The G7 governments are meeting for their next summit in Carbis Bay/UK from 11 to 13 June. In the run-up to the event, the science academies of the G7 countries have published the statement “Data for international health emergencies: governance, operations and skills”. Bioinformatics and medical informatics specialist Roland Eils was one of the scientists involved. In this interview, he explains the importance of establishing a reliable system for sharing health data globally. More on page 4 and 5

The second virtual Life Science Symposium on 21 June is an opportunity for Class II to exchange views and to get to know the new members elected in 2020. Among them is Ruth Ley ML, who conducts research on the human microbiome. The British developmental biologist and microbiologist first turned her attention to researching the microbiome at the Washington School of Medicine in Seattle/USA in 2004. She has been a director at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tübingen/Germany since 2016. More on page 8

The Leopoldina and the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities have published a statement on re-evaluating the protection of in vitro embryos in Germany. The science academies’ aim was to present comprehensive information and science-based recommendations on how to initiate the required re-evaluation of the legally permissible and ethically justifiable ways of handling early human embryos outside of the body in Germany. More in page 6 and 7