Thornton Building opens: a hub for collaboration and innovation
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EMBl-EBI’s new building enables the translation of the institute’s data management expertise into solutions for global challenges
EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) has opened its third permanent building on the Wellcome Genome Campus, near Cambridge, UK. The Thornton Building is named after bioinformatics pioneer Dame Janet Thornton, and funded by the UK Government via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), as well as Wellcome, and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
The building, which accommodates over 200 staff and students, was officially opened by Lord Vallance of Balham, Minister for Science, Research and Innovation on 18 March 2025.
A space for new collaborations
EMBL-EBI is the home of big data in biology and hosts the most comprehensive suite of biological data resources, many of which are collaboratively run. Millions of researchers worldwide use EMBL-EBI’s open data resources to share and access research data, in order to develop innovative solutions to global challenges.
“EMBL-EBI’s work speeds up scientific discovery and enables millions of scientists, engineers, and innovators to develop solutions for urgent challenges such as infectious disease, food insecurity, and the biodiversity crisis,” said Lord Vallance of Balham, Minister for Science, Research and Innovation. “The United Kingdom is proud to host and support this unique research infrastructure.”
The Thornton Building houses the unique Open Targets public-private partnership, of which EMBL-EBI is a founding member. Open Targets uses human genetics and genomics data for systematic drug target identification and validation. This is just one example of translating EMBL-EBI’s data management expertise into practical solutions for understanding and treating diseases.
“EMBL-EBI’s role as a collaborative hub is vital for tackling the complex challenges facing the world today,” said BBSRC Executive Chair, Anne Ferguson-Smith. “The Thornton Building will amplify these efforts, enabling researchers to collectively unlock the power and potential of biological data and accelerate breakthroughs that benefit all of society. The investment from UKRI, BBSRC and Wellcome in this critical infrastructure underscores our shared commitment to fostering a dynamic research ecosystem.”
“High-quality, curated data is the backbone of the next generation of AI tools in life sciences,” said Ewan Birney, Deputy Director General of EMBL and Director of EMBL-EBI. “AI breakthroughs, such as the AlphaFold system developed by Google DeepMind, are already transforming our understanding of proteins. This is just the beginning, and I expect we’ll see more discoveries powered by open data and AI in the future.”
Environmentally sustainable and inspired by nature
The design of the Thornton Building reflects EMBL-EBI’s collaborative spirit and fascination with the natural world. The new space enables more cross-team work for the institute’s services, research, and technology. The modern facilities include collaborative spaces, meeting rooms equipped for hybrid meetings, and well-being areas.
Sustainability is integral to the building’s design, which reflects EMBL’s commitment to reducing environmental impact. The Thornton Building is powered by renewable energy, and its heating and ventilation system is designed to reuse waste heat. To minimise its carbon footprint, the building is supported by one of the largest timber frames in the UK.
The soil displaced for the building foundations was reused on site for landscaping, and four hornbeam trees were moved to a woodland nearby where they are showing signs of new growth. The building has a BREEAM Excellent score of 76%, which reflects a high standard of sustainability in energy, water, materials, and well-being.
“We are extremely grateful to UKRI and Wellcome for supporting the development of the Thornton Building, and more generally for their unwavering belief in EMBL-EBI’s mission,” said Jo McEntyre, Deputy Director of EMBL-EBI. “Without our funders, the constellation of collaborations, innovations, and discoveries that EMBL-EBI supports would not have been possible.”
First step of the Wellcome Genome Campus expansion
The Thornton Building is the first development in the ambitious Wellcome Genome Campus expansion. This multi-year campus development includes the creation of additional lab space, housing, and social infrastructure, all set to augment the campus’s international leadership in genomics and biodata.
“The Thornton Building reflects the high bar we have for quality and sustainability across the expanded Wellcome Genome Campus,” said John-Arne Røttingen, CEO of the Wellcome Trust. “The campus will be a world-leading destination for cutting-edge science, attracting the most innovative organisations and companies. Its expansion will reinforce the UK’s leading role in life sciences internationally and drive economic growth. Most importantly, everyone working here will be helping to unlock new discoveries and create a healthier future for us all. Wellcome is proud to be hosting EMBL-EBI here alongside our Sanger Institute for genomics research, Genomics England, and a range of outstanding commercial companies.”
Janet Thornton: a bioinformatics pioneer
Professor Dame Janet Thornton is a former director of EMBL-EBI. She led the institute between 2001 and 2015, a period of considerable growth, when EMBL-EBI expanded from 100 to 600 members of personnel.
Thornton is a bioinformatics pioneer who studied protein structures and the science of ageing. Together with her colleague Christine Orengo, Thornton introduced the CATH classification of protein structures, which provides information on the evolutionary relationships of protein domains. Thornton also developed a range of widely used bioinformatics tools, such as the ProCheck software for checking the quality of protein structures.
Alongside her work at EMBL-EBI, Thornton also laid the foundations of ELIXIR, an inter-governmental organisation that brings together life science resources from across Europe. She has also held leadership roles in the Royal Society and the European Research Council. In 2012, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to bioinformatics.
*Featured photo – full credentials*
Left to right: Janet Thornton (EMBL-EBI Director Emeritus), Anne Ferguson-Smith (Biological Sciences Research Council BBSRC Executive Chair), Patrick Chinnery (Medical Research Council MRC Executive Chair), John-Arne Røttingen (Wellcome Chief Executive Officer), Lord Vallance of Balham (UK Minister for Science, Research and Innovation), Edith Heard (EMBL Director General), Ewan Birney (EMBL Deputy Director General and EMBL-EBI Director), Jo McEntyre (EMBL-EBI Deputy Director). Credit: Mike Thornton