Sanger Institute duo among 66 honoured
EMBO today announced the election of 66 new members: the two honoured from the Sanger Institute are Dr Richard Durbin and Professor Mike Stratton. Dr Durbin co-leads the 1000 Genomes Project and Professor Stratton co-leads the Cancer Genome Project.
Dr Durbin was instrumental in developing databases to provide access to genome sequences and to analyse genomes for content. He used next-generation DNA sequencing to study yeast genome variation, a project that allowed him to examine methods to be used in the 1000 Genomes Project.
“I am honoured to be elected to the membership of EMBO. EMBO has played a vital role in ensuring the health of molecular biology in Europe and is a paradigm for efficient collaboration across Europe.”
Dr Richard Durbin Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Dr Durbin was a member of the Institute’s original Board of Management and was Deputy Director until he stepped down to take on the 1000 Genomes Project.
Professor Stratton took over from Dr Durbin as Deputy Director: he co-leads the Institute’s Cancer Genome Project, one of the largest efforts in the world to understand the genetic basis of cancers.
“EMBO has played an important role in science policy across Europe and in funding important research. I am delighted to be elected to its membership and I would like to thank all those who have worked with me over the years for their encouragement, tolerance, support and good humour.”
Professor Mike Stratton Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
EMBO elects new members annually on the basis of scientific excellence. The latest scientists to join the group come from 16 different countries and represent a broad cross-section of researchers from all fields of molecular biology.
“I am delighted that the work of these two outstanding researchers has been recognised in this way. Each has worked with diligence and insight to forge a research area that, without their efforts, would have struggled to emerge.”
Professor Allan Bradley FRS and an EMBO fellow and Director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
“The election once again puts a spotlight on the most outstanding representatives of the current generation of life scientists. We look forward to the fresh impulses this exceptional group will bring to our organization,.”
Hermann Bujard EMBO Director
Founded in 1964 to serve, what was then, the emerging discipline of molecular biology, EMBO promotes excellence in molecular life sciences in Europe by recognizing and fostering talented scientists. It seeks to achieve the highest scientific standards and promote cross-border exchange and collaborative research.EMBO elects new members annually on the basis of scientific excellence: membership now comprises 1420 of the world’s foremost molecular biologists.
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The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) promotes excellence in molecular life sciences in Europe by recognizing and fostering talented scientists. Since 1964, leading scientists are elected annually to become EMBO Members based on proven excellence in research. Members number more than 1,400 today. Fifty scientists from the EMBO membership have received the Nobel Prize. Leading peer-reviewed journals – The EMBO Journal, EMBO reports and Molecular Systems Biology – span a broad spectrum of topics of molecular biology and reflect how science is shaping the world. A new journal, EMBO Molecular Medicine, publishes original research offering molecular insight into the cellular and systemic processes underlying human disease. EMBO funding, training and networking activities impact thousands of scientists every year, promoting collaboration in all areas of molecular biology – within its 27 member states, in Europe and neighbouring countries, and worldwide.
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, which receives the majority of its funding from the Wellcome Trust, was founded in 1992. The Institute is responsible for the completion of the sequence of approximately one-third of the human genome as well as genomes of model organisms and more than 90 pathogen genomes. In October 2006, new funding was awarded by the Wellcome Trust to exploit the wealth of genome data now available to answer important questions about health and disease.
The Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. We support the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. Our breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. We are independent of both political and commercial interests.
