The EMBO Workshop on Tuberculosis 2021 will be the 3rd large conference on tuberculosis (TB) and pathogenic mycobacteria to be held in the congress centre (CIS) of the Institut Pasteur in the 21st century, following the previous two very successful EMBO-sponsored conferences held in 2012 and 2016 at the same location. As the global situation with TB is unfortunately still very far from being solved despite some major scientific advances in recent years, and TB still remains a key infectious disease that globally claims more than 4000 human lives every day, the search for novel, scientifically very challenging, solutions to this human tragedy are of urgent and continued interest. Thus, the objectives of this meeting are to unite a critical mass of scientists involved in research to communicate and exchange novel information on the disease and the causative agent, as well as related mycobacteria that are of medical interest.