{"id":64005,"date":"2023-11-15T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?post_type=embletc&p=64005"},"modified":"2023-11-15T10:17:54","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T09:17:54","slug":"remembering-the-moment-embl-was-established","status":"publish","type":"embletc","link":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-101\/remembering-the-moment-embl-was-established\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering the moment EMBL was established"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Maria Papanikolaou and Anna Stanescu, EMBL<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\n\n

\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 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\n\n\n

\"\"
Photo: EMBL Archive, Grenoble Anniversary material (unprocessed collection) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The idea for the creation of a European molecular biology laboratory was first proposed when two Nobel Prize-winning biologists, Kendrew and James Watson<\/a>, met with Leo Szilard<\/a> \u2013 Hungarian-German-American physicist and inventor \u2013  and the Director General of CERN Victor Weisskopf<\/a> at CERN in Geneva in December 1962.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1964, the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)<\/a> was founded, followed by the establishment of the 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 \u201cdraw away <\/a>their country\u2019s best scientists\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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, Kenneth Holmes material<\/a>, EMBL Archive).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pivotal moment in the establishment of EMBL was the signing of the EMBL Agreement<\/a> on May 10, 1973, followed by its ratification in July 1974.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Photo: EMBL Archive, Grenoble Anniversary material (unprocessed collection) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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 Josef L\u00f6ns<\/a> for the Federal Republic of Germany, Frederick Mason<\/a> for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Erik Thrane for Denmark, Rudolf Martins <\/a>for Austria, Bernard Dufournier for France, Shabtai Rosenne<\/a> for Israel, Rene Keller<\/a> for Switzerland, Polak Rosenberg for the Netherlands, Smoquina from Italy, and Rune Fremlin from Sweden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Photo: Frieda Gl\u00f6ckner material<\/a>, EMBL Archive <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Among the distinguished participants were: Fran\u00e7ois Jacob<\/a>, a renowned French biologist and Nobel Prize laureate, Paolo Fasella<\/a>, the Director General of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Science, Karl Korz<\/a>, the First Mayor of Heidelberg (Baub\u00fcrgermeister), Raymond Appleyard<\/a>, the Executive Director of EMBO, Willibald Jentschke<\/a>, the Director General of CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research), H. Voirier, the president of EMBC,  and 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\n\n

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 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\n\n\n

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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":64091,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[17303,322,952],"class_list":["post-64005","embletc","type-embletc","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-archive","tag-embl-archive","tag-history"],"acf":{"featured":true,"show_featured_image":false,"field_target_display":"embl","field_article_language":{"value":"english","label":"English"},"article_intro":"

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.<\/p>\n","related_links":[{"link_description":"EMBL History","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/history\/"},{"link_description":"EMBL Archives","link_url":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/archive\/"}],"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&p=63969","menu_order":0,"post_type":"embletc-issue","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"embletc_in_this_issue":[{"ID":64009,"post_author":"124","post_date":"2023-11-15 10:00:00","post_date_gmt":"2023-11-15 09:00:00","post_content":"\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\n\n

What triggered the start of your journey in science?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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\n\n\n

Can you tell us about your work at EMBL, and how it has influenced your journey as a researcher?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Microscopy
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\n\n\n

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 technically not possible<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you tell us a bit more about your research on immune cells and cancer at the University Hospital T\u00fcbingen?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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 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 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Computer
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\n\n\n

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\n\n\n

\"Microscopy
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\n\n\n

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\n\n\n

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\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the gene called 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 ELANE<\/em> is a product of tandem gene duplication that occurred in the mammalian lineage, and lower vertebrates don\u2019t have this gene. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 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 ELANE<\/em> gene in induced-pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from patients, they were able to develop as neutrophils normally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\n\n

You are currently the Director of Austrian Bioimaging\/CMI. Can you tell us what motivated this transition?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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, 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\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you tell us a bit more about Austrian BioImaging\/CMI and how consortia like these can help researchers?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Baubak Bajoghli at the EMBL Imaging Centre, Heidelberg. Credit: Massimo del Prete\/EMBL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\n\n

What is one piece of advice you would give to young researchers just starting their scientific journeys?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Find something that is your passion and dedicate your life to it.<\/p>\n","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&p=64009","menu_order":0,"post_type":"embletc","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":64007,"post_author":"16","post_date":"2023-11-15 13:00:00","post_date_gmt":"2023-11-15 12:00:00","post_content":"\n

By Sara Fahs,<\/em> Associate Director, BioNTech<\/em> SE<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My curiosity about the origins of everyday things, like how medicines are made or why some cultures are extremely different from others, can be traced back to my childhood. My early years were also marked by diverse interests, including acting, interior architecture, philosophy, sociology, and understanding human connections. My journey in science has thus been remarkable, transitioning from a high school background in literature and philosophy to the natural sciences in college. My ambitions led me to a career in academia and industry, which I now reflect upon with pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Towards the start of this career, my initial decision to pursue a medical career in Lebanon gradually evolved into a fascination with drug design and medicinal chemistry. I narrowed down my research interests to medicinal chemistry during my MSc in the UK. My journey took a unique turn with a PhD fellowship at EMBL, a special but challenging experience given my background in organic chemistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My move to EMBL posed a multitude of new layers to adapt to, including completely new cultures; new technologies, scientific disciplines, and concepts; and working in a field where generating extensive data quickly was impossible. Despite the challenges, I learned to focus on my learning path and avoid comparisons, even when surrounded by the \"buzz of abundance\", all the while expanding my technical and theoretical knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Sara Fahs during her time at EMBL. Credit: Photolab\/EMBL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During my time at EMBL, I had the privilege of working with key mentors. I was lucky to work with Maja K\u00f6hn, who introduced me to the power of interdisciplinarity. Prof. K\u00f6hn's brilliant science and leadership skills, along with her determination and ambition, inspired me to seek answers using many tools. Additionally, I was mentored by David Will, who then headed the medicinal chemistry lab at the chemical biology core facility in EMBL. David's deep intellect, wide insights, and rich experience in both academia and industry, in addition to the inspiring industry-standard MedChem Lab he helped build at EMBL, provided me with valuable insights into the bigger picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In light of this \u201ccriss-cross\u201d approach to growing knowledge and skills in scientific theory, practice, and ideas, my journey was distinguished by an absence of long-term, strict, and explicit goals, but a deep appreciation for, and delight in, the short-term ones. At the same time, I kept crafting a specialisation in the field I was passionate about \u2013 medicinal chemistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the world needs generalists<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Originally specialised as a chemist, I found fulfilment in embracing a generalist approach to science. I strongly believe being spontaneous and open to different subjects has expanded my creativity. While specialisation is essential, building a range of skills and knowledge areas enhances problem-solving abilities. For instance, in my career, whenever a research problem needed to be addressed via a different discipline, I would not hesitate to research that discipline and then contact the right people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some problems need generalists, some problems need specialists, and we must be open to both and know when to assign which of the two for a task. This way, I think we could avoid a lot of time and resources being wasted. In fact,\u00a0in today's highly complex world, developing a palette of assorted experience across many fields is perhaps more pertinent than (hyper)specialisation. The perpetually troublesome challenges\u00a0of today (be it financial, geological, computational etc.) necessitate associating skills and expertise from various domains to promote solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research careers in industry: myths and opportunities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I joined the company BioNTech after my PhD, a move motivated not only by my desire to apply my skills in a translational medicinal chemistry role but also by the need to be quick in finding a new position. Back then, I was still on a limited visa and did not have time to find the perfect academic position (or roam the world for a gap year). I was also unsure whether I wished to remain in academia. Within a few months, I wrote my research paper, wrote my thesis, defended it, applied for jobs, all the while taking care of bureaucratic chores. Hence, I didn\u2019t have much time or mind space for the common fears that some may have about switching to industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most common fear I heard about during that time is permanent project instability. Projects in industry do change, which is sometimes sad, especially when one has developed an attachment to it. But the charming thing about changing projects is the transferability of skills and experiences into the next. And this is beneficial in the long term, as one only gets better and more efficient with time. Also, projects do not change that<\/em> fast. The lifetime of a project can be prolonged as long as its efficacy remains promising.\u00a0And this makes sense.
On the positive side, the possibility of bringing an academic flair to industry while enjoying a different setting and staying scientifically curious can really act in one\u2019s best interest. Not to mention the amount of space that regular\/flexible working hours can make so one can grow other interests and\/or work on extracurricular projects. This especially benefits me who, as a generalist, constantly needs time and energy for pursuing multiple avenues, especially in an increasingly complex and intersected world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would stress, however, the challenges of finding a position that combines translational medicinal chemistry with an academic touch and emphasise the need for improved job positions and networks in this context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During my time at BioNTech, I have transitioned from postdoc to staff scientist, to team leader, to Associate Director in medicinal chemistry, while witnessing the company\u2019s own transition from private to public. While participating in multiple projects across departments and sites, I could see first-hand how it had to grow its own structural foundations to match its rapid growth. I am lucky to have had this medium to mature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pushing the frontiers of medicinal chemistry<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have been involved in multiple research projects over the last several years, which illustrate both the interdisciplinary and generalist approaches to science I like to advocate for. The first of these was a discovery project, which aimed, in the long run, to make cancer cells more sensitive to the immune system, and eventually less resistant to therapy. This discovery project grew by\u00a0imbuing a classical medicinal chemistry project with interdisciplinarity (using technologies like proteomics, sequencing, novel in vitro assays, and others). From a small local project, this grew into to a larger collaborative one, and I have found that diverse perspectives always make more impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A second project aimed to make delivery of anticancer drugs and immunomodulators more specific. It involved various fields of chemistry and life sciences. Due to my experience, I could serve, in the words of a colleague, as \u201cthe glue that bound together scientists\u201d from different fields. As a \u201cscientific translator\u201d in this project, who brought together experimental biologists and computational scientists, I grew a lot, learned about many techniques, and could contribute better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Afterwards, I worked on lipid carrier systems for mRNA delivery in vaccines, a project that required further use of my adaptability and expanding specialisation and helped me contribute to scientific improvements. Now I am creating my own project, combining years of varied experience and knowledge as a driving force. This is very exciting, especially as it also pursues a long-standing research interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemistry was a driver in all those projects and endeavours, and I saw chemistry being tailored to apply differently to each problem, with subfields such as peptide chemistry, small molecule chemistry, lipid chemistry, probes, dyes, etc. coming into play in various ways. It is very interesting to study the therapeutic potential of small molecules.  After all, to quote a friend, chemistry can also help \u201cmake therapeutic molecules that have never been made in the history of the universe\u201d. In the light of this, I am happy to push chemistry further in today\u2019s biotech environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have also grown people management skills in science throughout this whole journey and would love to grow them even further. It is the soft skill which most enhances meaningful conversations and learning from one another. And throughout the journey, my EMBL heritage and curiosity has helped me embrace new challenges and come up with new perspectives and ways of approaching scientific problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art, science, and beyond<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My passion for connecting art and science is evident in my involvement in music production, theatre, DJ'ing, writing, and science communication, even during my days at EMBL. I have always highlighted the importance of keeping my inner artist alive, as creativity can be a valuable outlet for both emotions and innovative thinking. Also, I never knew this was a \u201cpassion\u201d, until I observed my patterns and decisions retrospectively after almost fifteen years of working in science. My point is that a passion, or whatever you would like to call it, doesn\u2019t have to be pre-determined; it can be discovered, and at one\u2019s own rhythm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, <\/strong>I would like to emphasise the importance of regular drive, courage, and perseverance in the scientific journey. I advise future scientists to reclaim their attention spans (it has been stolen from us in this world of hyper information and exposure) and advocate for diversity of backgrounds, personalities, and thinking patterns. I advise making general interest a habit when listening to a peer, instead of competition. It teaches us much more. And I believe that genuine openness to different ideas and perspectives, coupled with trusting one\u2019s process of development (background, experiences, lessons, hardship etc.) but at the same time questioning one\u2019s own narratives, is crucial for growth and success.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Advocating for a generalist approach to science and life","post_excerpt":"Sara Fahs, who did her PhD from EMBL Heidelberg and is one of the newest members of the EMBL alumni association board, writes about key insights from her journey in science and her work on medicinal chemistry, during a career spanning academia and industry.","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"advocating-for-a-generalist-approach-to-science-and-life","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-11-16 10:26:34","post_modified_gmt":"2023-11-16 09:26:34","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/?post_type=embletc&p=64007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"embletc","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}]},"yoast_head":"\nRemembering the moment EMBL was established | EMBL<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The EMBL agreement, which made reality the idea of creating a European laboratory for life sciences, was signed in 1973 and ratified in 1974.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-101\/remembering-the-moment-embl-was-established\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Remembering the moment EMBL was established | EMBL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The EMBL agreement, which made reality the idea of creating a European laboratory for life sciences, was signed in 1973 and ratified in 1974.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-101\/remembering-the-moment-embl-was-established\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EMBL\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/embl.org\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-11-15T09:17:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Featured_signature-ceremony_012.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1943\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1166\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@embl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-101\/remembering-the-moment-embl-was-established\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-101\/remembering-the-moment-embl-was-established\/\",\"name\":\"Remembering the moment EMBL was established | EMBL\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-101\/remembering-the-moment-embl-was-established\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-101\/remembering-the-moment-embl-was-established\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Featured_signature-ceremony_012.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-15T09:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-15T09:17:54+00:00\",\"description\":\"The EMBL agreement, which made reality the idea of creating a European laboratory for life sciences, was signed in 1973 and ratified in 1974.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-101\/remembering-the-moment-embl-was-established\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/embletc\/issue-101\/remembering-the-moment-embl-was-established\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Featured_signature-ceremony_012.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Featured_signature-ceremony_012.jpg\",\"width\":1943,\"height\":1166,\"caption\":\"Photograph taken during the signature ceremony. 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