BRUSSELS — A new collaboration between the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and ELLIS is set to position Europe at the forefront of AI-driven breakthroughs in life sciences research. The two organizations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will foster interdisciplinary training and the development of innovative projects aimed at addressing critical challenges related to both human and planetary health. The MoU was formally signed by EMBL Director General Edith Heard and ELLIS President Bernhard Schölkopf during the “Shaping Europe’s AI Leadership” event held in Brussels on January 14, 2025.
This strategic partnership is designed to enhance collaboration in the realms of AI and life sciences through scientific exchange, training initiatives, and joint research ventures. By pooling their collective expertise and networks, EMBL and ELLIS plan to lead Europe’s efforts in AI-powered advancements within the life sciences sector.
The MoU lays out a comprehensive framework for joint initiatives, including collaborative research, workshops, and training programs that will leverage AI to solve pressing questions in life sciences. Through this effort, both EMBL and ELLIS seek to build a dynamic and responsive scientific community that will strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and innovation in research.
Edith Heard, EMBL Director General, commented on the importance of integrating AI into scientific endeavors, saying, “Harnessing AI in our research will enable us to unlock fresh insights and create transformative solutions that will ultimately benefit society on a global scale. Our partnership with ELLIS is a key part of our mission to advance life sciences through interdisciplinary collaboration.”
The alliance between EMBL and ELLIS has roots in 2020 when the ELLIS Unit Heidelberg was established. This initiative brought together AI researchers from medicine and life sciences, with EMBL playing a pivotal role in its foundation and driving collaboration between institutions in Heidelberg. The new MoU strengthens this existing relationship and aligns both organizations with ELLIS’s broader goal of advancing interdisciplinary AI innovation across Europe.
EMBL’s commitment to open-access biological data, notably through its European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), provides an invaluable resource for scientific progress. The institute’s extensive biodata archives, which span from DNA sequences to cellular images, serve as essential training data for AI models like AlphaFold. This data is critical not only for researchers globally but also for testing and validating AI-driven scientific models.
Bernhard Schölkopf, ELLIS President, emphasized the transformative potential of machine learning, stating, “Machine learning is revolutionizing how we build scientific models in numerous fields. It thrives when systems are too complex for traditional modeling methods. EMBL recognized this early, making them an ideal partner in this endeavor. Together, we aim to push the boundaries of scientific discovery for the betterment of human health and our understanding of life itself.”
The partnership will also prioritize improving data infrastructures and facilitating researcher mobility, particularly for early-career scientists. By combining their strengths, EMBL and ELLIS are determined to create an ecosystem that promotes innovation and excellence in AI research across Europe.
With the signing of this MoU, EMBL and ELLIS embark on a shared mission to accelerate scientific progress and tackle global challenges through cutting-edge research. This collaboration marks a significant step toward ensuring that AI’s role in life sciences continues to deliver impactful solutions to improve both human and planetary health.
