We are a European intergovernmental organisation that is made up of life scientists, computer scientists and support staff. Our goal is to help researchers take advantage of the huge amounts of data produced in life science, so that we can gain new insights into how living organisms work in health and disease (see About us).
We have 23 countries in ELIXIR, and we work together using a ‘Hub and Nodes’ model:
- ELIXIR Hub: The ELIXIR Hub is like a headquarters and coordinates the work across ELIXIR. The Hub is based at the Wellcome Genome Campus, near Cambridge, UK.
- ELIXIR Nodes: Each member state of ELIXIR establishes a ‘Node’. A Node is a network of organisations that work within a member state. Each Node has a lead organisation that coordinates the local ELIXIR activities e.g. the Dutch Techcentre for Life Sciences (DTL) in Utrecht oversees the work of ELIXIR Netherlands, the Dutch Node.
See also How countries join and establish a Node and Governance.
Image
Map of member states within ELIXIR. Each member state establishes a 'Node' in its country, which is a network of institutes that carry out the scientific and technical work of ELIXIR within that country.
Orange = member states; pale orange = observers. Observers are countries working towards full membership.
Orange = member states; pale orange = observers. Observers are countries working towards full membership.