The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is an intergovernmental research organization founded in 1974 that is supported by 23 member states. EMBL operates sites across Europe focused on structural biology, life sciences, mouse biology, bioinformatics, and tissue biology. EMBL's missions include basic research, technology development, integrating life science research, providing services, and advanced training. EMBL generates over 50 terabytes of data per week through next generation sequencing, imaging, computational biology, and modeling. EMBL's major IT infrastructures include 130 petabytes of data storage and over 60,000 CPU cores across its sites. In April 2022, EMBL formally established a new site in Barcelona focused on tissue biology

1. European Molecular Biology Laboratory
New member of Anella Científica
Carlos Fernández San Millán
EMBL IT Services
carlos.fernandez@embl.de

2. EMBL: European Molecular Biology Laboratory
• Intergovernmental research organization
founded in 1974
• Supported by 23 member states,
2 associated and 3 prospect
member states
• One of the world‘s foremost
life science institutions
• 1600 staff
>80 nationalities
2

3. EMBL Sites
3
Hinxton
Grenoble (ESRF)
Structural Biology
Hamburg (DESY)
Structural Biology
Heidelberg
Life Sciences
Monterotondo
Mouse Biology
Bioinformatics
Barcelona
Tissue Biology & Disease Modeling

4. EMBL’s Five Missions
Technology
Development &
Transfer
Integration
of life science
research
Basic Research
Services
Advanced Training
4

5. Digital Biology research at EMBL is data-driven
50+ TB data
each week
Key technologies:
• Next Gen Sequencing
• Imaging
• Computational Biology
• Modeling

6. Major EMBL IT
Infrastructures
6
Hinxton
Grenoble (ESRF)
Structural Biology
Hamburg (DESY)
Structural Biology
Heidelberg
Life Sciences
Monterotondo
Mouse Biology
Bioinformatics
Barcelona
Tissue Biology & Disease Modeling

7. Major EMBL IT
Infrastructures
7
Hinxton
Grenoble (ESRF)
Structural Biology
Hamburg (DESY)
Structural Biology
Heidelberg
Life Sciences
Monterotondo
Mouse Biology
Bioinformatics
Barcelona
Tissue Biology & Disease Modeling
• 130 PB Data storage
exponentially growing
• 60,000+ CPU Cores
Compute clusters and
Cloud

8. EMBL Barcelona
8

9. EMBL Barcelona
• 10 April Spanish government and EMBL
signed agreement to formally establish
EMBL Barcelona
• Scientists at EMBL Barcelona will explore how tissues and
organs function and develop, in health and disease
• Operating state-of-the-art imaging facilities, to provide access to
microscopy and modelling technologies specifically designed for
studying tissues
• Located in the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB)
• Partnership with the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)
• Connection to Anella Científica will greatly support EMBL scientists to
share scientific data and to access scientific IT resources across
EMBL and beyond

10. QUESTIONS?