provides a social outlet for EMBLers with a social conscience

Empowering European structural biology

EU funding for iNEXT-Discovery consortium unlocks key technologies for structural biology

Building Euro-BioImaging

EMBL’s Jan Ellenberg reflects on the process of forming a European research infrastructure

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

Strengthening European biology

EMBL is now a member of the Instruct-ERIC organisation

New chair of EMBL Council

Professor Eiríkur Steingrímsson will commence his initial one-year term as Chair of EMBL Council on 1 January 2020.

Careers after EMBL

For many students in the life sciences, finishing a PhD marks a professional crossroads

Marking 40 years of the Szilárd Library

The Szilárd Library celebrates its 40th anniversary on 20 November 2019.

ATTRACT: funding innovation in imaging

EMBL is a collaborator in four of the projects funded in the first phase of ATTRACT.

Integrating imaging research across Europe

Euro-BioImaging now established as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium

EMBL Fellows’ Career Service launched

EMBL career advisors discuss the new portfolio of activities

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…

Science for everyone

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

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…

25 years of EMBL-EBI

EMBL-EBI celebrated its 25 anniversary on 1 September 2019

EMBL Lautenschläger Summer School success

The inaugural EMBL Lautenschläger Summer School ran from 15–26 July at EMBL Heidelberg.

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…

Teaching science in your mother tongue

Native Scientist’ organises multilingual science workshops for children of migrant communities.

Science as art in the Barcelona Metro

Images by EMBL researchers are included in an art–science exhibition in a Barcelona Metro station.

Slovakian teen scientist visits EMBL

Interview with Janka Motešická: a EUCYS 2018 prize winner

EMBL Lab Day 2019

EMBL Lab Day 2019 filled the ATC with art and games

Estonia comes on board with prospect membership

Indrek Reimand discusses the life sciences in Estonia, a prospect member of EMBL.

New Directors and Associate Directors

Promotions for Anne Ephrussi, Rainer Pepperkok, Paul Flicek and Jo McEntyre

Internal Audit: improving processes at EMBL

Tomasz Smolarek and Natalia Kret in conversation.

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…

Twenty years of EMBLEM

Reflecting on 20 years of EMBLEM

Use your coding superpowers for good

Setting up a kids coding club - where to start

EIPOD4: 2019 applications are open

EIPOD4 will prepare researchers for the increasing interdisciplinarity of scientific career paths

Exploring the principles of episodic memory

Nobel prize laureate Susumu Tonegawa describes his work in memory research over the past decade

2020 EMBL course and conference sneak preview

The programme promotes education, collaboration and cutting-edge research

Bio-Rad joins EMBL’s Corporate Partnership Programme

Joining forces to support early-career scientists

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:…

Building engagement

The team at ELLS use Lego to teach children the fundamentals of DNA.

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…

James Sharpe elected EMBO Member

The head of EMBL’s Barcelona site joins a prestigious group of more than 1800 scientists worldwide

Sveika, Lietuva!

Lithuania becomes EMBL’s 27th member state

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…

Top tips for teaching yourself to code!

Overwhelmed as a biologist getting to grips with computer programming? EMBLers are here to help!

Editing the ethical code

Professor Tim Lewens challenges the human genome’s unique place in bioethics

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…

A thirst for science

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

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…

Diverse and united: Science in Europe

Edith Heard and Jean-Eric Paquet discuss the future of European science

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…

EMBL surpasses 100th Horizon 2020 grant

EMBL success in attracting EU funding

Edith and Iain in conversation

The current and previous Directors General discuss what it means to lead an organisation like EMBL

Welcome: Jessica Vamathevan

Building bonds between academia and industry

Partners in the north

The Nordic EMBL Partnership directors discuss the value of collaborating across borders

Welcome: Joana Witkowski

New head of ORD will build and expand the partnerships that help EMBL achieve its ambitions

The Crick and EMBL join forces

The Francis Crick Institute and EMBL have agreed to work together to strengthen European science

How EMBL partnerships promote collaboration

EMBL’s Plamena Markova reflects on the EMBL Partnership Programme

Foundation stone laid for EMBL Imaging Centre

Foundation stone ceremony for world-class high-resolution microscopy centre in Heidelberg

EMBL partners with BRAINCITY

EMBL begins partnership with Polish centre of excellence for neural plasticity and brain disorders

Comprehensive protein data for drug development

PDBe-KB - new data resource for protein structure and function launches

Witamy, Polsko!

On 5 February 2019, EMBL welcomed Poland as its 26th member state

Funding for bioinformatics technical infrastructure

Enhancing the world's bioinformatics infrastructure

Most popular articles of the year: 2018

A collection of the most read articles from the EMBL news website in 2018

New Open Targets Director appointed

New director drives drug discovery partnership forward

Miltenyi Biotec becomes new corporate partner

Joining forces to advance training in biomedical research and therapy

Edith Heard starts as Director General of EMBL

On January 1 2019, Edith Heard takes up the position of EMBL’s Director General

Design thinking

EMBL’s Design Team Lead on translating scientific discoveries into visual designs

DIY Biology kits: what’s really growing inside?

EMBL’s GeneCore steps up to discover the facts and settle disputes

New EMBL Partnership in Hungary

EMBL partners with the Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine

Translating blue-sky research into the clinic

What does it take to create a vaccine or improve cancer therapies?

Science in industry

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

Night of research, culture and treats

The EMBL Teens reporters discover the European Researchers’ Night

Welcome: Sarah Butcher

Building bridges between scientists and software developers

Ambition and talent

Nina Kathe, Winner of the EU Contest for Young Scientists visits EMBL

Communities building collections

The EMBL Archive is open for business!

An in silico hope for biology: machine learning

How EMBL scientists are using machine learning to advance biology

Sanofi joins Open Targets

Pharmaceutical company Sanofi strengthens drug targets discovery collaboration Open Targets

The future of scientific publishing

Ioanna Ydraiou and Bernd Pulverer spoke about their view of challenges and opportunities of OA.

ARP/wARP 8.0 released

Researchers at EMBL Hamburg have released the next generation of their ARP/wARP software

Promega joins EMBL’s Corporate Partnership Programme

EMBL and Promega collaborate to train young scientists

€17 million fund to power European detection and imaging innovation pipeline

ATTRACT initiative will fund 170 breakthrough detection and imaging ideas with market potential

Open call for detector and imaging tech projects

The ATTRACT initiative, of which EMBL is a partner, has launched an open call for seed funding

Celebrating science

The EMBL community, past and present, gather for special events around Lab Day 2018

Summer in Science 2018

EMBL Rome opens its labs for students to get their first real taste of science

Humans of EMBL: Outreach

Discover how EMBLers across all sites share their passion for science

Art meets structural biology

The Protein Data Bank in Europe celebrates its schools art project with its largest exhibition yet

2019 EMBL course and conference sneak preview

The programme promotes education, collaboration and cutting-edge research

Roche joins EMBL’s Corporate Partnership Programme

Roche and EMBL join forces

EMBL in six objects

A history of EMBL in six objects from the EMBL Archive

A pint of EMBL science

EMBL and Pint of Science join forces to entertain and educate

Welcome to EMBL, Montenegro!

Montenegro becomes EMBL’s 25th member state

PhD goals: why not start a company?

EMBL-EBI PhD student launches start-up focusing on epigenetics and wellbeing

Iain Mattaj elected NAS foreign associate

EMBL’s Director General has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences of the United States

Ocean origins

EMBL alumna, Èlia Benito-Gutiérrez, on how her research and career evolved after searching the seas

Celgene joins Open Targets

New partner strengthens drug discovery collaboration

EMBL Annual Reception: focussing on young talent

On April 12, EMBL hosted 200 attendees at its Annual Reception in Heidelberg and highlighted its role as a training hub.

International science: Sanja Damjanović

Montenegro’s Minister of Science discusses the importance of international collaboration in research

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…

First Ben Barres Prize awarded at EMBO Microglia

EMBL Group Leader creates Ben Barres Prize to support talented young neuroscientists

Being an IT support engineer: go everywhere, know everyone

For Vasiliki Karyoti, troubleshooting and problem-solving take on a greater meaning at EMBL

Science in a suitcase

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

EMBL spinoff to help antibody discovery

New EMBL spinoff company Velabs Therapeutics aims to speed up discovery of therapeutic antibodies

A chance to make scientists’ voices heard

Maria Leptin reflects on how to create a research environment that serves the needs of the community

Humans of EMBL: Past lives

Discover the past lives and journeys that brought people to EMBL

10x Genomics joins EMBL’s Corporate Partnership Programme

Joining forces for single-cell research

Women in Science Day: school event

EMBL Barcelona organises first school activity to coincide with the International Day of Women in Science

The future of Training (2)

EMBL experts outline the trends shaping scientific training in the coming years

Slovakia becomes EMBL member state

EMBL welcomes Slovakia as its 24th member state

Beamline ID23-2 tools up for ESRF upgrade

EMBL instrumentation teams adapting tech to run biological experiments on the synchrotron after its upgrade

Molecular biology as a force for peace

Historian Soraya de Chadarevian explores how EMBL’s first Director General shaped molecular biology

Your favourite reads of 2017

A look back at some of the most read stories on EMBL’s news website this year

The future of training

EMBL experts outline the trends shaping scientific training in the coming years

Behind the scenes in the Fly Room

Curious about what goes on in EMBL’s Fly Room? Prepare to be a fly on the wall

Takeda joins drug target discovery initiative

Takeda joins pioneering public-private drug discover collaboration Open Targets

Edith Heard awarded Grand Prix Inserm 2017

EMBL Director General elect, Edith Heard, awarded 2017’s Grand Prix Inserm for her work in epigenetics

Humans of EMBL: Curiosity

EMBLers across all sites share how their curiosity about the world shapes their everyday life

Diplomacy – What’s science got to do with it?

Interview with EMBL’s Joint Heads of Government and EU Relations

EMBL researchers awarded prestigious ERC grants

Takashi Hiiragi and Lars Steinmetz received Advanced Grants from the European Research Council (ERC)

FP9 should support excellent, curiosity-driven research

EMBL releases recommendations for the 9th EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation

Hands-on science inspires Hamburg

20,000 visitors get sneak peek at giant particle accelerators at DESY DAY in Hamburg

#EMBLcurious

Six curious questions and the EMBL community's answers. Check back each week for the next question

EMBL and HeidelbergCement explore ways to reduce carbon

EMBL and HeidelbergCement sign Memorandum of Understanding

EMBL and ESRF renew collaboration agreement

EMBL and the European synchrotron ESRF extend their Joint Structural Biology Group

Aid for Labs – Scientists helping each other

Aid for Labs is an EMBL-based charity aiming to provide scientific equipment to researchers in need

EMBL Women’s Night in Heidelberg

Women from academia, industry and politics met at EMBL to fuel career growth and opportunities

EMBL and Australia – delivering excellence

How Australia’s associate membership of EMBL empowers scientists and drives collaboration

New Speaker announced for Nordic EMBL Partnership

Bernt Eric Uhlin, Director of MIMS, will replace Kjetil Taskén, Director of NCMM

EMBL annual reception: bridging nations

EMBL’s annual reception took place on 18 September, with more than 150 attendees

UK pupils and scientists explore parasite problem

EMBL-EBI and collaborators engage schools in a large-scale genome decoding project

Ten years of training at EMBL-EBI

International experts gather at EMBL-EBI to reflect on the future of bioinformatics training

40 years of Courses and Conferences

How the work of the Courses and Conferences team has changed over the years

Science + X: The science behind the Matrix movie

EMBL researchers separated facts from fiction at a Friends of EMBL Science Movie Night

Funding agreed for imaging centre

German state and federal governments agree funding for microscopy centre at EMBL Heidelberg

Opinion: Archives for Science

Biologists Sydney Brenner and Richard J. Roberts addressed the importance of scientific archives

Italian school students experience life in the lab

School student Andrea Totaro and EMBL group leader Christophe Lancrin reflect

New England Biolabs partners with EMBL

NEB joins EMBL’s corporate partnership programme

Bioinformatics in Latin America

EMBL-EBI supports bioinformatics training and capacity in Latin America

Cyclists rise to charity challenge

EMBL’s cycling team complete epic journey to raise money for Heidelberg’s children’s hospital

New name for EMBL’s site in Italy

EMBL’s unit in Italy changes name to better reflect new research focuses and highlight its location

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…

40 years of electron microscopy training at EMBL

Celebrating 40 years since the first EMBO electron microscopy training course

2018 EMBL course and conference sneak preview

The 2018 EMBL course and conference sneak preview is now available!

EMBL Council selects next Director General

Edith Heard’s mandate scheduled to begin 1 January 2019

Human Cell Atlas data platform kicks off

EMBL-EBI, the Broad and UCSC Genomics Institute to build Data Coordination Platform with CZI support

James Sharpe appointed Head of EMBL Barcelona

Inventor of OPT will be the first Head of EMBL’s new Barcelona site

Humans of EMBL: Senses

People across EMBL’s sites reflect on the ways they perceive their world

EMBL spin-off Luxendo acquired by Bruker

Accelerating researchers’ access to next-generation light-sheet microscopy

Hungary becomes EMBL member state

EMBL welcomes its 23rd member state, with a promising collaboration already in place

Obituary: Konrad Müller

EMBL alumnus Konrad Müller has sadly passed away

Experience life in the lab!

Call for applications for school students to join ‘Summer in Science’ in Monterotondo

EMBL to open new site in Barcelona

Spanish government and EMBL sign agreement for new site

The story behind EMBL’s Barcelona site

EMBL Director-General, Iain Mattaj, reflects on the work done to establish a new site in Barcelona

Strengthening links with Italian research community

EMBL’s Monterotondo site strengthens links with the Italian scientific community

Behind the scenes: Building EMBL’s Barcelona site

Silke Schumacher explains how the new EMBL site in Barcelona came into being

When science meets management

New Master's programme for research infrastructure managers – set to launch autumn 2017

Obituary: Anna Tramontano

Anna Tramontano, bioinformatics pioneer and EMBL alumna, has passed away

A tribute to Anna Tramontano

Janet Thornton reflects on the contributions of EMBL alumna Anna Tramontano

Opinion: Scientists must be part of the conversation

Diversity, internationality and collaboration works, writes EMBL Director-General Iain Mattaj

John Kendrew’s legacy

“Without John Kendrew there would have been no EMBL,” wrote Ken Holmes

Welcome: Monika Lachner

EMBL’s new Academic Coordinator and Dean of Graduate Studies Monika Lachner leads programmes that help young scientists to flourish

Women in science: Glass half full?

Ottoline Leyser on the fallacy of failure and the road to self-determination

Sartorius joins EMBL’s Corporate Partnership Programme

Sartorius and EMBL join forces to support advanced training and science education

New EMBL and GSK collaboration

GSK and EMBL have signed an agreement to enhance understanding of disease and drug mechanisms

Beamline 14’s legacy

Beamline BM14 in Grenoble shuts down, continues collaboration with India

Reflections by Sir John Kendrew

In this interview from the EMBL Archive, Sir John Kendrew reflects on his time leading 'the Lab'.

Degrees of excellence

Helke Hillebrand on leaving EMBL after 9 years as Academic Coordinator and Dean of Graduate Studies

Happy anniversary, PDBe!

Ewan Birney's nine "Structures of Christmas" celebrate 20 years of PDBe

Opinion: Fail again, fail better

Iain Mattaj on failure, adventure, determination and the Scientific Method

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,…

New Crystallography platform inaugurated

A new crystallography platform in Grenoble opens the door to new technological developments

Design for life

EMBL’s Petra Riedinger retires after 40 years producing posters, graphics, artwork and more

Capturing life in perspective

How a team of scientists and artists at EMBL transformed microscopy data into stunning 3D images

New mechanism for cancer gene activation

EMBL study finds that rearranging how DNA packs the nucleus can activate cancer genes

2017 courses and conferences

Check out the newly revealed programme for 2017

Big data, cool servers

Upgraded server room is ready to take the heat at EMBL Grenoble

Review: Lab Girl

Hope Jahren’s autobiography educates and delights

Opinion: Is your mind playing tricks on you?

We catch up with neuroscientist Craig Stark, speaker at the EMBL/EMBO Science and Society Conference

Ewan Birney to lead Global Alliance

Global Alliance for Genomics and Health chose Birney to lead efforts to bring genomics to the clinic

Opinion: Dealing with the imposter in me

Rosemary Wilson talks about imposter syndrome and how to handle it

EMBL at NatureJobs careers fair

EMBL recently attended the Naturejobs Career Expo, advising scientists about their career options

Accelerate your research with CORBEL

CORBEL Open Call launches October 2016, for access to 15 facilities and 8 research infrastructures

Become an EMBL events reporter

Take part in an EMBL conference or symposium for free as an EMBL events reporter

Opinion: 2006, a year of champagne

Stephen Cusack looks back on the early days of his collaboration with Anacor developing anti-infectives

Opinion: A journey from bench to clinical trials

Andrés Palencia on the design of compounds that may help fight drug-resistant TB and more

BioStudies: The Data Bento Box

A new repository helps identify emerging trends in data-driven science.

New EMBL-Hubrecht Institute partnership

EMBL and the Hubrecht Institute signed a 5-year partnership agreement

Postdocs of EMBL

Turning the spotlight on the diverse universe of EMBL’s 200-strong postdoc community

Maltese science: From temples to genomes

Celebrating the rich history of scientific contributions in Malta, EMBL's newest member state

Bioinformatics with a bang

Unexpected adventures at EMBL LearningLAB focused on biodiversity

From potential to policy

Integration, collaboration and openness on agenda for Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research

Inspire change in science

Bruce Alberts on fixing the broken academic career pipeline

Awards & Honours

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

Just try!

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

Key facts about the impact of Brexit on EMBL

In a time of great uncertainty, key facts about EMBL's status, collaborations, funding and recruitment

Bork lab peers gather

27 former Bork lab members joined Peer for a full-day get-together this summer

Impact on EMBL of UK referendum to leave EU

The UK’s decision to leave the EU has no direct consequences for the UK’s membership of EMBL

Behind the scenes: Audiovisual

Meet the secret timekeepers of EMBL events: AV technicians Sean Nightingale and Jan Abda

Partnership for Structural Biology: strength in diversity

Grenoble-based Partnership for Structural Biology (PSB) renewed for five more years

EMBL conferences go digital

Upgrading your conference experience with the new EMBL Events app

Reviews: Life’s Blueprint

Review of 'Life’s Blueprint: The Science and Art of Embryo Creation' by Benny Shilo

From the Archive: The Moon Dreamers

Illustrator Edmond Baudoin donates an original artwork to the EMBL Archive

Awards & Honours

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

Leading the way for gender equality

Award acknowledges leadership in gender equality on the Wellcome Genome Campus

Childcare at EMBL events

EMBL PlayLab now available at 22 conferences hosted in Heidelberg

The search for EMBL’s next Director-General

Iain Mattaj talks about the search for his successor

What is the value of open data?

Independent analysis of EMBL-EBI underscores the value and impact of open data in the life sciences

Biogen joins CTTV

Pioneering target validation collaboration expands to accelerate drug discovery research.

Welcome: Kim Remans

"We’re open! We’re open to working with everybody, we’re open to new things."

Dinosaurs, DNA and Dolly

Two PhD students sink their teeth into the science and speculations of Jurassic Park.

Target Validation platform launches

Identifying evidence-based relationships between drug targets and diseases.

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.

Welcome: Malte Paulsen

"There’s nothing nicer than seeing a user leave the facility happy"

Humans of EMBL

Compelling short stories that shine light on the life and work of EMBL staff.

Walking the talk in HR

Roland Block, EMBL's Head of HR, on emphasising the ‘human’ in human resources.

Using humans as a model organism

Ewan Birney on the risks, rewards and realities of studying humans as a model species.

Of humans and animals

Halldór Stefánsson on the long history of complex interactions between humans and animals.

Digitally human: texting life ahead

Giuseppe Testa reflects on the myriad intersections of our digital and biological lives.

Reviews: Homo sapiens

Postdoc Thibaut Brunet reviews two popular science books that explore the rise of Homo sapiens.

Q&A: Biophysics

What does a physicist do in a biology lab?

Awards & Honours

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

Pathways: Open letter to young scientists

Sybrand van der Zwaag gives his five top tips for young researchers thinking about their next move.

EMBL in pictures

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

High-throughput event

Energy, enthusiasm and endurance on tap as thousands attend 12-hour Hamburg Night of Science.

Enlightening experiments

From paper microscopes to zebrafish embryos, EMBL Science Days stand had something for everyone.

Building a career in bioinformatics

Annual EMBL-EBI Open Day showcases bioinformatics services, training and career opportunities.

Shaking hands with starfish

Science met business and strangers became friends at the first Friends of EMBL Ladies Night.

A whole new ball game

Hamburg researchers have a ball creating game to explain transporter protein mechanism.

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…

Nobel connections

Amidst the excitement of Nobel Week, behind the scenes of the annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.

Lithuania, new prospect member state

Sveiki Lietuva! Lithuania becomes EMBL’s fourth prospect member state.

Karsenti wins CNRS gold

Gold medal celebrates Eric Karsenti’s exceptional career and outstanding contributions to biology.

Northern highlights

Renewals and reunions: EMBL’s Nordic partners look to the future.

From side-project to valuable resource

Introducing the Small Angle Scattering Biological Data Bank, developed at EMBL Hamburg.

Ephrussi reunion: face-to-face

Ephrussi group alumni reunite in Heidelberg for a surprise birthday celebration.

Welcome: Janosch Hennig

“A structure alone is not so interesting, you need the biology too,” says new NMR-focused group leader

Welcome: Moritz Gerstung

New group explores why patients with same cancer exhibit unique constellations of genetic mutations.

Chemical bonds

Maja Köhn’s lab is ideal to learn what life is like working at the interface of disciplines.

Transitions

Janet Thornton reflects on her time as Director of one of Europe’s fastest growing research institutes.

Awards & Honours

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

Reviews: Summer reading

What’s on your Summer reading list? Here are some favourites of staff in the Lab.

Branches: Sympathy for the devil

A contagious cancer threatens the Tasmanian devil – extract from Science in School journal.

Pathways: Culture of care

Maria Kamber, who heads the mouse facility, ensures “dignity, compassion and respect” for her charges.

The French connection

EMBL Core Facilities collaborate with French research programme Signalife to revive training visit.

Union makes success

Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU) with the University of Heidelberg, renewed until 2025.

Political science

Alumnus Damian Brunner revisits EMBL in a very special capacity, as Swiss delegate on EMBL’s Council.

Science of Spider-Man

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

EIPOD goes cubic

EI3POD: flagship interdisciplinary postdoc programme opens its doors to academia and industry.

The germ of a network biologist

“Interactions: that’s what I like the most in biology” – meet Lukáš Janošík, EUCYS 2014 prize winner.

One from Many

Database administrator's photo essay reflects internationality and personality of the Genome Campus.

Sky’s the limit

Academic community clouds take cancer research towards a brighter future.

Janet Thornton steps down

Staff gather to celebrate Janet Thorton's 14 years as Director of EMBL-EBI.

Sarah Teichmann receives EMBO Gold Award

Sarah Teichmann recognised for her contributions to science with the EMBO Gold Award 2015.

From mountains to molecules

Staff, alumni, partners and more meet at EMBL Grenoble to celebrate Outstation's 40th anniversary.

Open access: transforming science

EMBL’s new open access policy aims to make EMBL research widely and freely accessible.

EMBL-EBI joins CERN openlab

CERN openlab enters a new phase, expanding to include EMBL-EBI and other public research organisations.

Why you need an ORCID

Jenny Cham blogs about how ORCID helps distinguish her from all the other Jenny Chams in the world.

A powerful HMMER for data mining

HMMER – a fast, sensitive search tool – helps find sequence relationships deep in evolutionary time.

ELIXIR accelerates

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

Stephen Cusack elected to the Royal Society

Stephen Cusack, head of EMBL Grenoble, among 47 new Royal Society fellows.

PDBe launches new website

In their quest to make structural biology more accessible, PDBe launches a new website.

Who gets your vote?

Get ready to vote for your EMBL Alumni Association board.

History in the making

EMBL’s new Archivist will help chronicle the twists and turns, ups and downs of life at the Lab.

Inside industry: Part I

Career insights from Riccardo Cortese, whose start-up is developing an Ebola vaccine candidate.

Inside industry: Part II

Alumni in senior positions in industry share career challenges, highlights and EMBL’s continuing role.

Q&A: Research analogies

Q&A: Which analogy best describes your research?

Pathways: In the prime of life

Karin Sasaki is helping bridge the gap between quantitative and life science at EMBL.

Curiosity created the ‘Bubome

Exploring the science and magic of Lil Bub – alumna launches project to sequence the ‘Lilbubome’.

CORBEL: bridging research infrastructures

Major EU funding for CORBEL, facilitating access to data and biological imaging facilities.

GWAS Catalog moves to EMBL-EBI

GWAS Catalog, originally developed by the NHGRI in the US, moves to EMBL-EBI.

Mourning the loss of Klaus Tschira

Klaus Tschira, a tireless supporter of science, education and talent, died 31 March 2015.

New Joint Directors of EMBL-EBI

Rolf Apweiler and Ewan Birney appointed Joint Directors of EMBL-EBI, as Janet Thornton steps down.

Bioinformatics services: Winter 2015

A quick round-up of the latest EMBL-EBI service releases.

Supporting women in science

Wellcome Genome Campus gives first Best Practice Award for Supporting Women in Science.

Grenoble anniversary symposium: join us!

EMBL Grenoble celebrates 40 years with a symposium for staff, alumni and facility users on 4–5 June.

500,000 binary interactions… and growing

Building and visualising protein-interaction networks is easier and more accurate thanks to IntAct.

Jeffrey Barrett to lead CTTV

Jeffrey Barrett appointed Director of CTTV, the GSK, EMBL-EBI and Sanger Institute partnership.

Shining light onto the fabric of life

First LearningLAB of 2015 makes science of protein structure crystal clear for 22 teachers.

Moving 20 Petabytes

A blog extract by Ewan Birney reflects on the challenges of moving a massive data-centre.

40 questions, answered

Find answers to 40 of your questions about life, the Lab and everything!

Lights, camera, action

Films by alumnus’ lab shortlisted for 2014 Visualisation Challenge, 'The Vizzies'.

Pathways & Branches: Out of the darkness

How the Rosetta Mission’s comet landing led to unexpected destinations for alumna Karin Ranero,

Awards & Honours

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

Reviews: Illuminating stories

Which tales have illuminated something important to you? Staff from the Lab provide their favourite.

Meet the Dean

Meet Dean of Graduate Studies, Helke Hillebrand.

It all started with muscle…

Ken Holmes, one of the visionaries behind EMBL and EMBL Hamburg, looks back to where it all began.

Let there be light

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

Turn out the light

Alumnus Stefan Hell on his 2014 Nobel Prize for Chemistry

Beyond COMPARE

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

Christian Boulin Fellowship

New Christian Boulin Fellowship: 15 awards of up to €1500 for visitors to EMBL’s Core Facilities.

Relaunching YourGenome.org

EMBL-EBI supports relaunch of yourgenome.org, to bring genetics advances to a wider audience.

EMBL, its alumni and Greece

Showcasing EMBL at the Congress of the Hellenic Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Alumni awards

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

Luxembourg collaboration

Third round of calls for joint research projects between EMBL and Luxembourg in 2015

Dinner with a Nobel Laureate

The day EMBL Hamburg predocs and postdocs invited Nobel Prize Winner Ada Yonath to dinner.

Four decades at EMBL

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

Argentina: EMBL in action

Workshops, seminars and honorary lectures – strong start for EMBL’s newest associate member state.

For food – back to EMBL

Get a flavour of the 15th EMBL|EMBO Science and Society Conference from alumnus Freddy Frischknecht.

The complex life of a young PI

Alumnus Jan Medenbach harnesses the shared experience of peers (and pioneers) at EMBL event.

Events preview and review

Which courses and conferences will you attend in 2015? EMBL’s annual event calendar: out now!

Polish connections

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

Big (Protein) Data to Knowledge

'Big Data to Knowledge' project by UCLA, Scripps and EMBL-EBI to transform protein data to knowledge.

Looking for the beauty in science

How the author of a prize-winning project on bee travel ended up at a stem cells and cancer conference

Job dispatched

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

Music of the spheres

Music, bubbles and DNA: a collaborative project brings artist and scientist together

Awards & Honours

EMBL scientists regularly receive prestigious awards - meet the latest honourees

100 different stories

Drumming, drama, dancing and discovery in a diary of art and science event, Roche Continents.

Successes, challenges and the future

It’s question time for Director General Iain Mattaj in this extract from the alumni reunion magazine.

Reviews: Inspiring stories

Bibliophiles from the Lab pick out the stories that have inspired them at work and elsewhere.

A toast to EMBL

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

Pathways: Science meets arts

Alumnus Giovanni Frazzetto on what happens when art, literature, theatre, and science come together.

Source of inspiration

PhD student Charles breeze found inspiration at this year's Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting.

Nominate board members!

Alumni Association elections: board member nominations wanted!

Witness to history

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

Blog roundup: September

Pathfinding – poetic and practical – was a common theme in blogs from the EMBL network.

Hamburg anniversary symposium: Preview