Brief History
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory was the idea of prominent scientists such as the American physicist and molecular biologist Leo Szilárd and Nobel Prize winners James D. Watson and John C. Kendrew. Their goal was to create a CERN-like supranational research centre to redress the balance in the strongly US-dominated field of molecular biology.
The founding contract of this centre of excellence was signed in July 1974 on a basis of an intergovernmental treaty of nine European countries plus Israel. Since then, the number of member states has increased progressively, until Luxembourg became the twentieth member in 2007, and Australia joined as an associate member in 2008.
EMBL's founding father John C. Kendrew served as the first Director General of EMBL until 1982, when he was succeeded by Lennart Philipson. The third Director General, Fotis C. Kafatos, served from April 1993 to April 2005. Iain Mattaj, who was Scientific Director from 1999 until 2005, is EMBL's fourth and current Director General.
The most famous example of research carried out at EMBL is the identification of the genes responsible for establishing the body plan of insect embryos. Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard and Eric Wieschaus, who analysed this function on a genome-wide scale, were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1995. Today, EMBL is considered Europe's flagship laboratory for basic research in molecular biology, its five European sites attracting both young investigators and established scientists from all over the world.
Short history
2008
Australia becomes EMBL's associate member state
2007
Luxembourg becomes EMBL's 20th member state
2006
Croatia joins as EMBL's 19th member state.
Construction of the new Advanced Training Centre starts in Heidelberg
2005
Prof. Iain Mattaj, the former Scientific Director, is appointed as EMBL's fourth Director General.
2004
Iceland joins as EMBL's 18th member state.
The EMBL site in Hamburg celebrates its 30th anniversary.
2003
Ireland joins as EMBL's 17th member state.
2002
EMBL participates in completion and analysis of human and other genomes, made publicly accessible on Ensembl website.
2001
EMBLEM GmbH, EMBL's technology transfer arm, is established.
International Technology Transfer Center is built on the EMBL campus.
1999
A new programme in Mouse Biology begins operation in Monterotondo near Rome, Italy, strengthening the involvement of EMBL in research related to molecular medicine.
1997
The EBI is officially opened at Hinxton
1994
The ESRF synchrotron facility at Grenoble, in collaboration with EMBL, opens its doors to biological experimentation.
1993
Fotis Kafatos is appointed as the third Director General of EMBL.
The EMBL Data Library moves to the EBI Outstation at Cambridge, England.
1991
Construction of EMBL's NMR facility begins.
1988
EMBL and others establish EMBnet, the international sequence database network. EMBL's Operon Conference Centre and seminar facilities are built at Heidelberg. The first EMBL childcare facilities are opened.
1985
A unique neutron diffractometer is built at Grenoble in collaboration with the ILL.
1984
EMBL's predoctoral training programme is established. Construction of EMBL guest houses for visiting scientists and newcomers is begun.
1983
Differentiation is added to the EMBL research units.
1982
Lennart Philipson becomes the second Director General. EMBL is reorganised into new scientific research and instrumentation units.
1981
The EMBL Data Library is founded – the first central depository of nucleotide sequence data in the world (precursor to EMBL's EBI Outstation).
1978
Scientists move from temporary facilities into the newly completed laboratory at Heidelberg.
1976
An agreement is signed establishing a second Outstation at the site of the Iinstitut Laue Langevin in Grenoble.
1975
Construction of the Heidelberg Facility begins. An official agreement is signed with German officials to establish an EMBL Outstation at the DESY synchrotron ring in Hamburg.
1974
On July 4th, with the decision of France to ratify the EMBL Agreement, EMBL becomes a legal entity. Sir John Kendrew is appointed as its first Director General.
1973
Delegates of the participating countries agree to and sign a draft accord in Geneva to establish a European Molecular Biology Laboratory.
1971
Heidelberg is chosen as the site for EMBL's main laboratory.
1969
The first proposals to include outstations in addition to the main laboratory and stronger emphasis on technological development and service functions for the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) are made at a meeting at Lake Constance.
1968
The European Molecular Biology Conference is founded, associating 14 governments with EMBO, providing the organisation with stable funding and scientific independence.
1963
Scientists at a professional meeting in Ravello, Italy decide to pursue the idea of the laboratory. They form the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) in order to realise this goal. International fellowships and advanced courses are added to the EMBO agenda.
1962
Leo Szilard, Victor F. Weisskopf, James D. Watson and John Kendrew meet in Geneva to discuss possibility of establishing an international laboratory for molecular biology.