Advancing science and new perspectives

On 20 February, more than 250 local supporters, collaborators and friends got together at EMBL Heidelberg to meet EMBL’s new Director General, Edith Heard, to celebrate a successful year and to get a glimpse into future projects.

Guest looking at a panel at the REMIX exhibition produced for the European Researchers’ Night 2018 — The REMIX exhibition is a cooperation between artists from Dezernat 16, Heidelberg, and EMBL scientists, and was produced for European Researchers’ Night 2018. PHOTO: Massimo Del Prete/EMBL

Research investigates unknown phenomena, raises new questions and changes the way that humans perceive the world. This year’s Annual Reception therefore focused on the topic of change. Matthias Hentze reviewed EMBL’s scientific highlights of the past year and how these changed our current understanding. To highlight progress in medicine and molecular biology in particular, Lars Steinmetz explained in his Friends of EMBL lecture how modern technologies and research aim to prevent disease. But the changes at EMBL have not been only scientific. At the beginning of the year, Edith Heard took up the position of Director General. At the Annual Reception, she introduced herself and presented inspiring ideas for EMBL’s future.

After the talks, the guests mixed and mingled over food and refreshments and enjoyed a change of perspective: the art exhibition REMIX: Science Meets Creative Industry. EMBL scientists collaborated with artists from Heidelberg’s Dezernat 16 to create the exhibition for European Researchers’ Night 2018. They were happy to present their work in the Advanced Training Centre, discussing with guests the artistic process and the challenges of interpreting science in new and creative ways.