EMBL Australia

2010 was a seminal year in the EMBL Australia initiative. Our official launch by Minister Carr in March coincided with the announcement of several key developments. These developments included the appointments of our Scientific Head and first Partner Laboratory Group Leaders, along with the announcement of a second node and associated national network for bioinformaticians.

The vision for EMBL Australia is bold and ambitious. It aims to build on Australia’s strengths in biological research and biotechnology to maintain and grow our international position in these areas. Specifically, we aim to:

> Stimulate Australian research through local integrated networks that link with global partnerships.
> Drive enhanced research quality through the development of world-class scientific leaders.
> Boost Australia’s international competitiveness in the life sciences and strengthen our emerging position as a leader in the biotechnology industry.

The first year of the Australian Associate Membership of EMBL has seen signicant progress on a number of fronts.