Celebrating Stephen Cusack’s contributions to science
Events Researchers from across the globe have gathered in Grenoble to celebrate the remarkable lifelong scientific achievements of Stephen Cusack, the former head of EMBL Grenoble.
2023
events
Switching off the cytokine storm
Science EMBL Grenoble and University of Geneva researchers shed light on the molecular activation of the MAP kinase p38α, the final ‘switch’ triggering the inflammatory response.
2023
science
We are EMBL: Rutuja Yelmar on her life as a PhD student at EMBL Grenoble
Lab Matters Rutuja Yelmar, predoctoral Fellow at EMBL Grenoble in the Kowalinski group, talks about her passion for research, daily inspiration, and the importance of collaboration in achieving her goals.
2023
lab-matters
Spotlight: Shedding light on deadly parasites
Lab Matters, Picture of the week This single-celled organism the size of a dust particle is capable of causing deadly tropical diseases in both humans and livestock –Trypanosoma brucei, in an image by Luciano Dolce from EMBL.
2023
lab-matterspicture-of-the-week
Facilitating drug discovery against COVID-19
Science A collaboration between EMBL Grenoble and EBRIS scientists led to the characterisation of a new compound with promising activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants.
2023
science
IMAGINE-ing next-generation technology to help biologists
Lab Matters EMBL researchers and collaborators have begun an impactful innovation-development journey, thanks to a European Commission ‘IMAGINE’ grant.
2023
lab-matters
We are EMBL: Martin Pelosse on his role at the Eukaryotic Expression Facility
Lab Matters Martin Pelosse, Scientific Expert at EMBL Grenoble Eukaryotic Expression Facility, explains the platform’s role in supporting the site’s cutting-edge research activities and its future applications.
2023
lab-matters
Behind the scenes of innovation
EMBLetc EMBL Grenoble technology teams provide a sneak peek into their latest collaborative project in structural biology services: the complete automation of an integral step in X-ray crystallography.
2023
We are EMBL: Angelika Thomasson on administrative support to EMBL staff
Lab Matters Angelika Thomasson, administrative assistant at EMBL Grenoble, talks about her role in supporting her colleagues in organising events and travels, what she enjoys about EMBL, and which famous female scientist she would like to have coffee with.
2023
lab-matters
We are EMBL: Audrey Spielmann on providing lab support
Lab Matters Audrey Spielmann, Lab Support Manager, talks about her role in supporting the research done at EMBL Grenoble.
2023
lab-matters
Welcome: Gergely Papp
Lab Matters Together with his team, Gergely Papp pushes the frontiers of technology development in the field of structural biology.
2023
lab-matters
EMBL Grenoble showcased at Biophysical Society Meeting
Lab Matters EMBL’s French site was highlighted in a short film presenting its expertise in structural biology research and services.
2023
lab-matters
Biology meets engineering
Lab Matters 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-matters
New EU-funded Project: Fragment-Screen
Lab Matters EMBL is one of the partners of this project that aims to accelerate drug discovery and development, bringing in expertise from EMBL Grenoble and EMBL-EBI.
2023
lab-matters
Solving the structure of a critical molecular editor
Science EMBL Grenoble scientists provide new insights into the function of an essential RNA editing enzyme.
2023
science
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.
2023
science
Celebrating science in Grenoble
Lab Matters In October 2022, EMBL Grenoble participated in the annual science outreach event Parvis des Sciences, organised by the GIANT campus under the umbrella of the French science week – La Fête de la science.
2022
lab-matters
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.
2022
science
Two in one: combining MASSIF-1 and CrystalDirect
Lab Matters Researchers and engineers have integrated a CrystalDirect harvester into the fully automated beamline MASSIF-1, a unique combination of structural biology technologies that is now open to external academic users.
2022
lab-matters
Teaming up to drive forward time-resolved crystallography
Lab Matters The recent construction of the new ID29 beamline in Grenoble is pioneering a new way of doing experiments in time-resolved crystallography and opening up technology transfer possibilities
2022
lab-matters
Patrick Cramer elected as next President of the Max Planck Society
Alumni Former chair of EMBL Council to take office as the next President of the Max Planck Society in June 2023.
2022
alumni
Next Head of EMBL Grenoble appointed
Lab Matters Professor Kristina Djinović-Carugo has been appointed as the next head of EMBL Grenoble. She will join EMBL in July from the Max Perutz Laboratories at the University of Vienna, where she is currently Head of the Department of Structural and Computational Biology and full Professor of Structural…
2022
lab-matters
Meet the next Head of EMBL Grenoble
Lab Matters Slovenian structural biologist Kristina Djinović-Carugo will join EMBL in July as the new Head of EMBL Grenoble. We spoke to her about her background, research interests, and plans for EMBL Grenoble.
2022
lab-matters
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.
2022
science
EMBL-IAB collaboration on the rise
Lab Matters The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between EMBL and the Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB) a year ago has already catalysed new grants for joint research projects related to cancer and infection biology, thereby deepening collaborative activities.
2021
lab-matters
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.
2021
science
Strengthening collaborations in France
Lab Matters EMBL and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) signed a memorandum of understanding.
2021
lab-matters
Wrangling an octopus-like viral replication machine
Science EMBL structural biology is part of an international collaboration addressing zoonotic disease caused by Lassa virus.
2021
science
EMBL experimental services enable European researchers to tackle global societal challenges
Lab Matters Independent impact review finds EMBL experimental services are ‘critical’ for research and endorses EMBL as a world-class service provider for academia and industry.
2021
lab-matters
EMBL and Ifremer cooperate to advance ocean sciences
Lab Matters The two organisations have signed a memorandum of understanding to support scientific cooperation in the exploration of coastal and oceanic ecosystems.
2021
lab-matters
Six Ways to Protect the Planet Against Pandemics*
Events EMBL will host a conference to look at the state of the pandemic, lessons learned, and ways to improve pandemic preparedness. Here’s a sneak peek into what promises to be another interesting and informative EMBL conference.
2021
events
MASSIF-1 beamline in Grenoble supports COVID-19 drug discovery
Lab Matters MASSIF-1, run jointly by EMBL Grenoble and the ESRF, is a beamline for macromolecular crystallography. It is used by the research community to study the 3D structure of proteins, which is important for drug development.
2021
lab-matters
A hidden medal
Alumni We all like a story about rediscovering treasures, right? Well, that’s just what happened recently at EMBL Grenoble!
2021
alumni
EMBL external research community survey
Lab Matters EMBL is conducting an Impact Assessment of our experimental services to understand the value these services have for our external user community. If you have accessed EMBL experimental services at one or more of our facilities to support the conduct of your research, we would like to hear from you.
2021
lab-matters
EMBL and Inserm to join forces
Lab Matters A memorandum of understanding has been signed between EMBL and Inserm to strengthen their scientific cooperation.
2021
lab-matters
EMBL and Tara Ocean Foundation sail forward with formalised cooperation
Lab Matters The EMBL-Tara Ocean Foundation collaboration will expand opportunities to jointly explore molecular connections between ocean and humankind.
2021
lab-matters
EMBL strengthens collaborations in the French academic landscape
Lab Matters A memorandum of understanding has been signed between EMBL, Collège de France, and the Institute of Biology of the Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS).
2021
lab-matters
Structural biology at EMBL: driving technology development
Lab Matters Florent Cipriani, who recently retired as Head of the Instrumentation Team after a long career at EMBL Grenoble, is one of the pioneers of instrumentation development in this field.
2021
lab-matters
From molecules to ecosystems: EMBL and IAB sign memorandum of understanding
Lab Matters This MoU formalises a 15-year collaboration between the two institutes and strengthens Grenoble as a European research centre in the life sciences.
2021
lab-matters
Touch of springtime in Grenoble
Picture of the week This photo shows the European Photon and Neutron (EPN) science campus where EMBL Grenoble is located. A delightful spring breeze in the air melts the last remaining patches of snow in the mountains.
2021
picture-of-the-week
Purity, beauty, and perfection
Picture of the week The regular structures of crystals are a source of inspiration and fascination to us humans. While the crystals in this picture were not grown in nature, but instead by Petra Drncova from EMBL Grenoble, they share the same attributes as those found in nature.
2021
picture-of-the-week
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.
2021
science
EMBL becomes newest Instruct Centre
Lab 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
lab-matters
First powder over EMBL Grenoble
Picture of the week The first snowflakes have fallen on the Vercors Mountains, right behind the EMBL Grenoble building, and an almost full moon is showing up during a sunny morning.
2020
picture-of-the-week
Tackling tropical diseases
Science Members of the EMBL community are working to improve our understanding of the parasites that cause malaria and sleeping sickness
2020
science
EMBL forms new collaborations in France
Lab Matters EMBL and CIML have signed a memorandum of understanding that will open up new scientific opportunities.
2020
lab-matters
EMBL scientists receive prestigious ERC Starting Grants
Lab Matters Maria Bernabeu and Wojciech Galej have each been awarded €1.5 million to research malaria and pre-mRNA splicing, respectively.
2020
lab-matters
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.
2020
science
ALPX – smart crystallography
Lab Matters The CrystalDirect® technology, combined with the web-based CRIMS software enable a fully automated, remote-controlled protein-to-structure pipeline.
2020
lab-matters
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…
2020
science
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…
2020
science
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.
2020
science
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…
2020
science
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.
2020
science
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.
2020
science
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…
2020
science
It’s Lab Ski Day!
Picture of the week This image, taken by Raphaël Cohen-Aberdam from the Cipriani team, shows that the weather for the Grenoble Lab Ski Day 2020 was just perfect!
2020
picture-of-the-week
Empowering European structural biology
Lab Matters EU funding for iNEXT-Discovery consortium unlocks key technologies for structural biology
2019
lab-matters
Strengthening European biology
Lab Matters EMBL is now a member of the Instruct-ERIC organisation
2019
lab-matters
Neural pathways
Science Exploring the diverse routes by which EMBL scientists are driving forward neurobiology
2019
science
Snapshots from Mission Microplastics
Events Highlights from the Tara stopovers in Rome, Marseille, and Barcelona
2019
events
EMBL and Tara: Marseille
Events From 27–30 September, Tara will be docked in the port of Marseille, France’s second largest city.
2019
events
The end of a productive day
Picture of the week It’s evening and the Sun is setting over the mountains surrounding the city of Grenoble – home to one of EMBL’s six sites – bathing the mountaintops in fiery red light. The Picture of the Week, taken by Zuzanna Kaczmarska shows the lab she worked in after a long and busy day. Bottles…
2019
picture-of-the-week
Discover the research schooner Tara and her new microplastics mission in the Old Port of Marseille on 27 September
Events What: A press conference on the new Tara mission on microplastics and the Tara Ocean Foundation’s cooperation with EMBL. The press briefing will be followed by a visit to the schooner.When: Friday 27 September at 13:00 CEST.Where: The press conference will be held on the Tara…
2019
events
EMBL in France: where science meets the sea
Alumni September’s alumni event in Marseille will coincide with a Tara stopover
2019
alumni
MEG3 kissing loops essential for tumour suppression
Science MEG3 adopts a complex three-dimensional structure to fulfil its tumour suppressor function.
2019
science
Toxin responsible for Legionella growth identified
Science SidJ enforces a unique modification on human proteins and helps legionella grow.
2019
science
EIPOD4: 2019 applications are open
Lab Matters EIPOD4 will prepare researchers for the increasing interdisciplinarity of scientific career paths
2019
lab-matters
Paving the way for new flu drugs
Science Snapshots of the flu virus replication machine in action
2019
science
A thirst for science
Events EMBL got together with the global science festival Pint of Science to explain and celebrate science.
2019
events
Welcome: Sagar Bhogaraju
Science New group leader at EMBL Grenoble is investigating the cellular role of melanoma antigens
2019
science
Edith Heard starts as Director General of EMBL
Lab Matters On January 1 2019, Edith Heard takes up the position of EMBL’s Director General
2019
lab-matters
Transcription factors controlled by DNA sequence
Science EMBL scientists gain mechanistic insights into how cellular signalling controls gene regulation
2018
science
Cohesin: a glue for DNA
Science EMBL scientists discover how a component of the cohesin ring binds DNA
2018
science
Humans of EMBL: Outreach
Lab Matters Discover how EMBLers across all sites share their passion for science
2018
lab-matters
Flu’s response to new drug explored
Science EMBL scientists investigate how influenza virus responds to new drug treatment
2018
science
A pint of EMBL science
Events EMBL and Pint of Science join forces to entertain and educate
2018
events
Humans of EMBL: Past lives
Lab Matters Discover the past lives and journeys that brought people to EMBL
2018
lab-matters
Beamline ID23-2 tools up for ESRF upgrade
Lab Matters EMBL instrumentation teams adapting tech to run biological experiments on the synchrotron after its upgrade
2018
lab-matters
One way crossing across the midline
Science EMBL researchers solve a decades-long debate on a key process for brain and embryo-development
2018
science
Your favourite reads of 2017
Lab Matters A look back at some of the most read stories on EMBL’s news website this year
2017
lab-matters
Futures: Unravelling influenza
Science ERC grantee Stephen Cusack shares his vision for the next ten years
2017
science
Enzymes’ superimposable structures revealed
Science EMBL scientists superimpose structures of two-metal-ion enzymes and reveal new potential drug targets
2017
science
Welcome: Eva Kowalinski
Science New group leader based in Grenoble aims to unveil the mechanisms of RNA editing
2017
science
Humans of EMBL: Curiosity
Lab Matters EMBLers across all sites share how their curiosity about the world shapes their everyday life
2017
lab-matters
EMBL and ESRF renew collaboration agreement
Lab Matters EMBL and the European synchrotron ESRF extend their Joint Structural Biology Group
2017
lab-matters
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
2017
science
Cyclists rise to charity challenge
Lab Matters EMBL’s cycling team complete epic journey to raise money for Heidelberg’s children’s hospital
2017
lab-matters
Humans of EMBL: Senses
Lab Matters People across EMBL’s sites reflect on the ways they perceive their world
2017
lab-matters
Beamline 14’s legacy
Lab Matters Beamline BM14 in Grenoble shuts down, continues collaboration with India
2017
lab-matters
Welcome: Wojciech Galej
Science New group leader Wojciech Galej investigates RNA-protein complexes involved in gene expression
2017
science
How flu steals your RNA
Science Understanding how the flu virus steals host RNA offers hope of new drugs
2016
science
New Crystallography platform inaugurated
Lab Matters A new crystallography platform in Grenoble opens the door to new technological developments
2016
lab-matters
Toxoplasma’s balancing act explained
Science Parasite’s method of rewiring our immune response leads to novel tool for drug tests
2016
science
Big data, cool servers
Lab Matters Upgraded server room is ready to take the heat at EMBL Grenoble
2016
lab-matters
New drug candidate unleashed for TB
Science EMBL researchers help to design a lead compound active against four different pathogens
2016
science
Opinion: 2006, a year of champagne
Lab Matters Stephen Cusack looks back on the early days of his collaboration with Anacor developing anti-infectives
2016
lab-matters
Opinion: A journey from bench to clinical trials
Lab Matters Andrés Palencia on the design of compounds that may help fight drug-resistant TB and more
2016
lab-matters
Postdocs of EMBL
Lab Matters Turning the spotlight on the diverse universe of EMBL’s 200-strong postdoc community
2016
lab-matters
Atomic proportions
Science EMBL and ESRF scientists and mechanics work together on upgrade for one of Europe’s big X-ray sources
2016
science
Found in translation
Science Studying at EMBL in Grenoble helps Japanese postdoc see her native country through different eyes
2016
science
Partnership for Structural Biology: strength in diversity
Lab Matters Grenoble-based Partnership for Structural Biology (PSB) renewed for five more years
2016
lab-matters
Enzyme with a dual-purpose loop
Science Unexpected results: structure of DAPK enzyme reveals dual-purpose loop
2016
science
The man behind the machine
Science Florent Cipriani talks about his passion for developing beamline instrumentation
2016
science
Crystals in the beamlight
Science CrystalDirect, developed at EMBL, automates crystal preparation for X-ray analysis
2016
science
A cohesive structure
Science Structural insights into how cohesin keeps DNA together during the cell cycle
2016
science
Obituary: Bernard Jacrot
Alumni Former Head of EMBL Grenoble passed away on 21 January 2016 at the age of 89
2016
alumni
What’s on in 2016
Events With 28 conferences and 57 courses, 2016 will be EMBL’s most eventful year to date.
2015
events
Humans of EMBL
Lab Matters Compelling short stories that shine light on the life and work of EMBL staff.
2015
lab-matters
MASSIFly efficient
Science MASSIF-1 processes its 10,000th crystal, less than one year after the beamline became operational.
2015
science
Molecular momentum
Alumni Andrew Miller, first head of EMBL Grenoble, reflects on four decades at the Outstation.
2015
alumni
EMBL Grenoble: Alumni stories
Alumni Alumni Reuben Leberman, Jeremy Smith, Elena Seiradake, and Winfried Weissenhorn share their stories.
2015
alumni
EIPOD goes cubic
Lab Matters EI3POD: flagship interdisciplinary postdoc programme opens its doors to academia and industry.
2015
lab-matters
DNA protection, inch by inch
Science European team identify mechanism for producing piRNAs that silence jumping genes in germline cells.
2015
science
From mountains to molecules
Events Staff, alumni, partners and more meet at EMBL Grenoble to celebrate Outstation's 40th anniversary.
2015
events
Open access: transforming science
Lab Matters EMBL’s new open access policy aims to make EMBL research widely and freely accessible.
2015
lab-matters
It runs in the family
Science Detailed structural study shows distantly related viruses share a common machinery for replication.
2015
science
Stephen Cusack elected to the Royal Society
Lab Matters Stephen Cusack, head of EMBL Grenoble, among 47 new Royal Society fellows.
2015
lab-matters
Grenoble anniversary symposium: join us!
Alumni EMBL Grenoble celebrates 40 years with a symposium for staff, alumni and facility users on 4–5 June.
2015
alumni
Shining light onto the fabric of life
Events First LearningLAB of 2015 makes science of protein structure crystal clear for 22 teachers.
2015
events
Come together
Science First experimental proof that a key cellular machine forms by uniting pre-assembled modules.
2015
science
Welcome: Marco Marcia
Science New group leader Marco Marcia aims to broaden horizons while mapping molecules.
2015
science
MASSIF step forward
Science In two months, 2.3 million diffraction images collected on new, fully automated ESRF/EMBL beamline.
2014
science
20 years in the making
Science First complete picture of flu virus polymerase. A story of two decades of blood, sweat and sneezes.
2014
science
Zombies and crystals
Events Open Day in Grenoble celebrates crystallography for the Fête de la Science.
2014
events
100 different stories
Lab Matters Drumming, drama, dancing and discovery in a diary of art and science event, Roche Continents.
2014
lab-matters
Binding bracelet
Science Vasa protein preserves pieces of 'enemy' DNA to help protect the genes of future generations.
2014
science
Celebrating 40 years of leading life science
Alumni "Thank you, EMBL, for changing my life" – reunion celebrates great science and great scientists
2014
alumni
Forty things that make EMBL – Part 1
Lab Matters As the Lab turns 40, staff and alumni share 40 things that make EMBL, EMBL
2014
lab-matters
The future’s bright
Science Surprising protein from a flu-like virus is 10 000th ESRF structure
2014
science
Forty things that make EMBL – Part 2
Lab Matters As the Lab turns 40, staff and alumni share 40 things that make EMBL, EMBL
2014
lab-matters
Five for the future
Lab Matters Scientists from EMBL's five sites reflect on the opportunities and challenges that might lie ahead
2014
lab-matters
Chain reactions
Science Scientists determine the structure of auxin response factors: daisy-chains that regulate gene expression
2014
science
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…
2013
science
Protein production: going viral
Science A research team of scientists from EMBL Grenoble and the IGBMC in Strasbourg, France, have, for the first time, described in molecular detail the architecture of the central scaffold of TFIID: the human protein complex essential for transcription from DNA to mRNA. The study, published today…
2013
science
Catching the cap-snatcher
Science Researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Grenoble, France, have determined the detailed 3-dimensional structure of part of the flu virus’ RNA polymerase, an enzyme that is crucial for influenza virus replication. This important finding is published today in PLoS…
2012
science
Flu fighters
Science Savira pharmaceuticals GmbH, a spin-off of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) based in Vienna, Austria, has signed a collaboration and license agreement with Roche, thus further strengthening the links between fundamental research and major pharmaceutical development companies. This…
2012
science
New distributed research infrastructure for structural biology
Science Breakthroughs in biomedical science are a step closer today, with the launch of a new distributed research infrastructure for the science of structural biology: Instruct. The launch of Instruct will give academic and commercial scientists across Europe access to a full portfolio of integrated…
2012
science
Intruder detected: raise the alarm!
Science When a thief breaks into a bank vault, sensors are activated and the alarm is raised. Cells have their own early-warning system for intruders, and scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Grenoble, France, have discovered how a particular protein sounds that alarm when it…
2011
science
How cells export and embed proteins in the membrane
Science Like an overprotective parent on the first day of school, a targeting factor sometimes needs a little push to let go of its cargo. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Grenoble, France, have visualised one such hand-over. They were the first to determine the structure…
2010
science
How to shoot the messenger
Science 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
science
Drought resistance explained
Science Much as adrenaline coursing through our veins drives our body’s reactions to stress, the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is behind plants’ responses to stressful situations such as drought, but how it does so has been a mystery for years. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology…
2009
science
Putting the squeeze on sperm DNA
Science In the quest for speed, olympic swimmers shave themselves or squeeze into high-tech super-suits. In the body, sperm are the only cells that swim and, as speed is crucial to fertility, have developed their own ways to become exceptionally streamlined. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology…
2009
science
New interdisciplinary structural biology centre for virus research and technology platforms
Lab Matters On June 26 2009 the joint international Unit for Virus and Host Cell Interactions (Unité Mixte Internationale) was formally established in Grenoble. The unit is run jointly by CNRS, the Grenoble outstation of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the Grenoble University Joseph…
2009
lab-matters
Getting a grip on complexes: EMBL scientists develop first fully automated pipeline for multiprotein complex production
Science Most cellular processes are carried out by molecular machines that consist of many interacting proteins. These protein complexes lie at the heart of life science research, but they are notoriously hard to study. Their abundance is often too low to extract them directly from cells and generating…
2009
science
New findings reveal how influenza virus hijacks human cells
Science Influenza is and remains a disease to reckon with. Seasonal epidemics around the world kill several hundred thousand people every year. In the light of looming pandemics if bird flu strains develop the ability to infect humans easily, new drugs and vaccines are desperately sought. Researchers at…
2009
science
Getting wise to the influenza virus’ tricks
Science Influenza is currently a grave concern for governments and health organisations around the world. Now one of the tactics used by influenza virus to take over the machinery of infected cells has been laid bare by structural biologists at the EMBL, the joint Unit of Virus Host-Cell Interaction of…
2008
science
A first glimpse of the influenza replication machine
Science In 1918, 50 million people died during a worldwide influenza pandemic caused by mutation of a bird-specific strain of the influenza virus. Recently H5N1, another highly infectious avian strain has caused outbreaks of bird flu around the world. There is great concern that this virus might also…
2007
science
Cracking a virus protection shield
Science Ebola, measles and rabies are serious threats to public health in developing countries. Despite different symptoms all of the diseases are caused by the same class of viruses that unlike most other living beings carry their genetic information on a single RNA molecule instead of a double strand of…
2006
science
A major European Centre for Structural Biology inaugurated in Grenoble
Lab Matters On Friday, 13 January 2006, the new Carl-Ivar Brändén Building (CIBB) will be inaugurated on the Polygone Scientifique Campus in Grenoble, France. The CIBB will be operated as a collaboration between major international and national partners based in Grenoble and is a further step in the…
2006
lab-matters
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