The year 1962 marks the establishment of the independent Institute of Experimental Biology and Genetics of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (IEBG). According to the IMG Foundation Deed, IEBG is the direct predecessor of IMG, and this year we therefore celebrate the 50th anniversary of our Institute. However, as in 1977 IEBG was associated with several biochemical laboratories of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry and renamed the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (IMG), some consider 1977 as the definite year of IMG establishment.