Science & Technology Scientists from EMBL Hamburg and CSSB have revealed key insights into the cellular process of clathrin-mediated endocytosis.
2024
science-technology
People & Perspectives Jan Bláha, postdoc at EMBL Hamburg, talks about the utility of in cellulo protein crystallisation in structural biology research, his sources of inspiration, and the values of collaboration, curiosity, and resilience.
2024
people-perspectives
Science & Technology EMBL Hamburg scientists have gained molecular insights into how we absorb vitamin B1 – a mechanism with implications for disease and drug development.
2024
science-technology
Science & Technology The function of biological molecules is intimately linked to their structure. In the 50 years since EMBL was established, its researchers and engineers have constantly provided leadership in structural biology research and services, resulting in many scientific breakthroughs and novel insights.
2024
science-technology
Science & Technology Creators of AI system AlphaFold receive 2024 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
2024
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology The prize was awarded to John J. Hopfield, Princeton University, USA, and Geoffrey Hinton, University of Toronto, Canada, for their seminal contributions to the foundational methods that enabled the development of machine learning.
2024
science-technology
Lab Matters A major public engagement event at EMBL Hamburg attracted thousands. A video captures the spirit of the day from participants.
2024
lab-matters
Lab Matters What makes EMBL unique? Among many things, it’s the infinite curiosity of its community.
2024
lab-matters
Science & Technology EMBL Hamburg scientists and collaborators discovered a new molecular mechanism in which an unstructured protein disables one of the main cancer-promoting proteins by gluing them into an elongated stack. Data from human patient samples support the role of this mechanism in prostate cancer…
2024
science-technology
Science & Technology The group of Christian Löw at EMBL Hamburg and CSSB, and collaborators from the Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel and CNRS & Université Paris Cité worked together to reveal the structure and function of a previously unknown lysosome transporter, MFSD1.
2024
science-technology
People & Perspectives Data standards that have been silently enabling discovery in the life sciences for decades are now making AI advances possible.
2024
people-perspectivesperspectivesscience
Science & Technology The Kosinski Group at EMBL Hamburg collaborated with other groups in Hamburg to reveal critical steps in Lassa virus ribonucleoparticle assembly and recruitment, and the crucial role played by RNA in in the Lassa virus life cycle.
2023
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology EMBL Hamburg, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Postnova Analytics GmbH, and BioNTech SE have developed a new method to quantitatively investigate sizes of nanoparticles containing mRNA. It may become an important part of regular characterisation of mRNA nanomedicines in the future.
2023
sciencescience-technology
Lab MattersPeople & Perspectives EMBL Hamburg is located at the PETRA III synchrotron, which in the future, will be upgraded to PETRA IV. Selina Storm is theEMBL@PETRA IV Programme Manager. Here, she speaks about her role and the benefits of PETRA IV for EMBL.
2023
lab-matterspeople-perspectives
Science & Technology An interdisciplinary collaboration between Hamburg scientists has yielded new insights into the structure and function of a heat-resistant enzyme from an exotic microbe. In this interview, EMBL Hamburg’s Matthias Wilmanns and TUHH’s Garo Antranikian discuss how their collaboration developed and…
2023
sciencescience-technology
Lab MattersPeople & Perspectives In this interview, Sihyun Sung, Postdoctoral Fellow at EMBL Hamburg, talks about making molecular movies with time-resolved serial X-ray crystallography, his sources of inspiration, and the value of forging deeper connections with friends and colleagues.
2023
lab-matterspeople-perspectives
EMBL Announcements Jan Kosinski, Julia Mahamid, and Georg Zeller have received grants to enable ambitious projects aimed at mapping the cellular protein synthesis machinery in context and understanding complex host-microbiome interactions, respectively.
2023
embl-announcementsscience
Science & Technology Pioneers of the mRNA nanomedicines technology receive 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or medicine. EMBL is pleased to have supported the development of the application of the mRNA nanomedicine technology through our long-standing collaboration with BioNTech, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and…
2023
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology Learn how scientists use bio-SAXS, an experimental X-ray technique, to study the shape and dynamics of proteins and other biomolecules. SAXS can be even used to analyse the structure of mineral particles in the swordfish sword bone, which can help scientists better understand bone ageing.
2023
sciencescience-technology
Lab MattersPeople & Perspectives Clément Blanchet has been appointed to lead the team working on small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) at EMBL Hamburg. In this interview, he talks his ambitions for the future work of the SAXS Team, his passion for science, and a memorable ‘aha’ moment he had in his early career.
2023
lab-matterspeople-perspectives
Science & Technology A third of all known proteins are either completely or partially unstructured. EMBL scientists contributed to a new set of guidelines – Minimum Information About a Disorder Experiment (MIADE) – that will help researchers share data on unstructured proteins in a more useful way and will enable…
2023
sciencescience-technology
ConnectionsLab Matters EMBL researchers and collaborators have begun an impactful innovation-development journey, thanks to a European Commission ‘IMAGINE’ grant.
2023
connectionslab-matters
Science & Technology EMBL Hamburg scientists have contributed to the development of the Spitrobot, a ground-breaking experimental setup that will simplify creating molecular movies. The Spitrobot automates the sample preparation for time-resolved crystallography, which is used to create 3D snapshots of protein…
2023
sciencescience-technology
ConnectionsLab Matters EMBL Hamburg partners with the Hanseatic Life Science Research Infrastructure Consortium (HALRIC) to enhance life sciences research in Scandinavia and northern Germany. The consortium builds on the HALOS project to foster collaborations between industry, hospitals, and universities, leveraging…
2023
connectionslab-matters
Lab MattersPeople & Perspectives Eduard Avetisyan leads the EMBL Hamburg IT team. He joined EMBL after transitioning from particle physics research to IT. Besides providing standard IT user support, his team also enables smooth processing and computational analysis of structural biology data. Here, he talks about the joys and…
2023
lab-matterspeople-perspectives
Lab MattersPeople & Perspectives Biological X-ray imaging is an emerging technology that uses X-rays to image tissues or even entire organisms. It will play an important role in EMBL Hamburg’s future service portfolio, and will allow studying life on multiple scales. Team Leader Liz Duke discusses her plans to establish X-ray…
2023
lab-matterspeople-perspectives
Lab MattersScience & Technology Physicists, engineers and robotics experts work together in EMBL Hamburg’s Instrumentation Team to design instruments that support structural biology research. The team has finished a transfer robot that facilitates automated handling of protein crystals with care and precision. This will help…
2023
lab-mattersscience-technology
Lab MattersScience & Technology EMBL Hamburg’s Sample Preparation and Characterisation (SPC) Facility offers scientists access to almost all available biophysics technologies. The facility’s staff provides advice and support with experiments and data analysis. The facility is conveniently located just next to the EMBL…
2023
lab-mattersscience-technology
EMBL AnnouncementsLab Matters EMBL Rome group leader Jamie Hackett receives EUR 2 million for the ModLogic project, aimed at understanding how chromatin modifications impact gene activity.
2023
embl-announcementslab-matters
Lab MattersScience & Technology EMBL joined a kick-off event focusing on the developments related to the upgrade of the PETRA III synchrotron storage ring to PETRA IV at the DESY campus, where EMBL Hamburg is located. PETRA IV could open new possibilities at EMBL Hamburg, contributing to the goals of the EMBL Programme…
2022
lab-mattersscience-technology
Science & Technology 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…
2022
sciencescience-technology
Lab Matters Students from the Business Academy Aarhus visit EMBL Hamburg annually. Many of them return later as trainees to gain experience as lab technicians. EMBL Hamburg offers great opportunities to learn diverse techniques and work with various equipment. This experience helps them in their future jobs in…
2022
lab-matters
Science & Technology 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.
2022
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology 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…
2021
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology 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…
2021
sciencescience-technology
Lab MattersScience & Technology Each year, EMBL Hamburg’s Svergun Group offers practical EMBO courses and lecture courses on biological small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The courses provide young scientists an opportunity to gain hands-on experience by measuring their own samples, and by exploring different aspects of SAXS…
2021
lab-mattersscience-technology
Science & Technology 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.
2021
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology 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.
2021
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology 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.
2021
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology 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…
2021
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology Structural biology provides insights into the diverse functions of fibrous protein in humans, amphibians, and bacteria.
2021
sciencescience-technology
Lab MattersPeople & Perspectives The new team leader at EMBL Hamburg talks about her plans to establish biological X-ray imaging and high-throughput tomography.
2021
lab-matterspeople-perspectives
Science & Technology 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.
2021
sciencescience-technology
People & Perspectives EMBL alumni Ilaria Piazza and Ken Holmes have been recognised for their outstanding contributions, and will receive their awards as part of the celebrations for EMBL World Alumni Day.
2021
alumnipeople-perspectives
Science & Technology EMBL’s Melissa Graewert and colleagues are taking a structural biologist’s approach to better understanding nanoplastic particles.
2021
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology EMBL Hamburg’s Wilmanns and Kosinski groups have determined the detailed structure of a bacterial protein complex critical for tuberculosis infection.
2021
sciencescience-technology
Lab MattersPeople & Perspectives EMBL Director Matthias Hentze describes the Environmental Research Initiative: a community effort to solve global environmental challenges.
2021
lab-matterspeople-perspectives
Science & Technology Researchers at EMBL Hamburg reveal how peg-like proteins clasp and reshape the cell membrane
2021
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology A workshop run by EMBL Hamburg explored opportunities for structural biology at the future, upgraded PETRA IV synchrotron.
2021
eventsscience-technology
Science & Technology EMBL Hamburg’s integrated structural biology facility has contributed to the success of a large-scale SARS-CoV-2 study
2021
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology Scientists at EMBL Hamburg use droplets of protein solution to grow protein crystals. By exposing the crystals to X-rays, they are able to determine the protein’s molecular structure.
2021
picture-of-the-weekscience-technology
ConnectionsLab Matters The Sample Preparation and Characterisation (SPC) Facility at EMBL Hamburg is one of the founding members of the Molecular-Scale Biophysics Research Infrastructure (MOSBRI). Within this new European initiative, the SPC Facility will offer services related to membrane proteins, protein complexes,…
2021
connectionslab-matters
Science & Technology Scientists at EMBL Hamburg use specially designed mirrors to reflect and focus X-ray beams onto tiny crystals made of proteins or other biological molecules.
2021
picture-of-the-weekscience-technology
ConnectionsLab Matters EMBL’s sites in Grenoble, Hamburg, and Heidelberg form the newest Instruct Centre. The new centre offers users access to a broad range of state-of-the-art facilities.
2021
connectionslab-matters
Science & Technology Structural biologists want to study proteins at the atomic level. The device shown in this Picture of the Week is essential for this.
2021
picture-of-the-weekscience-technology
Science & Technology Researchers discovered the dominant species of bacteria in kefir grains cannot endure without other species that help the 'team' survive.
2021
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology Biotechnology company BioNTech and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz conduct collaborative research with EMBL scientists at the beamline P12 in Hamburg
2020
sciencescience-technology
Lab Matters Hamburg hosts one of EMBL’s six sites. The city is notorious for its windy and rainy weather. Lots of rain also means a high chance of beautiful rainbows!
2020
lab-matterspicture-of-the-week
Science & Technology 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…
2020
sciencescience-technology
Lab MattersPeople & Perspectives New associate group leader at EMBL Hamburg investigates the structure of functional amyloids in bacteria and in human disease
2020
lab-matterspeople-perspectives
Science & Technology 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.
2020
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology Despite their ghostly appearance, these are very real cell nuclei infected with Influenza A virus – the only influenza virus known to cause pandemics.
2020
picture-of-the-weekscience-technology
EMBL Announcements The Svergun group at EMBL Hamburg has released the course ‘Solution Scattering from Biological Macromolecules’ in an online format for the first time. The course explores different aspects of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for studying the structure of macromolecules.
2020
embl-announcementsevents
Science & Technology 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…
2020
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology 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…
2020
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology 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.
2020
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology A new paper describes a unique mechanism of partner selectivity in transcription factors.
2019
sciencescience-technology
EMBL Announcements Tara schooner welcomes on board journalists, policymakers, funders and scientists
2019
embl-announcementsevents
EMBL Announcements EMBL Hamburg and Tara raise awareness of the risks of microplastic pollution and global infection
2019
embl-announcementsevents
Science & Technology Suicide system in tuberculosis bacteria might hold key to treatment
2019
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology EMBL scientists investigate the structure of a key protein involved in blood clotting
2018
sciencescience-technology
People & Perspectives The new head of facility at EMBL Hamburg will help users solve protein puzzles
2018
people-perspectivesscience
Lab Matters 20,000 visitors get sneak peek at giant particle accelerators at DESY DAY in Hamburg
2017
eventslab-matters
ConnectionsLab Matters On 29 June, at a ceremony in front of 700 guests, the Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB) in Hamburg, was officially opened. At the event on the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) Campus in Hamburg, Helmut Dosch, Chairman of the DESY Board of Directors, presented Head of EMBL Hamburg…
2017
connectionslab-matters
Science & Technology EMBL scientists add crucial knowledge to understanding of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis
2017
sciencescience-technology
Connections The PEPC course celebrated its 10th anniversary in Hamburg from the 12 – 20 September this year
2016
connectionsevents
Science & Technology How cells eliminate protein deposits that can lead to neurodegenerative disorders
2016
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology Unexpected results: structure of DAPK enzyme reveals dual-purpose loop
2016
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology Hamburg collaborators analyse protein crystals inside the cells that made them.
2016
sciencescience-technology
An interview with keynote speaker Michael Rossmann.
2014
events
Science & Technology Myomesin stretching to 2.5 times its length. Credit: EMBL/Wilmanns. In this video, a protein called myomesin does its impression of Mr. Fantastic, the leader of the Fantastic Four of comic book fame, who performed incredible feats by stretching his body. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology…
2012
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology In a paper published online today in PNAS, scientists from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Hamburg, Germany, reveal new insights into the workings of enzymes from a group of bacteria including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. The new findings…
2011
sciencescience-technology
Science & Technology Cells rely on a range of signalling systems to communicate with each other and to control their own internal workings. Scientists from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Hamburg, Germany, have now found a way to hack into a vital communications system, raising the possibility of…
2010
sciencescience-technology
EMBL AnnouncementsLab Matters Today the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) opens a new highthroughput crystallization facility at its Outstation located on the campus of the German Synchrotron Radiation Facility (DESY) in Hamburg, Germany. The facility, made possible by major funds from the German Ministry for Science…
2005
embl-announcementslab-matters
Looking for past print editions of EMBLetc.? Browse our archive, going back 20 years.
EMBLetc. archive
