1 EMBL July 1999 &cetera Newsletter of the European Molecular Laboratory published by the Office of Information and Public Affairs

News about services, staff, EMBL's PhD officially recognized science and society by Baden-Württemberg

his is the first edition of a newsletter This will be a valuable resource if it The EMBL International PhD Pro- Tthat will be published by the EMBL receives interesting contributions. Ideally, gramme has received a letter from the Office of Information and Public Affairs a significant part of its contents will come Baden-Württemberg Ministry of (OIPA) several times a year. Its production from the staff. For the next issue, we are Science, Research, and the Arts is motivated by the need for an efficient soliciting the following types of contribu- announcing that the State is prepared to way to spread the word on issues relevant tions: treat a PhD degree granted by the to the entire Laboratory. Over the last Laboratory in the same way that other quarter of a century, EMBL has grown • news from each Outstation and from international PhDs are accepted. The from an easily-purveyable number of sci- Monterotondo; ministry has now recommended that entists busy at a single Laboratory to a • news from EMBO and the EMBC; the degree be recognized nation-wide, a large community spread over five sites in • announcements from services and the decision which must be made by a four countries, and at last count the num- computer group; national commission called the ber of our scientific Alumni has reached Kultusministerkonferenz. • announcements of upcoming talks or 1,500. There are now nearly a thousand people working at the five EMBL sites. A seminars of special interest; newsletter can be of great value in raising • letters or essays relating to themes awareness of what is going on in EMBL as from science and society events; a whole, particularly in improving com- • publications that have been accepted; munication between the main Laboratory • major awards or grants; Contents and the Outstations; it can provide an • anything else of interest to the broader important means of keeping our Alumni community. linked to the life of the Laboratory, and it EMBL Council in 2 will provide a forum for voicing issues For the moment, there will be no spe- Monterotondo campus opening 3 which don’t fit easily into EMBL’s other cific publication schedule. An electronic New faces at the Szilard Library 4 publications. In particular, this will be a version of the newsletter, updated as items EMBL kindergarten 6 place where science and society issues can are added, will be available on the WWW Science & Society 7 be explored in depth, in the form of letters soon. Submissions and suggestions should or essays. It will also be a venue for pub- be sent to ILOAT announces decision 7 lishing announcements from the adminis- People @ EMBL 8 tration and staff association. newsletter@embl-.de

25th Anniversary EMBL Alumni Meeting

October 21-23, 1999 Speakers: Michael Ashburner, Patrick Baeuerle, All former predocs, postdocs, at the Main Laboratory in Heidelberg Suzanne Eaton, Anne Ephrussi, scientists, group leaders, sabbatical Jean Gruenberg, Juan Carlos Izpisua- visitors, Programme Coordinators, Belmonte, Fotis C. Kafatos, and Directors General welcome! Werner Kühlbrandt, Andrea Musacchio, Kai Simons, Irmi Sinning, Hermann Steller, David Tollervey, Isabel Vernos EMBL &cetera

EMBL Council descends on Rome

he EMBL Council of Member States thrust is mainly financial) are critical nationals employed as Monterotondo staff; Theld its summer 1999 meeting in swel- because they will define the scientific ori- until a solution has been found, it will only tering Rome, hosted by the Italian National entation and the budget within which be possible to hire Italians for positions as Research Council (CNR), with one of the EMBL must operate over the next half- fellows there. items on the agenda a visit to the new decade. Fotis' presentation of the broad Research Programme in Mouse Biology in themes was greeted enthusiastically by the On the first of July, delegates toured the Monterotondo. A high point of the meeting delegates. Monterotondo campus, including the was the announcement that the Host Site attractive new EMBL laboratories. They Agreement had been signed with . The Council also voted to approve rec- were pleased by the scientific presenta- Two items of interest at the meeting prop- ommendations from the Finance tions from Walter Witke, Ulrich Kalinke er were the Director General’s presentation Committee regarding a 1999 salary adjust- and José de la Pompa, and by an overview of an outline of the next five-year Scientific ment. Laboratory employees will receive of the Monterotondo Programme activities Programme, which will have to be the following increases based on country: and ambitions by Coordinator Klaus approved by the Member States at the end for France, an adjustment of 1.5%; for Rajewsky. In a spirited presentation, , 1.7%; for Italy, 2.6%, and for the of 2000, and a salary adjustment which will Glauco Tocchini-Valentini, Director of the U.K., 4.2%. The increases have already mean a pay raise for Laboratory employ- CNR’s Institute of , expressed been implemented in the July payroll. ees across all five sites. Italy’s appreciation for the EMBL The Scientific Programme is being The summer meetings of Council are Programme as an important step in the developed with the help of input from the now usually held at locations permitting internationalization of the Italian scientific Group and Team Leaders' retreat at the the delegates to be acquainted with environment. He described the CNR's beginning of this year and two consulta- EMBL’s Units outside Heidelberg. This efforts to date in supporting and integrat- tions between senior faculty of the meeting introduced Council to EMBL’s ing the work of all of the units that have Laboratory and external experts, including new Research Programme in Mouse taken up residence on the campus. members of EMBL’s Scientific Advisory Biology in Monterotondo. At the outset of At a reception held on the grounds of a Committee. The outline featured a plan to the meeting, Fotis was happy to announce “combine organizational stability with that the Host Site Agreement had been Foreign Ministry villa next to the Tiber, in programmatic ferment.” The current Units signed with the Italian government on the the balmy Roman evening, the EMBL staff (Programmes and Outstations) are to be previous day. Delays had been necessary from Monterotondo, the Council delegates maintained while a number of interdisci- to ensure that the agreement with Italy and the contigent of EMBL personnel from plinary initiatives will be developed, con- matched those of the other sites as closely Heidelberg had the opportunity to mix tributing to an overall theme of functional as possible. The negotiations had resolved with Italian dignitaries and celebrate this genomics. The finished plan and the the issues in a satisfactory manner, with “debut” of the new EMBL Unit in Italy accompanying "Indicative Scheme" (whose the exception of the tax status of Italian together.

Italy’s President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro (at right) attended The Adriano Buzzati-Traverso campus ceremonies inaugurating the new campus in Monterotondo, Italy Monterotondo campus opens its doors

molecular biology to Italy, the center is Europe, including the CNRS (France), intended to serve as a focal point for the MRC (England), the Karolinska European science and technology. Institute (Sweden) and the The inauguration was attended by the Goulbenkian Institute (Portugal). President of the Italian Republic. • A unit from the Jackson Laboratories, Representatives from all of the units which performs a similar function in attended. EMBL was represented by Fotis the United States and will lend techni- C. Kafatos and Chairman of Council, Julio cal expertise and conduct training. Celis; EMBO was represented by Executive Director, Frank Gannon. The keynote • The ENI, an international company speeches were given by Antonio Ruberti, mainly involved in the oil market. former Minister of Research and • The International Centre for Genetic Technological Development for the Engineering and European Union, Lucio Bianco, President (ICGEB), a research organization with of the CNR, and Fotis C. Kafatos, Director headquarters in Trieste and New Delhi, General of EMBL. will join the campus in the year 2000. In addition to the EMBL Research The ICGEB works within the context of Programme, the campus hosts: the UN in the field of molecular biology • The CNR Institute of Cell Biology, oper- and biotechnology, with an emphasis ating national research activities, which on sustained scientific and technologi- n March 8, 1999, the "Adriano is developing collaborative projects cal development and technology trans- OBuzzati-Traverso" International with EMBL on topics in fer in Third World countries. Scientific Campus, site of the new EMBL and molecular and cellular genetics. Research Programme in Mouse Biology, • The European Mouse Mutant Archive One of EMBL’s priorities in the future was officially opened by the Italian author- (EMMA), funded by the CNR and the will be the expansion of its Research ities in Monterotondo, Italy. The campus European Union. EMMA will store Programme, which will emphasize themes was created by the Italian National mouse strains, mostly as cryo-pre- relevant to molecular and which Research Council (CNR) with the goal of served embryos, submitted and used developing and internationalizing biologi- by research groups throughout Europe could play an important service role in cal and biomedical research. Named for and the rest of the world. EMMA has a developing new strains of mice in partner- the CNR scientist who introduced modern number of partner nodes throughout ship with international collaborators.

Klaus Rajewsky and Fotis Kafatos at the inaugural reception Glauco Tocchini-Valentini

(baseball caps generously provided by Jackson Laboratories) EMBL &cetera

Librarians Regina Herhoff and David Westley Photo by Doug Young

New faces at the Szilard Library

uch has changed since the early days change and improve. We have a lot of “The Szilard Library started off with a Mwhen Mary Holmes fought fearlessly responsibility here, we have set up ideas table, a chair and a cupboard in the with teletype machines and rudimentary for how we want to develop the library DKFZ in October 1974. Thirty jour- electronic search instruments to come up and we have had a lot of autonomy to do nals were ordered and when the cup- with literature for her beloved researchers that.” board was full, everything was moved, at EMBL. Mary retired in June of 1998 and High on their agenda for change was with a few scientists, to the ‘Alte takes with her the infinite thanks of the the atmosphere of the library. So over the Biochemie’, Bunsen’s old laboratory. hundreds of scientists she helped. In the summer of 1998, librarians David Westley past year the Szilard library has had a At the end of 1977 we took possession and Regina Herhoff joined the EMBL staff, facelift. In addition to the rebuilding of the of the Library on the hill. Then it was bringing with them plans to lead the library stores, new carpet has been laid rather empty, now it is nearly full... In Szilard Library into the new millennium. and new lighting, shelves, air-conditioning 1978 with some trepidation we tried and more computers have been installed. Both David and Regina have years of our hands at on-line searching. We The result is an inviting setting where experience in helping scientists with their used a telephone and a teletype EMBL staff and scientists can browse information needs: David spent four years machine which spat out metres of in the small library at the German through the library’s 230 journals, work on light-sensitive paper at us ... IF we Rheumatology Research Center in Berlin, research papers, or simply read the many managed to contact the Database!” while Regina joined EMBL after working newspapers available in seven different for three years at the Max Planck Institute languages. David also points out that “in —Mary Holmes of Biochemistry in Munich. “I came from future we would like to be able to offer in “The Library Story” an institute of about 60 scientists and I was more working space and more room for the one librarian,” says David, “whereas people who want to come down to write Regina worked in a bigger library. One of their dissertations. We’re getting some the things that attracted us to the library iMac computers, but if we put them on the here at EMBL is that there were many desks we’ll lose room. We would like to developments in the planning and we also offer proper work carrels, if we had the saw many things that we would like to space.” 5

A unique aspect of EMBL and of the This increased accessibility will not the regular subscription price, in some library is its 24-hour open-door policy. only benefit researchers in Heidelberg, cases it can cost up to 3,000 or 4,000 dollars Unlike libraries at many other institutes who will be able to do literature searches more. On-line searching services also come which are closed after working hours and from their desks, but will also provide sup- at a hefty price. “I recently did a citation at weekends, EMBL’s doors are always port to researchers at the other EMBL sites open. “DKFZ, for example, isn’t open like across Europe. “They are quite reliant on search for a researcher here at EMBL. I was we are,” says David. Unfortunately, as in electronic journals, particularly in Rome,” on-line for a couple of hours and ended up any other library, books and journals do says David. “We have tried to be aware of spending a few thousand marks,” says sometimes disappear from the shelves. this. We have tried to find out what the Regina. One way to circumvent the high “We wouldn’t want to stop free access at researchers there actually need, what their costs involved in access to electronic priorities are and then to make sure that EMBL,” David says. “The point is that peo- resources is to go into consortium with ple here work late, at weekends, and the library here is a support for them as other libraries. “There is a lot more we they’ve got to be able to do that. We want well.” to be able to ensure this freedom of access. could do if we joined forces with, for One of the problems that the library We’ve tried to improve things by putting example, DKFZ, the University of has encountered in expanding its electron- the magnet lock on the door. We’ve also Heidelberg or Mannheim Clinic,” says ic resources is the high price tag attached put a book return box in, and that helps.” to such services. While an on-line subscrip- David, “and this is definitely on our long- Also high on the list of things to devel- tion to a journal is sometimes included in term plan list.” op is the content of the library itself and the resources and services that it provides. “We have spent some 9,000 DM on new reference books and we’d like to renew the Who was Leo Szilard? book collection,” Regina says. “Book pro- posals for the library are always welcome. Additionally, the Science and Society book Leo Szilard was born in Budapest in 1898. He began his career in science in collection has now been moved to the 1922 as a physicist at the Institute of Theoretical Physics at Berlin University, and library.” In terms of services, the emphasis then moved to the medical college at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. will be on quick and reliable electronic While there, he collaborated with T.A. Chalmers and was one of the first scientists delivery of information. A major project is to envisage the possibilities of nuclear fission and chain reactions. to develop the services that can be In 1937 he left England to take up a post at Columbia University in New York. accessed through the library’s website. During the 1930s he advised scientists not to publish results of chain reaction Researchers at EMBL can now access 65 research, fearing the misuse of its dangerous possibilities. But equally aware of journals electronically, as well as the the danger at that time of Nazi Germany developing an atomic bomb first, he library’s catalogues. They can also order pressed the US government to support nuclear research and in 1939 helped per- articles on-line and request patent and cita- suade Albert Einstein to write to President Roosevelt advocating the immediate tion searches. “In the long term,” says development of the atomic bomb. Thus, Leo Szilard became one of the key scien- David, “with everything going much more tists involved in the Manhattan Project. Although Szilard had succeeded in help- in the direction of the electronic digital ing to create the nuclear bomb, he failed in his passionate attempts to restrain its library, we would like to offer more that use. After Hiroshima, he worked intensely to advocate the peaceful applications people can do from their lab or their office, of atomic energy and the international control of nuclear weapons. without having to come to the library.” In 1946 Szilard’s scientific priorities shifted from physics to biology. Jacques Other electronic initiatives in the Monod explained the move in this way: “...because of its very complexity and library include CD-ROM databases which uncertainties, biology needed ideas, many ideas to be discussed, tested, rejected provide access to sources including or temporarily accepted, that is, precisely the kind of goods that he knew he could Dorland’s Medical Dictionary and provide in abundance and enjoyed dealing with.” One of these abundant ideas Encyclopedia Britannica. “At the moment was that a European laboratory for molecular biology should be established. we have one PC for CD-ROM use and a new Mac to be used exclusively for cata- In the autumn of 1962, Szilard met with Victor Weisskopf and Italian physicist logue searches, as well as four public Macs, Gilberto Bernardini to discuss the laboratory. They then got in touch with a num- with a further four iMacs to be installed ber of molecular biologists, including Sir , Francis Crick, Sydney shortly,” Regina says. Brenner and James Watson, all of whom showed interest. Slowly the idea began to take shape and in August of 1963, a meeting was held in Ravello, Italy, which Long-term projects also include pur- resulted in three main proposals: that the project should be European and not chasing a book scanner and digitalizing a world-wide; that in addition to a laboratory, fellowships and advanced teaching large part of the library. “Though this courses should be provided; and that a formal body known as the European would involve some investment in terms Molecular Biology Organisation should be established. of equipment and staff to scan texts,” David says, “in the long term, it would Szilard died in California in 1964. He was a scientist who was deeply con- have huge benefits in terms of accessibili- cerned with world peace and with efforts to create what he called “a more livable ty.” Regina adds, “We would also like to world.” In 1962 he founded the Council for a Livable World whose symbol is a introduce an electronic library newsletter dolphin; this same dolphin motif is incorporated in the library book-plates as a to inform scientists about recent changes.” EMBL &cetera

EMBL kids get a new stomping ground

Laying the foundation for EMBL’s new Kinderkrippe and Kindergarten

The completed buildings

A look at the Kindergarten from inside...

...and from outside

Photographs by Doug Young 7 obituaries science &society Alexandra Freiburg 10.9.1971 - 14.7.1999

The next Seminar of the Forum on Science ethics is discussed and arguments in Alexandra Freiburg joined EMBL's Structural Biology Programme in 1993 as and Society will take place on Monday, 15 favour of a properly understood anthro- a medical student from Heidelberg September, 1999, at 15.00 in the Large pocentrism in ethics are put forward.” University. Since then, her work at Operon. Jürgen Mittelstrass, Professor of Science and Society books are now in the EMBL focused on the molecular charac- Philosophy and Philosophy of Science at library. Since its establishment, the EMBL terisation of the titin filament. Recently, the University of Constance, Germany will Science & Society Office has been active in her work significantly contributed to speak on “The Impact of the New Biology ordering and collecting books on the histo- establishing links between the giant titin on Ethics.” ry, philosophy, ethics, and anthropology of and human diseases. A proto- Mittelstrass says, “Modern biology teaches science. After about a year we had type ELISA assay for the detection of us not only what our biological is, acquired a handsome collection of over titin autoantibodies, previously devel- but also how to change it. This leads to one hundred titles, and these were kept in oped at EMBL, was further optimized by serious ethical problems. As an example, our Office and available on loan. The Alexandra. Based upon her protocols, cloning, in particular the possible produc- EMBL Science & Society Committee then several centers in Europe are now able to tion of human clones, is discussed. Here decided that these documents should be search routinely for titin autoantibodies boundaries are crossed that seem to be set moved to the Library where they would be in patients--a valuable marker for thy- by nature itself. It is, however, made clear more immediately available to the EMBL mus neoplasia. Her molecular studies that such boundaries are always due to community. These books are now being resulted in the cloning of the human car- ethical considerations without recourse to catalogued and will shortly appear on the diac C-protein gene, now known to be a individual intuitions or ideological preju- shelves in the library. frequently-mutated gene in families with dices. For Man is a being without measure inherited cardiac diseases. For a complete list of Science and Society who can only live under measures set by Alexandra submitted her thesis work on Events and book titles, visit the website himself. But the results of the new biology the characterisation of titin's differential also have consequences for ethics itself. http://www.EMBL-heidelberg.de/ splicing in May. The following week, she The call for a bioethics and a physiocentric ExternalInfo/stefanss/ developed autoimmune lung fibrosis. She had known of her "autoimmune problem" since she was 19. Many of us did not realize that this joyful, energetic, caring person might have had any rea- son not to enjoy life. The time we had together with her at EMBL were happy years--we all miss ILO decides on salary her. adjustment for 1995 Siegfried Labeit

SALARY ADJUSTMENT 1995 On June 11, 1999, ILO ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL (ILOAT) JUDGEMENT Paolo Fasella, former Director- General of the In December 1995 a number of staff took a for- In their Judgement 1887 issued on 8 July 1999 European Com- mal complaint to the ILOAT challenging the and received in writing today the ILOAT set mission’s DG XII EMBL Council decision on the 1995 salary aside Council’s decision of July 1998. (Science, Research adjustment. and Development), The matter is sent back to Council to take a new Paolo Fasella In January 1998 the ILOAT issued their and member of decision incorporating specified Co-ordinating 16.12.1930 - 11.6.1999 Judgement 1682. That Judgement required EMBO and EMBL Organisation increases (which we interpret as EMBL Council to take a new decision on the Council for many further adjustments for France 1.7%, Germany 1995 salary adjustment. years, died in Rome, Italy. As a part of 2.1% and UK 3.4%) in respect of the EMBL EMBL’s original Scientific Advisory The EMBL Council decision was taken and noti- salary adjustments for 1995. Committee, he played an instrumental fied to staff in July 1998. It confirmed that the role in laying the scientific foundations Council will be considering this at their next salary adjustments for 1995 would be 0.3% for of the Laboratory. He will be scheduled meeting on 23 November and a fur- Germany and 0% for France and the United remembered not only for his achieve- Kingdom and gave detailed reasons for the deci- ther announcement will be made after that meet- ments in promoting scientific policies sion. ing has taken place. and programmes at the European level, In July 1998 a number of staff took a further for- but also for the never-ending mal complaint to the ILOAT claiming that EMBL Barton Dodd enthusiasm and compassion he showed Council had not properly executed Judgement Administrative Director for those around him. 1682. 21 July 1999 EMBL &cetera Issue 1 - July 1999 HAMBURG OUTSTATION: C. Biertuempfel, M. Gnida, J. Geldof, A. Kornelyuk, P. Saravanan, K. Schwirtz, E. Pohl, P. Zou, EBI-HINX- TON: R.-M. Andrews, K. Bates, M. Biswas, R. Coulson, C. Dawn, U. Dengler, I. Iiopoulos, M. Lehvaslaiho, X. Lou, M. Menchi, N. Muler, J. Park Holm, R. Phimister, L. Rodriguez- Monge, S. Searle, M. Shore-Nye, J. people Thomas, A.-Ke Tuplin, J. Vilo, P. EMBL Ward, M.-J. Wise, GRENOBLE OUT- STATION: A. Bracher, E. Chouin, A. Dessen, M. Incardona, A. Maccari, I. @ Leiros, H.-K. Leiros, G. Schoehn, C. Schmitt, O. Van Breeman, MON- TEROTONDO RESEARCH PRO- GRAMME: J. Kelly-Barrett, T. Pitts, A. Regan,Who‘s L. Spinardi, A.new? Viola, STRUC- TURAL BIOLOGY , (INCLUDING , Jan Ellenberg joined EMBL in May of 1999 as an interdisciplinary Group Leader BIOCOMPUTING): K. Baran, S. in the Gene Expression Programme and in the Cell Biology & Biophysics Brady, C. Civera, I. Cornut, F. De Programme. He did his PhD and postdoctoral research in the lab of Jennifer Rienzo, E. Fernandez, G. Franzen, T. Lippincott-Schwartz in the Cell Biology and Metabolism Branch of the NICHD, Gariani, M. Groves, R. Guerois, NIH, in Bethesda, Maryland, studying the intracellular trafficking of in Julvez-Martinez, R. Kelly, G. Kiss, M. living cells with the help of variants of the green fluorescent protein (GFP). His Kobayashi, W. Lathk, E. Liker, Lopez de la Paz, I. Luyten, C. Mellwig, B. work at EMBL will focus on the dynamic disassembly and reassembly of the Miroux, G. Musco, M. Nikto, I. nuclear envelope during . Papsideri, R. Rodriguez, L. Sanchez- Pulido, M. Suyama, S. Trachtenberg, A.-R. Viguera, S. Wiesner, N.-P. Elena Conti is a new Group Leader in the Structural Biology Programme. After Willassen, EM UNIT: V. Allan, B. PhD work with Peter Brick at the Imperial College in London in 1996, she moved Brado, J. Simpson, I. Waizenegger , to John Kuriyan's lab at the in New York to investigate the DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY: R. Benton, J. Brennecke, M. Delaage, structural basis of recognition between nuclear import carriers and nuclear local- W. Fink, K. Gaengel, F. Helmbacher, ization signals. At EMBL, she will continue to study the structural basis of nucleo- D. Hipfner, H. Jasper, P. Klingbeil, I. cytoplasmic transport using X-ray crystallography. Lafon, J. Mihaly, W. Reichmann, S. Sauer, K. Somogyi, A. Tamscu, S. Tillmanns, J.-J. Ventura, GENE EXPRESSION: K. Anastassiadis, J. Bettina Böttcher joined the Structural Biology Programme in Spring 1999, follow- Baron, A. Brehm, V. Camosseto, Y. ing an assistant professorship at the University of Freiburg, Germany. After com- Deng, J. Feise, P. Foerch, A. pleting her PhD research at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, in 1991, she Giallongo, N. Hubert, A. Imhof, M.-J. Lallena, L. Roese, C. Rossi, M. Sano, joined Tony Crowther's group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in D. Schaft, C. Scharz, C. Volpato, Cambridge, UK, for a postdoc. Her research at EMBL will explore the structures CELL BIOLOGY: A.-M. Alleaume, M. and dynamics of large macromolecular assemblies (such as HBV virus core shells Axelsson, C. Bagni, J. Barbier, R. and H+-ATPases of the F1F0 type) with cryo-electron microscopy and image recon- Blasco, S. Brunet, E. Cassin, A. struction techniques. Cros, T. Dahm, G. De Carcer, K. De Vos, G. Diamantopoulos, S. Gasman, H. Hashimoto, G. Jung, R. Kjeken, A. José Luis de la Pompa was appointed Group Leader in EMBL's Programme on Klotsburcher, M. Koivusalo, G. Mouse Biology in Monterotondo earlier this year. Trained at the Universidad Langford, L. Lanzetti, C. Marc, R. Autónoma in Madrid, he joined Rolf Zeller's lab in the former Differentiation Neubecker, K.-W. Pedersen, V. Pizon, Programme in Heidelberg for postdoctoral research on pattern formation in the J. Rafael, E. Rebollo, J. Rodriguez- chicken limb. At the Amgen Institute in Toronto, Canada, he investigated the mech- Abad, C. Sancho Molina, F. Schmidt, anisms underlying and cell survival during mouse develop- M. Schultzberg, BIOCHEMICAL ment. The focus of his research in Monterotondo will be the role of the Notch sig- INSTRUMENTATION: L. Forestier, F. Hill, T. Regiert, ADDITIONAL naling pathway in cell fate specification during murine embryogenesis. RESEARCH ACTIVITIES: R. Cantera, G. Flouriot, D. Kelly, E. Levashina, A. McNair, G. Reid, L. Ton, J. Vizioli, NON-SCIENTIFIC STAFF: R. Antal in other news... Medlines of the Month (Library), R. Born (Computer Group), J. Brookes (Personnel), M. Cairns (Personnel), A. Conroy (Personnel), Peer Bork, visiting Group Leader from the Max M. Culloo (Personnel), K. Damms Delbrück Centre (MDC) in Berlin, was pro- (Nursery), E. Fassman (Predoc moted to Senior Scientist in July. 10203945 Committee), A. Gerling (Animal House), E. Grzebisz (Animal House), 8909382 M. Hardik (Animal House), E. Heer On May 13, 1999, Iain Mattaj, EMBL’s Scientific (Driver), S. Helbing (OIPA), R. Coordinator and Programme Coordinator of 9771412 Herranz-Pasamar (Nursery), M. Hopf (Housekeeper), I. Howard (Finance), Gene Expression, was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of the UK. The Royal Society, N. Kashmir (Nursery), S. Kipphan Look up these PMID numbers the founded in 1660, is an independent academy (ISG), Y. Michelberger (Animal next time you use PubMed. Can you promoting the natural and applied sciences both House), E. O’Grady (Finance), S. top them? Pekuen (Nursery), S. Rimmler in the UK and worldwide. Its 1150 Fellows pro- (Nursery), A. Roncevic (Driver), J. vide authoritative advice, notably to Govern- Send your own reference numbers to Schauer (Security), D. Scheerer- ment, on scientific matters, encourage research [email protected]. Winners will Hoke (Personnel), S. Schuetz and its application through fellow- be announced in the next newsletter. (Animal House), H. Seifert (EMBO ships and grants, and foster gener- OIPA is now accepting prize donations. Journal), S. Sherwood (OIPA), L. al public understanding and All offers considered. Shine (Personnel), S. Stier (Nursery), awareness of science-related issues. L. Stoeckmann (Canteen)