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Organisation

EMBL is dedicated to basic research in molecular biology, the provision of research services to its member states and advanced training.

Research at EMBL is organised in eight research units: the Cell Biology and Biophysics, Developmental Biology, Gene Expression, and Structural and Computational Biology Units at the main laboratory in Heidelberg, the EMBL-EBI in Hinxton, and the outstations in Hamburg, Grenoble and Monterotondo. Each unit consists of a number of individual research groups. Collaboration between these groups is extensive, and is supported both by a system of joint appointments and the EMBL Centres, cross-unit focal points for interdisciplinary projects.

Services are developed and provided in close collaboration between scientists and technical staff. The most important services that are provided by EMBL are core biomolecular databases and bioinformatics tools at EMBL-EBI, the provision of beamlines, instrumentation and high-throughput technology for structural biology at the outstations in Hamburg and Grenoble and the Core Facilities for genomics and proteomics services. Access to the services is provided through the Visitors Programme which hosts several thousand visitors to EMBL every year.

Advanced Training is organised in the EMBL Centre for Advanced Training (EICAT).

  • The renowned EMBL International PhD Programme has currently enrolled 180 students from 30 countries. EMBL can award its own PhD degree since 1997 and collaborates very closely with 29 partner universities in 19 countries.
  • A programme for postdoctoral fellows is providing networking activities, career advice and vocational training to the 180 postdoctoral fellows at EMBL.
  • Each year EMBL organises a number of scientific courses, workshops and conferences.
  • Outreach to the non-scientific community is organised within the Science and Society Programme.
  • The European Learning Laboratory for the Life Sciences provides training courses for science teachers.

The Office of Information and Public Affairs is responsible for the publication of the Annual Report, the EMBL&cetera newsletter, media relations and the EMBL websites.

All of these activities are supported by an Administration that deals with the administrative aspects of running EMBL. This includes finance, personnel, estate management, safety, technology transfer and legal advice.