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EMBLetc.

Issue 100

Online Magazine of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory


A trip down memory lane

EMBLetc., the online magazine of Europe’s life sciences laboratory, celebrates its 24th birthday with its 100th issue. We took a walk through the past issues of this dynamic publication, and here are 10 recurring themes that emerged.

A computer showing the EMBLetc. homepage open, with a few EMBLetc. magazines and postcards nearby.
Over the years, EMBLetc. has evolved from a printed newsletter to a biannual magazine to a fully digital online magazine. Credit: Creative team/EMBL

EMBLetc. began its journey as a black-and-white printed newsletter in 1998, with the goal of providing “news about services, staff, science and society” to EMBL staff and alumni. It was created by EMBL’s Office of Information and Public Affairs (which later became the EMBL Communications office) and acted for many years as a one-stop shop for news, announcements, essays, opinions, and trivia related to EMBL’s research and its people. 

In recent years, EMBLetc. has grown into an important channel for communicating the impact of EMBL’s activities to the wider community in our member states as well as globally. During this time, it has passed through the able hands of various editors, including Sarah Sherwood, Charlotte Otter, Vienna Leigh, Adam Gristwood, Chloe Cross, Ed Dadswell, Oana Stroe, and Ivy Kupec. 

It has also undergone many transformations, both in content and format. From the very early issues that were both personal and informal, directed primarily towards staff and alumni, it has evolved into a dazzling showcase of the activities and achievements of the institute and its people on various fronts, gaining a global readership and aided by the creation of new complementary internal communication channels. In terms of format, for EMBL’s 40th anniversary in 2014, it was redesigned as a biannual magazine, and with the 99th issue that came out in November 2022, it became a fully digital publication, in line with EMBL’s current sustainability initiatives.  

On the occasion of EMBLetc.’s 100th issue, we took a quick look at the most recent 24 years of the organisation’s history through the lens of its issues. And we found a set of common themes that came up again and again in its pages. 

1. EMBL has always been a centre for great science…

As research highlights in all 99 issues of EMBLetc. show, EMBL is a world leader in cutting-edge life science research, pushing the boundaries of both fundamental and applied research to reveal exciting insights about how organisms function. Here are a few examples of EMBL’s groundbreaking science from the last 24 years.

EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL groups help wrap up mouse, mosquito genomes"
From Issue 12, December 2002
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Unravelling the mystery of cot death"
From Issue 46, August 2008
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL's contribution to fighting coronavirus"
From Issue 95, Summer 2020
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Uncovering a microbe's inner life"
From Issue 99, Winter 2022
EMBLetc. clipping titled "First cell 'mapped' in 3D by EMBL researchers
From Issue 38, April 2007
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Gut instinct"
From Issue 63, June 2011
EMBLetc. clipping titled "How plankton gets jet lagged"
From Issue 82, Winter 2014/15

2. … and for state-of-the-art services and training

Two of EMBL’s key missions are to offer vital services to scientists in the member states and the world and to train scientists, students, and visitors at all levels. As the following clippings show, this is something that EMBL has achieved and encouraged right from its early days. 

EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL opens ITTC and proteomics facility"
From Issue 9, Dec 2001
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Gene sequencing facility open for business"
From Issue 11, July 2002
EMBLetc. clipping titled "ALMF celebrates five years of looking at really, really, really, really, really small things"
From Issue 17, Oct 2003
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Electron Microscopy Core Facility officially opens at EMBL Heidelberg"
From Issue 22, Aug 2004
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Unique High-Throughput Crystallography Facility up and running in Hamburg"
From Issue 29, Oct 2005
EMBLetc. clipping titled "MASSIF step forward"
From Issue 82, Winter 2014/15
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Funding agreed for imaging centre"
From Issue 90, Winter 2017/18
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL gears up to handle heavier conference and course schedule"
From Issue 3, February 2020
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Education initiative takes off at EMBL and EMBO"
From Issue 12, December 2002
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EIROforum launches science teaching journal"
From Issue 32, April 2006
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Applicants sought for new interdisciplinary EMBL postdocs"
From Issue 38, April 2007
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL-EBI throws open the doors to training facilities"
From Issue 40, Aug 2007
EMBLetc. clipping titled "It's finished, it's fantastic, it's funny-shaped... it's the Advanced Training Centre!"
From Issue 53, Oct 2009
EMBLetc. clipping titled "30 years of the EMBL PhD programme"
From Issue 77, Oct 2013

3. We take pride in our partnerships…

Another EMBL mission is to coordinate and integrate European life science research, by stablishing links and initiating collaborative projects between scientists in Europe and the wider world. As these clippings from past EMBLetc. issues show, our many collaborations, partnerships, and connections are among our biggest strengths. 

EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL and HD University Clinic establish partnership unit"
From Issue 9, Dec 2001
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL and DESY renew their vows"
From Issue 21, June 2004
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Signing of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine"
From Issue 41, Oct 2007
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Setting sail: EMBL takes to the oceans"
From Issue 53, Oct 2009
EMBLetc. clipping titled "PSB: Partnership for Structural Biology"
From Issue 12, December 2002
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Building partnerships across Europe"
From Issue 15, June 2003
EMBLetc. clipping titled "INSTRUCT and ELIXIR move forward"
From Issue 51, June 2009
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Open access imaging"
From Issue 60, December 2010

4. … and in those who support our missions with funding

In addition to core funding from its member states, EMBL has been repeatedly successful in attracting monetary support from those who believe in its mission and using such funding to expand the range of its many contributions to the scientific community. Here are a few examples. 

EMBLetc. clipping titled "Wellcome Trust announces major support for Ensembl"
From Issue 5, October 2000
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Heidelberg Forum on the Biosciences and Society finds local sponsor"
From Issue 17, Oct 2003
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Generous gift to John Kendrew Award fund"
From Issue 60, December 2010
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Friends of EMBL"
From Issue 94, Winter 2019
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL receives major funding boost from European Commission"
From Issue 8, Aug 2001
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL groups receive EU funding to study protein complexes and gene networks"
From Issue 26, April 2005
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Grant success for EIPOD programme"
From Issue 46, August 2008
From Issue 66, Dec 2011

5. We support technology transfer, industry partnerships, and translational research

EMBL’s fourth mission is to actively engage in technology transfer and industry relations. Among other programmes, this includes the EMBL corporate partnership programme, the EMBL-EBI industry programme, and technology transfer via EMBLEM, an affiliate and the commercial arm of EMBL. The following clippings demonstrate some of the early roots of this mission. 

EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL establishes technology transfer company"
From Issue 5, October 2000
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Innovation WorksTM by EMBLEM"
From Issue 11, July 2002
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Ten years of technology transfer -- EMBLEM: a look back... and a look forward."
From Issue 52, August 2009
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Open Targets: a paradigm for collaboration".
From Issue 93, Summer 2019
EMBLetc. clipping titled "The EMBL technology fund"
From Issue 10, March 2002
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBLEM and Carl Zeiss to make microscope developed at EMBL
From Issue 26, April 2005
EMBLetc. clipping titled "GSK buys Cellzome"
From Issue 69, June 2012

6. We are a growing organisation

The first EMBLetc. issue coincided with EMBL Monterotondo (now known as EMBL Rome) opening its doors. Over the last three decades, we have seen new sites and buildings come up, new facilities established, and new directions embarked upon. 

EMBLetc. clipping titled "Monterotondo campus opens its doors"
From Issue 1, July 1999 
EMBLetc. clipping titled "New beamline for EMBL-Hamburg"
From Issue 28, August 2005
EMBLetc. clipping titled "What's in the pipeline?"
From Issue 50, April 2009
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EBI set to expand thanks to funding from UK agencies"
From Issue 27, June 2005 
EMBLetc. clipping titled "New training centre for EMBL"
From Issue 32, April 2006
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL opens new site in Barcelona"
From Issue 89, Spring 2017

7. Our alumni are one of our biggest strengths…

EMBL’s unique employment structure results in a continuously growing and thriving alumni community. From the beginning, alumni have been closely involved in the production of EMBLetc. and forms one of its biggest readerships. The EMBL Alumni Relations programme helps nurture a vibrant and engaged community of current and former staff and friends worldwide.

EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL alumni association sets agenda for the future"
From Issue 12, December 2002
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Alumni Association to elect board"
From Issue 13, Feb 2003
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Newly-launched Kafatos Lectures to bring ground-breaking science to the public.
From Issue 98, Winter 2021/22
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Membership nears 1000!"
From Issue 27, June 2005
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Dilofo Days for Greek Scientists"
From Issue 58, August 2010
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Jacques Dubochet awarded Nobel Prize for Chemistry".
From Issue 90, Winter 2017/18

8. … as are our staff and fellows

For many years, EMBLetc. carried a regular column that shed light on the activities of all the people who kept the campus going “behind the scenes”. It also highlighted the many achievements of its predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows and frequently featured contributions from them. 

EMBLetc. clipping titled "First EMBL PhD"
From Issue 7, March 2001
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL postdoc community finds a voice at first-ever retreat in Alsace, France"
From Issue 27, June 2005
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Your hunger is the key to our success"
From Issue 39, June 2007
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Evoluton: PhD students host second symposium"
From Issue 9, Dec 2001
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Students get a preview of future careers at first-ever predoc retreat"
From Issue 29, Oct 2005
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL PhD students break boundaries with their third symposium"
From Issue 12, December 2002
EMBLetc. clipping titled "The end of an era: farewell to Frieda"
From Issue 36, December 2006

9. We love getting together…

Summer parties, Burns nights, Lab Days – whatever be the occasion, EMBLers just love getting together and letting their hair down. Here are some festive highlights from past years.

EMBLetc. clipping titled "Ye may 'tak away my life, but yo'll never take away my Burns night"
From Issue 10, March 2002
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Summer party"
From Issue 52, August 2009
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Lab Day 2013"
From Issue 75, June 2013
EMBLetc. clipping titled "A lab day and a half like no other"
From Issue 21, June 2004
EMBLetc. clipping titled "What is haggis, anyway"
From Issue 37, Feb 2007
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Lab Day '07"
From Issue 39, June 2007
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Burning down the house"
From Issue 55, Feb 2010

10… and having fun

EMBLetc. Has been a conduit for creativity as well as humour over the course of its existence. Enjoy this insight into the brilliant and nerdy minds of some of those who have passed through EMBL’s halls.  

From Issue 9, Dec 2001
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Lab limericks"
From Issue 24, Dec 2004
EMBLetc. clipping titled "What if EMBL scientists were machines?"
From Issue 82, Winter 2014/15
EMBLetc. clipping titled "EMBL: The European work place for finding out how small parts in living things work"
From Issue 73, Feb 2013
EMBLetc. clipping titled "There must be something in the water at EMBL"
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Apart from the obvious, why do you think there are so many babies at EMBL?"
From Issue 18, Dec 2003
EMBLetc. clipping titled "music@EMBL celebrates first birthday with new piano"
From Issue 25, Feb 2005
EMBLetc. clipping titled "What's your 'overly honest' lab confession?
From Issue 73, Feb 2013
EMBLetc. clipping titled "Guess who!"
From Issue 91, Summer 2018

…and that’s a wrap! Don’t forget to visit our archives to browse through all 100 issues of EMBLetc. To visit the newest issue, please head here, or download a printable preview here

Do you have an EMBL memory you would like to share or an idea for a new EMBLetc. story? Please write to us with your feedback and suggestions!


Tags: alumni, embl archive, embletc, history

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