Every year, about 150 of the most renowned European molecular biologists are nominated for membership of EMBO, but only about 45 get through the eye of a needle. To be elected, you must first be nominated by ten EMBO members from different European laboratories, and based on these nominations, the EMBO members decide by voting who should be elected.

Thus, only the very best molecular biologists in Europe achieve this recognition. Out of a total of approx. 1500 EMBO members, there are 20 Danes (including seven from Aarhus University).

The EMBO members have a large influence on the developments in molecular biological research in Europe. Several members serve on different EMBO committees that award grants to the organisation of international conferences and practical courses, and award funding for young researchers to work in European laboratories to encourage mobility and promote their career opportunities.

About Gregers Rom Andersen

In 1997, Gregers Rom Andersen (44) was appointed assistant professor and later associate professor at the Department of Molecular Biology after two years as a postdoc in France at Université Louis Pasteur  in Strasbourg. In 2009, he was awarded the prestigious five-year Hallas-Møller fellowship from the Novo Nordisk Foundation to give him the possibility to devote himself fully to research.

Research area

Dr Andersen's research focuses on solving in atomic detail how proteins in the human innate immune system protect us against disease-causing organisms. This is done by crystallising proteins from the immune system and exposing the formed crystals to X-rays. In this way, it is possible to determine the position of the individual atoms in the proteins, and hereby determine which parts of the proteins are important for their function in the innate immune system.

In the long run, this provides unique opportunities to develop new drugs to treat arthritis and infectious diseases, for example. The detailed knowledge of the protein structure obtained can be used to specifically block the function of selected proteins in the innate immune system that in these disease states overreact without simultaneously blocking other beneficial parts of our immune system.

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More information

Associate Professor Gregers Rom Andersen
Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Aarhus University
gra@mb.au.dk, +45 3025 6646

• More informatiou about EMBO
• The list with the 46 new members of EMBO
• A list of the 20 Danish members of EMBO (choose ”Denmark” and  ”Start Search”)

Text: Gregers Rom Andersen and Lisbeth Heilesen