The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is a molecular biology research institution supported by 22 member states. EMBL was created in 1974 and operates from five sites, performing basic research in molecular biology and molecular medicine. A key function of EMBL is the EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database, maintained at the European Bioinformatics Institute, which incorporates and distributes nucleotide sequences from public sources as part of an international collaboration.