About

Save our planet

To sustain life on earth, we must protect our most vital resource – the environment – and safeguard the ecosystems which connect all life forms and also provide clean air, safe water, and healthy food. With climate change exacerbating society’s challenges at an unprecedented rate, we need to join together and act with great urgency because the future of humanity depends on it.

Find solutions through life sciences

Life sciences must lead the way forward. From microbes that can degrade pesticides and plastic to marine plankton that removes CO₂, the study of living organisms can help us find novel solutions to pressing environmental challenges. There is still a gold mine of potential solutions to be discovered by molecular biologists.

Empower the brightest minds

The idea behind ERI is simple: it is a bold initiative to drive cutting-edge research on environmental issues using any aspect of modern molecular biology at EMBL. We recruit pioneering scientists to tackle environmental challenges and empower them to realize their scientific ideas with EMBL’s unrivaled research expertise and state-of-the-art microbiology technologies.

Download the ERI summary (PDF)

“I started the Environmental Research Initiative (ERI) because I see a tremendous chance in bringing EMBL’s world-leading know-how in the life sciences to the pressing problems of our times. For over 30 years at EMBL, I’ve witnessed first-hand what EMBL’s Nobel Prize-winning expertise in the life sciences and unique mentoring culture can do for young talented scientists. This is precisely why EMBL is the ideal place to help lay the groundwork for finding solutions to global challenges. Join me to support pioneering scientists to find new and creative solutions through life sciences research as the most effective way to preserve our environment.”

— Prof. Matthias Hentze, EMBL Director

Strategy

The ERI vision is to support dedicated research groups at EMBL, entirely committed to addressing environmental challenges head-on. To get there, our strategic approach begins with 1-year pilot projects. The ERI projects serve as stepping stones, demonstrating proof of concept of what EMBL can do in environmental research at minimal cost.

As the next phase before launching ERI groups, ERI Fellowships are designed to support more extensive, mid-term projects focused on tackling environmental issues and empower postdoctoral researchers over a 2-4 year period. These fellowships not only foster ‘green’ careers but also enable researchers to hone their skills and have a profound, enduring impact on our environment.

We have now completed the pilot phase and are excited to enter the second phase of launching the first ERI fellowships at EMBL. As we also celebrate 50 years of world-class science at EMBL in 2024, we invite you to join us on this transformative journey toward a healthier planet for generations to come. Together, we have the power to shape a brighter, more sustainable tomorrow through life sciences.

Projects

ERI’s pilot projects were started in 2021, supported by seed funding by generous private citizens and the Friends of EMBL programme.

The currently running ERI projects (started in 2022) are:

Harnessing plankton to combat marine pollution

This project was launched in early 2023 through the collective donations of the global EMBL alumni community (€10,340 raised so far).

Download the project’s summary (pdf)

“Planktonic species are incredibly important when it comes to ecosystem stability: they support life in the ocean, and therefore us. Understanding the interactions between their survival and chemical pollution is of prime importance to protect planetary health. ERI support has enabled us to kickstart a project that explores uncharted areas at the interface of phytoplankton, their microbiome, and marine chemical pollution. Most importantly, it has given me the necessary push to take a risk I may have otherwise not taken.”

— Dr. Flora Vincent, EMBL Group Leader

Unveiling the power of microbial mats in pollutant degradation

This project was launched in 2022 and supported by donations by the ‘Friends of EMBL‘. (Funded: €28,295)

Download the project’s summary (pdf)

The first ERI projects (started in 2021) are:

Tackling plastic pollution through X-ray technology

This project was launched in 2021 and supported by donations from the ‘Friends of EMBL‘ and other generous private citizens. It has also resulted in an interactive children’s science lab book to learn about plastic pollution in the ocean. Recently (in 2023), the project has led to partnerships, for example, with the Technical University of Munich, to develop automated methods for analysing nanoplastics. (Funded: €19,000)

Find out more about Melissa’s research from antibodies to nanoplastics.

“The ERI project allowed me to step outside my usual science bubble (studying antibodies) and utilise our advanced technology to study the potential threat of nanoplastics. These initial experiments have enabled me to build up a network with various experts, leading to a partnership, for example, with the Technical University of Munich developing new automated methods for analysing nanoplastics.”

— Dr. Melissa Graewert, EMBL Senior Scientist

Fighting pesticide pollution with microbes

This project was launched in 2021 and supported by donations from the ‘Friends of EMBL‘ and other generous private citizens, enabling the recruitment of a postdoctoral researcher to EMBL, Dr. Richard Jacoby, which also helped him to secure further funding (the EMBL ARISE Fellowship) to continue this project an additional 2 years through 2024. (Funded: €32,000)

Download the pesticide project summary (PDF)

Enhancing artificial hormone detection in wastewater

This project was launched in 2021 and supported by donations from the ‘Friends of EMBL‘ and other generous private citizens.

Fellowships

With decades of experience in training pre- and postdoctoral researchers at EMBL, we
are poised to support ambitious scientists to use their curiosity and talents for the benefit of the planet.

Through dedicated ERI fellowships, we would like to support promising researchers from around the world to build ‘‘green’’ careers and refine their research talents for the environment. ERI fellows will work on solution-oriented research projects using EMBL’s world-class molecular biology infrastructure, expertise, and mentorship to address environmental issues.

ERI fellowships are designed to be mid-term projects supporting postdoctoral researchers for 2-4 years. Research areas may focus on any environmental issues like marine and land pollution and conservation, bioremediation, climate change, biodiversity loss, etc.

Gifts in the following amounts support 1 fellowship, including basic laboratory
supplies:
» €160,000/2 years
» €240,000/3 years
» €340,000/4 years

Your donation will:

• provide financial support for postdoctoral researchers to focus on solution-oriented environmental research at EMBL
• support the next generation of environmental scientists through professional training and development in life sciences research
• connect you closely to exciting, meaningful research and the scientists who do it
• pave the way for scientific breakthroughs to tackle global environmental issues
• lead to a deeper fundamental understanding of how molecular biology can improve planetary and human health, catalysing further scientific discoveries

Fellows will be postdoctoral researchers and supported by an EMBL Group Leader.

Fellowships may also include secondments or partnerships with external institutions.

Opportunities to establish the fellowship in your name (or company), in memory of
a loved one, or in honor of someone are also possible.

The research themes and recruitment process will be determined internally by EMBL Group Leaders.

Download the ERI Fellowship summary (PDF)

“Thanks to ERI, I could work on environmental topics while at EMBL. Tackling the problem of nanoplastic pollution meant learning novel practices and considering the needs and limitations to translate our fundamental research to real-world challenges. As a result, this enriched my research at EMBL and encouraged me to advance my career at an institution with a strong focus on environmental research, where I can continue researching both natural substances and pollutants in marine environments.”

— Dr. Stefano Da Vela, Hochschule Bremerhaven and Alfred Wegener Institute

News

27 November 2023

Alumni raise €160,000 to tackle environmental challenges

An EMBL alumni fundraising campaign launched in 2022 to support EMBL’s Environmental Research Initiative (ERI) has surpassed its goal of €18,500 to raise more than €160,000 to support vital environmental research thanks to donations from members of the EMBL community.

17 March 2023

EMBL Alumni Make Possible ERI Grant for Plankton Research (for internal users)

The pilot project will help us to understand how plankton can be used as a biological tool to combat marine pollution and preserve the health of marine ecosystems, using cutting-edge analytical methods to develop plankton-based indicators.

16 November 2022

The Power of a Pesticide Library

EMBL research groups apply molecular biology and its research tools to better understand agricultural pesticides, the impacts, degradation, and how to accelerate the degradation. Thanks to ERI support — EMBL now has its own library of more than 1,000 chemicals found in pesticides, which can inform new approaches to pollution clean-up and potentially guide a new generation of agro-chemicals – chemicals potent enough for the intended objective, but that quickly degrade and disappear. This would reduce the environmental impact of pesticides on water, land, and ecosystems.

9 July 2021

From Antibodies to Nanoplastics

EMBL researcher applies structural biology (advanced X-ray technology) to better understand the potential threats of nanoplastic pollution on marine ecosystems and humans and offers hope for solutions. But while plastic contamination is pervasive, its impact is not well understood. Researchers lack effective ways to detect and better understand the structure of these degrading plastic particles, which is necessary to evaluate their impact and develop meaningful solutions. To estimate the potential threat, we’re gathering information on nanoplastics’ shape and surface properties. This is important to understand how far they can penetrate into tissues and organs of various organisms, including humans.

4 June 2021

The Power of Community

EMBL Director Matthias Hentze describes the Environmental Research Initiative: a community effort to solve global environmental challenges through molecular life sciences research. He has set a challenge for EMBL scientists – to find solutions to society’s most pressing environmental issues through molecular life science research. Supported by philanthropy, this is the aim of the Environmental Research Initiative (ERI), which he launched in 2020.

Supporters

We would like to warmly thank everyone who has supported the Environmental Research Initiative since it was launched in 2020. Those listed below and those who have chosen to remain anonymous.