CORBEL aimed to establish shared services between the ESFRI Biological and Medical Science Research Infrastructures (BMS RIs) to support enhanced European research. This was achieved through the provision of joint services and coordinated ‘user access’ to a range of advanced technology platforms.

The Coordinated Research Infrastructures Building Enduring Life-science services (CORBEL) project aimed to establish shared services between Biological and Medical Sciences Research Infrastructures (BMS RIs - now referred to simply as 'Life Science RIs' or 'LS RIs'), including EMBRC, which are part of the the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructure (ESFRI). This was achieved by creating cross-infrastructure scientific workflows and developing a suite of common services in response to specific user and research infrastructure needs. 

Partnerships with user communities working in European programmes such as Joint Programming Initiatives (JPI) or ERA-NETs (European Research Area Networks) and private-public partnerships such as the Innovative Medicine Initiative (IMI) were further developed through the project. 

Project dates: 1 September 2015 to 31 May 2020
EMBRC role: participation in the transnational access (TNA) programme, standardised service offer, innovation desk, working group on quality management, training 
Contact:
info@embrc.eu
Funding: €14,837,800 (Horizon 2020, under grant agreement number 654248) 
Learn more on CORDIS (European Commission website)

Current projects

PROJECT
DOORS, an EU-funded initiative, aligns with the Black Sea Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) to address challenges and foster Blue Growth in this unique marine basin. By harmonizing research, supporting start-ups, and shaping policy, DOORS aims to transform obstacles into opportunities, ensuring a prosperous and sustainable future for the Black Sea region.
PROJECT
The EU-funded BlueRemediomics project aims to unlock the vast potential of marine microbiomes for sustainable ecosystem services and biodiscovery. Using advanced technologies, it aims to understand the composition, interactions, and functions of marine microbes. BlueRemediomics will develop bioinformatics platforms, innovative culturomics, and high-throughput screening tools to identify natural products. It promotes responsible exploitation, equitable access, and ocean literacy while fostering aquaculture and ecosystem health.
PROJECT
BIOcean5D is a collaborative effort among European institutions to explore marine biodiversity comprehensively. With cutting-edge technologies and extensive research, it aims to understand and preserve marine ecosystems amidst rapid changes in the Anthropocene era. This initiative will generate valuable data, inform ecological theories, develop indicators of ecosystem health, and foster sustainable management of oceans.
PROJECT
ANERIS, funded by the EU, designs Operational Marine Biology to systematically measure ocean life. It combines advanced tools like genomics, bio-optics, and participatory sciences. Through innovation and collaboration, it supports academia, industry, governments, civil society, and research infrastructures, promising enhanced observational systems and innovative life-sensing technologies.
PROJECT
AgroServ, an EU-funded initiative, pioneers a holistic approach to understand and address challenges in agriculture. By integrating diverse stakeholders and employing transdisciplinary research, it aims to foster resilient and sustainable agroecological systems across Europe. Through living labs, data ecosystems, and community building, AgroServ strives to empower farmers and researchers alike, ensuring impactful insights for evidence-based policymaking and long-term sustainability.
PROJECT
eDNAqua-Plan seeks to gather information on aquatic monitoring projects, assessing standardization efforts, and evaluating the feasibility of creating a FAIR-based digital ecosystem for eDNA repositories and a dynamic species reference library to support future biodiversity monitoring initiatives in marine and freshwater ecosystems.
PROJECT
The EU-funded AtlantECO project aims to develop and apply a novel, unifying framework that provides knowledge-based resources for a better understanding and management of the Atlantic Ocean and its ecosystem services. Focus areas include: microbiomes, plastic and the plastisphere, and seascape connectivity.