In the second session of Coffee with EMBL this year, held online on Friday 14 June 2024, EMBL alumni and current staff reflected on the 1990s as part of the “5 decades of EMBL” series, and considered how the culture and innovations of the nineties paved the way for current-day EMBL.

Moderator Angus Lamond, Group Leader and Senior Scientist at EMBL Heidelberg from 1987 to 1995, set the tone for the discussion that followed by describing  the 1990s as “a decade of phenomenal innovation and change” with the introduction of the genome sequence, the world wide web, the possibilities for data sharing and moving, and analysing proteins with mass spectrometry (proteomics) as some key examples. 

One of the most significant milestones for EMBL during the 1990s was in the field of bioinformatics. Graham Cameron, one of the key figures in the establishment of the EMBL-EBI, highlighted that the seed for the institute was sown as early as 1979 when Ken Murray and Herman Bujard persuaded John Kendrew to start a DNA sequence database at EMBL Heidelberg. Greg Hamm was the first employee whose contribution was quite enormous, and then Cameron was appointed on 1st April in 1982, on the same day as EMBL’s second Director General, Lennart Phillipson. “We realised the growing importance of data and the necessity for a dedicated institute to manage it,” Cameron said. This realisation was pivotal in addressing the increasing complexity of biological data and laid the groundwork for EMBL-EBI’s current status as a global leader in bioinformatics. Cameron emphasised that the development of EMBL-EBI was not just about managing data but also about creating a robust infrastructure for future scientific advancements.

Russ Hodge, Head of Communications at EMBL Heidelberg from 1997-2008, emphasised the role of effective communication, “publications were a crucial part of our strategy,” he said. “We worked hard to ensure that our research was accessible and engaging to both the scientific community and the public.”

The 1990s also saw significant strides in molecular biology techniques. Former EMBL Heidelberg Team Leader Toby Gibson (1986-2023), recounted the development of new methodologies that revolutionised genetic research. “Techniques we take for granted today were groundbreaking back then,” Gibson said. These advances enabled scientists to delve deeper into genetic mechanisms, paving the way for modern genomics. 

Ingo Liedtke, who worked at EMBL Heidelberg in Purchasing and then Finance from 1988 to 1997, emphasised the importance placed on enhancing EMBL’s Core Facilities. “We focused on building state-of-the-art facilities that could support the ambitious projects of our scientists,” Liedtke noted. The investment in infrastructure, such as the first web servers for data resources in the early days of the internet,  was crucial in maintaining EMBL as an elite service provider and fostering a productive research environment that catered for life scientists across Europe.

Gemma Texido, a Research Technician in the Developmental Biology Unit at EMBL Heidelberg from 1997-2000, reflected on the collaborative spirit which was referenced several times by others during the discussion. “The culture of collaboration was ingrained in everything we did,” she said. This spirit was instrumental in driving forward innovative projects and ensuring that EMBL remained at the forefront of scientific research.  Texido also highlighted the importance of support systems for EMBL staff, particularly childcare. “EMBL was ahead of its time in providing excellent childcare facilities, which allowed many of us to balance our professional and personal lives more effectively,” she said.

Former Database Programmer Leif Landeman, who worked at EMBL-EBI from 1994-1997, spoke about the adaptability of EMBL during his time there. “We were constantly evolving, embracing new technologies and methodologies,” Landeman remarked. This willingness and openness to adapt, it seems, was key to EMBL’s success and its ability to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing scientific landscape.

While EMBL’s core values of innovation, collaboration, and excellence remain, the session highlighted noticeable differences in our scale and scope in comparison to the 90s. Today, EMBL operates with a broader global reach and a larger workforce, deploying advanced technologies that were unimaginable in the 1990s. Many of the building blocks put in place in the 1990s have grown into fundamental and celebrated components of EMBL’s offering. 

As EMBL celebrates its 50th anniversary, these reflections serve as a reminder of the enduring legacy of innovation and community that continues to drive the organisation forward.

Watch the session in full on the EMBL Alumni YouTube channel, where you can also find a series of Alumni Chats interviews with EMBL alumni from the 1990s including Toby Gibson, Janet Thornton, Ernst Stelzer and more.

Coffee with EMBL will focus on the 2000s in September, and on the 2010s, 2020s and beyond in December. Do join us for the sessions, or watch online afterwards.