Monash welcomes EMBL coup

Following a decision by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Council, Australia is set to be granted Associate Membership of EMBL.

Australia is the first and only country outside Europe to be granted this status with the world's pre-eminent molecular biology research institute.

EMBL is a European hub of life science research, with a network of five nodes: the main laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, with outstations in Hamburg (Germany), Grenoble (France), Hinxton (UK) and Monterotondo, Italy. Collaboration between the nodes is extensive.

Associate membership of the EMBL will encourage and facilitate interaction between the Australian molecular biology community and EMBL, and, more broadly, the exchange of scientists between EMBL Member States and Australia through new links created by a greater integration of Australian and European researchers.

The decision announced in Germany means that Monash University is now running to host EMBL research groups at the Clayton campus.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Edwina Cornish welcomed the EMBL decision saying it was a vote of confidence in the high standard of Australian bioscience research and there would be significant benefits to Monash University.

"Monash University is already an established centre of research excellence in biomedical and stem cell sciences and this new international collaboration will create many exciting opportunities for linking with the best in the world," she said.