How machine learning supports cancer research at the EMBL

At the European Molecular Biology Lab (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Canadian researcher Petr Smirnov uses machine learning to better understand how cancer grows within the human body.

When Petr Smirnov started his studies years ago in Toronto, Canada, his area of focus was mathematical physics. “It's been a very long journey to be sitting here at the European Molecular Biology Lab in Heidelberg”, he says. What brought him to the renowned institute in Baden-Württemberg was his interest in cancer research and machine learning.

Today, he examines images of cells stained in different hues on a wide computer screen. He zooms in and explains: “My research is interested in how cancer grows in the human body. More specifically, I am aiming to understand the relationship between the DNA within the cancer cell to what it will look like under a microscope.”

Machine learning helps understand and analyze vast amount of cell images

Because humans are not particularly good at analyzing details in vast amounts of data, Petr Smirov uses one powerful tool: artificial intelligence. “I apply machine learning to find patterns across tens of thousands of images, those are many more images than I could hope to examine with my own eyes”, he says.

He views the use of computer technology to help understand and eventually cure diseases as a crucial and future-oriented scientific application. “I think that artificial intelligence is going to be a very important and also exciting opportunity to really make sense of the scale of the data we're generating today”, he says. “We can look very deeply into the structure of cells and also do this across many more organisms or patients than we were able to do before.”

Surrounded by world-class scientists and engaging in research collaborations

Clearly, the field of study and the opportunities as a postdoctoral fellow factored into the decision to move to Heidelberg. But there were others as well: After completing his PhD in Canada, Petr Smirnov wanted to continue his academic career abroad. EMBL seemed a perfect choice. “At the EMBL in Heidelberg, I knew I would be surrounded by world-class scientists in excellent facilities as well as the university clinic”, he says. “EMBL has great expertise in basic biology, complementing my own strengths.”

The European Molecular Biology Lab (EMBL) is an international scientific cooperation between 29 countries that joined forces to advance the understanding of basic biology, support young scientists and faculty members and train external visitors through research collaborations as well as courses and conferences. It is part of the Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim, the Innovation Campus for life sciences in the Rhine-Neckar region which brings together a highly diverse range of disciplines and a cluster of top experts in their fields (see below).“Working here gives you an opportunity to see the most exciting discoveries being made almost in real time.”

Career opportunities and standard of living

Beside the academic prospects, there were other reasons for Petr Smirnov to choose Baden-Württemberg. “It was also a place where both me and my fiance, who is also a scientist, could grow in our careers.”

He values not only the support both receive as scientists but also the fact that Heidelberg, despite being a fairly small town, has a lot to offer. There are cultural events, shopping opportunities and places to enjoy a night out. “It’s a very liveable, bikeable and green town”, he says. “Heidelberg is very central in Europe and there's so much to see and do that's just a short drive or a short train ride away, both within Germany, but also in all the countries around here.”

After a year of living in Heidelberg, he has noticed some subtle cultural differences: the fact that the shops are closed on Sundays and that the bread tastes better than in Canada. And that people discuss the Bundesliga soccer match rather than the latest hockey games. But overall, he finds that his day-to-day life as a scientist is very similar to what it was like in Canada. Even then, some of the features of his work in Baden-Württemberg still amaze him: “Since I started working at the EMBL, I’ve been exposed to some of the most cutting-edge scientific technologies, which help us better understand the way that DNA affects human biology.”                                                            

Further information about the Innovation Campus The Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim:

A total of four innovation campus models have been established in Baden-Württemberg in strategically relevant areas: Artificial intelligence (AI), mobility, life sciences, sustainability and quantum technology. The Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim, funded by the State of Baden-Württemberg, aims to enrich and deepen an ecosystem for innovation, basic research, translation and transfer and make it even more competitive. The Heidelberg and Mannheim University life sciences and medical centers want to join forces with non-university partners in an alliance that is the first of its kind in Germany. Advantages for international researchers working at one of the partner institutions include funding opportunities and cross-collaborations.

Author: Siri Schubert