Peer Bork, a pioneering bioinformatician who revolutionised the computational analysis of the human microbiome, has died unexpectedly at the age of 62.
Throughout his distinguished career, Bork progressed from statistical analysis of individual protein sequences to studying whole microbial communities. He introduced the concept of gut enterotypes, work that garnered widespread media attention. At the time of his death, he was involved in expanding a consortium to document coastal ecosystems in Europe.
Early life and education
Born in East Berlin, Bork attended a specialist mathematics and science school. After military service, he studied biochemistry at the University of Leipzig and earned a PhD in bioinformatics under Jens Reich at the Central Institute for Molecular Biology in Berlin.
Career at EMBL
Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Bork joined the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg in 1991. He rose to become interim director general in 2025. He was dedicated to EMBL, an intergovernmental research organisation with six sites including the European Bioinformatics Institute near Cambridge.
Contributions and awards
Bork created widely used bioinformatics tools and datasets. His honours included honorary doctorates, the 2009 Royal Society and Académie des Sciences Microsoft award, and the 2008 Nature award for mentoring in science.
He died in Taiwan, where he was due to speak at an international microbiome conference. He is survived by his wife, two sons, a granddaughter, and his mother.
