In line with government instructions, members of the LMB are working from home where possible. The LMB buildings remain open for research and work that cannot be conducted from home. The LMB COVID-19 risk assessment has been updated and measures are in place to manage the risk from infection including strict social distancing measures in all areas of the building and maintaining high standards of both personal and environmental hygiene, including wearing face masks in all communal spaces and multi-occupancy lab areas.
All meetings will be held via video or teleconferencing. Travel for work is not permitted, nor are visitors to any LMB building unless essential (prior permission required). Please use email as the preferred means of contacting members of LMB.
COVID-19 research remains active at LMB, with over 12 separate strands of research into various aspects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus underway:
About Us
The MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) is a research institute dedicated to the understanding of important biological processes at the levels of atoms, molecules, cells and organisms. In doing so, we provide knowledge needed to solve key problems in human health.
Our scientists tackle fundamental, often difficult and long-term research problems. The LMB has made revolutionary contributions to science, such as pioneering X-ray crystallography and electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine protein structures, the sequencing of DNA and the development of monoclonal antibodies. Twelve Nobel Prizes have been awarded for work carried out by LMB scientists.
The LMB also promotes the application and exploitation of our research findings, both by collaboration with existing companies and the founding of new ones, helping to advance medical research and the translation and application of knowledge.
The LMB provides an unsurpassed environment for both young and established researchers, with state-of-the-art facilities and a unique scientific culture. The LMB has always been very diverse, with a truly international outlook. We currently employ men and women from over 50 countries, and LMB alumni work in research organisations across the world.
Insight on Research
How the fate of immune cell precursors is decided
Type 2 ILCs (ILC2s) play an important role in dealing with parasites and are implicated in allergy. Andrew McKenzie’s group has discovered that the transcription factor RORα acts as a checkpoint controlling divergence between T cell and ILC2 development.
A new 2D protein material for studying receptor endocytosis
Emmanuel Derivery’s group, in collaboration with David Baker’s group in Seattle, have, for the first time, re-engineered two proteins so that they assemble into a 2D material and used this design to investigate a fundamental process of cell biology, receptor endocytosis.
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Latest News
Madeline Lancaster awarded the 2021 ISSCR Dr Susan Lim AwardMadeline Lancaster has been awarded the ISSCR Dr Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator for 2021 for her work in stem cell research. […]
Lights, Crafts and Charity: Christmas at the LMBThe generosity of the people at the LMB has shone through this year with a number of recent charity events, culminating in the traditional Christmas charity raffle. The combined efforts of staff raised over £1,500 for various charities. […]
Latest Publications
- Furin cleavage of SARS-CoV-2 Spike promotes but is not essential for infection and cell-cell fusion.
Papa, G., et al.
PLoS Pathog 17(1): e1009246 [Epub ahead of print]. (25th January 2021) - CRYPTOCHROMES confer robustness, not rhythmicity, to circadian timekeeping.
Putker, M., et al.
EMBO J : e106745 [Epub ahead of print]. (25th January 2021) - Self-repair protects microtubules from destruction by molecular motors.
Triclin, S., et al.
Nat Mater [Epub ahead of print]. (21st January 2021) - Rejuvenating old lungs: Ain't no tonic like a drop of retinoic.
Gosens, R., Ng-Blichfeldt, JP.
Thorax [Epub ahead of print]. (21st January 2021) - The Cell-Autonomous Clock of VIP Receptor VPAC2 Cells Regulates Period and Coherence of Circadian Behavior.
Hamnett, R., Chesham, JE., Maywood, ES., Hastings, MH.
J Neurosci 41(3): 502-512. (20th January 2021) - Halogen Bonding in Bicomponent Monolayers: Self-Assembly of a Homologous Series of Iodinated Perfluoroalkanes with Bipyridine.
Davidson, JA., Sacchi, M., Gorrec, F., Clarke, SM., Jenkins, SJ.
Langmuir 37(2): 627-635. (19th January 2021) - Immature HIV-1 assembles from Gag dimers leaving partial hexamers at lattice edges as potential substrates for proteolytic maturation.
Tan, A., Pak, AJ., Morado, DR., Voth, GA., Briggs, JAG.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 118(3). (19th January 2021)
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