Science

The ‘long read’ for cancer

Science Using Oxford Nanopore long-read sequencing, EMBL scientists sequenced a primary childhood brain tumour known as a medulloblastoma, uncovering a novel complex mutation pattern.

Large-scale study enables new insights into rare eye disorders

Research highlights, Science EMBL-EBI researchers use UK Biobank data to uncover new information about rare diseases of the eye.

Open data for biodiversity: an EMBL-EBI 2022 round-up

Perspectives, Science As major biodiversity projects ramp up, EMBL-EBI enables genomic data sharing for all species.

Shedding light on rare diseases: open data and model organisms

Perspectives, Science Why open data from model organisms is essential for rare disease research.

A human interactome to prioritise drug discovery

Research highlights, Science Researchers create a network of interacting proteins – or interactome – to aid drug discovery.

Studying epigenetic regulation at the single-molecule level

Science In a first-of-its-kind study, EMBL researchers have shown how DNA methylation across the genome contributes to the precise regulation of gene expression.

Case study: AlphaFold uses open data and AI to discover the 3D protein universe

Perspectives, Science Open data played a pivotal role in the development of the AlphaFold AI. The same open principles now apply to AlphaFold predictions.

New evolutionary insights from stepping outside the lab

Science EMBL researchers are stepping outside the lab and thinking outside the box to understand the basic principles that underlie the development and evolution of organismal characteristics.

Solving the structure of a critical molecular editor

Science EMBL Grenoble scientists provide new insights into the function of an essential RNA editing enzyme.

BlueRemediomics: harnessing marine microbes to promote a circular bioeconomy

Announcements, Science Funding awarded for developing tools to harness marine microbiome data for biotechnological applications and ecosystem services.

Leveraging long-read sequencing for cancer genomics

Perspectives, Science Genomic sequencing and big data analysis are two novel technologies driving researchers’ understanding of the complexities of cancer.

AI helps scientists decipher cellular structures

Science New artificial intelligence tool adds speed and detailed cellular information to analysis of cryo-electron tomography to aid researchers’ understanding of inner cell workings.

Machine learning to identify and prioritise drug targets

Science, Technology and innovation Open Targets is using artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify and prioritise drug targets.

Darwin Tree of Life: first 500 genome assemblies released as project creates a buzz

Perspectives, Science We look back through some of the 2022 highlights from the Darwin Tree of Life project.

New molecular insights on medical cannabis

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

Step-by-step guide to nuclear pore complex assembly

Science EMBL Heidelberg researchers and their collaborators reveal how the nuclear pore complex, one of the biggest molecular machines in eukaryotic cells, is assembled one protein at a time.

BOSS-RUNS: streamlining dynamic nanopore sequencing

Research highlights, Science A new method developed by EMBL-EBI researchers helps to streamline nanopore sequencing in real-time.

EMBL-EBI databases considered critical to life sciences

Announcements, Science Open data resources that enable global research and development recognised by the Global Biodata Coalition.

Developmental cell atlas uncovers new cell states

Research highlights, Science Unveiling a useful tool for understanding human lung development.

Getting closer to stopping toxoplasmosis infection

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

Genomic Data Infrastructure – integrating genomics into healthcare

Announcements, Science EMBL-EBI supports new European Commission project set to support the use of genomics in research and healthcare.

Open Targets consortium welcomes Genentech as newest member

Announcements, Science Open Targets announces that Genentech will become the seventh partner in the drug discovery and validation consortium.

Open science for climate justice

Perspectives, Science Our experts discuss the importance of open science for food security and preserving global biodiversity.

New molecular microscopy uncovers how breast cancer spreads

Research highlights, Science Researchers have created a tool that maps in previously unseen detail how breast cancer develops and spreads.

AlphaFold applications – a community assessment

Research highlights, Science Researchers use social media to share findings on how useful AlphaFold predictions are for different applications.

AI4LIFE: AI models for bioimaging

Announcements, Science Researchers across EMBL are helping to make artificial intelligence (AI) models for bioimaging analysis interoperable and openly available to the scientific community.

Plankton zombies for Halloween!

Science Plankton parasites provide a zombie story perfect for Halloween. While invading single-celled plankton, these parasites devour the cell’s nucleus and hijack metabolism while the organism remains alive.

Mapping the human brain: a global collaboration

Announcements, Science NIH BRAIN Initiative to fund brain atlases, network coordination, and knowledge sharing to explore brain function research.

The power of light: folding 3D tissues

Science EMBL Barcelona researchers have developed a tool that can use light to control the shape of cells .

Funding for researchers working on plastic recycling enzymes

Announcements, Science EMBL-EBI’s MGnify data resource helps researchers find enzymes for novel applications.

Light-Seq: from images to sequences in context

Science Researchers have combined advanced light microscopy with next-generation sequencing to create a method to study cells directly in the context of their native tissues

Biodiversity Genomics Europe: addressing biodiversity loss through genomics

Announcements, Science European experts gather to launch a project that aims to characterise and conserve life on Earth using DNA data.

Seeing antibiotics in action inside a pathogenic bacterium

Science New research by EMBL scientists shows at atomic detail how antibiotics affect the process of protein production inside bacteria.

Combi-seq: a leap forward for personalised cancer therapy

Science Researchers have come up with a way to test the efficacy of hundreds of anticancer drug combinations – simultaneously, rapidly, and accurately.

European institutes commit to data access across borders

Announcements, Science The Federated EGA is set to improve access to sensitive human data in a safe and secure way.

Does exercise drive development? In the sea anemone, the way you move matters.

Science The latest research from EMBL’s Ikmi group employs interdisciplinary approaches to show how sea anemone ‘exercise’ changes their developing size and shape, uncovering an intimate relationship between behaviour and body development

When microbiomes collide

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

Building the ideal limb

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

AlphaFold: where will the next AI breakthrough come from?

Perspectives, Science Ewan Birney, Deputy Director General of EMBL and Director of EMBL-EBI, reveals the key factors that enabled AlphaFold to change the world of biology.

CNest: a new method for copy number variation analysis

Research highlights, Science A new method for the robust analysis of copy number variation and used UK Biobank data to identify links between genome and disease.

New antibiotic resistance genes identified in tuberculosis

Research highlights, Science International consortium analyses the genetic sequences and antibiotic susceptibility of 10,000 global Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates.

Making patterns visible

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

Zooming in to get the full picture

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

Shining a light on how bacteria interact

Research highlights, Science Machine learning has helped researchers uncover new insights into how bacteria infect host cells.

AlphaFold predicts structure of almost every catalogued protein known to science

Science, Technology and innovation AlphaFold database offers a look at 3D protein universe.

The retron switch

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

Priorities for ocean microbiome research

Science Microbial communities play essential roles in ocean ecology and planetary health. A recent publication highlights priorities for understanding and protecting ocean microbiomes.

Uncharted territories in the human genome

Research highlights, Science Scientists identify previously unexplored gene segments to be added to human genome databases.

The new heroics of RNA in cell differentiation

Science EMBL research with Enolase 1 (ENO1) points to a possible new way to understand RNA’s leading role in how cells develop.

Puzzling out the structure of a molecular giant

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

Shaping up the genome for cell division

Science Researchers have discovered the mechanism by which a family of DNA motor proteins packages loosely arranged strands of DNA into compact individual chromosomes during cell division.

Impact of DNA mutations on blood cell production uncovered

Research highlights, Science Researchers discover how DNA mutations change blood cell production and how this relates to ageing and cancer development.

A machine learning approach for allocating gene function

Science, Technology and innovation Researchers in the Ensembl team are making the most of machine learning methods to speed up genome annotation pipelines

Europe PMC: Harnessing the power of text mining to accelerate life sciences research

Science, Technology and innovation How text mining collaborations benefit our research, data resources, and the wider scientific community.

Flip-flop genome

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

What do stem cell aggregates and whipped cream have in common?

Science EMBL researchers revise the old problem of sintering droplets to understand the mechanical properties of tissues.

Interpreting bioimages with deep learning

Perspectives, Science Virginie Uhlmann shares her tips for using deep learning for bioimage analysis in the life sciences.

Unravelling the origins of the human spine

Science Scientists at EMBL Barcelona have created for the first time a 3D in vitro model that recapitulates the periodic formation of human somites – structures that give rise to the spinal column.

A metaphor for epigenetic inheritance

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

The MANE collaboration: working together to support genome science

Research highlights, Science Researchers from the MANE collaboration bring you the most comprehensive human genome annotation dataset to date.

From liquid to solid to drive development

Science Condensates are membraneless organelles that control specific functions within a cell. Scientists at EMBL Heidelberg have shown how the physical state of condensates can influence biological function.

Genomic sequencing aids the global Tuberculosis fight

Perspectives, Science Zamin Iqbal and his team are working with researchers all over the globe to help put a stop to Tuberculosis

Darwin Tree of Life at EMBL-EBI: reaching the first major milestone

Announcements, Science Our researchers highlight their contributions to the Darwin Tree of Life project and how new genome annotations helps to further biodiversity research

Safeguarding African biodiversity through genomics

Perspectives, Science The African BioGenome Project aims to safeguard biodiversity and build bioinformatics capacity across Africa

Putting Cryptococcus in context

Science EMBL’s imaging technology helps researchers gain insights in the fungus’ journey from the lung to the brain.

An international study proposes stool analysis for early detection of pancreatic cancer

Science A molecular signature of 27 microorganisms in stool defines the high-risk population for the most common pancreatic cancer and could be used for early detection of the disease.

Deep learning models help predict protein function

Perspectives, Science Deep learning models can improve protein annotations and has helped expand the Pfam database.

Understanding genomes, piece by piece

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

A 3D culture model to study embryo growth

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

Converging lenses on embryo development

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

New genetic data policy must promote biodiversity conservation

Announcements, Science Scientists urge the adoption of a sensible international policy for digital sequence information.

Pfizer joins the Open Targets consortium

Announcements, Science Open Targets, a consortium focused on drug target identification, prioritisation, and validation, announced today that Pfizer has joined as a partner.

Learning from Deep Learning: the inspirational story behind AlphaFold

Science DeepMind visits EMBL Heidelberg to discuss current and future implications of Artificial Intelligence for life science research.

Decoding the secrets of snake venom

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

Genomic data for biodiversity – a global challenge

Perspectives, Science An exploration of where in the world genomics methods are applied and where the data are used.

Cell sorting enters a new dimension

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

The Earth Biogenome Project: on track and ready to ramp up

Announcements, Science On track to reach an ambitious goal of 3,000 genomes sequenced by the end of 2022, what’s next for the Earth Biogenome Project?

Capturing ‘snapshots’ of a crucial step in RNA splicing

Science The Galej group at EMBL Grenoble has recently obtained high resolution snapshots of a crucial step in RNA splicing involving the U2 snRNP complex, a crucial component of the human spliceosome.

New bacteria and viruses found on human skin

Science Researchers have identified hundreds of new bacterial species and viruses in the human skin microbiome.

Observing the secret life of molecules inside the cell

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

Solving molecular puzzles to find the perfect fit

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

Darwin Tree of Life in 2021: tireless fieldwork and the first beautiful genomes

Science A look back at some of the 2021 highlights from the Darwin Tree of Life partner institutes.

Artificial intelligence — a scientific game changer in 2021

Science The systematic application of AI in life sciences as in the AlphaFold algorithm for predicting protein structures has been named '2021 Breakthrough of the Year' by Science magazine.

Connecting the dots between bacterial genes around the world

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

A gallery of human RNA polymerases

Science New structural biology research provides fundamental information critical to understanding enzyme mutations connected to rare diseases and cancers.

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

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

How structural biology helps to make RNA vaccines

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

Wrangling an octopus-like viral replication machine

Science EMBL structural biology is part of an international collaboration addressing zoonotic disease caused by Lassa virus.

Can data help feed a hungry world?

Science How genomics, open data, and multidisciplinary science can improve food security.

DUO: streamlining access to biomedical datasets

Science The GA4GH Data Use Ontology (DUO) supports a data authorisation and access framework to streamline consent to use biomedical data

Making sense of bacterial DNA data

Science A vast, curated collection of bacterial genomes is now organised, searchable and open to the community.

More than a gut reaction

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

Structure of a promiscuous protein will help scientists design better drugs

Science Scientists at EMBL Hamburg determined the molecular structure of Peptide Transporters 1 and 2. The findings will enable developing drugs that more efficiently pass from the gut to target tissues.

Genomic sequencing to strengthen biodiversity

Science The Darwin Tree of Life project is an unprecedented initiative sequencing 70,000 species

Harnessing the microbiome to improve meat production

Science International project uses biomolecular data to improve animal feed and make meat production more sustainable

Novel enzymes for a Green Economy

Science Using metagenomic data to find novel enzymes for plastic degradation and beyond

Biophysics analysis made easy with an online tool

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

BY-COVID – a new EU project for pandemic preparedness

Science The BY-COVID project aims to make infectious disease data, including COVID-19, openly available to everyone.

CRyPTIC: cataloguing drug resistance mutations in M. tuberculosis

Science Profiling M. tuberculosis strains from 27 countries to reveal causes of drug resistance.

Characterising protein phosphosite function at scale

Science Researchers develop a new high-throughput approach to assess the functional significance of protein phosphosites.

How herpes seizes proteins’ means of production

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

Genomic tracking of the COVID-19 pandemic in England

Science Largest in-depth analysis of genomic data tracks the spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in England.

Tackling the collateral damage from antibiotics

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

When ‘good’ cells go ‘bad’

Science If researchers can identify specifically when good cells go bad, they can potentially understand disease better.

From creating new antimicrobials to combating Alzheimer’s disease

Science Structural biology provides insights into the diverse functions of fibrous protein in humans, amphibians, and bacteria.

A cellular atlas of an entire worm

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

New microscopy technique makes deep in vivo brain imaging possible

Science Scientists in EMBL’s Prevedel Group have developed a pioneering microscopy technique that allows researchers to observe cells hidden within opaque tissues, such as live neurons embedded deep in the brain.

The secret life of baby octopuses

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

Organoids and machine learning: image analysis software developed during lockdown

Science MOrgAna is an open source, user-friendly, modular software that is able to analyse organoids with machine learning.

Vision unveiled: new roles for the retina in visual processing

Research highlights, Science EMBL scientists have found evidence of an unexpected role for retinal cells in pre-processing visual information; their results provide potential opportunity for future prosthetic visual aids.

3D-Beacons Network: protein structure data, all in one place

Science 3D-Beacons Network acts as a one-stop shop for protein structures by combining and standardising data from several providers.

Charting a multi-omic universe

Science A research collaboration used machine learning to map tumour molecular make-up, potentially paving way to more customised cancer treatment.

Artificial neural networks revolutionise biological image analysis

Science Packaged for simple installation and free use, the novel method DECODE enables researchers to reduce imaging times and increase localisation density in single-molecule localisation microscopy (SMLM).

Common medications accumulate in gut bacteria

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

A flip book for biological systems

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

The Spatial Mouse Atlas: new insights into cell fate

Science Researchers have combined spatial gene expression information with single-cell genomics data to create a high-resolution atlas of mouse organogenesis.

What lies beneath: the building blocks of life

Science Analysis of more than 2 million images has boosted understanding of ocean microbes, shedding light on the distribution of nitrogen-fixers at a global level

Studying coronavirus proteins using small-angle X-ray scattering at European XFEL

Science A collaboration led by EMBL Hamburg’s Svergun Group used small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) at the European XFEL to obtain data on samples containing coronavirus spike proteins and antibodies that bind them.

DeepMind and EMBL release the most complete database of predicted 3D structures of human proteins

Science Partners use AlphaFold, the AI system recognised last year as a solution to the protein structure prediction problem, to release more than 350,000 protein structure predictions including the entire human proteome to the scientific community.

Accessible 3D protein models to accelerate scientific discovery

Science DeepMind and EMBL-EBI to make millions of protein structure predictions freely available to the scientific community.

Great expectations – the potential impacts of AlphaFold DB

Science A discussion of the applications that AlphaFold DB may enable and the possible impact of the resource on science and society.

The PROTACtable genome – a new route to drug discovery

Science Researchers establish a framework for identifying new drugs capable of exploiting a cell’s own machinery.

A model of cooperation for transporting mRNA

Science EMBL scientists generate a high-resolution crystal structure of the Kinesin-1/aTm1 transport complex in the fruit fly.

From antibodies to nanoplastics

Science EMBL’s Melissa Graewert and colleagues are taking a structural biologist’s approach to better understanding nanoplastic particles.

New insights into Salmonella’s survival strategies

Science Research in the Typas group uncovers new details of the strategies Salmonella uses to survive in infected cells.

Structural biology reveals new opportunities to combat tuberculosis

Science EMBL Hamburg’s Wilmanns and Kosinski groups have determined the detailed structure of a bacterial protein complex critical for tuberculosis infection.

Food safety, antibiotics, and a shrinking planet

Science After work in antimicrobial resistance, EMBL postdoc Laura Carroll is using machine learning for next-gen antibiotic development.

How our gut microbiome changes over time

Science Researchers investigate how external factors can influence the persistence of microbe species in the human gut

Visualising RNA structures using R2DT

Science New software enables scientists to visualise RNA secondary structures using the world’s largest RNA structure dataset.

Living laboratories

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

Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in England

Science The largest in-depth analysis of genomic surveillance data mapping out the dynamics of 62 lineages of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

EMBL scientists support malaria research

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

Reshaping the cell membrane with molecular pegs

Science Researchers at EMBL Hamburg reveal how peg-like proteins clasp and reshape the cell membrane

Artificial intelligence makes great microscopes better than ever

Science EMBL scientists have combined artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms with two cutting-edge microscopy techniques.

EMBL provides key infrastructure for COVID-19 drug screening project

Science EMBL Hamburg’s integrated structural biology facility has contributed to the success of a large-scale SARS-CoV-2 study

Piecing together the best reference genome

Science Researchers reveal the best technology for assembling reference genomes.

SARS-CoV-2 curtails immune response in the gut

Science EMBL scientists, together with collaborators from Heidelberg University, have provided further evidence of the gut’s role in COVID-19.

Different immune responses identified in patients with COVID-19

Science Researchers identify differences in immune response in asymptomatic COVID-19 cases compared to those with severe symptoms

Using metagenomic techniques to explore lichens

Science Researchers have used a metagenomics approach to piece together the genomes of yeasts found in wild lichens.

The value of open data for Latin American science

Science Scientists from the CABANA project explore how open data is benefiting global research efforts.

Repurposing drugs to manage COVID-19 progression

Science Researchers use large-scale human genetic studies to identify drug targets important for managing COVID-19 in its early stages

EMBL Hamburg lights the way to folding next-level origami

Science Using EMBL Hamburg’s world-class structural biology infrastructure, researchers advance the folding of protein ‘origami’ designed in the lab.

Linking genetics and age-related diseases

Science Researchers have used human medical and genetic data from UK Biobank to investigate the genetics of age-related diseases

New perspectives for treating psychiatric disorders

Science Scientists have determined the structure of Glycine Transporter 1. The finding could open new avenues for developing therapeutics for psychiatric disorders

Induced pluripotent stem cells reveal causes of disease

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

Pfam releases structures for every protein family

Science Thousands of new protein structure models, prected using deep learning, now available to explore

New avenues for eradicating cancer

Science A new method has the potential to boost international research efforts to find drugs that eradicate cancer at its source.

Human genomes provide new reference for global genetic diversity

Science A collaboration including EMBL scientists has created the most diverse set of reference human genomes ever assembled.

The thousands of viruses living in your gut

Science Scientists identify more than 140 000 virus species in the human gut; more than half have never been seen before

A new piece of the HIV infection puzzle explored

Science Researchers from EMBL and Heidelberg University Hospital combine high-resolution imaging to observe the infection process in cell nuclei, opening the door for new therapeutics.

Finding coronavirus’s helper proteins

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

Protein sequences provide clues to how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells

Science Researchers at EMBL Heidelberg have identified sequences in human proteins that might be used by SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells. They have discovered that the virus might hijack certain cellular processes, and they discuss potentially relevant drugs for treating COVID-19.

A better look at a human RNA polymerase

Science New EMBL research shows where & to what degree a component of cellular machinery known as RNA Pol III is mutated and becomes problematic.

At the core of the Integrator complex

Science A new paper from the Galej group at EMBL Grenoble describes the structure of key parts of the Integrator complex, involved in gene expression.

Insights into the new B.1.1.7 coronavirus lineage

Science A new lineage of coronavirus was first identified in the UK, but why is it spreading much more rapidly within the population?

The SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 lineage

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

Monitoring dangerous bacteria in freshwater

Science Freshwater sports can cause waterborne infections, but real-time DNA sequencing could help.

Toadlet peptide transforms into a deadly weapon against bacteria

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

Opinion: Scientific disagreements aren’t new to COVID

Science Understanding why disagreement is good for COVID science. EMBL Deputy Director General Ewan Birney offers tips for sorting through the discourse.

In kefir, microbial teamwork makes the dream work

Science Researchers discovered the dominant species of bacteria in kefir grains cannot endure without other species that help the 'team' survive.

Darwin Tree of Life: looking back on 2020

Science Despite restrictions, 2020 has been a busy year for the Darwin Tree of Life Project. We take a look at some of this year’s achievements and highlights.

Stronger together

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

Heating proteins to understand how genes work

Science A new paper from EMBL’s Savitski team and Typas group describes their work on E. coli and how it brings a greater understanding of the way genes function and interact.

Seeing deeper inside cells

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

Solving the protein structure puzzle

Science How artificial intelligence can help us solve the mysteries of the protein universe

Scratching the surface on cell differentiation

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

Tackling tropical diseases

Science Members of the EMBL community are working to improve our understanding of the parasites that cause malaria and sleeping sickness

EMBL facilities support development of RNA vaccines

Science Biotechnology company BioNTech and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz conduct collaborative research with EMBL scientists at the beamline P12 in Hamburg

Repurposing bioinformatics tools to tackle the pandemic

Science Bioinformaticians at EMBL-EBI and beyond are adapting computational tools to investigate coronavirus genomes and proteins.

Microbiomes help predict the future of the Atlantic

Science Microbiomes, plastics, and connectivity – AtlantECO aims to understand the fabric of the Atlantic Ocean.

Replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2 in 3D

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

Scientists identify synthetic mini-antibody to combat COVID-19

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

Should I run, or should I not? The neural basis of aggression and flight

Science Researchers in the Gross group at EMBL Rome have investigated the mechanism behind defensive behaviour in mice. They have identified a specific area of the brain that encodes both spatial and threat cues to drive location-specific defensive responses.

Open data sharing accelerates COVID-19 research

Science Open access data benefits millions of scientists around the world and is essential for a rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Repurposing drugs for a pan-coronavirus treatment

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

Seeing evolution happening before your eyes

Science Researchers from EMBL Heidelberg have established an automated pipeline to create mutations in genomic enhancers, letting them watch evolution unfold before their eyes.

How deadly parasites ‘glide’ into human cells

Science A group of scientists led by EMBL Hamburg’s Christian Löw provide insights into the molecular structure of proteins involved in the gliding movements through which the parasites causing malaria and toxoplasmosis invade human cells.

Powerful genome editing tool recognised by Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Science The genome editing tool CRISPR–Cas9 – which plays a critical role in EMBL’s research – was recognised by the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Deep learning captures cell cycle

Science Members of an EMBL-led research group with collaborators in Estonia and Russia have built and trained a deep learning model to better understand how cells grow and divide.

Human and mouse cells run at different speeds

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

Fighting cardiovascular disease with acne drug

Science Researchers have found the cause of dilated cardiomyopathy – a leading cause of heart failure – and identified a potential treatment for it: a drug already used to treat acne.

Genome sequencing accelerates cancer detection

Science The Gerstung Group at EMBL-EBI and collaborators have developed a statistical model that analyses genomic data to predict whether a patient has a high or low risk of developing oesophageal cancer.

Nuclear pores in their natural context

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

How to remove unwanted components from the cell nucleus

Science Researchers have uncovered how cells remove unwanted components from the nucleus following mitosis.

Eat more to grow more arms…if you’re a sea anemone

Science An international group of researchers, led by scientists from EMBL Heidelberg, have discovered that the number of tentacle arms a sea anemone grows depends on the amount of food it eats.

Intelligent software tackles plant cell jigsaw

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

Upgraded beamlines at EMBL Grenoble unveiled

Science The beamlines run jointly by EMBL Grenoble and the ESRF reopen today, unveiling significant upgrades that exploit the brand new fourth generation ESRF synchrotron source.

New clues to a 500-year old mystery about the human heart

Science An international team of scientists involving Ewan Birney's group has investigated the function of a complex mesh of muscle fibres that line the inner surface of the heart.

Predicting how gene expression varies

Science Discoveries at EMBL will help researchers to interpret one of the most common types of experiments in genomics and medical studies.

Flexible and protected – new findings on SARS-CoV-2 protein shed light on virus’s ability to infect cells

Science Researchers studied the spike protein on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. With its spikes, the virus binds to human cells and infects them. The study gave surprising insights into the spike protein, including an unexpected freedom of movement and a protective coat to hide it from antibodies.

The curious genome of the tuatara, an ancient reptile in peril

Science A global team of researchers including the Flicek Team at EMBL-EBI has partnered up with the Māori tribe Ngātiwai to sequence the genome of the tuatara, a rare reptile endemic to New Zealand.

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

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

Visualising the cell’s molecular machinery in action

Science A new approach that allows researchers to see molecular machinery at work inside cells has offered a deeper understanding of how bacteria produce proteins and a unique glimpse into how they respond to antibiotics.

Europe PMC: unlocking the potential of COVID-19 preprints

Science Europe PMC has begun indexing full-text COVID-19 preprints along with the associated data. The project aims to accelerate research to fight the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Understanding chromosome organisation

Science EMBL scientists and collaborators help reveal the process by which enormous quantities of DNA are folded into cells.

Artificial intelligence finds patterns of mutations and survival in tumour images

Science Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence algorithm that uses computer vision to analyse tissue samples from cancer patients. The algorithm can distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissues, and can also identify patterns DNA and RNA changes in tumours.

A tool to improve cancer research

Science EMBL scientists have created a new, realistic 3D testbed that could help achieve the goal of stopping cancers before they start by studying cancer cells as they first form.

Unparalleled inventory of the human gut ecosystem

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

From stem cells to neurons

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

Unravelling epigenetic reprogramming

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

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

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

Existing drugs can prevent SARS-CoV-2 from hijacking cells

Science Researchers evaluate how the new coronavirus rewires human proteins for its own replication, and identify several antiviral drugs ready for clinical trials

Five things you probably didn’t know about the Human Genome Project

Science Today we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first draft of the entire human genome.

Silencing the SARS-CoV-2 receptor with epigenetic modifications

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

Unpicking the complexity of DNA mutations

Science DNA damage caused by chemical mutagens is not repaired immediately and can create more genetic diversity in tumours.

Investigating the structure and mechanisms of coronavirus biomolecules

Science While global research on coronaviruses has shed light on the function of many SARS-CoV-2 proteins, the role of some crucial components remains unknown. Researchers at EMBL Grenoble will use a range of structural biology methods to try to solve some of the puzzles of the molecular mechanics of…

Understanding how SARS-CoV-2 behaves in the gut

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

Blood pressure drug improves response to cancer therapy

Science Scientists discovered that antihypertensive agent alters the tissue characteristics of colon cancer metastases. This "stiffness" of metastases has an effect on the therapeutic success.

New insights into epigenetic modifications

Science Scientists at EMBL Rome unveil the mechanism behind the most studied epigenetic modification.

Genetic cut and paste at atomic resolution

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

Shining high-brilliance beams on coronavirus structure

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

Re-trafficking proteins to fight Salmonella infections

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

Enabling functional genomics studies in individual cells

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

Novel method sheds new light on tumour-suppressing RNA

Science Researchers from EMBL Grenoble have developed a way to visualise large RNAs in 3D using biochemical and structural biology techniques.

Facilitating COVID-19 structural biology research

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

Distinguishing coronavirus genome mutations from inadvertent errors

Science EMBL scientists have performed a large-scale analysis of over 4700 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences. They found that many of the most interesting changes in the SARS-CoV-2 genome that have been reported so far are likely to be technical artefacts, rather than biological mutations.

The hunt for neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

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

EMBL scientists investigate rare lung disease

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

Tracing the origins of cells

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

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

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

EMBL SPC facility supports COVID-19 projects

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

DNA damage and faulty repair jointly cause mutations

Science DNA mutations are caused by a combination of DNA damage and repair, shows study by EMBL-EBI and collaborators.

Responding to health threats posed by coronaviruses

Science By re-opening the High-Throughput Crystallisation (HTX) lab at EMBL Grenoble, EMBL is supporting structural biology projects to respond to the health threats posed by coronaviruses.

Remote access to EMBL structural biology pipelines to support research on SARS-CoV-2

Science The Marquez Team has restarted operations at the High-Throughput Crystallisation (HTX) lab at EMBL Grenoble. The team has developed a fully automated protein-to-structure pipeline, which can be operated remotely and provides virtual access to the facilities.

Taking a closer look at infected cells to better understand COVID-19

Science EMBL electron microscopy specialists collaborate with researchers from Heidelberg University Hospital to understand the changes occurring in cell structures upon SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Understanding the influenza virus

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

Exploring synthetic antibodies to stop coronavirus

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

Helping researchers identify host proteins used by coronavirus

Science EMBL scientists working in the groups of Matthias Hentze and Wolfgang Huber have created RBPbase – a database of RNA-binding proteins – to assist the identification of proteins that interact with the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome.

Why share data during a pandemic?

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

Unprecedented single-cell studies in virtual embryo

Science Researchers from EMBL Heidelberg have created a complete description of early embryo development, accounting for every single cell in the embryo.

EMBL-EBI launches COVID-19 Data Portal

Science The new collaborative space will help scientists, public health and healthcare professionals around the world to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Supporting international research on the structure of the coronavirus

Science EMBL Heidelberg reopens the Cryo-Electron Microscopy Service Platform to support coronavirus structural biology research.

Helping to scale up coronavirus testing

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

Identifying how potential COVID-19 drugs work

Science EMBL researchers are studying how drugs that have shown good results against COVID-19 work in living cells

Producing proteins for coronavirus research

Science The Protein Expression and Purification Core Facility at EMBL Heidelberg will produce proteins for several coronavirus-related research projects, to assist the development of new strategies to fight the virus.

How chromosome structure influences development

Science EMBL researchers in the Heard group at EMBL Heidelberg explore the interaction between DNA organisation and gene expression in the early embryo

Tissue dynamics provide clues to human disease

Science EMBL scientists examine the molecular causes of a rare hereditary disease of the spine and ribs

Understanding brain tumours in children

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

EMBL-EBI leads International collaboration to share COVID-19 research data

Science EMBL-EBI set to launch European COVID-19 Data Platform to help store, share, and analyse research data linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.

€2.45 m to investigate leukaemia causes and therapies

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

New insights into gene regulation

Science EMBL researchers investigate the role of a histone protein in regulating gene expression

Finding your way around Platynereis dumerilii

Science EMBL researchers combine multiple datasets to develop expandable atlas of an entire animal

Welcome: Claire Deo

Science New group leader at EMBL Heidelberg employs synthetic chemistry to develop novel tools for biology

New technique for studying living fly larvae

Science This technique provides a simple but effective way to study the functions of organs in living animals

How females shut off their second X chromosome

Science Scientists provide important new insights into the molecular basis of X-inactivation

The Pan-Cancer project

Science EMBL co-leads most comprehensive study of genetic causes of cancer

Protecting data in the cloud

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

Characterising RNA alterations in cancer

Science The largest and most comprehensive catalogue of cancer-specific RNA alterations reveals new insights into the cancer genome.

Cancer mutations occur decades before diagnosis

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

Analysis of human genomes in the cloud

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

Studying DNA rearrangement to understand cancer

Science Using the dataset from the Pan-Cancer project, scientists has developed methods to group, classify, and describe large rearrangements of the genome that are a key driver of cancer.

Scientists identify new genetic drivers of cancer

Science Analysis of whole cancer genomes gives key insights into the role of the non-coding genome in cancer

Chromothripsis in human cancer

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

Finding genetic cancer risks

Science Using the data from the Pan-Cancer project EMBL scientists describe how our genetic background influences cancer development.

Pinpointing rare disease mutations

Science New resource that categorises genes essential for supporting life could be used to identify rare disease mutations

Meytal Landau: a visiting researcher in Hamburg

Science Strengthening ties between EMBL and Israel through the Scientific Visitor Programme

Welcome: Maria Bernabeu

Science New group leader at EMBL Barcelona is investigating how malaria affects the human circulatory system

How transcription factors work together

Science EMBL researchers have developed a method to observe interactions between transcription factors

Welcome: Kristina Haase

Science Kristina Haase brings an engineer’s perspective to vascular disease and regenerative medicine

Melting reveals drug targets in a living organism

Science EMBL scientists identify drug targets in blood and organs

EMBL co-develops new method that could facilitate cancer diagnosis

Science Researchers have developed a cheaper and faster method to check for genetic differences in individual cells

Innovative method delivers new insights into the stem cell microenvironment

Science Researchers have developed new methods to reveal the 3D-organisation of bone marrow at a single cell level

A classification tool for transcription factors

Science The software diffTF quantifies activity of transcription factors and predicts their mode of action

Machine learning finds critical phosphosites

Science Resource has implications for disease research

Understanding a key player in melanoma

Science A new paper describes a unique mechanism of partner selectivity in transcription factors.

Neural pathways

Science Exploring the diverse routes by which EMBL scientists are driving forward neurobiology

Science date: The Crick meets EMBL

Science Crick and EMBL PhDs talk science over coffee

From cell to mouse – how tissues differentiate

Science Shedding light on the mechanisms that control the fate of embryonic cells

Photo-micropatterning advances structural cell biology

Science A new technique in cryo-EM

New perspectives on nuclear pores

Science EMBL researchers have published two new studies involving the nuclear pore complex

Convention on the Rights of the Child stored in DNA

Science Children's rights stored in synthetic DNA

EMBL spins the Sleeping Beauty transposase

Science New possibilities for gene therapies

Engineering bacteria to fight diabetes

Science EMBL’s Genomics Core Facility supports students participating in the annual iGEM competition.

A tool to monitor tuberculosis

Science Funding awarded to EMBL-EBI for tuberculosis monitoring tool

Happy hour for time-resolved crystallography

Science Researchers from Hamburg simplify time-resolved X-ray crystallography

B cells linked to immunotherapy

Science Immunotherapy: the role of B cells

Welcome: Isidro Cortés-Ciriano

Science Exploring the cancer genomics labyrinth

MEG3 kissing loops essential for tumour suppression

Science MEG3 adopts a complex three-dimensional structure to fulfil its tumour suppressor function.

Understanding molecular mechanisms of ageing

Science Understanding how ageing works at a molecular level

Exploring the beauty of proteins

Science Schoolchildren get creative with 3D protein structures

We all come from the ocean

Science Eric Karsenti's combined loves of biology and sailing set in motion the Tara Oceans expedition

Transcriptional hubs confer phenotypic robustness

Science Enhancers in Drosophila embryos gather together to preserve phenotypes under stressful conditions

Toxin responsible for Legionella growth identified

Science SidJ enforces a unique modification on human proteins and helps legionella grow.

Welcome: Michael Zimmermann

Science Michael Zimmermann's group will investigate how gut microbes affect the body’s response to drugs.

First results from CSSB

Science EMBL scientists collaborate to develop new protocol for screening membrane protein stability

Rearranging chromosomes

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

A tRNA modifier at work

Science Using cryo-EM, scientists have determined the structure of a large protein complex called Elongator.

Programming: language

Science How computer processing of human language is harnessed by EMBL scientists

Wielding the genetic scissors

Science What CRISPR may bring for the future of biology, and how it is used at EMBL

Actin crosslinking plays key role in tissue morphogenesis

Science New insights into mechanisms behind embryonic development

A new home for biological images

Science The BioImage Archive - EMBL-EBI's first dedicated imaging data resource

Drawing knowledge

Science A conversation about art-science collaborations and the importance of drawing in biology.

How coding opens up scientific data

Science The increasing importance of code in the biological sciences

Life with the endangered kākāpō

Science Using genomics to help endangered species

Intact chromosomes during cell division

Science The mystery of how condensin maintains the integrity of the genome during cell division. 

Hydraulic force shapes mammalian embryos

Science Uncovering new role of fluid pressure in controlling embryo size and cell fate

Paving the way for new flu drugs

Science Snapshots of the flu virus replication machine in action

The origins of plastic pollution at sea

Science Tara Ocean Foundation launches the exploration of 10 European rivers

Breaking the bottleneck in imaging data collection

Science Scientists develop software tools for automated acquisition of electron microscopy data

New 3D microscope

Science A newly developed 3D microscope visualises fast biological processes better than ever.

The Arctic Ocean: reservoir of marine viruses

Science Results from the Tara Oceans expedition reveal the Arctic Ocean as a cradle of viral biodiversity

Sex and diet affect proteotype

Science EMBL scientists have discovered that the proteome is substantially affected by both sex and diet

Catalogue of structural variants

Science Thorough characterisation of structural variants in human genomes

Prioritising cancer drug targets using CRISPR

Science Large CRISPR screen prioritises hundreds of promising genes for personalised cancer treatment

Global microbial signatures for colorectal cancer

Science Colorectal cancer characterised by consistent changes in gut bacteria across continents, cultures and diets

Designer organelles bring new functionalities into cells

Science EMBL scientists create membraneless organelle to build proteins in living cell

Welcome: Santiago Rompani

Science New EMBL group leader explores what neurobiology can teach us about what it means to be human

ATP affects proteome-wide solubility

Science Scientists develop technology to measure how ATP concentration affects protein solubility in cells

Welcome: Sagar Bhogaraju

Science New group leader at EMBL Grenoble is investigating the cellular role of melanoma antigens

Many gut microbes may originate in the mouth

Science Many microbes traverse the oral-gut barrier

Understanding early embryo development in mice

Science How organs form in a mouse embryo

Cell death trigger in tuberculosis bacteria

Science Suicide system in tuberculosis bacteria might hold key to treatment

Role reversal: RNA controls protein function

Science EMBL scientists identify RNA regulating protein behaviour in switch of normal roles

Almost 2000 unknown gut bacteria discovered

Science Researchers identify novel gut bacteria species and call for more data from beyond Europe and North America

More than 100 new gut bacteria discovered in human microbiome

Science A new database of bacteria in the human microbiome is the most comprehensive to date.

The web meets genomics: a DNA search engine for microbes

Science New search engine allows researchers to identify antibiotic resistance genes or mutations in real time

New method to study gene expression in yeast cells

Science Scientists develop high-throughput yeast single-cell RNA sequencing method

Structure of prodrug-transporter complex revealed

Science Scientists develop structural model that could help in the development of drugs with increased absorption rates

Facilitating transcontinental human data exchange

Science Federated data sharing will now be possible on an unprecedented scale

Hundreds of tiny robots grow bio-inspired shapes

Science Scientists build self-organising features into robot swarms to study shape formation

Using light to stop itch

Science EMBL researchers have found a way to stop itch with light in mice

Model to predict prostate cancer progress

Science Cancer researchers have developed a computer model to predict the course of disease for prostate cancer

New ways to look at protein-RNA networks

Science Researchers develop new method to analyse the entire protein-RNA network of the cell

Discovering new enzymes just got easier

Science EMBL-EBI industry case study: Biocatalysts

Algorithm identifies gene–environment relationships

Science New algorithm will enhance understanding of relationship between genotype and environmental factors

Molecular and behavioural effects of SETD5 mutation

Science Scientists uncover effects of mutation that can cause autism and intellectual disability

Controlling organ growth with light

Science The De Renzis group investigated invagination, the first step of organ development in embryos.

Genomes of all known UK species to be sequenced

Science Genomes of 66,000 UK species to be sequenced in global effort to sequence all known eukaryotic species

New insights into the regulation of haemostasis

Science EMBL scientists investigate the structure of a key protein involved in blood clotting

Catching up on protein dynamics

Science The Hentze Lab enhanced a RNA-interactome capture technique to pave the way towards medical progress

Time-resolved X-ray crystallography simplified

Science Speeding up time-resolved X-ray crystallography with EMBL beamline P14

A worm’s sense of the world

Science EMBL researchers discover that four organs in a marine worm’s head can sense different chemicals

More effective insulin thanks to first 3D image

Science New study reveals how to make therapeutic insulins more effective than they currently are

Exploring cell identity by mapping genetic networks

Science ERC grantees Wolfgang Huber and Oliver Stegle share their vision for the next 10 years

Deleting genes to study how germ cells are born

Science How embryonic stem cells develop into the germ line

Transcription factors controlled by DNA sequence

Science EMBL scientists gain mechanistic insights into how cellular signalling controls gene regulation

Ageing is visible in the way cells use glucose

Science Researchers from EMBL and Heidelberg University unveil the molecular mechanisms of ageing

Solving the structure of retromer

Science Retromer’s 3D structure improves understanding of cellular sorting and packaging

X-rays reveal surprising shape of scaffolding protein

Science X-ray experiments show that scaffolding protein PDZK1 has a L-shaped conformation

First interactive model of human cell division

Science Real-time tracking of proteins during mitosis is now possible using a 4D computer model

PhenoMeNal: an online portal for metabolomics

Science Complex metabolomics analyses in the cloud

Cohesin: a glue for DNA

Science EMBL scientists discover how a component of the cohesin ring binds DNA

New approach for testing cancer drug response

Science Large-scale systematic analysis explores how inherited genome affects drug response of cancer cells

Welcome: Jim Swoger

Science New head of the Mesoscopic Imaging Facility at EMBL Barcelona will help scientists visualise nature

Welcome: Vikas Trivedi

Science An engineer’s approach to understanding morphogenesis

Understanding soil through its microbiome

Science First global survey of soil genomics reveals a war between fungi and bacteria

The proteins behind hungry cells

Science EMBL researchers visualise the proteins needed to capture molecules and bring them into a cell

Art meets structural biology

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

Europe PMC now indexes preprints

Science Europe PMC adds preprints to its search

Parental chromosomes kept apart during first division

Science Mammalian life begins differently than we thought

Maternal bacteria persistent in newborns

Science Scientists show how bacteria and other microorganisms are passed on from mother to child

Leukaemia roots detectable years before diagnosis

Science Acute myloid leukaemia risk could be detected years before diagnosis

Welcome: Miki Ebisuya

Science New group leader at EMBL Barcelona creates artificial biological systems to study animal development

Melting bacteria to decipher antibiotic resistance

Science EMBL scientists investigate how bacteria melt to study their reaction to drugs

Combining antibiotics changes their effectiveness

Science Combining antibiotics with each other, non-antibiotic drugs or food additives can alter their effectiveness

Algal nuclear pore complex revealed

Science EMBL scientists reveal NPC architecture of algae

Flu’s response to new drug explored

Science EMBL scientists investigate how influenza virus responds to new drug treatment

New way to isolate DNA- and RNA-protein complexes

Science EMBL researchers develop method that simplifies the isolation of DNA- and RNA- protein complexes

Miniature testing of drug pairs on tumour biopsies

Science Combinations of cancer drugs can be quickly and cheaply tested using a novel microfluidic device

New insights into Turing patterns

Science EMBL scientists extend Turing’s theory to help understand how biological patterns are created

Personalised medicine: one data type is not enough

Science New computational method uses multi-omics analysis for personalised medicine

Constructing new tissue shapes with light

Science EMBL researchers guide the shape of cells and tissues with optogenetics

Welcome: Simone Köhler

Science Which of our genes will be passed on to our children? Simone Köhler wants to find out

How wild species may benefit from mouse genetic data

Science Of mice and gorillas: using mouse data for conservation

Reconstructing 3D shapes from unmeasurable data

Science Scientists at EMBL Hamburg determine shapes of intermediate states in dynamic biological systems

The scientific origins of Edith Heard

Science EMBL’s next Director General reflects on the questions that drive her research

Exploring genetic variation

Science EMBL group leader Jan Korbel reflects on his scientific origins and current research

New risk factors for rare childhood cancer

Science Researchers identify genes that can cause brain tumours in children and other cancers later in life

CRISPR: from clipping scissors to word processor

Science New platform transforms CRISPR gene editor into precision tool

New insights into the origins of cancer

Science What worms can tell us about cancer

Protein stability and solubility during cell cycle

Science EMBL scientists uncover large solubility and thermal stability changes of proteins during the cell cycle

The rise of GPU computing in science

Science Discover how EMBL scientists are using GPU computing to push biology forward

Managing chronic pain with light

Science Scientists at EMBL Rome develop new method that uses light to manage neuropathic pain in mice

Welcome: Anna Kreshuk

Science New Heidelberg group leader creates tools to help biologists work faster and better

Dog microbiome closer to humans’ than expected

Science Dog and human gut microbiomes have more similar genes and responses to diet than previously thought

New software makes 3D imaging accessible

Science Open-source software allows standard microscopes to accurately image 3D structures

Counting condensins on chromosomes

Science EMBL scientists count and locate chromosomal proteins during cell duplication

PDX Finder – Free global portal for cancer models

Science Launch of the first free global online catalogue of PDX models

Welcome: Virginie Uhlmann

Science New EMBL-EBI Group Leader will make sense of bioimaging data

Captured: microglia nibbling on brain synapses

Science For the first time, EMBL Rome researchers have captured microglia nibbling on brain synapses on film.

New method probes gene expression by cell location

Science What does a cell's location tell us?

Welcome: Maria Garcia Alai

Science The new head of facility at EMBL Hamburg will help users solve protein puzzles

From blood vessels to blood stem cells

Science EMBL scientists discover how blood vessel cells become blood stem cells during embryonic development

Commonly used drugs affect our gut bacteria

Science One in four drugs with human targets inhibit the growth of bacteria in the human gut, and may promote antibiotic resistance, EMBL researchers report in Nature

Molecular cuisine for gut bacteria

Science EMBL scientists show how to grow a wide range of gut bacteria in the lab

Potential way to limit antibiotic resistance

Science EMBL scientists unravel the molecular basis of a major antibiotic resistance transfer mechanism

How drugs affect the life and death of proteins

Science Scientists at EMBL and Cellzome develop technology to monitor the effects of drug treatments on protein degradation and synthesis

Chromatin usage reveals developmental trajectories

Science EMBL scientists show how chromatin usage in individual cells reveals developmental trajectories

Axon guidance and bundling are linked

Science EMBL scientists discover how two guidance cues work together when neurons project axons across the midline

The genetic risk factors for depression

Science Is depression in your genes?

Origins at EMBL

Science Join us in our new editorial theme as we ask how everything began

Insights into early cell life

Science New technique offers insight into early cell life

New cryo-EM service at EMBL Heidelberg

Science Access to state-of-the-art microscopes and outstanding expertise

Loops, loops and loops: how DNA gets organised

Science Researchers from Delft University and EMBL crack the mystery of condensin’s neat DNA loop extrusion

Synchronised waves control embryonic patterning

Science EMBL scientists show that the rhythm between Wnt and Notch waves enables patterning in embryos.

Insights into the evolution of a signalling molecule

Science EMBL scientists discover how a molecule’s role changes from simple metabolite to instructive signal

Welcome: Sara Cuylen-Häring

Science New EMBL group leader explores biophysical properties of chromosomes and other cellular assemblies

Life and death of proteins

Science EMBL scientists create a turnover catalogue of almost 10.000 proteins from primary cells

Study identifies new diabetes genes

Science Network of genes linked to development of diabetes

On the orchids of Darwin

Science How Darwin’s work revealed the intimate relationship between orchids and insects

Welcome: Arnaud Krebs

Science EMBL’s new group leader studies how gene expression is controlled

Multipurpose enhancers and promoters in embryonic development

Science EMBL scientists show that some promoters can act as enhancers and vice versa

Belgian PhD student decodes DNA and wins a Bitcoin

Science Nick Goldman of EMBL-EBI issued a challenge in 2015. In 2018, a winner emerged just in time.

Pol III enzyme grips DNA and begins reading fast

Science EMBL researchers uncover how a key enzyme that helps cells make new proteins starts its work

Welcome: Matthieu Boulard

Science New EMBL group leader investigates the mystery of heritable gene silencing

Welcome: Aissam Ikmi

Science New group leader studies sea anemones to investigate why some animals regenerate better than others

One way crossing across the midline

Science EMBL researchers solve a decades-long debate on a key process for brain and embryo-development

Loops in DNA affect which proteins are coded

Science EMBL scientists unveil how 3D chromatin structure affects RNA splicing

Mapping molecules on people, fields and ATMs

Science Molecule mapping method raises interest in forensics, agriculture and microbiome studies

Curious genomes

Science What are the strangest genomes in EMBL-EBI's Ensembl?

Futures: Unravelling influenza

Science ERC grantee Stephen Cusack shares his vision for the next ten years

Chromosomes don’t need key protein for all their folds

Science New research reveals that two different mechanisms are responsible for chromosome folding

Enzymes’ superimposable structures revealed

Science EMBL scientists superimpose structures of two-metal-ion enzymes and reveal new potential drug targets

Cells grow pores from shrinking holes

Science New research shows how pores form in the membrane that surrounds a cell’s nucleus

Exploring 3D macromolecules in a flash

Science High resolution 3D protein structures in a giffy with PDBe

Welcome: Eva Kowalinski

Science New group leader based in Grenoble aims to unveil the mechanisms of RNA editing

BioModels performance boost, new model formats

Science New BioModels infrastructure supports significantly more model formats and offers improved search

New technique for imaging the life aquatic

Science New method for 3D imaging microorganisms lends insight into the creatures that inhabit our oceans

Welcome: Julia Mahamid

Science The Mahamid group studies meso-scale molecular assemblies in intact cells and model organisms at molecular resolution

How malaria springs to action in mosquitoes

Science Insights into the reproduction of Plasmodium parasites in mosquitoes reveal rapid and broad activity

High-res Ebola model could spark new questions

Science EMBL researchers create highest resolution 3D model of important structure within Ebola virus

CSSB: A new approach to infectious disease

Science Inside the Centre for Structural Systems Biology

Research highlights

Science A summary of recent research highlights from EMBL

Supercool structures: new cryo-EM facility

Science As a new cryo-EM facility is inaugurated, EMBL’s Michael Hons describes his role in the project

A smart cabinet of curiosities

Science How open data is changing our pursuit of discovery

Science at sea

Science A talent for organisation has taken EMBL’s Steffi Kandels-Lewis across the globe

What bizarre flies have taught us

Science Five things researchers have learned from bizarre fruit flies

What is EMBL curious about?

Science Find out how curiosity is driving some of the work we do here at EMBL

Looping the loops: how chromosomes form

Science EMBL researchers and collaborators unravel how chromosomes form

Jacques Dubochet awarded Nobel Prize for chemistry

Science EMBL alumnus recognised for cryo-electron microscopy work

Welcome: Jan Kosinski

Science EMBL’s new group leader based in Hamburg aims to create models of infection cycles

Welcome, Andrew Leach

Science Q&A with EMBL-EBI's Head of Chemical Biology data services

How wine-making yeast can feed wine-spoiling bacteria

Science How microbes can create niches for each other

Fish on fire

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

The future is bright as XFEL opens its doors

Science Newly opened European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser celebrates start of user operations

Computational models of cancer available

Science How patient-derived computational models can help researchers understand cancer

Welcome: Justin Crocker

Science Meet Justin Crocker, EMBL’s new group leader in gene regulation during evolution and development

Welcome: Evangelia Petsalaki

Science A new group at EMBL-EBI aims to decipher cell signalling networks

Welcome: Zamin Iqbal

Science The Iqbal research group hopes to build a 'Google of bacteria' to help better interpret the genome

UK Biobank partners with the EGA

Science Genetic data from a major cohort now distributed via EMBL-EBI

EIROforum, a driver for international science

Science EMBL’s Iain Mattaj, the new Chair of EIROforum, on EIROforum’s role

The sexual dimorphism dilemma

Science IMPC explains how much the sex of animals is misdirecting research results

Mouse genes could help decipher disease

Science EMBL-EBI and IMPC characterised over 3000 mouse genes, revealing new gene associations with disease

Open imaging data for biology

Science The Image Data Resource - prototype of the first open repository linking imaging and molecular data

Senses: Fathoming fear

Science EMBL’s Cornelius Gross wants to understand fear responses and the brain circuitry that governs them

Mapping gene expression, cell by cell

Science EMBL researchers complete a molecular atlas showing gene expression in all cells in an entire animal

Senses: Silencing noise

Science Two EMBL researchers are exploring new ways to filter out noise and get to the data they need

Senses: What you see is how you feel

Science EMBL’s Hiroki Asari investigates how our internal state can change the way our eyes work

Welcome: James Sharpe

Science Meet the head of EMBL's new Barcelona site, James Sharpe

Sorting out HIV

Science An EMBL collaboration devises a new method that could speed up vaccine development for HIV

Cell changes drive breast cancer relapse

Science Hallmarks of residual breat cancer cells suggest new approaches for preventing relapse

HipSci: The human stem cell bank

Science Introducing one of the largest collections of high-quality human induced pluripotent stem cells

Welcome: Jamie Hackett

Science Meet Monterotondo’s new group leader for epigenetic reprogramming and inheritance, Jamie Hackett

Futures: Phosphatases

Science ERC grantee Maja Köhn shares her vision for the next ten years

Illuminating insulin release

Science EMBL researchers develop an optical method for measuring the release of insulin from single cells

Embryos use ancient viral DNA

Science EMBL scientists detect important function of genetic sequence our ancestors assimilated from a virus

A race against the ageing clock

Science EMBL-EBI researchers identify mouse epigenetic clock that could help scientists understand ageing

Structure of key system for TB infection

Science EMBL scientists add crucial knowledge to understanding of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis

Blood stem cell differentiation is continuous

Science Study by EMBL and DKFZ researchers means origins of myeloid leukaemias may need rethinking

Ageing: cell coordination breakdown

Science Researchers use single-cell sequencing to understand how cells age

Futures: The dark proteome

Science ERC grantee Edward Lemke shares his vision for the next ten years

Futures: Brain evolution

Science ERC grantee Detlev Arendt shares his vision for the next ten years

Futures: Genome regulation

Science ERC grantee Eileen Furlong shares her vision for the next ten years

Cell division offers hope to fight antibiotic resistance

Science Keeping bacterial chromosomes tangled could lead to new approaches to treatment

Fresh insight into how immune cells fight malaria

Science Reconstructing T-cell development in high resolution

Unlocking the secrets of nuclear movements

Science EMBL researchers develop a computer model to explore the movement of nuclei in a multinuclear cell

Metabolism matters

Science Differentiated and undifferentiated cells get energy in different ways, sensor made at EMBL shows

Lipids in real time

Science A new technique developed at EMBL reveals the way fats interact with other molecules in cells

Genetic switches can change shape

Science EMBL scientists discovered that common mutations can change the shape of gene promoters

Genetics of ‘room-mate’ influences health

Science Healing and anxiety are influenced by the genetics of one’s social partners

Welcome: Wojciech Galej

Science New group leader Wojciech Galej investigates RNA-protein complexes involved in gene expression

Buffering mechanism protects embryonic development

Science New mechanism revealed

Neural connection keeps instincts in check

Science EMBL scientists find out how the prefrontal cortex puts a break on instinctive behaviours

How flu steals your RNA

Science Understanding how the flu virus steals host RNA offers hope of new drugs

New insights into receptor balancing

Science Inducible mechanism found by EMBL scientists links receptor degradation and replenishment

Structure of HIV capsid within virus visualised

Science EMBL scientists use new techniques to describe the architecture of conical HIV capsids

Study offers approach to treating pain

Science Research on the effect of nerve cell stiffness on sensitivity to touch could lead to new painkillers

Cycle of life

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

Omnipath for signalling pathways

Science New method combines signalling pathway data resources to improve systems biology research

Catching the chaperone in the act

Science How Christian Löw’s failed experiment led to an unexpected scientific journey

What would it take to regrow an arm?

Science Exploring what it would take to regrow a lost limb, and what we might learn along the way

Toxoplasma’s balancing act explained

Science Parasite’s method of rewiring our immune response leads to novel tool for drug tests

BLUEPRINT project delivers

Science BLUEPRINT: EMBL-EBI and the push to decipher the blood epigenome

New insights into RNA Polymerase I

Science Cryo EM reconstruction of RNA Polymerase I reveals details of how molecule binds and transcribes DNA

Improving data analysis in imaging mass spec

Science Open source bioinformatics method for finding metabolites makes experiments comparable across labs

Collaboration is beautiful

Science Where design meets bioinformatics, new scientific perspectives abound.

Spiral growth

Science What happens when plant's leaf-placing feedback loop isn't quite right

Welcome to EMBL: Robert Prevedel

Science Robert Prevedel develops deep-tissue microscopy for scientists to peer deep inside living organisms

MultiBacTAG: A protein production platform

Science New platform useful for studies of protein binding, human tissue and more

Drivers of evolution hidden in plain sight

Science A rapid, versatile mechanism that modifies proteins is revealed to be crucial for the evolutionary process

In pursuit of flat growth in leaves

Science EMBL scientists investigate how leaves grow flat to efficiently capture sunlight

‘Essential genes’ help focus research

Science IMPC study identifies 410 genes essential to life in the mouse, providing a window on human disease

Turning up the heat on drug side effects

Science Side-effects of leukaemia drug explained, reveal possibility of repurposing to treat other diseases

Welcome to EMBL: Mikhail Savitski

Science New head of Proteomics Core Facility also runs stability proteomics lab

Watching nuclear pores in growing nuclei

Science Puzzle of nuclear pore formation in growing nuclei solved

New drug candidate unleashed for TB

Science EMBL researchers help to design a lead compound active against four different pathogens

Taking crystallography to the fourth dimension

Science Collaborating to take crystallography into a new time dimension

See data in a new light

Science 3D printing, gaming, virtual reality and lenticular posters bring new perspectives to research

Gene editing 3.0

Science Emmanuelle Charpentier sheds light on how CRISPR–Cas9 went from side project to global revolution

Atomic proportions

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

Form follows function

Science 'The PDB plays a crucial role in structural biology research and development'

Welcome: Georg Zeller

Science Team leader investigates how the gut microbiome could relate to human diseases

Life in the periphery

Science Storage of pre-made nuclear pores allows for rapid cell division in fruit fly embryos

Blocking the waste disposal unit

Science Detailed structure paves the way for more effective cancer therapies

The force is strong with embryo cells

Science Strength of contraction determines whether cells become embryo or placenta

New tool to control information relay in cells

Science Molecular messengers synthesised to help study how cells respond to outside stimuli

Discovering protein smartphones

Science New technique reveals uncharted docking sites in RNA-binding proteins

How new HIV drugs lock virus in immaturity

Science Study provides insights into workings of new HIV drugs and how virus becomes resistant

CTLS: a professional association for core facilities

Science Core Technologies in Life Sciences (CTLS) association will be key resource for facility professionals

Mapping early development

Science “Like getting hold of a microscope for the first time”

Scientific twins

Science Collaborations shorten distance between EMBL Heidelberg, Germany, and CEITEC in Brno, Czech Republic

Welcome: Alba Diz-Muñoz

Science New group leader combines physics and biology to answer the 'hows' of cell movement

Found in translation

Science Studying at EMBL in Grenoble helps Japanese postdoc see her native country through different eyes

How cells bag their rubbish

Science How cells eliminate protein deposits that can lead to neurodegenerative disorders

Leading the way in time-resolved crystallography

Science Establishing a programme of research, development and user services for time-resolved crystallography

Microbiomes: Our humble overlords

Science What's a microbiome? How on Earth do they work?

Supporting science at sea

Science Dozens of postdocs boosted their careers with a voyage aboard the Tara Oceans research schooner

Making cells move towards the light

Science New method enables scientists to use light to direct where cancer cells go

Unexpected link in protein production

Science From shared interests at a conference to a surprising discovery

Enzyme with a dual-purpose loop

Science Unexpected results: structure of DAPK enzyme reveals dual-purpose loop

The pheromones behind romance

Science A perfect match: behaviourist Takefumi Kikusui visits the Gross group to explore animal attraction

Towards personalised breast cancer treatment

Science Largest-ever study of breast cancer genomes reveals new genes and mutations

Poo transplants better understood

Science Stool transplants: finding the right match important, EMBL study shows

The rhythms in life

Science How EMBL scientists are discovering and understanding the waves and rhythms inside us

The man behind the machine

Science Florent Cipriani talks about his passion for developing beamline instrumentation

Light control

Science EMBL PhD project puts development in a new light

Crystals in the beamlight

Science CrystalDirect, developed at EMBL, automates crystal preparation for X-ray analysis

Revealing structure of nuclear pore’s inner ring

Science First detailed structural description of all the rings of nuclear pores

Welcome: Hiroki Asari

Science Why does a cookie look different depending on how hungry you are? Neuroscientist Asari wants to find out

Designing gene therapy

Science Information on structure of molecule used for genome engineering yields increased efficiency

Foetus, or placenta?

Science Subtle genetic differences destine cells to placenta or animal, very early in embryo development

Better tools for exploring TB protein structures

Science How an EMBL team is making and sharing tools to explore tuberculosis protein structures

Supporting the bioimaging revolution

Science Commentary in Nature Methods introduces the EMPIAR resource and gives glimpse of future developments

Mothers and daughters

Science 1st real-time video of starfish egg cell eliminating crucial structures, to ensure embryo viability

Finding the way with X-Ray

Science New technique uses X-rays to find landmarks when combining fluorescence and electron microscopy

Forgetting to learn

Science Neural mechanisms in mouse brains indicate that we actively forget as we learn

Immunology meets single-cell sequencing

Science TraCeR: new method for studying T cells opens up opportunities to explore immune responses

A cohesive structure

Science Structural insights into how cohesin keeps DNA together during the cell cycle

Mapping malaria

Science First detailed atlas of start points for genes expression in malaria-causing parasite

DREAM shadows: chasing down disease networks

Science “It’s a bit like drawing a picture of an intricate object just by looking at its shadow on the wall."

Forever young

Science How stem cells resist change

In sync

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

True Love

Science How transcription factors interact to create a heart

The carbon hijacking network

Science Plankton network linked to ocean's biological carbon pump revealed

How to make a protein happy

Science Protein screens developed at EMBL Hamburg now commercially available

The cellular crystal factory

Science Hamburg collaborators analyse protein crystals inside the cells that made them.

One gene, two proteins, one complex

Science Further insights into how viral enzymes degrade the cell walls of Clostridia bacteria.

Linking DNA modification and gene expression

Science New method is first to enable parallel profiling of the transcriptome and epigenome of a single cell.

SPIM doctors

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

Turning point of a lifetime

Science New microscope can record the first days of a mouse embryo’s life

Periodic table of protein complexes

Science Making it easier to visualise, understand and predict how proteins combine to drive biological processes.

Drugging bacteria

Science Commonly used diabetes drug metformin impacts gut bacteria more than disease itself

Pol III: Completing the family album

Science CryoEM solves 3D atomic structure of largest and most elusive RNA polymerase.

What makes us human? Or not…

Science From jumping genes to organ transplants, the non-human features that make us human.

Lighting up development

Science Using lasers to shed light on how tissues get into shape

Unpacking embryonic pluripotency

Science Embryology, genomics and bioinformatics combine to identify factors regulating mammalian pluripotency.

One hard pull

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

Allergy: the price of immunity?

Science Findings help demonstrate the evolutionary basis for allergy.

Enzyme research made easier

Science Enzyme Portal makes it easier to explore all enzyme-related data in EMBL-EBI’s public resources.

Mini DNA sequencer tests true

Science Evaluation of MinION™ sequencer finds performance and reliability consistently good.

A snapshot of stem cell expression

Science Study of mouse embryonic stem cells reveals new genes involved in the stem-cell regulatory network.

Floppy but fast

Science Spaghetti-like proteins are surprisingly effective 'keys'

A lasting legacy

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

Marine mysteries

Science From the role of diatoms to how life evolved - scientists' pressing questions about life in the sea.

Finding links and missing genes

Science Missing a gene may not be a big deal – a conclusion from global catalogue of genetic changes.

Checkpoint architecture

Science A nuclear pore riddle: how can you use the same number of pieces to form two rings that fit inside each other?

MASSIFly efficient

Science MASSIF-1 processes its 10,000th crystal, less than one year after the beamline became operational.

Ages apart

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

Clearing a path for cancer research

Science New computational method to study biological signalling networks in healthy and cancer cells.

It’s the economy, stupid

Science Theodore Alexandrov is using mathematics to analyse the countless molecules produced by our cells.

An ocean odyssey

Science A journalist who spent six weeks aboard Tara reflects on the expedition’s extraordinary outcomes.

Life in 3D

Science EMBL scientists map ‘switches’ for distant control of gene expression.

First, find your membrane

Science Collaboration between scientists reveals collaboration between lipids.

Life is but a DREAM

Science Crowd sourcing initiative to predict effects of toxic compounds: results of 2013 DREAM Challenge.

Welcome: Theodore Alexandrov

Science A mathematician who got ‘sucked in’ to biological problems, meet new team leader Theodore Alexandrov.

From patients to the lab (and back)

Science Multidisciplinary research provides clues to new treatments for deadly form of leukaemia in children

Know your cells

Science How T-cells are trained on what not to kill

Iron regulators join war on pathogens

Science Iron regulatory proteins play important role in combatting infection, protecting against Salmonella.

Oskar’s structure revealed

Science 3D structure of Oskar protein gives first molecular insight into how it functions.

Cell machinery wears complex coat

Science 3D imaging unravels COPI coat of cells' transport vesicles.

The genome in the cloud

Science Jan Korbel and colleagues publish commentary on risks and rewards of genome cloud computing.

DNA protection, inch by inch

Science European team identify mechanism for producing piRNAs that silence jumping genes in germline cells.

Decades-old cell biology puzzle solved

Science Behaviour of clathrin proteins, crucial for endocytosis, is clarified using new imaging techniques.

The curious case of the bi-specific enzyme

Science A puzzling peculiarity resolved by Hamburg’s Sample Preparation and Characterisation facility.

Large-scale genetic analysis made easier

Science Researchers at EMBL-EBI speed up complex GWAS analyses with new method and algorithm.

Dancing with the cells

Science Cells 'dance' as they draw together during early embryo development.

Decaying RNA molecules tell a story

Science Decaying RNA molecules tell a story that could add more chapters to the study of ribosomes.

Oceans endeavour charts 40 million genes

Science Tara Oceans results reveal climate change insights, and a treasure trove of novel species and genes.

It runs in the family

Science Detailed structural study shows distantly related viruses share a common machinery for replication.

Sense of space

Science EMBL scientists demonstrate that spatial constraints are a key factor in determining nucleus size.

Are protein domains indivisible?

Science New research shows that some proteins domains can function even with big parts missing.

Destined for the brain

Science Not all embryonic macrophages are the same, and only some are destined to become microglia.

Taking out the trash

Science Unveiling the shape of... the 'molecular bin man' – cryoEM helps reveals p62 polymer in 3D.

Destination collaboration

Science Stanford University biophysicist KC Huang on his collaboration with the Typas group in Heidelberg.

When microbes feed each other

Science Cooperate or compete? Microbes show us that getting along is the better choice for communities.

Element of surprise

Science Radiocarbon studies are helping researchers shine light on how neurons stay stable yet adaptable.

How cells have got molecules surrounded

Science Ground-breaking microscopy technique gives unprecedented insight into endocytosis.

Towards an expression atlas for an entire brain

Science New single-cell genomics techniques bring ‘omics to evolution and development research.

Bypassing errors

Science Coin toss inspires CorMap: a new statistical test that sidesteps need for error estimation.

Team spirit in the genome

Science Go Team Genome! New method reveals genetic teamwork in drosophila genome.

No humans required

Science New fully automated technique enables scientists to chart complex protein networks in living cells.

Best of three worlds

Science Combining three different kinds of microscopy to determine how molecules move during endocytosis.

Under pressure

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

Attack from all sides

Science Hamburg-led tuberculosis study demonstrates the power of collaboration.

How to crowdsource a paper

Science Tried and tested do's and don'ts of crowdsource writing.

The battle for iron

Science New way mice starve pathogens raises alternative approach to treatments for anaemia of chronic disease

Beyond sequencing

Science New microscopy-based method goes beyond gene sequencing, pinpointing the cause of disease.

Why is a dolphin not a cat?

Science How repurposing non-coding elements in the genome gave rise to the great ‘mammalian radiation’.

Barcoding epigenetics

Science New Bar-ChIP method makes it easier to search for epigenetic marks in many samples at once

Come together

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

Miraculous microscopes: a brief history

Science A brief history of microscopes, from van Leeuwenhoek to Betzig, Hell and Moerner.

Light years ahead

Science As EMBL Hamburg celebrates 40 years, we explore the past, present and future of crystallography.

Cell control in a flash

Science From using light to control brain activity to illuminating fruit fly development and mice’s sense of touch

Hidden cell types revealed

Science New statistical method for RNA-seq analysis creates order out of seeming chaos.

Welcome: Marco Marcia

Science New group leader Marco Marcia aims to broaden horizons while mapping molecules.

‘Hairclip’ protein mechanism explained

Science Research led by Teichmann group identifies fundamental mechanism for controlling protein function.

Bacteria’s barrel-building challenge

Science How do E.coli and similar bacteria grow safely? By using barrel-plugs as sensors.

How to fix a cellular powerhouse

Science Compound that can restore the function of poorly working mitochondria, with therapeutic potential.

Delighting in detail

Science Unprecedented detail in images of mouse neurons thanks to new SNAP-tagging microscopy technique.

What makes a mosquito deadly?

Science Genome-based insights into evolution of malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquitoes.

MASSIF step forward

Science In two months, 2.3 million diffraction images collected on new, fully automated ESRF/EMBL beamline.

Record parasitic worm dataset

Science Largest collection of helminth genomic data ever assembled, in new open-access WormBase ParaSite.

20 years in the making

Science First complete picture of flu virus polymerase. A story of two decades of blood, sweat and sneezes.

Welcome: Kyung-Min Noh

Science The important thing is forming good biological questions, says new group leader in Genome Biology.

Welcome: Judith Zaugg

Science Whether it’s information or people, the art of connecting is key to new group leader Judith Zaugg

Building an EMPIAR

Science EMPIAR lets researchers take a closer look at the images used to build 3D molecular structures.

Same pieces, different picture

Science Unprecedented detail on HIV structure continues virus’ string of surprises.

Computational modelling resource

Science New, open repository helps researchers share computational models of disease.

Kidney cancer in Central Europe

Science Kidney cancer linked to exposure to aristolochic acid, an ingredient in some herbal remedies.

Chamber of secrets

Science Like sports teams, cells can huddle to communicate in secret and organise group behaviour

Protecting us from our cells

Science Growth factor IGF-1 boosts natural defence against type-1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis

European Variation Archive launches

Science European Variation Archive makes it easier to explore detailed information about genetic variation.

Breaking boundaries

Science How Nobel-winning work by alumnus Stefan Hell shapes and inspires current EMBL scientists' research.

Superstars of science

Science From anemones to starfish, sea creatures are helping understand development, evolution and more.

Go with the flow

Science Flow cytometry: finding needles in haystacks

10 notable Hungarian scientists

Science From vitamin C to safe matches, a sample of notable scientists from our newest prospect member state.

How plankton gets jet lagged

Science How plankton gets jet lagged: the same hormone governs our sleep patterns and a daily marine migration.

From worm muscle to spinal discs

Science Evolutionary surprise: notochord likely evolved from muscle, earlier than assumed.

Major advance in stem cell technology

Science Researchers produce pristine stem cells, which can be precisely changed into clinically relevant cell types.

Gibbon genome joins Ensembl

Science Gibbon genome gives insights into evolution of this singing, swinging, tree-dwelling ape.

RNAcentral Station

Science RNAcentral is the first unified resource for all types of non-coding RNA data.

How do animals become domesticated?

Science Bronwen Aken discusses what research into the rabbit genome reveals about animal domestication.

Binding bracelet

Science Vasa protein preserves pieces of 'enemy' DNA to help protect the genes of future generations.

International connections

Science How a single molecule can attract and repel growing brain connections

New, improved human genome

Science Ensembl has incorporated a vast amount of knowledge into a fully annotated reference human genome

Unpacking iron overload

Science A rare form of an iron overload disorder kills pancreatic function, Heidelberg scientists find

Clarity in the cold

Science How fruit flies beat the cold, plus the value of precisely controlled experiments and detailed analysis

On editing the genetic code

Science Edward Lemke edits special issue of ChemBioChem on boom of technology for genetic code expansion

Fighting bacteria – with viruses

Science Molecular switch enables viruses to destroy C.diff bacteria – potential alternative to antibiotics

Shedding light on chimeral twins

Science Marmoset genome provides insights into chimerism: data available in Ensembl genome explorer

Embracing cellular complexity

Science Cell biologists "underestimate the complexity" of protein interactions, says Toby Gibson.

Bringing chemistry to life (science)

Science Embed chemists in biology departments, asking their own biological questions, says Carsten Schultz

Surprisingly stable long-distance relationships

Science Surprising finding: enhancers find their targets long before activation in Drosophila embryos

The future’s bright

Science Surprising protein from a flu-like virus is 10 000th ESRF structure

Nothing but blue skies

Science Focusing on basic research is crucial for the development of more advanced genetics techniques

The shape of things to come

Science New ways of handling and distributing data at PDBe to tackle ever larger and more complex proteins

Chain reactions

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

Taken out of context

Science Enabling neighbours: intact genes can cause cancer when placed near "enhancing" regions of DNA

Capturing marine biodiversity

Science Data from first ever worldwide Ocean Sampling Day will be shared via EMBL-EBI resources this autumn.

Sheep genome provides rich resource for agricultural research

Science Reference sheep genome, published by International Sheep Genomics Consortium, available in Ensembl

Picky eaters: how microglia capture their prey

Science A kaleidoscope of molecules is needed to clean up dead brain cells, and failure can have disastrous consequences

Insights into genetics of cleft lip

Science How a DNA stretch influences face formation and contributes to common congenital malformations

HIV: hacking, immaturity and viruses

Science High-resolution structure reveals crucial interactions for HIV maturation

First, catch your DNA

Science DNA-coralling protein complex in an unexpected bind

How immune cells use steroids

Science Genome Campus researchers discover that some immune cells turn themselves off by producing a steroid.

Remodelling the cell

Science The balance behind membrane changes that turn one cell into 6000 as a fruit fly embryo develops

Tsetse fly genome sequenced

Science Tsetse fly genome sequenced; scientists hope to find new ways to control sleeping sickness.

Making your brain social

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

What are you scared of?

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

Bigger, better, faster

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

Choreographed origami

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

Without a trace

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

Potential new drug target for cystic fibrosis

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

From fireman to arsonist

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

PS: It’s not cholesterol

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

Cells eat themselves into shape

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

How to build your gate

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

But what does it do?

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

Pushing the boundaries of transcription

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

Havoc in biology’s most-used human cell line