EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY ORGANIZATION | Meyerhofstr. 1 | 69117 Heidelberg | Germany | www.embo.org | [email protected]
message from embo executive director
promoting excellence in the molecular life sciences in europe
Intense discussions on the
future direction of molecular
biology were already taking
place in what could be con-
sidered the “classical era” of
molecular biology – between
the years 1950 and 1968.
“…this new molecular biology…has to
explore the high-level logical computations,
the programmes, the algorithm of develop-
ment in molecular terms. Because after all....
we are asking the question that people raised
in the 1870’s,” contributed Sydney Brenner
in 1960. “…and one would like to be able...to
move between the molecular hardware and
the logical software of how it is all organised
without feeling they are different sciences.”
Molecular biology has indeed moved in
the direction envisioned by Sydney and his
colleagues. Its concepts have pervaded practi-
cally all areas of biology including the applied
disciplines of medicine, agriculture and bio-
technology. In this way, molecular biology has
stayed young and there is no sign that it will
slow down with regard to gaining exciting new
insights into mechanisms and processes of liv-
ing systems.
At EMBO we observe these wonderful
developments with delight. Alongside these
developments we examine our operations:
does our membership profile still reflect
present day molecular biology? Do our pro-
grammes support the right young researchers?
Do we, according to our mission, disseminate
the right ideas, knowledge and techniques? Do
we reach all the communities of scientists we
aim to reach in all member states?
EMBO Council and EMBO management
had intense discussions on these topics during
recent meetings, and accordingly, we are reas-
sessing our policies and the spectrum of activi-
ties. While a number of issues are still under
discussion, we are moving ahead with others.
One of the ways molecular biologists con-
tribute to solving problems in our societies is
by working at the interface of clinical research
and basic molecular biology. Thus, in 2008
EMBO initiated a Fellowship Programme for
molecular medicine. Moreover, thanks to the
dedicated work of Les Grivell, EMBO Molecular
Medicine, a new peer-reviewed journal devoted
to this partnership (see page 9), calls for article
submission prior to its launch in early 2009.
In 2009, EMBO is re-igniting an early tra-
dition of providing a forum for scientific
exchange by introducing The EMBO Meeting
(see page 3). This annual conference intends
to bring together researchers from Europe and
all over the world and will address, in particu-
lar, scientists in early years of their research
careers, such as PhD students and postdocs.
The elegant EMBL Advanced Training
Centre (ATC) (see page 4), rising before our
eyes in Heidelberg, will open its doors in late
2009. Beginning in 2010, EMBO and EMBL will
co-organise a new series of symposia that
will complement EMBO Courses & Workshops
Programme, managed by Maria Barbosa. Maria,
who joined us towards the end of last year, is
playing a key role as part of the working group
for EMBO/EMBL Symposia.
To take on these new activities, in addi-
tion to our ongoing programmes, would not
have been possible without a dedicated and
competent staff in Heidelberg to ensure the
successful execution of all that EMBO deliv-
ers to our communities. Over the past year,
some new people have joined us and others
have changed roles and in some cases taken
on more responsibilities. I would like to take
this opportunity to highlight some of those
involved.
Gerlind Wallon and Jan Taplick were pro-
moted to Deputy Executive Directors of EMBO,
effective January 2008. Gerlind and Jan work
closely with me and share a number of key
duties. Suzanne Beveridge joined us last
September as EMBO Chief Communication
Officer, and heads the team that ensures,
not only effective execution of The EMBO
Meeting, but of all communications – whether
print- or web-based – as well as public rela-
tions activities. Of essential help in all of our
reorganisation is Volker Wiersdorff, who was
promoted to head EMBO Information Support
& Resources group. Database harmonisation
by new software and hardware has allowed
us to make a number of processes more effi -
cient and thus to create more working capac-
ity. Finally, to have a smooth start for EMBO
Molecular Medicine, Sandra Caldeira will take
on the internal editor role. Sandra previously
was an editor for EMBO reports.
In this way, with the support of EMBO
Council, EMBC and our staff, EMBO is well posi-
tioned to play its unique role in the modern era
of molecular biology – a discipline as strong
and relevant as ever.
Hermann Bujard
issue 10
summer
2008
highlights in this issue
New EMBC President elected 2
Inaugural event – 3
The EMBO Meeting 2009
EMBO|EMBL Symposia 4
in the ATC
Launch of
new journal
in 2009
EMBO
Molecular
Medicine 9
EMBO meets Taiwan 11
by Bertrand Jordan
Molecular biology in the modern era
A M S T
E R D A
M
2009
Call
for
papers
http://www.embo.org
mailto:[email protected]
2
European Molecular Biology Organization
Young Investigators reach out to Turkish scientists
EMBO Young Scientists Forum
More than 400 young Turkish scientists got
together at Istanbul’s Boğaziçi University cam-
pus for the fi rst-ever EMBO Young Scientists
Forum on 20 – 22 February.
Two recipients of EMBO Installation Grants,
Nesrin Özören from Boğaziçi University and
Devrim Gözüaçik from Sabancı University,
organized the event that attracted Masters
and PhD students, post docs and group lead-
ers from all major institutes in Turkey.
Members of EMBO Young Investigator
Programme fi rst suggested the idea to reach
out to PhD students in the peripheral EMBC
Member States in order to highlight the attrac-
tiveness of a life science career and to show-
case European science. The local organizers
developed this idea further to include scientists
from all levels, allowing students to present
posters and interact with the speakers, and
local group leaders to present their research
and network with EMBO Young Investigators.
Young investigators and young Turkish group
leaders gave a total of fi fteen talks. A poster
session with a competition for a poster prize
and meet the speaker sessions completed the
meeting, allowing participant interaction.
Formerly the American Robert College
founded in 1863, Boğaziçi University overlooks
the Bosphorous in Istanbul and is one of the
top universities in Turkey with 10,500 students
and nearly 1,000 faculty. All major lectures in
the life sciences are given in English, making
Turkish scientists attractive on the interna-
tional market.
Turkish media covered the event exten-
sively with interviews with Karim Labib (CR
UK, Manchester, UK) and Anne Bertolotti (MRC
LMB, Cambridge, UK) appearing in the press.
EMBO Executive Director Hermann Bujard was
interviewed for TV news coverage.
The dynamic community of Turkish scien-
tists are benefi ting from the increased invest-
ment into science by the Turkish government.
Turkey plans to spend two percent of GDP on
R&D in the near future to become an attrac-
tive scientifi c partner. Up until now, there has
been no scheme to lure post-doctoral or young
independent scientists back to Turkey after
completion of their PhDs, mainly in the US. But
this is changing rapidly with the government’s
increasing investment in science.
Both EMBO and EMBL are supporting the
Turkish endeavour to strengthen their local sci-
ence base. Iain Mattaj, EMBL Director General,
recently visited institutes in Istanbul and Izmir,
while EMBO Young Investigators will return
to Boğaziçi University for their 2009 annual
meeting.
In two sessions per year, the European
Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC) meets
to review funding of EMBO programmes and
activities. Contributions from the 27 EMBC
Member States provide the majority of EMBO
fi nances. More than 30 delegates and advisers
from the member states met in Heidelberg on
19 November 2007 and were joined by EMBO
management and representatives from EMBO
Counci
