Founded in 1964, the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) brings together more than 2,200 leading researchers in the field of molecular life sciences. Once a year, the organization’s members nominate and elect new members to join EMBO. The selection is made in recognition of contributions to scientific excellence.

Zoltán Ivics is one of the developers of the Sleeping Beauty technology. The transposon was named “Molecule of the Year” in 2009 by the International Society for Molecular and Cell Biology and Biotechnology Protocols and Research. It enables therapeutic genes to be integrated into the genome of cells with exceptional efficiency, thereby opening new avenues in cell and gene therapy. There are several ongoing clinical applications with therapeutic human cells engineered with Sleeping Beauty technology, including a Phase I clinical trial with a new CAR-T cell therapy currently running at the University Hospital of Würzburg. The investigational medicinal products for the study are manufactured in compliance with GMP standards in the cleanroom laboratories of Fraunhofer IZI in Leipzig.

Since June 2024, Zoltán Ivics has been heading the Clinical Gene Transfer Unit at Fraunhofer IZI Leipzig and serves as Professor of Clinical Gene Transfer at the Medical Faculty of the University of Leipzig. Previously, he worked at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin and the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), among other institutions. At the PEI, he headed the Department of Medical Biotechnology from 2011 to 2022 and subsequently served as Head of the Research Center at the Department of Hematology, Cell and Gene Therapy until 2024. His research focused on the development of new technologies and the improvement of ATMP safety.

EMBO membership underlines the forward-looking impact of his work and honors Professor Zoltán Ivics as a scientist who has made exceptional contributions to the life sciences.