EMBL Heidelberg

EMBL's headquarters and main laboratory site supports research, services, advanced training, and technology development

EMBL Heidelberg is the organisation’s main Laboratory and serves as its headquarters

It is home to: the Director General’s Office and Council Secretariat; five research units; scientific services and core facilities; the EMBL International Centre for Advanced Training (EICAT), and; central administration and support functions.

Professor Jan Korbel is the Interim Head of EMBL Heidelberg. He is supported by the EMBL Heidelberg Director’s Office.

Cell biology and biophysics

Scientists in this unit use multidisciplinary approaches to investigate the molecular and biophysical mechanisms that enable cells to function.

Developmental biology

Research in the Developmental Biology Unit is focused on understanding the origin, development, and evolution of organisms and their communities.

Directors' research

The Directors' research unit covers thematically distinct research groups, headed by EMBL and EMBO leadership.

Genome biology

The Genome biology unit uses and develops cutting-edge methods to study how the information in our genome is regulated, processed, and utilised, and how its alteration leads to disease.

Molecular systems biology

The Molecular Systems Biology Unit investigates molecular structure, organization and function at a systematic level in and across cells.

Research at EMBL is supported by the development of enabling technologies that are made available to the scientific community in its Core facilities, 10 of which are located at EMBL Heidelberg. Core facilities provide practical tools and expert advice for life scientists.

World of Molecular Biology

Visit a vibrant, interactive permanent exhibition celebrating molecular biology with a focus on the work, people, and technologies of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Find out more

Topics

Cells

Understanding how cells work and how they are organised

Chemistry

Developing new drugs and tools to understand the chemistry of life

Development

How single cells give rise to complex organisms

Disease models

Understanding the causes of disease to find new treatments

Genomes

How cells interpret the DNA code to carry out biological functions

Imaging

Cutting edge technology, zooming into life at the tiniest scales

13 Oct 2026

EMBL Entrepreneurial Minds - Beyond the Structure: My Journey Through Science, Innovation and Life Choices

Speaker(s): Italy, GSK, Ilaria Ferlenghi
Host: Laurène Ramos Martins & Juergen Bauer, EMBLEM

Seminar

EMBL Rome, Virtual

Edit

HR / People Site Lead (EMBL)

Administrative and support in EMBL Heidelberg

Help shape the future of people at EMBLEMBL is entering an exciting new chapter. With new scientific leadership, an ambitious strategic vision and a continued commitment to enabling world-class science, we are strengthening our HR leadership to meet the future needs of our international community.As...

Closes on 31st August. Posted 5th August 2026

Edit

Kindergarten Team Lead / Bereichsleitung Krippe (m/w/d)

Administrative and support in EMBL Heidelberg

Das EMBL Kinderhaus ist ein lebendiges Kinderhaus und legt Wert auf eine zukunftsorientierte, internationale Entwicklung in partnerschaftlicher Zusammenarbeit mit Kindern, Eltern und pädagogischen Fachkräften. Unsere Zusammenarbeit ist geprägt von gegenseitigem Respekt, Verlässlichkeit und Transpare...

Closes on 1st September. Posted 5th August 2026

Edit

Programme Officer – EMBL International Centre for Advanced Training

Administrative and support in EMBL Heidelberg

Training the next generation of scientists is a core mission of the EMBL. EICAT’s Internal Scientific Training team coordinates EMBL’s Predoctoral and Postdoctoral programmes. Both programmes leverage EMBL’s interdisciplinary and dynamic scientific environment and, together with the EMBL Fellows’ Ca...

Closes on 1st September. Posted 3rd August 2026

Edit

Accountant

Administrative and support in EMBL Heidelberg

EMBL is among the world’s highest ranked scientific research organisations aimed to explore the secrets of life. EMBL integrates 28 member states and employs close to 1800 people across its six research sites in Barcelona, Cambridge (Hinxton), Grenoble, Hamburg, Heidelberg, and Rome. Its headquarter...

Closes on 17th August. Posted 3rd August 2026

Edit

Contact and travel

Accommodation

EMBL Hotel ISG and Guest Houses provide accommodation for scientists and visitors to EMBL Heidelberg.

Travel

EMBL Heidelberg is a 10-15 minute drive from Heidelberg's city centre and main station. During conferences EMBL arranges frequent bus transfers between EMBL and various stops around Heidelberg.

Contact

General Enquiries
Get in touch
Phone: +49 6221 387-0

Press
Email: media [at] @embl.org

Address

EMBL Heidelberg
Meyerhofstraße 1
69117 Heidelberg
Germany

With support from more than 30 countries, laboratories at six sites across Europe and thousands of scientists and engineers working together, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is a powerhouse of biological expertise. EMBL is an intergovernmental organisation, headquartered in Heidelberg, and was founded in 1974 with the mission of promoting molecular biology research in Europe, training young scientists, and developing new technologies.

EMBL currently employs more than 1800 people in Barcelona, ​​Grenoble, Hamburg, Heidelberg, EMBL-EBI Hinxton (near Cambridge), and Rome.

Publishing hundreds of research articles and hosting dozens of conferences every year, EMBL is driving visionary fundamental research and training Europe’s future scientific talent.

Edit