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

Ancient ‘relaxant-inflammatory’ response gets sponges moving

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

2024

science

23 November 2023 Photographs of two scientists on a decorative background

ERC Consolidator Grants awarded to two EMBL researchers

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

2023

lab-matters

15 November 2023

Why time is of the essence in development

EMBLetc EMBL developmental biologists – with help from other disciplines – pursue the significance of time, timing, and transitions in organisms during their development

2023

31 October 2023

EMBL’s southern hemisphere connection

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

2023

lab-matters

26 October 2023 Photographs of three scientists on a decorative blue background

EMBL scientists receive prestigious ERC Synergy Grants

Science 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

science

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

Spotlight: Off to the pole

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

2023

picture-of-the-weekscience

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

Bringing research on disordered proteins to order

Science 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

science

15 May 2023 A section of electron microscopy volume of a Platynereis larvae. Different colours mark different cell groups.

Visualising biology: new tools of the trade

EMBLetc EMBL researchers are pushing the frontiers of big data analysis in biological imaging, allowing scientists to gain a many-layered and multidimensional view of organisms, tissues, and cells in action.

2023

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

The World of Molecular Biology is open 

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

2023

lab-matters

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

Life in context

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

2023

events

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

Dispensing microscopy expertise

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

2023

lab-matters

29 March 2023 Photographs of two male scientists in circular insets against a decorative background

EMBL Alumni Awards Announced for 2023

Alumni Two former EMBL scientists have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to the fields of science communication and multiple sequence alignment research, respectively.

2023

alumni

21 March 2023 Male scientist in blue shirt standing in front of a building with glass doors.

Welcome: Thomas Quail

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

2023

lab-matters

8 December 2022 Image of Prof. Peter B. Becker in the laboratory

New chair of EMBL Council

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

2022

lab-matters

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

EMBL deepens ties with Croatia

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

2022

events

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

The EMBL Connection

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

2022

events

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

When microbiomes collide

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.

2022

science

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

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.

2022

science

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

Puzzling out the structure of a molecular giant

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…

2022

science

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

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.

2022

science

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

Enabling imaging across scales

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

2022

events

23 March 2022 Two Drosophila embryos stained with fluorescent dye on a purple background that indicates either solid or liquid state

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.

2022

science

20 March 2022 Portrait photo of EMBL Group Leader Judith Zaugg against a green background.

Judith Zaugg from EMBL Heidelberg receives ERC Consolidator Grant

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

2022

lab-matters

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

A 3D culture model to study embryo growth

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.

2022

science

2 March 2022 Image composition showing a building with sun reflecting off the glass and microscopy images of microorganisms in multiple colours.

‘The World of Molecular Biology’ exhibition

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

2022

lab-matters

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

Converging lenses on embryo development

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.

2022

science

23 February 2022 A male scientist in a white shirt stands at a walkway railing.

Welcome: Michael Dorrity

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

2022

lab-matters

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

Cell sorting enters a new dimension

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.

2022

science

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

Observing the secret life of molecules inside the cell

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…

2021

science

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

Connecting the dots between bacterial genes around the world

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.

2021

science

9 December 2021 Colourful interwoven coils are displayed against a grid of small black and white photographic images.

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.

2021

science

9 December 2021 Portrait photo of Eileen Furlong against blue-green background.

Eileen Furlong honoured with Leibniz Prize

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

2021

lab-matters

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

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

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…

2021

science

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

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.

2021

science

28 October 2021 female scientist sits in front of building

Welcome: Svetlana Dodonova

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

2021

lab-matters

22 October 2021 Oblong shape with two holes and coloured dots inside, representing phytoplankton cells and nitrogen-fixing bacteria

Analysis and sorting with flow cytometry

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

2021

lab-matters

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

Tackling the collateral damage from antibiotics

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…

2021

science

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

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.

2021

science

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

Transferable skills

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

2021

lab-matters

9 September 2021 Portrait of former EMBL Director General Iain Mattaj

German Cross of Merit for former EMBL Director General

Alumni Former EMBL Director General Professor Iain Mattaj was awarded the German Cross of Merit (‘Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland’) at a ceremony held at EMBL Heidelberg on 9 September 2021.

2021

alumni

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

Common medications accumulate in gut bacteria

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.

2021

science

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

EMBL Alumni Awards 2021

Alumni 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

alumni

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

Starlet sea anemone

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

2021

picture-of-the-week

22 June 2021 Woman stands at brown railing in front of trees

Welcome: Anna Erzberger

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

2021

lab-matters

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

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

4 June 2021 Man in white shirt and blue jeans standing on a terrace in front of trees, facing the camera.

The power of community

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

2021

lab-matters

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

Nuclear twins

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

2021

picture-of-the-week

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

Painting liver cells

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

2021

picture-of-the-week

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

Variations on a spike

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

2021

picture-of-the-week

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

Morning sun

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

2021

picture-of-the-week

4 March 2021 An illustration of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq)

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…

2021

science

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

Finding coronavirus’s helper proteins

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.

2021

science

9 February 2021 An artistic representation of how bioinformatics allows study of the SARS-CoV-2 infection process. On the left, coronaviruses are approaching a human face contour. On the right, protein structures and a network of connections represent bioinformatic analysis.

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.

2021

science

18 January 2021 man wearing sweater and glasses stands in front of snow and glassy building

Welcome: Timo Zimmermann

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

2021

lab-matters

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

Welcome: Olivier Duss

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

2021

lab-matters

12 January 2021 Three images showing close-ups of different EMBL facilitites.

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

18 December 2020

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…

2020

science

8 December 2020 Windowed façade reflecting leafless trees.

Clear views

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

2020

picture-of-the-week

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

Solar power

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

2020

picture-of-the-week

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

Under the rainbow

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

2020

picture-of-the-week

22 October 2020 An artistic image of colorful wires connected to a could database.

EOSC: shaping Europe’s digital future

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

2020

lab-matters

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

Nuclear pores in their natural context

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.

2020

science

24 August 2020 Simone Mattei, the new team leader in electron microscopy service and technology development

Welcome: Simone Mattei

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

2020

lab-matters

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

Two EMBL scientists become EMBO Members

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

2020

lab-matters

3 July 2020 stem cells neurons differentiation

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…

2020

science

16 June 2020 Tissue culture plates in an incubator.

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…

2020

science

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

Improving our response to emerging pandemics

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

2020

events

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

Re-trafficking proteins to fight Salmonella infections

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…

2020

science

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

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,…

2020

science

22 May 2020

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…

2020

science

19 May 2020 EMBL group leader Georgia Rapti

Welcome: Georgia Rapti

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

2020

lab-matters

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

EMBL hosts its first virtual conference

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

2020

events

19 February 2020 Claire Deo

Welcome: Claire Deo

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

2020

science

5 February 2020

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…

2020

science

5 February 2020

Finding genetic cancer risks

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

2020

science

28 January 2020

Injured lung

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

2020

picture-of-the-week

10 December 2019

Birth of two HeLa stars

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

2019

picture-of-the-week

29 November 2019 Choanocyte chamber of sponge, with neuroid cell

Neural pathways

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

2019

science

19 November 2019

Formation of a brain

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

2019

picture-of-the-week

9 October 2019

Science for everyone

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

2019

events

10 September 2019

Tracking the beginning of life

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

2019

picture-of-the-week

23 July 2019 Manfred Lautenschläger

The donor’s code

Events The main funder of the EMBL Lautenschläger Summer School reflects on codes of conduct around giving

2019

events

11 July 2019 Structure of the Elongator complex

A tRNA modifier at work

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

2019

science

11 June 2019

Rainbow lab

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

2019

picture-of-the-week

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

A thirst for science

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

2019

events

21 May 2019

From fruit flies to cancer treatment

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

2019

picture-of-the-week

14 May 2019

Walking on DNA

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

2019

picture-of-the-week

29 April 2019 This illustration, based on real data shows the heart of a Japanese rice fish. The green and blue laser beams demonstrate how the newly developed 3D imaging microscope is scanning the heart.

New 3D microscope

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

2019

science

14 August 2018 EMBL lab day 2018 - Key visual for Iain Mattaj's staff farewell event

Celebrating science

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

2018

events

9 May 2018 Benito-Gutiérrez searching for cephalochordates on board the dhoni boat

Ocean origins

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

2018

lab-matters

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

Science in a suitcase

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

2018

events

8 January 2018 A photo of new EMBL Heidelberg group leader Aissam Ikmi.

Welcome: Aissam Ikmi

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

2018

science

24 November 2017 Cryo-electron tomograms of intact cells reveal molecular landscapes.

Welcome: Julia Mahamid

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

2017

science

23 November 2017 Floating approximately 400 km above the Earth, the International Space Station provides a platform for scientific research in space.

Science in space

Alumni EMBL alumna Sigrid Reinsch trained as a cell biologist – now she helps run experiments in space

2017

alumni

3 November 2017 An image of Tara which was sailed around the world for four years during the Tara Oceans expedition. PHOTO by S Bollet/Tara Expeditions

Science at sea

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

2017

science

25 October 2017 Midnight at Aurora Basin North in Antarctica. PHOTO: Simon Sheldon

Science from ice

Alumni Working on scientific instruments has taken EMBL alumnus Simon Sheldon to the ends of the Earth

2017

alumni

21 September 2017

Fish on fire

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

2017

science

11 August 2017

Welcome: Justin Crocker

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

2017

science

25 May 2017

Sorting out HIV

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

2017

science

2 March 2017

Metabolism matters

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

2017

science

14 February 2017

Lipids in real time

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

2017

science

1 December 2016

Design for life

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

2016

lab-matters

24 November 2016 SPIM image of Medaka juveniles. Photo: EMBL/Philipp Keller

Thinking in 3D

Alumni Ernst Stelzer earns 2016 Lennart Philipson award for advances in light sheet microscopy

2016

alumni

3 November 2016

Spiral growth

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

2016

science

20 October 2016

Diving into Autumn

Events Participants learn about EMBL’s ocean biodiversity research at the Fall Gala

2016

events

30 August 2016 Francesco Iorio, an EMBL-EBI/Sanger Interdisciplinary Postdoc and now a senior bioinformatician at EMBL-EBI, strives to be "a great dad, as well as a great researcher". PHOTO: Robert Slowley

Postdocs of EMBL

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

2016

lab-matters

30 August 2016

Fundraising dimensions

Events Alumnus and entrepreneur Marc Zabeau speaks at inaugural Life Science Funders and Foundations event

2016

events

30 June 2016

Scientific twins

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

2016

science

21 April 2016 EMBL scientists are discovering and understanding the waves and rhythms inside us. ILLUSTRATION: Aad Goudappel, Rotterdam

The rhythms in life

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

2016

science

21 March 2016 First complete, real-time recording of starfish egg cell eliminating centrioles shows it handles mature ‘mother’ centrioles (green) and immature ‘daughter’ centrioles (purple) differently.

Mothers and daughters

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

2016

science

3 March 2016 Colorised scanning electron micrograph of red blood cell infected with malaria parasites (blue); uninfected cells with a smooth red surface. IMAGE: (CC BY 2.0)

Mapping malaria

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

2016

science

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

In sync

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

2016

science

11 February 2016 The 3D structure shows how two transcription factors influence one another’s binding to a specific stretch of DNA – an interaction that is crucial for a heart to develop healthily. IMAGE: EMBL/C.Müller

True Love

Science How transcription factors interact to create a heart

2016

science

17 December 2015

What’s on in 2016

Events With 28 conferences and 57 courses, 2016 will be EMBL’s most eventful year to date.

2015

events

2 December 2015 Gut bacteria are more affected by metformin than by the type-2 diabetes it is prescribed to treat. IMAGE: Courtesy of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (BY-NC-SA)

Drugging bacteria

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

2015

science

25 November 2015

Humans of EMBL

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

2015

lab-matters

30 October 2015

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

2015

science

5 October 2015

Nobel connections

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

2015

lab-matters

2 October 2015 The 1000 Genomes Project: a timeline

A lasting legacy

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

2015

science

23 September 2015

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?

2015

science

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

Ages apart

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

2015

science

9 September 2015 Vinton Cerf, Google Chief Internet Evangelist, and a "fathers of the Internet".

From packets to planets

Events Insights from the evangelical Vint Cerf, a “founding father of the Internet”, during a visit to EMBL.

2015

events

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

Super impressions

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

2015

events

25 August 2015 Maja Köhn. PHOTO: EMBL Photolab/Marietta Schupp

Chemical bonds

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

2015

lab-matters

24 August 2015

An ocean odyssey

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

2015

science

20 August 2015

Life in 3D

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

2015

science

28 July 2015

Union makes success

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

2015

lab-matters

17 July 2015

Science of Spider-Man

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

2015

events

13 July 2015

EIPOD goes cubic

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

2015

lab-matters

21 May 2015

Sense of space

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

2015

science

7 May 2015

Taking out the trash

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

2015

science

29 April 2015

Element of surprise

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

2015

science

16 March 2015

No humans required

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

2015

science

4 March 2015 Where and when are different molecules contributing to the bending of the membrane? IMAGE: EMBL/A. Picco

Best of three worlds

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

2015

science

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

Under pressure

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

2015

science

6 February 2015 A new way mice keep iron (purple) out of reach of pathogens. IMAGE FROM GUIDA et al. BLOOD 2015

The battle for iron

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

2015

science

4 February 2015 The new method helps identify which mutations to a gene actually cause a disease. IMAGE FROM THORMAEHLEN ET AL.

Beyond sequencing

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

2015

science

28 January 2015 Barcoding enables scientists to search for epigenetics tags in many samples at once. IMAGE: MANUEL (CC BY 2.0)

Barcoding epigenetics

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

2015

science

26 January 2015 ILLUSTRATION: AAD GOUDAPPEL

Cell control in a flash

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

2015

science

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

Let there be light

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

2015

lab-matters

5 December 2014

Four decades at EMBL

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

2014

alumni

19 November 2014

Foods are us!

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

2014

events

18 November 2014 Kyung-Min Noh. PHOTO: EMBL/M.SCHUPP

Welcome: Kyung-Min Noh

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

2014

science

17 November 2014 Judith Zaugg. PHOTO: EMBL/M. SCHUPP

Welcome: Judith Zaugg

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

2014

science

11 November 2014

Polish connections

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

2014

alumni

23 October 2014

Chamber of secrets

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

2014

science

20 October 2014

Breaking boundaries

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

2014

science

17 October 2014 Five-armed starfish

Superstars of science

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

2014

science

17 October 2014

A toast to EMBL

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

2014

events

17 October 2014

Witness to history

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

2014

alumni

15 September 2014

Obituary: Stephen Fuller

Alumni Stephen Fuller, from 1981–2000 an EMBL postdoc, group leader then Head of Unit, died on 25 August.

2014

alumni

21 August 2014

Drawing on nature

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

2014

events

20 August 2014

Binding bracelet

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

2014

science

6 August 2014

Clarity in the cold

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

2014

science

1 July 2014 Vasily Sysoev

Back to school

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

2014

lab-matters

1 July 2014

In our DNA

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

2014

lab-matters

1 July 2014 Illustration: Aad Goudappel, Rotterdam

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

1 July 2014 Question mark

Q&A

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

2014

lab-matters

25 June 2014

Taken out of context

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

2014

science

8 May 2014 Microscopy image

Remodelling the cell

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

2014

science

3 August 2012

How the cell swallows

Science Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have combined the power of two kinds of microscope to produce a 3-dimensional movie of how cells ‘swallow’ nutrients and other molecules by engulfing them. The study, published today in Cell, is the…

2012

science

24 May 2012 Microglial cells

Locating ground zero

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

2012

science

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

Putting the squeeze on sperm DNA

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

23 April 2009

New study reveals the protein that makes phosphate chains in yeast

Science It can be found in all life forms, and serves a multitude of purposes, from energy storage to stress response to bone calcification. This molecular jack-of-all trades is polyphosphate, a long chain of phosphate molecules. Researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in…

2009

science

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