Ministry of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, and Government of India has signed an agreement to become an Associate Member State of State European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO). The agreement was signed by Professor K. Vijay Raghavan, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for the Government of India.
Started in 1964 as European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC), or the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) is a group of more than 1,700 leading researchers that promotes excellence in the life sciences. The organization supports gifted researchers and encourages the exchange of scientific information all over the globe.
The organization has the financial assistance of some governments and has 27 member states which include the U.K, Germany, France, and Israel. The current EMBO Director is Maria Leptin.
Professor Maria Leptin said that the organization is encouraging international interaction beyond Europe and India is one of its prime partners. With India now an associate member of EMBC it will be able to access EMBO activities.
An official event marking the agreement was held in New Delhi on 4 February 2016. Scientific presentations were made by Nobel Laureates Christiane Klein-Volhard and Ada E. Yonath to mark the occasion.
Many researchers across Europe has established a scientific partnership in India, and the agreement will pave the way for more interactions once more tools and formal opportunities are available.
A delegation of ten researchers from EMBO is visiting different institutions across the country and will be meeting Indian scientists and government representatives.
Links already exists between European and Indian scientists and in 2015, 10 Indian post-doctoral researchers received EMBO Long-Term Fellowship to work in Europe and eight India-based scientists received the EMBO Short-Term Fellowship.
India has become the second country after Singapore outside the European region to sign the agreement with EMBC.
