European Molecular Biology Laboratory facts for kids
EMBL logo
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| Abbreviation | EMBL |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1974 |
| Type | Research institute |
| Purpose | Basic research |
| Headquarters | Heidelberg, Germany |
| Locations |
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| Fields | Molecular biology |
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Membership
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Full members (29):
Prospect member (1):
Associate member (1):
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Director General
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Edith Heard |
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Staff
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~1800 |
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is a special group that does molecular biology research. It's like a science club supported by many countries. EMBL started in 1974. It gets its money from the governments of its member countries.
More than 110 science teams work at EMBL. They study all kinds of things in molecular biology. EMBL has six main locations. The biggest one is in Heidelberg, Germany. Other sites are in Barcelona (Spain), Grenoble (France), Hamburg (Germany), Hinxton (England), and Rome (Italy).
Scientists at EMBL do important basic research. They also help train new scientists and students. They create new tools and ways to study biology. Israel is the only member country not in Europe.
Contents
How EMBL Started
The idea for EMBL came from scientists like Leó Szilárd, James Watson, and John Kendrew. They wanted to create a big international science center. They hoped it would be like CERN, which studies tiny particles. Their goal was to help Europe become a leader in molecular biology. At that time, America was very strong in this field.
John Kendrew was the first leader of EMBL. He was the Director General until 1982. After him, Lennart Philipson took over. Later, Fotis Kafatos led EMBL from 1993 to 2005. Then came Iain Mattaj, who was director from 2005 to 2018. In 2019, Edith Heard became the fifth director. She is the first woman to hold this important job.
In 2022, Edith Heard announced a new science plan for EMBL. It's called "Molecules to Ecosystems." This plan will guide their research for the next five years.
What Kind of Research Does EMBL Do?
Each EMBL location focuses on a different area of science.
EMBL-EBI: Data and Computers
The EMBL-EBI in England is a big center for bioinformatics. This means they use computers to study biology. They create and keep many science databases. These databases are free for anyone to use.
Studying Structures: Grenoble and Hamburg
At the EMBL sites in Grenoble and Hamburg, scientists focus on structural biology. This is about understanding the shapes and structures of tiny things inside living cells.
Genes and Brains: Rome
The EMBL Rome site studies epigenetics and neurobiology. Epigenetics looks at how genes are turned on or off. Neurobiology is the study of the brain and nervous system.
Tissues and Organs: Barcelona
Scientists at EMBL Barcelona study how tissues and organs work. They look at how these parts of the body grow and develop. They also study what happens when they get sick.
Main Lab in Heidelberg
The main EMBL lab in Heidelberg has many different research groups. They study:
- Cell biology and biophysics (how cells work and the physics of living things)
- Developmental biology (how living things grow and develop)
- Genome biology (the study of all the genes in an organism)
- Computational biology (using computers to solve biology problems)
Big Discoveries at EMBL
Many important scientific discoveries have happened at EMBL.
- In the 1980s, Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and Eric Wieschaus studied fruit flies. They figured out how genes control the development of an embryo. They won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1995 for this work.
- In the early 1980s, Jacques Dubochet and his team at EMBL created a new way to look at tiny biological structures. It's called cryogenic electron microscopy. This method freezes samples quickly to see them clearly. He won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this amazing invention.
Helping Other Scientists
EMBL also helps other scientists around the world. They offer special labs and tools for experiments. These include facilities for structural biology, imaging, and DNA sequencing.
In 2021, EMBL opened a new center in Heidelberg. It's called the [EMBL Imaging Centre]. This center has the newest microscopes. Scientists from anywhere can visit and use these advanced tools.
Training New Scientists
One of EMBL's main goals is to train future scientists.
PhD Program
The EMBL International PhD Programme (EIPP) is their most important training program. About 200 students are part of it. Since 1997, EMBL has been able to give out its own science degrees. However, students usually get their degrees from partner universities.
Other Training
EMBL also has programs for scientists who have already finished their PhDs. These are called postdoctoral programs. They also have a Visitor Programme for scientists who want to come and learn.
EMBL Advanced Training Centre
In 2010, the EMBL Advanced Training Centre (ATC) opened in Heidelberg. It looks like a double helix, which is the shape of DNA. This center is where scientists hold meetings, workshops, and training courses. It has special labs and lecture halls.
The ATC also hosts the European Learning Lab for the Life Sciences ([ELLS]). ELLS helps high school teachers learn about new discoveries in molecular biology. It also has programs for students to get excited about science.
Science and Society
EMBL has a program called "Science and Society." This program organizes events and activities for everyone. It helps people learn about important questions in life science research.
Member Countries
EMBL is supported by many countries. Currently, there are 29 full member states. There is also one country that is a prospect member (meaning they plan to join) and one associate member state.
| Member states | Year of joining |
|---|---|
 Austria |
1974 |
 Belgium |
1990 |
 Croatia |
2006 |
 Czech Republic |
2014 |
 Denmark |
1974 |
 Estonia |
2023 |
 Finland |
1984 |
 France |
1974 |
 Germany |
1974 |
 Greece |
1984 |
 Hungary |
2017 |
 Iceland |
2005 |
 Ireland |
2003 |
 Israel |
1974 |
 Italy |
1974 |
 Latvia |
2024 |
 Lithuania |
2019 |
 Luxembourg |
2007 |
 Malta |
2016 |
 Montenegro |
2018 |
 Netherlands |
1974 |
 Norway |
1985 |
 Poland |
2019 |
 Portugal |
1998 |
 Slovakia |
2018 |
 Spain |
1986 |
 Sweden |
1974 |
 Switzerland |
1974 |
 United Kingdom |
1974 |
| Prospect member state | |
 Serbia |
2023 |
| Associate member state | |
 Australia |
2008 |
| Former associate member state | |
 Argentina |
2014–2020 |
See also
- European Molecular Biology Organization
- European Genome-phenome Archive
