Hamburg, May 19, 2004 - The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) today announce a new interdisciplinary partnership formed between the two institutions. Building on their 30-year track record of successful cooperation, DESY and EMBL now formalize their partnership for the future – looking to provide new generations of top quality infrastructures for life science applications.

“EMBL has recognized that the future of biology is in interdisciplinary research opportunities – giving our scientists the chance to work with researchers from other disciplines,” notes Dr. Matthias Wilmanns, Head of EMBL-Hamburg. “The physics expertise at DESY is a perfect complement for our research activities at EMBL.”

A key component to the collaboration is the plan to upgrade the current beamline facilities to provide state of-the-art services with the conversion of the PETRA ring into a dedicated synchrotron radiation source. This PETRA ring upgrade will begin in 2007 and after it is complete, it will make EMBL and DESY global competitors in this arena. The new facilities will allow researchers to use the unique features of the ring for novel life science applications. These include advances in protein crystallography, small angle X-ray scattering and Xray absorption spectroscopy of biology material. These services will be made broadly available to the global structural biology community, as well as being used internally by EMBL and DESY scientists.

“DESY has a long tradition of involving the large user communities in the design, construction and operation of its facilities. The collaboration with EMBL has been particularly fruitful over the last 30 years. With the upgraded PETRA storage ring and the European XFEL Facility (X-ray Free-Electron Laser) to be built in Hamburg and begin operation in 2012 - we are in an exceptionally good position to promote research and usage of both synchrotron radiation and free-electron laser radiation for life science applications. These possibilities have the potential to revolutionarize the field,” notes Prof. Jochen R. Schneider, Research Director at DESY.

Within this new agreement, the two organizations will collaborate on joint research and development projects in life sciences and related fields of physics and technology. The cooperation will also extend to the common organization of joint seminars, symposia or workshops and other scientific events.

About EMBL:

The European Molecular Biology Laboratory is a basic research institute funded by public research monies from 17 member states, including most of the EU, Switzerland and Israel. Research at EMBL is conducted by approximately 80 independent groups covering the spectrum of molecular biology. The Laboratory has five units: the main Laboratory in Heidelberg, and Outstations in Hinxton (the European Bioinformatics Institute), Grenoble, Hamburg, and Monterotondo near Rome. The cornerstones of EMBL’s mission are: to perform basic research in molecular biology, to train scientists, students and visitors at all levels, to offer vital services to scientists in the member states, and to develop new instruments and methods in the life sciences. EMBL’s international PhD Programme has a student body of about 170. The Laboratory also sponsors an active Science and Society programme. Visitors from the press and public are welcome.

About DESY:

The Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) is a publicly funded national research centre based in Hamburg, with a second location in Zeuthen (federal state of Brandenburg). DESY is a member of the Hermann von Helmholtz Association of National Research Centres. The mission of DESY is to conduct basic research in natural sciences with special emphasis on the development, construction and operation of accelerator facilities, the investigation of the fundamental properties of matter and forces, and the use of synchrotron radiation in the fields of surface physics, materials science, chemistry, molecular biology, geophysics and medicine. The DESY accelerators are used for research purposes by some 2900 scientists from 33 countries. Around 1000 of these scientists work in the field of particle physics, 1900 make use of synchrotron radiation. Embedded in international cooperation structures DESY conducts research across a broad interdisciplinary spectrum.