Barcelona-based genomics powerhouse specializing in gene regulation, multi-omics bioinformatics, personalised medicine, and FAIR data infrastructure across 102 H2020 projects.
CRG is a world-class genomics and gene regulation research centre in Barcelona that investigates how genes are read, spliced, and expressed — and what happens when these processes go wrong in disease. Their core work spans transcriptomics, epigenomics, and multi-omics data integration, with strong applied branches in personalised medicine, cancer genomics, and synthetic biology. They also serve as a major European hub for bioinformatics infrastructure, FAIR data standards, and open science policy, contributing to flagship platforms like ELIXIR and the European Open Science Cloud. Beyond discovery research, CRG translates findings toward diagnostics and therapeutic applications, particularly in rare diseases and oncology.
Core expertise demonstrated across MASCP (splicing in cancer/pluripotent cells), SpliceCore (spliceosomal mutations in Retinitis Pigmentosa), RLOOP-AS, EDPAS, NEURAL AS, and multiple MSCA fellowships on transcription and splicing mechanisms.
Sustained presence in ELIXIR-EXCELERATE, OpenRiskNet, MuG (multi-scale genomics), and numerous projects requiring computational genomics and cross-omics analysis pipelines.
Projects like PanCanRisk (global cancer susceptibility), B-CAST (breast cancer stratification), SPIDIA4P (standardised diagnostics), and T2DSystems show deep engagement with clinical translation of genomic data.
Active in EOSCpilot, ELIXIR-EXCELERATE, and multiple CSA projects promoting FAIR principles, data sharing standards, and European Open Science Cloud development.
MycoSynVac (engineered Mycoplasma vaccine), MYCOCHASSIS (minimal bacterial chassis), CellViewer, and DivIDe demonstrate capacity in designing and building biological systems from the ground up.
14 MSCA individual fellowships plus network projects like MiND, circRTrain, SINGEK, and OPATHY show CRG as a major training destination for early-career researchers across Europe.
In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), CRG focused heavily on fundamental gene regulation research — RNA splicing, epigenomics, stem cell biology — alongside institutional priorities like open science advocacy, gender equality (LIBRA), and science communication (EuroStemCell). From 2019 onward, their portfolio shifted decisively toward translational and data-intensive work: personalised medicine, FAIR data infrastructure, multi-omics integration, cancer genomics, and cloud computing for life sciences. This evolution reflects a deliberate move from generating biological knowledge to making that knowledge computationally accessible and clinically actionable.
CRG is converging on data-driven personalised medicine, investing heavily in FAIR-compliant multi-omics infrastructure — expect them to anchor future health data space and clinical genomics consortia.
CRG operates as both a consortium leader and a sought-after specialist partner, with a near-even split between coordinating (45 projects) and participating (55 projects) — unusual for a research centre of this size. Their 733 unique partners across 46 countries indicate a hub-style network where they connect with a very wide range of institutions rather than relying on a fixed set of collaborators. This makes them exceptionally well-networked and easy to integrate into new consortia, whether you need a coordinator with management experience or a specialist partner bringing genomics and bioinformatics capacity.
With 733 unique consortium partners spanning 46 countries, CRG maintains one of the broadest collaboration networks among European life science research centres. Their partnerships are concentrated in Western Europe but extend well beyond, reflecting deep ties to the ELIXIR and EOSC ecosystems.
CRG combines deep wet-lab expertise in gene regulation with world-class computational biology and bioinformatics infrastructure — a dual capability that is rare at this scale. Their 45 coordinated projects demonstrate proven consortium leadership and management capacity, making them a reliable anchor partner for ambitious proposals. For anyone building a health, genomics, or data infrastructure consortium, CRG brings both the science and the organizational track record to deliver.
