About

EMBL Associate Membership affords Australia the capacity to develop the next generation of leaders in bioscience research through the establishment of an Australian EMBL Partner Laboratory Network. Through an active partnership with Europe’s premier collaborative research institute, the EMBL Australia Partner Laboratory Network will seed a cross-disciplinary, highly collaborative culture across Australia, conducting research of the highest international standing and establishing collaborations, reviewing and mentoring by the world’s leading bioscience researchers. The Network will attract state-of-the-art infrastructure, developing and maintaining national Core Facilities operating at the leading edge of technology development, as well as providing access to technologies, expertise and networks across Europe.

Of specific relevance to the scientific themes of the Partner Laboratory Network are Australia’s strengths in the involvement and therapeutic potential of stem cells in tissue regeneration, human genetic epidemiology, the power of small molecular screens in elucidating disease mechanisms, generation of animal models of human physiology both in the mouse and other vertebrates, and plant biological research. Great potential synergy can be achieved by bringing together the unique strengths of EMBL/European laboratories in mouse biology, functional genomics, structural biology and bioinformatics with valuable regional Australian resources in biodiversity, neurobiology and chemical biology, and national research initiatives in stem cell research, human genetics, and proteomics.

Australia’s track record in clinical trials will ensure effective incorporation of new discoveries from the Partner Laboratories into medical application. Additional collaboration with international partners from the commercial sector in the areas of therapeutics, drug discovery and diagnosis will benefit from the emphasis placed by the Australian government on biotechnological innovation and form the basis of active collaborations with EMBL groups in Europe.