{"id":64003,"date":"2023-11-15T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?post_type=embletc&#038;p=64003"},"modified":"2023-11-15T10:02:50","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T09:02:50","slug":"taking-science-on-the-road","status":"publish","type":"embletc","link":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-101\/taking-science-on-the-road\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking science on the road"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Kristineberg Center for Marine Research and Innovation sits near the mouth of the Gullmar fjord in Sweden. One day in early August this year, a large truck rolled up the narrow streets of the small settlement, coming to a halt only a few meters from the water. One of those most eagerly awaiting the truck\u2019s safe arrival was biologist Niko Leisch.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere were a couple of areas where I was not sure if the truck will actually manage to make the narrow turns,\u201d said Leisch, who is currently the Operational Manager of EMBL\u2019s mobile services. \u201cI was very relieved when it finally made it.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a sturdy frame, expandable walls, and scientific equipment worth several million euros, the truck that arrived at Kristineberg \u2013 the EMBL Advanced Mobile Laboratory (AML) \u2013 is a unique undertaking in the history of European life science research. The AML brings cutting-edge technology directly to the field, helping researchers process biological samples immediately after collecting them, using a variety of advanced methodologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"vf-embed vf-embed--16x9 | vf-u-margin__bottom--400\">\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jepbtufJrIg?si=anh8uW1zSQbirlJ-\" frameborder=\"0\" controls allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Exploring symbiosis in the wild<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the first users of the AML at Kristineberg was Flora Vincent, Group Leader at EMBL Heidelberg. Vincent, a marine biologist and no stranger to fieldwork, is interested in exploring the complex interactions within microbial communities, especially those involving symbiosis in single-celled microorganisms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of the Traversing European Coastlines (TREC expedition) \u2013 a flagship project of EMBL\u2019s Planetary Biology Transversal Theme \u2013 Vincent has been collecting species across land-water interfaces along the European coast. A particular point of interest for Vincent\u2019s group is diatoms, small microscopic organisms that live in the ocean and produce a large proportion of the planet\u2019s oxygen supply.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI use a lot of single-cell approaches, particularly single-cell sequencing,\u201d said Vincent. \u201cIn the past, I have sometimes needed to collect water samples and then drive two hours to a hospital with a flow cytometry unit to do my single-cell sorting. Here, with the cell sorter in the AML, it makes it much easier to begin the process on the spot, with a much lower risk of sample damage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<article class=\"vf-card vf-card--brand vf-card--bordered vf-u-margin__bottom--800\" default>\n  <div class=\"vf-card__content | vf-stack vf-stack--400\">\n      <h3 class=\"vf-card__heading\">\n      What is TREC?    <\/h3>\n                <p class=\"vf-card__text\">With the ambitious aim of sampling soil and water at 120 sites in 46 regions across Europe within two years, the TREC expedition aims to study life across all biological scales and help provide solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges of the day. Launched in March 2023, TREC brings EMBL researchers together with many partners and collaborators to investigate life at land-sea transects all along the European coast.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Also interested in symbiosis is Johan Decelle, Group Leader at CNRS in the Cell and Plant Physiology Laboratory, Grenoble and one of the collaborators for TREC. \u201cMy experience with the AML was like a scientific dream coming true,\u201d he said. \u201cNot only was it a unique scientific experience with cutting-edge instruments on the field, but also a memorable human adventure with experts and colleagues in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"vf-figure wp-block-image  | vf-figure--align vf-figure--align-inline-start   size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"767\" class=\"vf-figure__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/TREC-Drone-1-1024x767.jpg\" alt=\"An overhead drone image showing the AML making its way through a narrow hilly road in Sweden. \" class=\"wp-image-64043\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3368983957219251;width:440px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/TREC-Drone-1-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/TREC-Drone-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/TREC-Drone-1-768x575.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/TREC-Drone-1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"vf-figure__caption\">The AML arriving in Kristineberg, Sweden. Credit: EMBL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Decelle\u2019s team also participated in previous TREC pilot expeditions in Iceland, France, and Italy, and this work was significant in helping shape the current version of the AML.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe know little about the structural organisation of these systems, or how the host cell integrates with the photosynthesising cell or machinery at the subcellular level,\u201d said Decelle, \u201cThese organisms can\u2019t be easily cultured in the lab, and we wanted to explore these symbiotic relationships in their natural environment and physiological state, freezing them for 3D electron microscopy \u2013 which we can now do with some of the instruments in the AML.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Decelle\u2019s team is also studying symbiosis in plankton \u2013 small unicellular ocean-living organisms, especially focusing on known symbiotic associations between photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic eukaryotic cells. Similar symbiotic interactions are believed to have taken place several times during evolution, leading to the acquisition of chloroplast \u2013 a key cell organelle responsible for photosynthesis \u2013 in lineages of plants and photosynthetic algae.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"vf-figure wp-block-image  | vf-figure--align vf-figure--align-inline-end  size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"598\" class=\"vf-figure__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_9453_EDIT_1000x600px-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-64529\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.6722408026755853;width:504px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_9453_EDIT_1000x600px-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_9453_EDIT_1000x600px-1-300x179.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/IMG_9453_EDIT_1000x600px-1-768x459.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"vf-figure__caption\">The AML at Kristineberg. Credit: Tina Wiegand\/EMBL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Vincent, the AML also provides researchers an opportunity to think creatively, with tools now being available on the field that were never possible before. \u201cIt&#8217;s pushing us to think about a field sampling in a different way,\u201d she said. \u201cIt really enables me to draw new paths in my brain, ones that I could have never thought of as possible in the natural environment. It also gives us the opportunity to combine the best of two worlds by using the AML tools on samples collected by the Tara schooner. In a single day, we can get a full picture of the marine microbiome thanks to the Tara holistic sampling strategy, and then leverage the AML to conduct state-of-the-art molecular and cellular analyses on targeted species\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is particularly suited to Vincent\u2019s team, who use an adaptive sampling approach where the research strategy is tailored to the collection of living organisms that each sample contains, rather than vice versa.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe challenge is that we are really building the plane as we fly it,\u201d said Vincent. \u201cA lot of the machines are on the field for the first time. Each of those machines can be used in a standalone manner, but where I have a lot of fun is building connections between those tools.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using these tools and creating such new symbiotic relationships between methodologies and scientific approaches, the researchers hope to arrive at new insights that could help address some of the most pressing global challenges we face today \u2013 climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"vf-embed vf-embed--16x9 | vf-u-margin__bottom--400\">\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ryPPHPxuB2k?si=muncAPAo04MiT6aK\" frameborder=\"0\" controls allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Peering deeper inside plankton<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another researcher interested in exploring plankton communities is Omaya Dudin, group leader at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL). Dudin\u2019s lab explores the evolutionary origins of animal development and is part of the expansion microscopy (PlanExM) team that, as part of TREC, is trying to create an atlas of plankton biodiversity along European coasts. They hope to create a snapshot that would be crucial in assessing the impact of climate change on these populations in the future.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe biggest problem that happens in environmental sampling is that the moment you go beyond an hour or two from the time of sampling, you\u2019re not really sure what you\u2019re looking at any more,\u201d said Dudin.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is because many of the plankton living in coastal waters tend to die quickly when taken out of their native environment, greatly altering the species composition of the sample depending on how much time has passed since collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ability of the AML to travel very close to sampling locations allows Dudin and his team to expedite these crucial sample preservation steps and image plankton at the sub-cellular resolution using expansion and electron microscopy. It is also critical for the second part of the team\u2019s work, which focuses on culturing some of the species collected from the environment in order to potentially bring them back to the lab to study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEMBL is very well known for having high-end techniques in microscopy and molecular biology, and to bring them here, to a place where the samples are fresh, is something very unique,\u201d said Rainer Pepperkok, Director of Scientific Core Facilities and Services at EMBL. \u201cThis is something that I think will set the basis, for many decades, of functional and mechanistic research that integrates these different domains \u2013 the sea and the land \u2013 and to understand how these molecular ecosystems are functioning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"vf-figure wp-block-image  | vf-figure--align vf-figure--align-inline-end  size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"767\" class=\"vf-figure__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DJI_0205-13-1024x767.jpg\" alt=\"A drone image showing an overhead view of the AML truck parked close to the shore at Kristineberg, Sweden. \" class=\"wp-image-64045\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3350717079530638;width:442px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DJI_0205-13-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DJI_0205-13-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DJI_0205-13-768x575.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"vf-figure__caption\">The AML at Kristineberg, Sweden. Credit: EMBL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Arriving in Kristineberg just a day or two after the AML, Dudin was excited to be able to finally use the mobile laboratories. \u201cIt&#8217;s almost like an extension of my own lab,\u201d he said. \u201cThe quality of the equipment is beyond imagining and it\u2019s so well-organised, it just feels like home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the help of the AML, the PlanExM team can collect samples using specially designed \u2018plankton nets\u2019, bring them to the laboratory on wheels, and \u2018fix\u2019 them in three different ways in less than an hour. These methods include using chemical fixatives, high-pressure freezing, and plunge freezing, the latter two allowing researchers to use these samples for electron microscopy. Similarly, for culturing new species, the team is going to be able to combine the speed at which the samples are brought to the mobile lab with the single-cell sorter present on board to potentially get single-cell cultures, something still uncommon in plankton research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s going to change the perspective on how we do certain kinds of research,\u201d said Dudin. \u201cRight now, almost everyone wants to work on model systems because there are clear protocols, images, and tools. And for many of these wild species, no one\u2019s been working on them simply because they are so difficult to catch \u2013 by the time they reach the lab, they are dead. With the AML and with this mission, we are going to keep getting better at collecting data on these understudied organisms and potentially give hope to researchers who want to work on these. In that sense, I think it\u2019s going to be a game changer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Zooming in on species<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the key challenges in working with environmental samples when compared with model organisms in the laboratory is the sheer heterogeneity \u2013 samples can contain thousands of diverse species and finding the ones you are particularly interested in can be a herculean task.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The TREC team led by Yannick Schwab, Team Leader and Head of the Electron Microscopy Core Facility at EMBL, is trying to solve this problem. \u201cMy team is interested in developing methods that enable researchers to target electron microscope imaging to specific cells in complex and highly heterogenous specimens,\u201d said Schwab.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the projects Schwab is leading focuses on dinoflagellates, a very rich and diverse group of plankton. When trying to zoom in on specific dinoflagellate groups in environmental samples, researchers need to perform multimodal correlative imaging \u2013 where the same sample is studied via different advanced imaging methods and the results are combined to yield a \u2018big picture\u2019 view. However, to preserve the ultrastructure of these organisms, state-of-the-art cryo-fixation methods are needed, and these sample preparation steps can only be performed with dedicated machines like a high-pressure freezer or a plunge freezer. As Dudin also noted, it\u2019s very unusual for such machines to be available at or near field locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen we are collecting non-cultivable dinoflagellates in the field, we need to rush to fix them before they start being denatured. Therefore, we must deploy those instruments for cryo-fixation as close as possible to the sampling; by doing so, we literally freeze our samples on the beach,\u201d said Schwab. \u201cThis would simply not be possible without the AML.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"vf-figure wp-block-image is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"600\" class=\"vf-figure__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image.png\" alt=\"A composite image of four 3D micrographs showing the cellular organelles of a phytoplankton marked in different colours.\" class=\"wp-image-64069\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.6666666666666667;width:780px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-300x180.png 300w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-768x461.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"vf-figure__caption\">The new vCLEM method reveals ultrastructural details of the phytoplankton <em>Ensiculifera tyrrhenica<\/em>. Shown are the theca (metallic purple), mitochondria (green), chloroplasts (red), nucleus (blue), Golgi complex (yellow), mucocysts (orange) and trichocysts (pink and magenta). Credit: Karel Mocaer and Isabel Romero Calvo\/EMBL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In a <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.biologists.com\/jcs\/article\/136\/15\/jcs261355\/325830\/Targeted-volume-correlative-light-and-electron\">recent publication<\/a>, a team led by Schwab and Paolo Ronchi from EMBL Heidelberg <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/science\/spotlight-seeing-into-the-seas\/\">demonstrates a new method<\/a> that uses correlative light and electron microscopy to help us accurately identify plankton species collected in the field. The researchers plan to apply this technique to samples from the TREC expedition, with the help of the AML.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Bringing technologies to the field<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"vf-embed vf-embed--16x9 | vf-u-margin__bottom--400\">\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tSgRkyx-9wM?si=KME-IkxkaDk6T8mU\" frameborder=\"0\" controls allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>However, as Schwab points out, it is not only the advanced instruments that are important here, but also the dedicated team that enables their use by offering their expertise. In addition to Leisch, the EMBL mobile services team currently includes Michael Bonadonna \u2013 specialist in flow cytometry and cell sorting, Tina Wiegand \u2013 specialist in fluorescence microscopy, and Paulina Cherek \u2013 specialist in electron microscopy sample preparation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along with the AML, the mobile services team also helped outfit vehicles that can access different terrains of the sampling sites to support on-site sample collection and a sampling van equipped for sample processing and storage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leisch, along with Schwab, Pepperkok, and Paola Bertucci (Head of EMBL Scientific Expeditions), has spent over a year helping develop and deploy the advanced mobile lab, working with the Toutenkamion Group, a French industrial mobility company. \u201cThe process was surprisingly smooth,\u201d said Leisch. \u201cFor every single machine, we came up with a way of making sure we can install it in the truck in such a way that it can be used to its full potential on site, but can also be easily secured during moving. This ensures we can quickly get to work once we arrive at a site. We also brainstormed potential challenges that may arise once on the road and tried to find solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The process involved many custom-made setups and coordination with multiple scientific instrumentation providers. However, the effort paid off and in August 2023, the AML saw its first full deployment in Kristineberg.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOn a personal note, it was a great pleasure to work with Franck Neveu and Melanie Asselin from the Toutenkamion Group,\u201d added Leisch. \u201cThe two of them were our contacts on the industry side and halfway through the project, they became as invested as we were in seeing the unit delivered in the best possible way.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"vf-embed vf-embed--16x9 | vf-u-margin__bottom--400\">\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cq3X3KAOkgY?si=D0laFsaq4CfqEqd1\" frameborder=\"0\" controls allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The TREC expedition is going to continue till mid-2024, but AML\u2019s story does not end there. \u201cWe are right now working on making the AML available as a service unit,\u201d said Leisch. \u201cEveryone from individual researchers to consortia or even nations can then ask for and request the services, and then we together with the team would come to provide those on site.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Researchers from EMBL member states agree. \u201cBringing a truck like this on the international scene will allow us to go to places that no one has gone before,\u201d said Dudin. \u201cAnd that opens up possibilities that never existed before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the meantime, the AML will make its way to the next few TREC supersites, where it will continue to inspire intellectual curiosity and collaboration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201c<\/strong>One evening, we observed the unicellular organism <em>Noctiluca<\/em> in our samples. Like its name suggests (\u2018Noctiluca\u2019 translates to \u2018light at night\u2019) it is often responsible for the well-known phenomenon of bioluminescence.<em>\u201d<\/em> recalled Leisch. <strong>\u201c<\/strong>Everyone got excited and we set up an impromptu midnight sampling in order to collect more of these microbes in the night. It was past midnight and the whole place was buzzing with enthusiasm and excitement and scientific curiosity. And it was just so beautiful to see that and be able to experience that with my colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<article class=\"vf-card vf-card--brand vf-card--striped vf-u-margin__bottom--800\" default>\n  <div class=\"vf-card__content | vf-stack vf-stack--400\">\n              <p class=\"vf-card__text\">EMBL acknowledges the generous support of many institutions, donors and sponsors, in particular the Manfred Lautenschl\u00e4ger Foundation, as well as Eppendorf SE, and Carl Zeiss Microscopy, in helping make the AML possible. We also thank Thermo Fisher Scientific and Ted Pella, Inc. for donating scientific instruments for the AML.<\/p>\n      <\/div>\n<\/article>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the new advanced mobile laboratory, EMBL is taking its service offerings to new heights, bringing cutting-edge life science technologies to the field in a way never seen before.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":64067,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[13938,17255,5736,1697,13936],"class_list":["post-64003","embletc","type-embletc","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-expedition","tag-mobile-services","tag-planetary-biology","tag-sustainability","tag-trec"],"acf":{"featured":true,"show_featured_image":false,"field_target_display":"embl","field_article_language":{"value":"english","label":"English"},"article_intro":"<p>With the advanced mobile laboratory, EMBL is taking its service offerings to new heights, bringing cutting-edge life science technologies to the field in a way never seen before.<\/p>\n","related_links":[{"link_description":"Bringing advanced life science technologies to the field","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/lab-matters\/bringing-advanced-life-science-technologies-to-the-field\/"},{"link_description":"Traversing European Ecosystems (TREC) Official Page","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/trec\/"}],"source_article":false,"in_this_article":false,"press_contact":"None","article_translations":false,"languages":"","embletc_issue":[{"ID":63969,"post_author":"72","post_date":"2023-11-15 10:00:00","post_date_gmt":"2023-11-15 09:00:00","post_content":"","post_title":"Issue 101","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"issue-101","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-05-29 12:02:08","post_modified_gmt":"2024-05-29 10:02:08","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?post_type=embletc-issue&#038;p=63969","menu_order":0,"post_type":"embletc-issue","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"embletc_in_this_issue":[{"ID":64005,"post_author":"16","post_date":"2023-11-15 10:00:00","post_date_gmt":"2023-11-15 09:00:00","post_content":"<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><em>By Maria Papanikolaou and Anna Stanescu, EMBL<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Although the idea of a European laboratory for life sciences was conceived in 1962, it would take 11 more years, involving conversations between Nobel prize winners, an unusual endorsement from two female UK government officials, and the signatures of 10 member state officials, to authorise the concept.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cThere was resistance at the Royal Society, but persuading governments was the biggest problem. A lot of people felt that it was hopeless,\u201d said Sir John Kendrew, EMBL's first Director General and Nobel Prize-winning structural biologist <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.embl.org\/uploads\/r\/archive-of-european-molecular-biology-laboratory\/5\/2\/7\/527f5bacfba61700710e3872918b270ac75a07ab1f7dcac8ee629522006c67cb\/DE_2324_C-PUBS-A-20.pdf\">in a 1994 interview<\/a>. \u201cIn the end, the British political support came from two women, Shirley Williams and Margaret Thatcher who were both ministers in the Department of Education and Science in successive British governments. Long before she became Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher had read chemistry at Oxford\u2026as the new Conservative Secretary of State for Education and Science, she apparently took the EMBL file home one weekend \u2013 it was about a foot thick \u2013 and came back on Monday morning and said, \u2018We join!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"right\",\"id\":64093,\"width\":\"437px\",\"height\":\"auto\",\"aspectRatio\":\"1.3365921787709498\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-64093\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3365921787709498;width:437px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: EMBL Archive, Grenoble Anniversary material (unprocessed collection)&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The idea for the creation of a European molecular biology laboratory was first proposed when two Nobel Prize-winning biologists, Kendrew and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/James_Watson\">James Watson<\/a>, met with<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Leo_Szilard\"> Leo Szilard<\/a> \u2013 Hungarian-German-American physicist and inventor \u2013&nbsp; and the Director General of CERN <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Victor_Weisskopf\">Victor Weisskopf<\/a> at CERN in Geneva in December 1962.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In 1964, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embo.org\/\">European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)<\/a> was founded, followed by the establishment of the <a href=\"https:\/\/embc.embo.org\/about-embc\/\">European Molecular Biology Conference<\/a> (EMBC) in 1970. Prolonged discussions followed, allaying the concerns of the national governments \u2013 member states of the EMBC \u2013 that a central laboratory might <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/documents\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/40-years-embl-magazine.pdf\">\u201cdraw away <\/a>their country\u2019s best scientists\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In 1971, the EMBC took significant steps towards the creation and growth of the laboratory. They did so by forming four working groups, in cooperation with EMBO, to guide the establishment process. These efforts were overseen by a Steering Committee, and as a result of these collaborative endeavours, a draft agreement outlining the establishment of the laboratory was prepared (EMBC, Annual Report April 1971, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.embl.org\/europ-conference-on-m-b\">Kenneth Holmes material<\/a>, EMBL Archive).<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.embl.org\/embo-allgemeine-mitteilungen\">Between 1972 and 1973<\/a> the EMBL Agreement was ready to be signed by ten out of the thirteen member states of the EMBC. On April 12, 1973, the EMBL Secretary-General announced to the EMBO members the date and location of the EMBL Signing Agreement Ceremony, pointing out that \u201cthe Agreement will take legal effect when a sufficient number of the Governments have ratified the representatives\u2019 signatures \u2013 a process that is estimated to require about one year\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The pivotal moment in the establishment of EMBL was the signing of the <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.embl.org\/uploads\/r\/archive-of-european-molecular-biology-laboratory\/3\/3\/9\/33933be653199adc40e6b9cf5ef0bf96855c0dae0234ed8e68444168a9c40d23\/DE_2324_SEC-A-1.pdf\">EMBL Agreement<\/a> on May 10, 1973, followed by its ratification in July 1974.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"right\",\"id\":64095,\"width\":\"572px\",\"height\":\"auto\",\"aspectRatio\":\"1.3194444444444444\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-64095\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3194444444444444;width:572px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: EMBL Archive, Grenoble Anniversary material (unprocessed collection)&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The agreement signing ceremony took place at CERN in Geneva on the 10th of May 1973, where the document was signed by representatives of ten of EMBC member states \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Josef_L%C3%B6ns\">Josef L\u00f6ns<\/a> for the Federal Republic of Germany, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Frederick_Mason_(diplomat)\">Frederick Mason<\/a> for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Erik Thrane for Denmark, <a href=\"https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Emanuel_Treu\">Rudolf Martins <\/a>for Austria, Bernard Dufournier for France, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shabtai_Rosenne\">Shabtai Rosenne<\/a> for Israel, <a href=\"https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ren%C3%A9_Keller_(Diplomat)\">Rene Keller<\/a> for Switzerland, Polak Rosenberg for the Netherlands, Smoquina from Italy, and Rune Fremlin from Sweden.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The EMBL Signing Agreement Ceremony was a significant event attended by prominent figures from the worlds of science and politics who had played pivotal roles in the establishment of EMBL.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"left\",\"id\":64097,\"width\":\"410px\",\"height\":\"auto\",\"aspectRatio\":\"0.7578323454699407\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/image-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-64097\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.7578323454699407;width:410px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.embl.org\/frieda-glockner-material\">Frieda Gl\u00f6ckner material<\/a>, EMBL Archive&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Among the distinguished participants were: <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fran%C3%A7ois_Jacob\">Fran\u00e7ois Jacob<\/a>, a renowned French biologist and Nobel Prize laureate, <a href=\"https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/article\/id\/13161-prof-paolo-fasella-19301999\">Paolo Fasella<\/a>, the Director General of the European Commission's Directorate General for Science, <a href=\"https:\/\/100jahre.ggh-heidelberg.de\/geschichten\/geschichte\/erster-buergermeister-dr-karl-korz\">Karl Korz<\/a>, the First Mayor of Heidelberg (Baub\u00fcrgermeister), <a href=\"https:\/\/prabook.com\/web\/raymond.appleyard\/1297824\">Raymond Appleyard<\/a>, the Executive Director of EMBO, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Willibald_Jentschke\">Willibald Jentschke<\/a>, the Director General of CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research), H. Voirier, the president of EMBC,&nbsp; and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jeffries_Wyman_(biologist)\">Jeffries Wyman<\/a>, who served as the Chairman of the Steering Committee responsible for the establishment of EMBL, and was also the first Secretary General of EMBO and professor at the University of Rome.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>These individuals came together to mark the historic occasion of the EMBL Signing Agreement Ceremony, symbolising the culmination of dedicated efforts to bring this vital scientific institution into existence.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The EMBL Agreement officially became effective on July 4 1974, coinciding with the day when most of the signatory states had ratified, approved, and accepted the agreement, in accordance with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/documents\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/un_agreement.pdf\">its Article XV<\/a>. Notably, France's participation in the ratification process at this stage was pivotal in bringing the agreement into force on this date.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In 2024, EMBL will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. The occasion not only offers us an opportunity to share stories from past achievements but more importantly, provides us a reminder to keep moving forward to pursue tough scientific questions, pushing forward the frontiers of molecular biology and further integrating with other disciplines to have real-world impact. We hope you will join us in celebrating and reflecting on EMBL\u2019s tradition of pushing the envelope of scientific possibility as well as leading European life sciences to new heights.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","post_title":"Remembering the moment EMBL was established","post_excerpt":"The EMBL agreement, which made reality the idea of creating a European laboratory for life sciences, was signed in 1973 and ratified in 1974. Fifty years later, we look back at this historic moment.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"remembering-the-moment-embl-was-established","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-11-15 10:17:54","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-15 09:17:54","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?post_type=embletc&#038;p=64005","menu_order":0,"post_type":"embletc","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":64009,"post_author":"124","post_date":"2023-11-15 10:00:00","post_date_gmt":"2023-11-15 09:00:00","post_content":"<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Baubak Bajoghli\u2019s interest in microscopy began at an early age and helped him keep expanding his horizons in biological research. In a career spanning both fundamental and translational research, Bajoghli has kept his passion for imaging alive and has recently taken up a role as the Director of Austrian Bioimaging\/CMI, where he works to improve access to advanced microscopy infrastructure for researchers working across the country.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>We caught up with Bajoghli about his research on cancer-linked immune cells, his key takeaways from his time at EMBL, and the importance of improving access to research infrastructures across Europe.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What triggered the start of your journey in science?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Well, my interest in microscopy began when I was 14 and I visited a medical laboratory for diagnostics for a high school project. My father bought me a microscope, and I had a lot of fun counting all types of white blood cells, including neutrophils and lymphocytes, in patients' blood smears and comparing my results with those of the laboratory staff. One thing led to another, and my endless curiosity developed into a passion for science.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can you tell us about your work at EMBL, and how it has influenced your journey as a researcher?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It has consistently influenced my path over the last 20 years. It began when I did an internship during my undergraduate years at Jochen Wittbrodt's lab in the Developmental Biology Unit, where I learned about using medaka fish as a model organism and transgenesis methods. After a month, I returned to Vienna with 300 medaka eggs in my baggage and, with help from Jochen, my former supervisor, Thomas Czerny, we set up Austria's first medaka research facility in 2002.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>After my post-doctoral fellowship at the Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology, I became fascinated by the development of T-cells, which belong to our adaptive immune system. The process involves two migratory journeys. First, T-cell progenitors originating from the hematopoietic tissue in the bone marrow must migrate through the body and find the thymus organ. Second, within the thymus, these progenitors have to follow a precise migratory path within different microenvironments, to develop as naive T-cells before they leave the organ.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"right\",\"id\":64081,\"width\":\"466px\",\"height\":\"auto\",\"aspectRatio\":\"1.2503052503052503\",\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Medaka-thymus-1024x819.jpg\" alt=\"Microscopy image shhowing a transgenic Medaka fish larva, with cells marked in green or red and the thymus showing up as a bright yellow circle. \" class=\"wp-image-64081\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.2503052503052503;width:466px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Transgenic medaka larvae can be utilised to investigate T-cell trafficking within the thymus (marked in yellow) and throughout the entire body. Credit: Baubak Bajoghli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>At that time, our knowledge relied mostly on histological sections, and how developing T-cells sense different environments and control their migratory behaviour was less understood. Being skilled in generating transgenic medaka fish, I decided to employ live imaging of the thymus in this species, because imaging of the mouse thymus is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fimmu.2018.00375\/full\">technically not possible<\/a>.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>From my time as an intern, I knew that EMBL's Advanced Light Microscopy Facility (ALMF) was the right place to test this feasibility. In 2012, I joined Maria Leptin's lab as an EIPOD fellow to pursue my scientific dream and visualised the migratory behaviour of all developing T-cells within an organism using different imaging technologies. The data we generated over five years at EMBL became the foundation of many studies when I became a principal investigator (PI) at the University Hospital T\u00fcbingen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can you tell us a bit more about your research on immune cells and cancer at the University Hospital T\u00fcbingen?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>My team focused on two different research topics. First, we continued our work on the T-cell development that began at EMBL. We extracted quantitative data from our <em>in vivo<\/em> imaging experiments and, for the first time, developed a virtual thymus organ in collaboration with Erika Tsingos. By combining cell-based computer modelling and <em>in vivo<\/em> manipulation of the thymic niche, we uncovered how the interaction between cell location, signals from the thymic niche, and the timing of gene expression affects the fate decision of progenitor cells in the thymus.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":64083,\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/PC-model-1024x421.jpg\" alt=\"Computer generated models showing cells as overlapping circles, marked in various colours according to their types. \" class=\"wp-image-64083\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The 'virtual thymus' is a cell-based computational model created to assess the impact of parameters for cell migration (top-left), cell division (top-right), and various signals from the niche (bottom) on both normal and malignant T-cell development. This model, for the first time, allows scientists to predict the results of a scenario before conducting an animal experiment. Credit: Baubak Bajoghli. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Furthermore, we enhanced our virtual thymus model to investigate the causes of T-cell lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL), which is still a long-standing mystery. Through computational simulations of over 300 scenarios, we pinpointed the minimum requirements for the clonal expansion of a single developing T-cell \u2013 a process wherein immune cells divide quickly to give rise to many clones \u2013 which we confirmed experimentally. The strategy that we have developed not only provided us with a rapid and comprehensive overview of the outcomes in all scenarios but also helped in reducing the need for animal experiments, thus implementing the principles of the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) in science. Currently, we are finalising the data analysis and preparing to draft a research manuscript outlining our findings.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"right\",\"id\":64079,\"width\":\"281px\",\"height\":\"auto\",\"aspectRatio\":\"0.928\",\"sizeSlug\":\"full\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/T-ALL-thymus_1_2021-04-09T16-58-33.240.jpg\" alt=\"Microscopy image showing T-cell progenitor cells in green and thymic niche cells in blue.\" class=\"wp-image-64079\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.928;width:281px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Malignant T-cell progenitor cells (green) proliferate within the thymus and also exert an impact on the growth of the thymic niche cells (blue). Credit: Baubak Bajoghli. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The focus of the translational oncology division, where I was hosted, was to find new ways to treat congenital neutropenia, a rare blood disorder that affects patients, mostly young children, causing extremely low levels of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) in their blood. Consequently, these patients are highly susceptible to bacterial infections, and today, their only treatment option is a daily injection of a cytokine for their entire lives, which unfortunately increases their risk of developing leukaemia by 20%. Therefore, my team strongly contributed to collaborative projects which helped to better understand the underlying mechanisms. We developed various zebrafish models for congenital neutropenia. Also, we established new patient-derived xenotransplantation models (systems where patients\u2019 samples are implanted into a model organism like zebrafish or mice) to test the effectiveness of various small molecules against the proliferation of leukemic cells.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Your work has spanned both basic and translational aspects. Could you tell us a bit about the connections between the two and your experience working across both worlds?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>After 15 years of working in basic research, moving to translational research was a big transition in my scientific career. You need to adjust your mindset because, as you said, these are two different worlds. Before, I was used to asking fundamental questions about how biological processes work. When I became a PI in the translational oncology division, my main focus shifted towards developing new tools for preventing or treating diseases.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>I quickly realised that success in applied research relies heavily on a solid foundation of basic research. Even something as seemingly distant as understanding the evolution of genes can be incredibly helpful in designing new tools for fighting human diseases.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Take the gene called <em>ELANE<\/em>, for example. About 45% of patients with congenital neutropenia have missense mutations in this gene. When I explored the evolution of this gene and used the ENSEMBL database, I noticed that <em>ELANE<\/em> is a product of tandem gene duplication that occurred in the mammalian lineage, and lower vertebrates don\u2019t have this gene.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Because I knew from previous studies published by other colleagues that the development of neutrophils is evolutionarily conserved across vertebrates, I made the case to medical scientists that if fish can develop neutrophils without <em>ELANE<\/em>, then maybe this gene isn't as crucial for human neutrophil development as we once thought. And it turned out to be true. When they knocked out the dysfunctional <em>ELANE<\/em> gene in induced-pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from patients, they were able to develop as neutrophils normally.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Now, ongoing work at the University Hospital T\u00fcbingen is focused on establishing this as a new therapeutic approach for these patients. It's a great example of how basic research can lead to practical solutions in the field of medicine. Unfortunately, basic research often doesn't get the recognition it deserves from funding bodies and the public, but it needs to be properly appreciated.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>You are currently the Director of Austrian Bioimaging\/CMI. Can you tell us what motivated this transition?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Again, my passion for imaging and my personal experiences as a researcher played a significant role in my decision to make a huge transition in my career path, this time from a researcher to a research infrastructure provider. When I started my own lab, my host institute had promised me access to the necessary microscopes for my fully funded thymus project. However, the reality didn't match the promise, and I had to invest a lot of time into figuring out which institutes had the right microscopes and whether my team could use them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It was frustrating because we could not use the imaging facilities of other institutes due to legal policies. In the end, with Maria Leptin\u2019s support, we could fortunately use the Advanced Light Microscopy Facility (ALMF) at EMBL. For almost two years, multiple times a month, I drove 180 kilometres from T\u00fcbingen to Heidelberg in the morning, performed imaging at the ALMF, and then drove back home in the afternoon.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It was challenging, but I was grateful because, without access to the right microscope, we could not have answered a 30-year-old question about how some species, despite using the same molecular mechanism and the same progenitor cells, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.abg3613?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&amp;rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&amp;rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed\">develop a higher frequency<\/a> of certain T-cell sublineages compared to others. In the long term, this discovery might help in the development of new therapeutic applications, as some T-cell sublineages have antitumour functions, yet their proportion in the human body is less than 1%.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>My own experiences have made me acutely aware that many scientists have outstanding research projects but struggle to conduct experiments properly due to a lack of equipment, expertise, or resources at their host institutions. On the other hand, I understand that it's not economically feasible for institutions to invest in every expensive instrument their employees might temporarily need. In my opinion, the most effective solution to this problem is taking advantage of pan-European consortia of research infrastructures that offer access to cutting-edge technologies for all researchers, regardless of their institutional affiliations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can you tell us a bit more about Austrian BioImaging\/CMI and how consortia like these can help researchers?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Austrian BioImaging\/CMI is one such consortium at the national level, consisting of eight Austrian universities and leading research institutions. We enable researchers to access over 40 imaging technologies for biological and preclinical research, and as a node, we strongly cooperate with Euro-BioImaging, which is a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) member.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"left\",\"id\":64077,\"width\":\"503px\",\"height\":\"auto\",\"aspectRatio\":\"1.499267935578331\",\"sizeSlug\":\"large\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Baubak-Bajoghli-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-64077\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.499267935578331;width:503px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Baubak Bajoghli at the EMBL Imaging Centre, Heidelberg. Credit: Massimo del Prete\/EMBL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>During my 18 months in office, I've been committed to ensuring that researchers don't face the same challenges I did. To me, open access to research infrastructures should be a pillar of open science in European policy. I don\u2019t tire of communicating with researchers, heads of universities and funding bodies, and Austrian policymakers to raise their awareness about the key role of state-of-the-art research infrastructures in generating knowledge breakthroughs and new discoveries, and why their sustainability is so important. I'm appears that the European Commission also recognises their importance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Currently, there are several Horizon Europe programs that financially support researchers\u2019 access to high-quality resources, including biological and biomedical imaging technologies. I really recommend that researchers always keep themselves well-informed so that they can make the maximum use of the available resources for their projects. Since there are numerous options available, Austrian Bioimaging\/CMI and Euro-Bioimaging also provide consulting services for researchers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In your opinion, how do initiatives like Euro-Bioimaging and Austrian Bioimaging influence the way biological research is done in European countries (and globally)?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>To strengthen our competitiveness in global research, specific attention should be given to national and European research infrastructures consortia. To me, their socio-economic impact is unquestionably high. In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, access to cutting-edge technologies and services is crucial for performing outstanding research. However, building and maintaining cutting-edge research infrastructures can be expensive and by sharing these costs, individual institutes and countries can reduce the financial burden, making research more economically sustainable in Europe.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Additionally, European research infrastructure consortia such as Euro-BioImaging have the potential to act as incubators for innovation and technology transfer. In Austrian BioImaging\/CMI, 40% of our technology units consist of research groups specialising in various imaging modalities, and developing tools for biological research or medical diagnostics.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>It's important to note that we are just one of 35 nodes within Euro-BioImaging. So, there is a huge potential for cooperation between 173 imaging facilities and research groups from 16 countries and EMBL associated with Euro-BioImaging, as well as with the private sector, to drive innovation and address future research needs. Solutions for open bioimaging data, common standards and best practices for biological and medical imaging can only be achieved at the pan-European level.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Last but not least, research infrastructure consortia must cooperate to enhance their visibility because we can only attract top talent when we can provide access to cutting-edge research infrastructures in Europe, which in the long run, will also bring financial benefits.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is one piece of advice you would give to young researchers just starting their scientific journeys?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Find something that is your passion and dedicate your life to it.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","post_title":"Impact of access to imaging technologies on scientific achievements","post_excerpt":"Baubak Bajoghli, Director of Austrian Bioimaging\/CMI, discusses his passion for imaging and his work straddling basic and applied research in biology.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"impact-of-access-to-imaging-technologies-on-scientific-achievements","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-11-15 10:17:17","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-15 09:17:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?post_type=embletc&#038;p=64009","menu_order":0,"post_type":"embletc","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.2 - 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