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The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) announced its 2024 Members and Associate Members on July 9, 2024. James Liao, President of Academia Sinica in Taiwan, was elected as an "Associate Member." Liao was one of the 20 scientists outside Europe to receive this prestigious recognition this year. He will attend the induction ceremony in Heidelberg, Germany, in October 2024.

Liao is globally recognized as a leading biochemist whose expertise lies in the design and evolution of metabolic pathways. His research focuses on the mechanisms by which microorganisms and plants absorb carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, as well as exploring how biological systems can contribute to greenhouse gas absorption. "By designing new-to-nature molecular pathways to absorb greenhouse gases with microorganisms and plants, we can significantly increase the rate of carbon sequestration and address the challenges of climate change," said President Liao.

As President of the major research organization in Taiwan, Liao constantly deals with diverse issues, and encounters a wide range of interdisciplinary problems. “When facing tough research challenges, shifting focus to completely different areas often refreshes my mind and inspires new ideas,” he highlighted.

EMBO's official member states are mostly EU member states. Since 2012, Taiwan has participated in EMBO as a "Cooperation Partner." In July 2024, Taiwan received unanimous approval from EMBO member states to join as an "Associate Member." This designation allows Taiwan to annually appoint representatives to attend the EMBO Annual Meeting and collaborate on cross-national academic initiatives, thereby fostering collaboration.

EMBO elected 100 new Members and 20 Associate Members this year, with the latter from 13 countries outside Europe, including the United States, Taiwan, Canada, Japan, China, India, and Australia. President Liao noted that Academia Sinica already has close ties with EMBO. To date, nine researchers from Academia Sinica have been honored with the "EMBO Global Investigator Scholars" and two with the "EMBO Young Investigator Scholars". As an EMBO Associate Member, he looks forward to strengthening connections by establishing a hub for collaboration between researchers in Asia and Europe.