Embl Ebi is a world-leading provider of scientific data and services. It is a not-for-profit organization that provides free and open access to high quality data resources in the life sciences. Embl Ebi is part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), which is one of the largest research organizations in Europe with more than 2,000 scientists from over 80 countries.
Embl Ebi’s mission is to provide access to biological data for researchers worldwide, so that they can use it to advance their knowledge of life on Earth. The organization achieves this by working with international partners to curate and deliver data resources, develop new methods for their storage and analysis, and train scientists in their use. In addition, Embl Ebi disseminates its findings through publications, software tools, databases, and training courses.
Embl Ebi was founded in 1977 as the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI). It was originally based at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom but moved to Hinxton Hall near Cambridge in 1980. In 1995, it became part of EMBL when EMBL merged with the DESY laboratory in Hamburg, Germany. The name “Embl Ebi” was adopted in 2007.
The organization has four main areas of activity: bioinformatics resources; software development; user support; and training. These are delivered through a number of programs and departments:
Bioinformatics Resources: This program develops, maintains and makes available a wide range of life science databases and other bioinformatics resources that are used by scientists worldwide. Key resources include UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot (a protein sequence database), InterPro (a protein family classification system), Ensembl (a genome browser)and ArrayExpress(a public repository for microarray data). The team also develops new methods for storing, analyzing and visualizing biological data.
Software Development: This program creates new software solutions for analyzing large amounts of biological data. Key software products include InterProScan (a tool for identifying proteins families), PANTHER (a tool for classifying proteins into families), HMMER (software for searching sequence databases)and Bioconductor(an open source project for developing statistical methods). User Support: This program provides helpdesk support for users of EMBL-EBI services including web portals such as Ensembl Genomesand ArrayExpress Data Warehouse . It also manages user feedback , coordinates user trialsof new resources developed by EMBL-EBI staff ,and represents users’ interests within EMBL-EBI . Training : This program offers a range of bioinformatics training courses at different levels , both face-to -face