![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image-85-1-1024x684.png\")
As Janet retires in summer 2023, we reflect on some of her highlights and achievements during her time at EMBL. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Structural biology and bioinformatics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThornton has seen the field of structural biology change completely. When she started her career there were only about 20 known protein structures, and now there are over 200,000 structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), and over 200 million predictions made by AlphaFold. Her work at EMBL has been highly interdisciplinary, interfacing with structural biology, bioinformatics, biological chemistry and chemoinformatics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/81358F31-06E6-4274-A99F-E67BE1347A54-1024x644.jpg\")
Janet giving a speech at the EMBL-EBI 20th anniversary celebration. Credit: Robert Slowley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nJanet started her career by trying to predict protein structures from sequence. She spent years characterising and analysing the new protein structures as they were determined and stored in the PDB. She is also well known for developing, with Roman Laskowski, the widely used ProCheck software<\/a> for checking the quality of protein structures. Together with her colleague Christine Orengo, Thornton also introduced the CATH classification of protein structures, which provides information on the evolutionary relationships of protein domains. CATH<\/a> now exists as an open access database and is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe recent predictions of structure using AlphaFold, developed by DeepMind based on deep learning approaches, have delighted Janet together with the fact that more than 200 million predicted structures are openly available at EMBL-EBI in the AlphaFold Database<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nCurrent research <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nJanet\u2019s research group<\/a> at EMBL-EBI is developing robust search, comparison and annotation tools for enzymes, which are available as open access algorithms and web tools for quantitative similarity searches between enzyme reactions. Recent work from the group has led to several exciting new knowledge-based approaches to investigate the evolution of enzymes, most recently at a mechanistic level<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cI\u2019m very lucky to work with such brilliant minds every day,\u201d said Janet. \u201cMy team at EMBL-EBI is truly an outstanding group of scientists. They\u2019re passionate, driven, and never fail to inspire and surprise me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Data sharing across Europe<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThornton led the establishment of ELIXIR<\/a>, an intergovernmental organisation that brings together life science data resources from across Europe. Its goal is to ensure sustainable funding and harmonise data resources within the bioinformatics ecosystem, making it easier for scientists to find and share data, exchange expertise, and agree on best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe launch of ELIXIR was the first step towards building a distributed infrastructure for biological information throughout Europe,\u201d said Janet. \u201cBy providing public access to the wealth of knowledge generated by the global research community, ELIXIR empowers researchers in academia and industry to solve some of society\u2019s most pressing problems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/DSC_5297-1-1024x684.jpg\")
Janet Thornton and then UK Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts at the opening of the EMBL-EBI South Building and ELIXIR Hub. Credit: Robert Slowley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/strong>Inspiring the next generation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs an advocate for women in science, Thornton has spoken openly about what can be done to support all scientists throughout their career. One impact of this includes the establishment of the Janet Thornton Fellowship<\/a>, which funds researchers after taking a career break. Throughout her career, Thornton has also supervised a multitude of PhD and postdoctoral researchers including Sarah Teichmann<\/a>, Head of Cellular Genetics and Senior Group Leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and David Jones<\/a>, Professor of Bioinformatics at University College London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Janet-holding-her-medal-by-a-wall-1-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/a>Janet Thornton holding her medal after she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to bioinformatics. Credit: EMBL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cI think every scientist, but perhaps especially women, need to decide how they will deal with their work\u2013life balance. There is no \u201cright\u201d way to do this \u2013 different solutions suit different people,\u201d said Janet. \u201cA scientist has about 50 years to do their research; taking a short time out of that time to be at home for whatever reason should certainly be possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, Janet stood out as a fantastic public speaker and science communicator. Her regular appearances in the press, explaining complex concepts in an accessible and engaging way, shared her wonder for the molecular world beyond the many colleagues, collaborators and mentees who have had the privilege to meet and work with Janet in person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have much enjoyed my career as a scientist and would advocate it as one of the best jobs I can imagine,\u201d said Janet. \u201cI have met and worked with brilliant people at Oxford, Birkbeck, UCL and EMBL and enjoyed being part of a joint endeavour to discover the fabulous world of protein structures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Janet\u2019s legacy will live on at EMBL-EBI as our new building named in her honour currently undergoes development. Construction work on the Thornton building began in autumn 2022 and the building is expected to open in summer 2024, providing a hub for collaboration and translation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Janet started her career by trying to predict protein structures from sequence. She spent years characterising and analysing the new protein structures as they were determined and stored in the PDB. She is also well known for developing, with Roman Laskowski, the widely used ProCheck software<\/a> for checking the quality of protein structures. Together with her colleague Christine Orengo, Thornton also introduced the CATH classification of protein structures, which provides information on the evolutionary relationships of protein domains. CATH<\/a> now exists as an open access database and is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The recent predictions of structure using AlphaFold, developed by DeepMind based on deep learning approaches, have delighted Janet together with the fact that more than 200 million predicted structures are openly available at EMBL-EBI in the AlphaFold Database<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Janet\u2019s research group<\/a> at EMBL-EBI is developing robust search, comparison and annotation tools for enzymes, which are available as open access algorithms and web tools for quantitative similarity searches between enzyme reactions. Recent work from the group has led to several exciting new knowledge-based approaches to investigate the evolution of enzymes, most recently at a mechanistic level<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m very lucky to work with such brilliant minds every day,\u201d said Janet. \u201cMy team at EMBL-EBI is truly an outstanding group of scientists. They\u2019re passionate, driven, and never fail to inspire and surprise me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thornton led the establishment of ELIXIR<\/a>, an intergovernmental organisation that brings together life science data resources from across Europe. Its goal is to ensure sustainable funding and harmonise data resources within the bioinformatics ecosystem, making it easier for scientists to find and share data, exchange expertise, and agree on best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe launch of ELIXIR was the first step towards building a distributed infrastructure for biological information throughout Europe,\u201d said Janet. \u201cBy providing public access to the wealth of knowledge generated by the global research community, ELIXIR empowers researchers in academia and industry to solve some of society\u2019s most pressing problems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As an advocate for women in science, Thornton has spoken openly about what can be done to support all scientists throughout their career. One impact of this includes the establishment of the Janet Thornton Fellowship<\/a>, which funds researchers after taking a career break. Throughout her career, Thornton has also supervised a multitude of PhD and postdoctoral researchers including Sarah Teichmann<\/a>, Head of Cellular Genetics and Senior Group Leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and David Jones<\/a>, Professor of Bioinformatics at University College London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think every scientist, but perhaps especially women, need to decide how they will deal with their work\u2013life balance. There is no \u201cright\u201d way to do this \u2013 different solutions suit different people,\u201d said Janet. \u201cA scientist has about 50 years to do their research; taking a short time out of that time to be at home for whatever reason should certainly be possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, Janet stood out as a fantastic public speaker and science communicator. Her regular appearances in the press, explaining complex concepts in an accessible and engaging way, shared her wonder for the molecular world beyond the many colleagues, collaborators and mentees who have had the privilege to meet and work with Janet in person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have much enjoyed my career as a scientist and would advocate it as one of the best jobs I can imagine,\u201d said Janet. \u201cI have met and worked with brilliant people at Oxford, Birkbeck, UCL and EMBL and enjoyed being part of a joint endeavour to discover the fabulous world of protein structures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Janet\u2019s legacy will live on at EMBL-EBI as our new building named in her honour currently undergoes development. Construction work on the Thornton building began in autumn 2022 and the building is expected to open in summer 2024, providing a hub for collaboration and translation. <\/p>\n\n\n\nCurrent research <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Data sharing across Europe<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Inspiring the next generation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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