Greek scientist Nektarios Tavernarakis has been an EMBO Member since 2009. He has served in several European and national governance roles. In recent years, he has become involved in the European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC), the intergovernmental organization that funds the EMBO Programmes and activities. He reflects on his involvement in science policy and institutional governance, prospects and challenges of the European life sciences, his work for EMBC and views on the future role of the conference.
You have been EMBC Delegate for Greece since 2022 and EMBC President since 2025. Why did you choose to become involved?
My decision to engage with the EMBC was driven by a conviction that science policy and institutional governance are not peripheral to a research career. They are, in fact, its natural extension. After decades of working at the interface of cell biology and biomedical research, I came to understand that the conditions enabling excellent science—funding architectures, mobility frameworks, infrastructure access—do not emerge spontaneously. They are built, negotiated and sustained by scientists willing to step into governance roles. Over the years, I had the privilege of serving in such roles at the European and national level—as Vice-President of the ERC, Chair of the EIT and President of FORTH, which is one of the largest and most prominent research institutions of Greece.
When the opportunity arose in 2022 to serve as EMBC Delegate for Greece, I recognized it as a responsibility I could not decline. Greece’s voice in European science policy had historically been understated relative to the genuine quality of its research community. I wanted to change that. When the EMBC Presidency became a possibility in 2025, I saw it as an amplification of the same mission—advocating for rigorous, open and equitable science across the entire European molecular biology ecosystem.
What are your key responsibilities and activities in these positions?
As EMBC Delegate for Greece, my primary responsibility is to represent the Greek government and scientific community within the conference, participating in the deliberative bodies that set the strategic direction of EMBO and approve its budget. This involves attending EMBO Council meetings, analyzing programme performance data, and ensuring that Greek perspectives on funding priorities, inclusivity and scientific excellence inform collective decisions.
Since assuming the EMBC Presidency in 2025, my responsibilities have expanded considerably. I chair the EMBC Meeting, facilitate dialogue among delegates from all member states and guide the implementation of decisions that determine the operational direction of EMBO, in consultation with the two EMBC Vice-Presidents, Hemma Bauer and Lovorka Barac Lauc, and EMBC Secretary General Mark Palmer. I also serve as the principal interlocutor between EMBC and EMBO Council, to maintain seamless alignment between the intergovernmental funding body and the scientific organization. I liaise with the EMBO Director Fiona Watt and represent EMBC externally, when needed. A significant part of my work involves building consensus among member states with divergent scientific capacities and political priorities, while keeping the organization firmly anchored to its foundational mission of fostering excellence in molecular biology across European and associated nations.
How have Greek life scientists benefited from EMBO through the EMBC membership?
Greece’s membership in EMBC has delivered concrete, measurable benefits to the Greek life sciences community that I am proud to have helped expand and communicate during my time as EMBC Delegate and President.
EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships have enabled talented Greek postdoctoral researchers to undertake training in world-class laboratories in Europe and around the world, returning with skills, networks and perspectives that enrich domestic institutions. The EMBO Scientific Exchange Grants have facilitated collaborative visits that would otherwise strain the modest budgets of Greek research groups. Critically, EMBO Courses and Workshops—increasingly accessible through hybrid formats—have provided advanced methodological training that smaller national systems cannot easily replicate independently. The EMBO Young Investigator Programme has recognized and supported emerging Greek group leaders, providing both prestige and a pan-European network at the most vulnerable early stage of an independent research career. And I’m speaking from experience here: having been an EMBO Young Investigator myself, I know, first-hand, how transformative these early career awards can be.
More broadly, EMBC membership signals Greece’s commitment to a shared European research culture, enhancing the country’s attractiveness as a destination for international scientific collaboration and talent.
What are today’s most exciting prospects for the European life sciences in your view?
We are living through a period of exceptional scientific momentum in which the European life sciences are uniquely positioned to lead, driven by deep interdisciplinarity and technological convergence. The integration of physics, chemistry, computational science and biology is not merely additive but transformational, enabling us to interrogate biological systems across scales with unprecedented precision.
Particularly compelling are advances in single-cell and multi-omics approaches, which allow reconstruction of cellular states and tissue architecture at remarkable resolution, alongside breakthroughs in AI-enabled structural biology that redefine our understanding of molecular function. At the same time, fundamental questions, for example how neurons sustain homeostasis over decades, and how organelle deterioration contributes to neurodegeneration and ageing—to name two from my own field of study—remain open and intellectually fertile. Addressing these will require precisely the kind of integrative frameworks now emerging.
Europe’s collaborative research ecosystem, coupled with strengths in basic science and open data, creates an environment where such complex challenges can be systematically tackled, positioning the region at the forefront of a more predictive and mechanistic biology.
What are the challenges?
Despite these bright prospects, European life sciences face formidable challenges that demand urgent collective action. These challenges remain structural, persistent and interconnected. Foremost among them is funding fragility: many member states continue to invest below agreed R&D targets, creating systemic dependence on competitive European funding instruments that cannot replace stable, long-term institutional support.
This is compounded by a pronounced geographic asymmetry in capacity, where excellence is concentrated in a limited number of western and northern hubs, risking the emergence of a two-speed research ecosystem that undermines cohesion and intellectual diversity. Talent retention presents an equally critical concern, as early-career researchers face precarious employment conditions that discourage long-term commitment to academic science. At the same time, increasing pressure to demonstrate short-term fiscal or societal impact risks politicizing research agendas and eroding support for fundamental research, which remains the foundation of disruptive innovation.
Addressing these challenges will require coordinated investment strategies, structural reforms and a renewed commitment to balancing excellence with inclusivity across Europe’s research landscape.
In light of these trends, how do you see the role of EMBC evolving in the future?
Looking forward, and in light of current scientific and geopolitical trends, I see the EMBC evolving into a strategic and policy-engaged actor within the European research ecosystem. Beyond its traditional remit of funding oversight for EMBO Programmes, EMBC could act as a proactive architect of the life sciences landscape—advocating for sustained structural investment in fundamental research, both at the national and European levels.
EMBC could also play a useful role towards shaping frameworks for responsible innovation in areas such as AI-driven biology and genome engineering. A central priority could also be the strengthening of scientific cohesion across member states by enabling equitable access to infrastructure, training and funding, particularly in underrepresented regions. At the same time, EMBC should deepen its engagement with policymakers to ensure that regulatory environments support, rather than hinder, scientific progress. Building resilient, cross-sector partnerships—linking academia, industry and government—will also be essential to accelerate translation and innovation. Ultimately, the future relevance of EMBC will depend on its ability to combine scientific excellence with inclusivity, adaptability and a clear commitment to public trust in science.
