Professor Arne Klungland has been accepted as a new member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). He is currently the Centre Director of CRESCO - Centre for Embryology and Healthy Development, a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital.
"It is a great honour to be elected as a member of EMBO," says the newly appointed member.
Encouraging scientific exchange and collaboration
EMBO is an international organization that promotes research in molecular biology in Europe and globally.
The organization's main functions are to support outstanding researchers through grants and networking, workshops, meetings, and the publication of scientific journals. Its goal is to stimulate scientific exchange and collaboration while strengthening the research environment for both established scientists and young talents.
"EMBO is an organization that has a strong focus on young researchers, and I have personally benefited greatly from it," Klungland shares.
"EMBO was also responsible for financing my first stay abroad when I, as a young PhD student, went on an exchange to the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Manchester," he continues.
He also participated in several EMBO courses while earning his doctorate.
"It was in an EMBO Journal that I published my first scientific article," he adds.
Biological processes in the earliest stages of life
Klungland's contributions to genetics, DNA repair, and epigenetics have been recognized by EMBO.
As an identical twin, a shared interest in genetics has been present from the beginning.
"Being an identical twin is one of the reasons why both my twin brother and I love and have studied genetics," he explains.
As the Centre Director of CRESCO, he is now researching biological processes in the very initial phases of life. He and his colleagues will use advanced technology to study the role of epigenetics in the development of egg cells and early embryo development.
"I hope that in five to ten years we will have a much better understanding of why 30 to 70 percent of fertilized eggs die within a few days of development, whether they are livestock, laboratory animals, or humans," he says, adding, "I want to understand what goes wrong."
Basic research contributes most to applied research
CRESCO was officially opened in 2023, which means that the center will have stable funding for many years to come, thanks to the Norwegian Centre of Excellence grant.
"This allows us to work together from basic research to experimental models of embryology," Klungland explains.
The center has close cooperation with livestock breeding in addition to the Department of Reproductive Medicine at Oslo University Hospital.
"What we find in our basic research can be transferred much faster to translational and clinically relevant research. The best basic research contributes the most to applied research," he points out.
Member number 12 from Norway
Membership in EMBO is an acknowledgment of individual scientific achievements and contributions to the field. EMBO membership is granted for life to distinguished researchers who have excelled with their contributions to various disciplines within the life sciences.
To become a member, one must first be nominated by other members, followed by a vote among all members and the EMBO Council.
"Nominations should be justified with scientific publications and contributions to the field of molecular biology and alignment with EMBO's goals," Klungland explains.
Each year, about 60 researchers from EMBO's 18 member countries are inducted. With Klungland's membership, there are now 12 Norwegian researchers who have achieved this distinction, including the leaders of the Norwegian Center of Excellence, CanCell, Harald Stenmark and Anne Simonsen, as well as Nobel laureates Edvard Moser and May-Britt Moser.