Friedrich Förster elected as EMBO Member

Biophysicist Friedrich Förster has been elected a Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), one of the most prestigious European organisations in life sciences. EMBO recognises Förster for developing pioneering methods that allow scientists to observe molecular processes directly inside living cells. Förster: “Many of the biggest scientific challenges can only be tackled through European collaboration.”

Friedrich Förster, biophysicist at Utrecht University, has been elected a Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). EMBO Membership is awarded to researchers who have made internationally recognised, exceptional contributions to the life sciences.

“It’s wonderful to see that colleagues appreciate my contributions to the field,” says Förster. “For me, this is also recognition that the research we do with my team in Utrecht provides important insights into biology.”

Watching molecules in action

Förster and his research group develop methods to visualise molecular processes ‘live’, as they happen inside cells. His team aims to observe molecules in their natural environment, where they interact with countless other molecules and carry out the processes essential for life.

“For a long time, biologists could only study molecules after removing them from the cell or recreating them in the laboratory,” says Förster. “That tells you what a molecule looks like, but not necessarily what it actually does.”

Thanks to the techniques we have developed, we can now observe molecules while they are actually at work inside the cell

“The real question is not what a molecule looks like,” he says. “We want to understand what it does inside the cell, which other molecules it works with, and how these processes unfold. Thanks to the techniques we have developed, we can now observe molecules while they are actually at work.”

A clearer view inside the cell

Förster’s team has played a key role in advancing a technique called cryo-electron tomography. Using this technique, researchers can create three-dimensional images of the inside of cells at unprecedented resolution.

One of his group’s major contributions has been the development of computational methods. These methods combine thousands of microscopy images into highly detailed three-dimensional reconstructions, even when the individual images are noisy or of relatively low quality. This allows researchers to determine the structures of biomolecules with remarkable detail while the molecules remain inside intact cells.

Förster’s lab uses these methods to investigate how cells produce, process and transport proteins. His group has, for example, revealed how proteins are synthesised and further processed at the endoplasmic reticulum, one of the cell's key manufacturing centres. Such insights help researchers understand what goes wrong in diseases caused by defects in protein production or processing, including cystic fibrosis and type-1 diabetes.

From fundamental biology to disease research

Although Förster's work is fundamentally driven by curiosity about how cells function, it also provides a foundation for future medical advances. Many diseases originate from molecular defects in proteins inside cells.

If a tiny change in a protein can ultimately lead to disease, we first need to understand exactly what happens when molecules go wrong,

“If a tiny change in a protein can ultimately lead to disease, we first need to understand exactly what happens when molecules go wrong,” says Förster. “That knowledge is the basis for developing highly targeted therapies.”

Strengthening European science

For Förster, an EMBO Membership is not only a scientific honour, but also an opportunity to help shape the future of European research. EMBO plays a central role in connecting researchers across Europe through conferences, training programmes and collaborative initiatives, and Förster believes these efforts will become even more important.

Many of the major challenges facing science today can only be addressed at the European level. For individual countries, they are often simply too large

Förster: “Many of the major challenges facing science today can only be addressed at the European level. For individual countries, they are often simply too large.”

He also notes that European researchers can no longer take access to American research funding, infrastructure and data resources for granted.

“That is exactly why Europe must continue investing in its own strong scientific networks, research facilities and knowledge exchange. EMBO is an outstanding organisation that brings researchers together and strengthens collaboration across borders. I look forward to contributing to that mission in the years ahead.”

About EMBO

The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) is an international organisation of more than 2,200 leading researchers in the life sciences. Each year, new Members are elected in recognition of their outstanding scientific achievements and their contributions to advancing the field.