MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
One of the world's leading research institutes, our scientists are working to advance understanding of biological processes at the molecular level - providing the knowledge needed to solve key problems in human health.
Life on Earth depends on catalysis. Chemical transformations essential for cellular function are too sluggish to happen spontaneously at ambient temperatures and pressures, thus nature has developed myriad catalysts (enzymes) that accelerate the many key reactions necessary for life.
Specific loss of Bmal1 (green cells)
in histaminergic cells (red cells)
within the TMN
(Images from Prof Bill Wisden lab)It is well known that all animals have an internal circadian clock that responds to daily environmental changes of light and darkness, to inform the body to rest and sleep, or wake and be active.
Inside our cells are many small transport vesicles that act as carriers to move proteins and lipids around the cell. To maintain cell function, these vesicles have to deliver their cargo to exactly the right destination. New research by Mie Wong from Sean Munro’s group in the LMB’s Cell Biology Division has shown that when specific vesicles arrive at their correct site, they are captured and tethered by long golgin proteins, ensuring that the cargo is delivered to the right place.
An unexpected finding from Julian Sale’s group in the LMB’s PNAC Division has revealed that a specialised histone protein called H3.3 is needed for packaging UV-damaged DNA during replication. Use of this histone may act as a flag to help the cell find and repair the damage once replication has been completed, potentially reducing the chance of harmful mutations.
Every time a cell divides, the double-stranded DNA needs to be copied with the DNA strands separated in a replication fork.
Research from the LMB’s PNAC Division has revealed a new mechanism that cells use to fight infection. Jerry Tam and other members of Leo James’s group have discovered that the protein complement C3, which covalently labels viruses and bacteria in the bloodstream, activates a potent immune response upon cell invasion.
Molecular biologists chemically modify proteins to label them for easy identification.
New research from Madan Babu’s group in the LMB’s Structural Studies Division, in collaboration with Toby Gibson from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, has shown that the targeted movement of mRNA molecules to allow proteins to be synthesised in specific locations has important implications in cell signalling and development.