This is an interview with the biophysicist Ernst Stelzer who worked at EMBL since 1983 in the physical instrumentation program and later in the cell biology and the biophysics unit. In this interview, Ernst Stelzer reflects how he started his work on confocal fluorescence microscopy, but he also explains his later microscopy and laser work, also connected to specimen preparation. Furthermore, Ernst Stelzer especially describes the challenges of instrumentation, but he also describes how the collaboration with Carl Zeiss in Jena started to bring the confocal fluorescence microscopes as a product on the market.

This is an interview with Paul Nurse who had been a geneticist and cell biologist at EMBL, In this interview, Paul Nurse especially reflects the differences between scientific research at universities in general and at EMBL. Beyond that, Paul Nurse describes his impressions of the Directors General Lennart Philipson and Iain Mattaj.

This is an interview with Erich Honig who was a group leader and the driver of the EMBL in Heidelberg since 1975 until he retired in 2008. In this interview, Honig describes how his job as a driver has developed since the time he started at EMBL. Furthermore, this interview mainly contains general impressions of Honig concerning the working environment at EMBL.

This is an interview with the physicist and the computer scientist Philipp Keller who has been a graduate student since 2005 and part of the labs of Ernst Stelzer, Jochen Wittbrodt and Michael Knop at EMBL and who completed his PhD at EMBL as well. In this interview, Philipp Keller especially explains how he was able to transfer his physical understanding of systems to research at EMBL, for example concerning his research on zebrafish embryo. Philipp Keller also describes the framework conditions at the EMBL in comparison with the Janelia Research Campus where he works since 2010.

This is an interview with molecular biologist Angus Lamond. In this interview, Angus Lamond reflects his earlier career stations at the University of Glasgow and the ETH Zurich before coming to EMBL in 1986. He reflects the working environment at EMBL at that time as he perceived it and explains his scientific research of RNA-splicing to identify proteins using mass-spectrometry-based proteomics.

This is an interview with the physicist and mathematician Matthias Mann who has been group leader at EMBL Heidelberg from 1992 to 1997. In this interview, Matthias Mann explains his research in the area of mass spectrometry and proteomics he was involved in at EMBL. This interview contains reflections of Matthias Mann concerning his relationship to other researchers at EMBL, his impression of the different Directors General Furthermore, you will find some information about Mann's current work in clinical contexts as well as some advice about assembling a research group and about computation in biology in general.

This is an interview with the cell biologist Harald Stenmark who has been a postdoc in Marino Zerial's Lab at EMBL from 1991 to 1994. In this interview, Harald Stenmark describes how he became aware of EMBL and how his time at EMBL has promoted his further career. Furthermore, he explains his functional studies of small GTPase Rab5 he carried out at EMBL and gives an insight into his later work on the EEA1 protein and the identification of the FYVE domain.

This is an interview with the French cell and molecular biologist Daniel Louvard who was Head of a research group at EMBL Heidelberg from 1978 until 1982. In this interview, Daniel Louvard explains why he decided to work at EMBL as a postdoc and how he developed his research on epithelial functions, on membrane trafficking and on producing monoclonal antibodies at that time. Furthermore, Daniel Louvard describes the working environment at EMBL, how he later became Head of Unit at the Pasteur Institute and his scientific work after his time at EMBL, especially his foundation of the ATIP-avenir program.

This is an interview with Nadia Rosenthal who has been the Head of Mouse Biology Unit at EMBL Monterotondo (Rome) and Senior Scientist at the Developmental Biology Unit at EMBL Heidelberg from 2001 until 2011. In this interview, Nadia Rosenthal describes how she came to the position as Head of the Mouse Biology Unit at EMBL Rome and how she was involved in establishing the Mouse Biology program there. The working conditions at the EMBL in Rome are part of this interview as well as Nadia Rosenthal's contribution in relation to making Australia the first associate member of EMBL.

This is an interview with the evolutionary developmental biologist and Nobel Prize-winner Eric Wieschaus who was a group leader at EMBL Heidelberg between 1978 and 1981. In this interview, Eric Wieschaus describes how he became interested in flies an how he and Christiane Nüsslein-Vollhard came from working with Walter Gehring to starting at EMBL. Furthermore, Eric Wieschaus gives an insight of his daily work at EMBL, especially concerning mutagenesis and later zygotically active lethals screening. He also describes the cooperation with the EMBL facilities and he gives a special insight into his impressions of EMBLs first DG, Sir John Kendrew.