Research

From genomes to organisms, EMBL is exploring the secrets of life

EMBL’s diverse research programme is pushing the limits of biological knowledge, with our researchers developing innovative techniques and technologies as part of the process.

Research Units

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory is made up of many independent groups of research scientists, who work on a wide range of biological topics. EMBL categorises these groups by area of scientific interest into nine research units. This structure helps EMBL scientists working on similar scientific questions to leverage common tools and experimental apparatus.

EMBL Programme

Pushing boundaries in research, services, training and technology


Learn more about EMBL research

EMBL Faculty

Explore how EMBL research groups collaborate with partners

Publications

Explore EMBL’s full list of scientific publications and preprints which go back as far as 1979

Cross-cutting research topics

From exploring the molecular components inside a cell to studying whole populations and ecosystems, EMBL scientists will explore these different scales through research themes that foster collaborative, multidisciplinary research.

EMBL maintains close cooperative affiliations with organisations of comparable standard, vision and international orientation.

These institutional collaborations are based on shared goals and scientific synergy or complementarity. The aim is to create a network of institutions that enhance molecular life science in Europe and around the world.


Edit

Postdoctoral Fellow in Structural Biology of RNA Metabolism

Science, research and training in Grenoble, France

About usThe Kowalinski group aims to understand how gene expression is regulated through diverse RNA processing pathways. We investigate emerging concepts in eukaryotic RNA processing, including mechanisms of RNA maturation, editing, and chemical modification in a protist model organism. Our researc...

Closes on 2nd March. Posted 2nd February 2026

Edit

Research Group Leader

Science, research and training in EMBL-EBI Hinxton

Do you want to lead groundbreaking research in computational biology? Join us at EMBL-EBI!EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) is seeking talented and highly-motivated scientists to join its Faculty and develop their own independent research group. We welcome applicants from across th...

Closes on 12th April. Posted 29th January 2026

Edit

AMBER Postdoctoral Fellowship: Cross-scale imaging of the invasion and progression of Toxoplasma gondii in human cells

Science, research and training in Grenoble, France

EMBL is Europe’s life sciences laboratory – an intergovernmental organisation with more than 110 independent research groups and service teams covering the spectrum of molecular biology. It operates across six sites in Heidelberg (headquarters), Barcelona, Cambridge, Grenoble, Hamburg and Rome. Our...

Closes on 3rd March. Posted 29th January 2026

Edit

With support from more than 30 countries, laboratories at six sites across Europe and thousands of scientists and engineers working together, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is a powerhouse of biological expertise. EMBL is an intergovernmental organisation, headquartered in Heidelberg, and was founded in 1974 with the mission of promoting molecular biology research in Europe, training young scientists, and developing new technologies.

EMBL currently employs more than 1800 people in Barcelona, ​​Grenoble, Hamburg, Heidelberg, EMBL-EBI Hinxton (near Cambridge), and Rome.

Publishing hundreds of research articles and hosting dozens of conferences every year, EMBL is driving visionary fundamental research and training Europe’s future scientific talent.

Edit