Alphafold
Open data stored at EMBL-EBI played a pivotal role in the development of the revolutionary AlphaFold AI.
Who we are
EMBL-EBI is a world-leading provider of biological data resources and tools.
We are one of the six sites of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), an intergovernmental research organisation funded by over 20 member states, prospect and associate member states.
We are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus near Cambridge, UK, in one of the world’s largest concentrations of scientific and technical expertise in genomics.
Life science research relies on high-quality data. As the volumes of data grow year on year, making them freely available to the world becomes increasingly difficult.
EMBL-EBI manages the world’s most comprehensive suite of freely available data resources and tools. These are essential for research, discovery and the development of innovative solutions to global challenges such as human health, food insecurity and biodiversity loss.
123 million
web requests to our data resources on an average day
42 million
unique IP addresses access our data resources annually
100,000+
scientific publications enabled by our data resources annually
Case studies
Explore practical examples of how EMBL-EBI’s data resources, tools and bioinformatics expertise are driving innovation.
Enabling genomic medicine
EMBL-EBI data resources are used to deliver thousands of genetic diagnostics to patients every month.
Upcycling food waste
How the MGnify microbiome-protein database is helping to upcycle food by-products.
Missions
Data resources
We provide freely available data and bioinformatics services.
We maintain the world’s most comprehensive suite of molecular data resources, developed in collaboration with colleagues worldwide.
Excellent research
We contribute to the advancement of biology through computational research.
Our computational research is increasingly translational and related to human health, food security and the environment.
Training programme
We provide advanced bioinformatics training to scientists at all levels.
Our hands-on bioinformatics training helps experimental and computational biologists make the most of our data resources.
Industry partnerships
We help disseminate cutting-edge technologies to industry.
We support companies of all sizes that want to harness the power of bioinformatics for research and development.
Coordinate bioinformatics in Europe
We support biological data provision throughout Europe and beyond.
We are a pivotal partner in European and global collaborations, including the ELIXIR infrastructure for biological information.
EMBL-EBI scientific programme
As one of the six sites of EMBL, we are contributing to EMBL’s current scientific programme, Molecules to Ecosystems, running between 2022 and 2026.
The programme is expanding EMBL’s scope to study the molecular basis of life in the context of changing environments. It’s also transforming our understanding of life on earth and informing potential solutions for some of society’s biggest challenges, such as irreversible loss of biodiversity, antimicrobial resistance, pollution, climate change, food security, and emergent pathogens.
EMBL-EBI’s bioinformatics and data science expertise underpins many of the initiatives outlined in the EMBL Programme.
How we work
Leadership
EMBL-EBI’s Senior Management Team sets the institute’s vision, mission and strategy. They work closely with the wider EMBL management to encourage collaborations and ensure consistency across the six EMBL sites.
Funding
We gratefully acknowledge the support of EMBL member states and other funders. They make it possible for us to deliver open data resources, perform excellent research and provide professional bioinformatics training for all.
Our story
EMBL-EBI was set up in 1994 to enable the global sharing of biomolecular data. This was a ground-breaking idea at a time when the World Wide Web was only one year old, and personal computers were a luxury for most people.