| 2003 |
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YEAR BOOK |
Forf�s
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Ireland Joins the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
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The EMBL is a focal point for European aspirations in the biotechnology industry. EMBL is an Inter-Governmental Research Organisation (IGRO) established in 1974, with sixteen member countries from Europe, including Israel. The overriding mission of EMBL is the development of molecular biology in Europe through:
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��conducting basic research in molecular biology;
��providing essential services to scientists in its Member States; ��providing high level training to its staff, students and visitors; ��developing new instrumentation for biological research. |
In addition to advancing science at the leading edges of molecular biology, EMBL also seeks to promote the development of enabling technologies, provide essential technological infrastructure, offer a multidisciplinary environment and high level training, embed exceptional researchers across Europe, foster technology transfer, and promote outreach activities to researchers and enterprises.
EMBL encompasses five facilities. The main laboratories are located in Heidelberg, Germany, and there are additional outstations in Hamburg (Germany), Grenoble (France), Hinxton (UK) and in Monterotondo (Italy). These facilities provide the scientific community with access to important research infrastructures, such as instruments for the analysis of protein structure and some of the world's oldest and biggest databases of DNA and protein sequences, as well as access to the services of expert personnel.
The EMBL is designed such that not only visitors and students, but also its own staff, spend relatively short periods of time at the laboratory (maximum nine years for staff), generally then returning to a Member State with the skills, expertise and networks they have built up at the EMBL.
The EMBL is highly regarded for its leading edge position in research. The laboratory tops the rankings for molecular biology in Germany, scoring three times the world average in terms of numbers of citations. The laboratory also has scored very highly in international chemistry research rankings, also based on citations, demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of the research carried out.
Ireland's membership of EMBL will enable researchers across a range of disciplines, in both public and private research, to have access to the facilities and opportunities afforded by this world-class facility. Membership should significantly contribute to Ireland's strategic research goal of building a science base for the biotechnology industry, as identified in Technology Foresight and implemented through Science Foundation Ireland programmes and other instruments, including the Higher Education Authority's Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI). It will also complement Ireland's significant investment in the biotechnology area in terms of presenting opportunities for research training, networking and enhanced international collaborations.
Contact: Dr Lucy Cusack, Forf�s;
Tel: 353 1 607 3080; E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]; Web: www.embl.de