Author: Makowski, Lee
Title: Donald Caspar (1927-2021)
Reference Nature 6 January 2022
Year: 2021
Type: Alumni - Obituary
Subject: Don Caspar, LMB alumnus, has died at the age of 94. Don first came to the MRC Unit for the Study of the Molecular Structure of Biological Systems (now the LMB) as a Postdoctoral Fellow in 1955
Keywords: Don Caspar; tobacco mosaic virus (TMV); James Watson; Francis Crick; spherical virus particles; cubic symmetry; icosahedral symmetry; tomato bush stunt virus; Aaron Klug; quasi-equivalence; rod-shaped; alumni; obituary; Rosalind Franklin; X-ray crystallography; electron microscopy; fibre diffraction
Photographs: Black and White image of Don CasparAuthor: John Innes Centre
Title: Understanding the molecular machines that express photosynthetic genes; Introducing Michael Webster
Reference John Innes Centre Blog 5 January 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Alumni - Career Structure
Subject: Michael Webster shares insights into his research, scientific interests and career so far as he joins the John Innes Centre as a Group Leader
Keywords: Michael Weber; John Innes Centre; alumni; Lori Passmore; cryo-EM; Ccr4-Not; mRNA; protein; Group Leader; decoding
Photographs: Michael WeberAuthor: Ramakrishnan Venki.; Henderson, Richard
Title: Thomas Arthur Steitz. 23 August 1940-9 October 2018
Reference Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of The Royal Society 1 December 2021
Year: 2021
Type: Alumni - Obituary
Subject: Thomas Steitz Royal Society Biographical Memoir written by Venki Ramakrishnan and Richard Henderson
Keywords: Thomas A. Steitz; macromolecules; a-chymotrypsin; David Blow; Max Perutz; crystallography; Fourier maps; Richard Henderson; N-formy-ltryptophan; Brian Matthews; dioxan; hydrolysis; Brian Hartley; trypsin; Joan Steitz; Francis Crick; ATCase; hydrophobic; Hans Neurath; Ross Jakes; Jens Birktoft; alumni; 50S structure; tRNA; ribosome
Photographs: Portrait image of Thomas; Image of Thomas as small child with Grandfather; Thomas as child with family; Thomas at Protein Crystallograpy workshop in 1968; Joan and Thomas walking in the Alps; Thomas with other members of WERMS; Thomas and Joan at CSH meeting in 1978; Thomas with Nenad Ben, Peter Moore and Poul Nissen in 2000Author: Lawrence, Peter
Title: Celia Milstein obituary
Reference The Guardian 16 December 2020
Year: 2020
Type: Obituary
Subject: Peter Lawrence recalls his friend Celia Milstein who has died at the age of 92.
Keywords: Celia Milstein; obituary; César Milstein; monoclonal antibodies; Babraham research campus
Photographs: Celia in her garden; Celia visiting the biochemisty department in 1958Author: Clare Hall
Title: “Being part of Clare Hall was, and still is, an altogether enriching experience”
Reference Clare Hall, University of Cambridge 10 January 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Career Structure
Subject: Wasi Faruqi reflects on his scientific career and his engagement with Clare Hall as a Life Member.
Keywords: Wasi Faruqi; MBE; career; Clare Hall; Murray Stewart; X-ray; Electron Microscopy; Hugh Huxley; cryo-EM; Richard Henderson
Photographs: Wasi in his office (MRC-LMB photo)Author: Trinity College Cambridge
Title: Didier Queloz and John Sutherland lead £10m Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe
Reference Trinity College Cambridge 13 January 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Science
Subject: The Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe to support international and cross-disciplinary research on planetology and life beyond Earth is being established with, John Sutherland, being appointed as Associate Director of the centre
Keywords: John Sutherland; Didier Queloz; The Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe; University of Cambridge; chemistry of life; Mars; Planetary Science and Life in the Universe (IPLU); prebiotic; Astrophysics; interdisciplinary
Photographs: Image of Professor Didier Queloz and Professor John SutherlandAuthor: ALZFORUM
Title: Cryo-EM Unveils Distinct Aß42 Fibril Structures for Sporadic, Familial AD
Reference ALZFORUM 14 January 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Science
Subject: A recent structural study led by Sjors Scheres, Michel Goedert and Benjamin Ryskeldi-Falcon’s groups has used cryo-EM to detect two main types of Aβ42 filaments from both sporadic and familial Alzheimer’s disease
Keywords: Cryo-EM; Aß42; Sjors Scheres; Ben Ryskeldi-Falcon; Michel Goedert; S Shapes; Fibrils; filaments; tauopathies; luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes (LCOs); neurodegenerative diseases; Tau
Photographs:Author: Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Title: Cambridge demonstrates how science is improving lives
Reference Cambridge Biomedical Campus 25 January 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Miscellaneous
Subject: The LMB recently welcomed George Freeman MP as part of a wider visit to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus to learn how Cambridge is leading innovation in life sciences
Keywords: Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC); George Freeman MP; life science; Jan Löwe; Madeline Lancaster; Chris Russo; visit
Photographs:Author: Stoddart, Charlotte
Title: Structural biology: How proteins got their close-up
Reference Knowable Magazine 3 January 2022
Year: 2022
Type: History - General
Subject: Richard Henderson, from the Structural Studies Division, discusses his work and the evolution of structural biology on the Knowable podcast
Keywords: William Bragg; Lawrence Bragg; X-ray crystallography; James Watson; Francis Crick; Maurice Wilkins; John Kendrew; Myoglobin; Max Perutz; heavy atoms; Richard Henderson; protein structure; EDSAC; ‘computer girls’; Dorothy hodgkin; Rosalind Franklin; amino acids; Roger Kornberg; Cryo-EM; synthetic biology; genetic code
Photographs:Author: O’Toole, Peter
Title: Brad Amos (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology)
Reference The Microscopists 11 March 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Career Structure
Subject: Emeritus scientist Brad Amos is a guest on The Microscopists podcast from Bitesize Bio
Keywords: Brad Amos; Linda Amos; Gail McConnell; Mesolens; confocal microscope; zoology; John White; Mike Fordham; Bio-Rad; monoclonal antibody; John Gilmartin; skits; Robin Hood; the Full Monty; César Milstein; postage stamp; Ascension island
Photographs:Author: Newman, Andy; Luisi Ben
Title: Kiyoshi Nagai. 25 June 1949-27 September 2019
Reference Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of The Royal Society 16 March 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Alumni - Obituary
Subject: Royal Society Biographical Memoir, written by Andy Newman and Ben Luisi looks at the life and career of Kiyoshi Nagai who died in September 2019
Keywords: Kiyoshi Nagai; haemoglobin; spliceosome; Max Perutz; John Kilmartin; Hans Thøgersen; John Kendrick-Jones; Chris Oubridge; Aaron Klug; Daniela Rhodes; Giulio Fermi
Photographs: Kiyoshi as a young man; Kiyoshi in lab with Chris Oubridge; Kiyoshi with Richard Henderson and Venki RamakrishnanAuthor: Cambridge Independent
Title: TB research pioneer joins LMB division
Reference Cambridge Independent February 23-March 1 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Career Structure
Subject: Lalita Ramakrishnan joins the LMB Cell Biology Division as a group leader
Keywords: Lalita Ramakrishnan; TB; Cambridge Molecular Immunity Unit; zebrafish; Mycobacterium marinum; group leader
Photographs: Lalita in the lab (MRC LMB photo)Author: Brackley, Paul
Title: LMB solves structure of ALS molecule to aid hunt for drugs
Reference Cambridge Independent 23 December 2021
Year: 2021
Type: Science
Subject: The structure of the molecule associated with ALS has been determined for the first time by Ben Ryskeldi-Falcon’s Group
Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); Motor neurone disease; Clumped TDP-43; Alzheimer’s disease; Parkinson’s; Benjamin Ryskeldi-Falcon; Diana Arseni; Alexey Murzin; cryo-EM; amyloid filaments; tau; alpha-synuclein; FTD; neurodegenerative disease; ‘aggregates’
Photographs: Image of Ben; Image of Clumped TDP-43 (MRC-LMB)Author: Cambridge Network
Title: First detailed images captured of molecule associated with ALS
Reference Cambridge Network 10 December 2021
Year: 2021
Type: Science
Subject: The structure of the molecule associated with ALS has been determined for the first time by Ben Ryskeldi-Falcon’s Group
Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); TDP-43; cryo-EM; Benjamin Ryskeldi-Falcon; neurodegenerative disease; clumping; aggregates
Photographs:Author: LifeArc
Title: LifeArc’s technology transfer team supports MRC researchers in making cryo-electron microscopy even sharper
Reference LifeArc 3 November 2021
Year: 2021
Type: Science
Subject: LifeArc filed applications for a patent and trademark for the new all-gold grids developed by Chris Russo’s group. Helping to bring them to the marked as soon as possible.
Keywords: cryo-EM; gold grids; HexAuFoil; Chris Russo; LifeArc; ‘cryoEvap’; gold film
Photographs: Picture of gold grid (MRC LMB)Author: Blakely, Rhys
Title: Man-made cell that produces plastics and medicines hailed as revolutionary in biology
Reference The Times 4 June 2021
Year: 2021
Type: Science
Subject: Jason Chin’s group have created a new type of cell capable of producing substances such as plastics and medicines in a way not seen in the natural world
Keywords: Jason Chin; biodegradable plastics; antibiotics; synthetic chemistry; polymers; codons; tRNA; monomers; polymers; genome; genetic code; amino acid; bacteria
Photographs:Author: Brackley, Paul
Title: Discovery over receptors could change our understanding of molecular neuroscience
Reference Cambridge Independent 8 April 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Science
Subject: A recent paper from Radu Aricescu’s group was a structural investigation into type A gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors has found that their subunit arrangements are far more varied than previously thought
Keywords: Radu Aricescu; GABAA receptors; type A gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors; Andrija Sente; Jonas Miehling; Tomas Malinauskas; Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics; cryo-EM; Katerina Naydenova; computational strategy; signalling; drug targets; central nervous system; inhibitory neurotransmission; ‘action potential’; neuron
Photographs: Scientific image of GABAA receptors (MRC LMB)Author: ALZFORUM
Title: Suprise! TMEM106b Fibrils Found in Neurodegenerative Disease
Reference ALZFORUM 12 April 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Science
Subject: Alzforum summarises three recent papers which analysed TMEM106b amyloid filaments in the human brain – including research from Sjors Scheres’ and Michel Goedert’s groups in the LMB’s Structural Studies and Neurobiology Divisions respectively
Keywords: David Eisenberg; TDP-43; TMEM106b fibris; Michel Goedert; Sjors Scheres; neurodegenerative disease; FTLD-TDP; cryo-EM; “fuzzy coat”; Benjamin Ryskeldi-Falcon; C-terminal fragment; ultracentrifugation; TMEM239; antibody
Photographs:Author: bicycle therapeutics Press Release
Title: Bicycle Therapeutics announces updated preclinical data on SARS-CoV-2 antivirals at the 2022 microbiology society annual meeting
Reference bicycle therapeutics 7 April 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Science
Subject: Bicycle Therapeutics reports on its updated preclinical data produced in collaboration with Leo James’ group. In vitro tests of their proprietary bicyclic peptide show promise for antiviral modality against SARS-CoV-2
Keywords: Bicycle Therapeutics; biotechnology; SARS-CoV-2; Microbiology Society Annual Meeting; Leo James; preclinical data; anti-viral; bicycle Toxin Conjugate
Photographs:Author: DZNE
Title: “Hartwig Piepenbrock-DZNE Prize” Honors Research on Brain Diseases
Reference DZNE 16 May 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Awards & Prizes
Subject: To mark the award of the Hartwig Piepenbrock-DZNE Prize for his ground-breaking research into the molecular basis of neurodegenerative diseases, DZNE have released a video portrait of Michel Goedert
Keywords: Michel Goedert; neurodegenerative disease; Hartwig Piepenbrock-DZNE Prize; Alzheimer’s; Parkinson’s; Hartwig Piepenbrock-DZNE; tau; alpha-synuclein protein
Photographs: Michel receiving the prizeAuthor: Nature
Title: Hot headed: brain temperature can exceed 40 degrees
Reference Nature 23 June 2022, p.627
Year: 2022
Type: Science
Subject: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy allowed Nina Rzechorzek (member of the O’Neill group, Cell Biology) and collaborators to create a HEATWAVE map
Keywords: Temperature; brain; Nina Rzechorzek; John O’Neill; scans; 40ºC; traumatic brain injury; rises and falls
Photographs: Image showing the different temperature of male and female brains. (MRC-LMB)Author: Biochemical Society
Title: 2023 Award Winners Biochemical Society
Reference Biochemical Society 7 April 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Alumni - Awards & Prizes
Subject: Stephen Wallace has been awarded The Colworth Medal, given by The Biochemical Society to recognise outstanding research by a biochemist within 10 years of PhD completion
Keywords: Biochemical Society’s Awards 2023; Stephen Wallace; Colworth Medal; Jason Chin; alumni
Photographs:Author: Laurans, Penelope
Title: Sidney Altman, pathbreaking scientist
Reference YaleNews 6 April 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Alumni - Obituary
Subject: Sidney Altman was a ground-breaking scientist in the field of RNA biology, whose discovery of catalytic properties of RNA led to the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1989
Keywords: Sidney Altman; catalytic properties; RNA; Sydney Brenner; Francis Crick; Yale; alumni
Photographs: Image of Sidney AltmanAuthor: Snyder, Bill
Title: Lehmann named to receive Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science
Reference Vanderbilt University Medical Centre 20 April 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Alumni - Awards & Prizes
Subject: Ruth Lehmann is the 2022 recipient of the Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science, and she was a Postdoctoral Visitor with Michael Wilcox and Peter Lawrence in the Cell Biology Division.
Keywords: Ruth Lehmann; Director Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research; alumni; Cell Biology; Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Sciences; fruit fly Drosophila; germ cells
Photographs: Image of Ruth LehmannAuthor: Ananthasubramaniam, Bharath
Title: Introducing the next SRBR Public Outreach Fellow
Reference Society for Research on Biological Rhythms 30 June 2022
Year: 2022
Type: Career Structure
Subject: Andrew Beale, a postdoc in John O’Neill’s group in the Cell Biology Division, discusses his plans as new Public Outreach Fellow for the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR),
Keywords: Andrew Beale; John O’Neill; SRBR Public Outreach Fellow; biological rhythms; Circadian rhythms; public engagement; chronobiology; temperature sensitivity; Clockbites
Photographs: Head shot of Andrew Beale