Throughout 2019 we will be posting an image a day on the LMB’s website and social media channels about life and work at the LMB, both now and in the past.
Science can be very visual, and with the increasing number of different techniques available to visualise molecules, cells and organisms at increasingly higher resolution and in different ways, now is an ideal time to share some of the ground-breaking and exciting science taking place at the LMB. We also want to give people an insight into what it is like to work at such a world-class institute, whether in the support services or within the labs themselves. It is hoped that these images will help to inspire people, from all walks of life, about the beauty of science and about the pleasure of working in such a prestigious organisation. We also aim to issue images that link to the history of the LMB and the science that has led to the awarding of 12 Nobel Prizes.
We hope you enjoy the project.
As 2019 draws to a close and we get to day 365 of #LMB365 the whole LMB wants to say thank you for following this project. We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing the images as much as we’ve enjoyed pulling them together and that you’ve discovered things about the LMB you didn’t know before. Can you spot the #LMBee in the photo?
In quieter moments between experiments, members of the LMB have had fun recreating some of our state-of-the art equipment in Lego®, as seen here on day 364 of #LMB365. This includes an NMR machine, AKTA, orbitrap mass spec and a transmission electron microscope. To make the DNA model see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV-k00iQk2w
On day 363 of #LMB365 we bring you a beautiful sunset captured from the LMB’s restaurant area overlooking the nearby housing and park developments. Having such a view while in the Restaurant is an inspiration to all and we hope our images during 2019 have inspired you too.
Day 362 of #LMB365 shows the LMB Executive Committee after a recent meeting. The Committee is made up of the Director, Deputy Director, Chief Operating Officer, and the Heads of Divisions. They meet 4 times a year to make decisions on the running of the Laboratory and future developments. (L-R: Manu Hegde, Michael Hastings, Jason Chin, Andrew McKenzie, Lalita Ramakrishnan, Sean Munro, Mariann Bienz, Jan Löwe, David Barford, Sjors Scheres and Kevin Moreton).
On day 361 of #LMB365 we have an immunofluorescence photomicrograph of blood cells in murine spleen by Ashley Kamimae-Lanning in the PNAC Division. Shown are B cells (green) and T cells (red) in germinal centres of the spleen, with cell nuclei in blue and red blood cells appearing yellow. The Patel Lab studies how metabolism and DNA repair together form two tiers of protection against DNA-damaging aldehydes, which are produced in the body and environment. Blood stem & progenitor cells, which give rise to all blood cells over a lifetime, are particularly susceptible to damage from aldehydes when these tiers of protection are removed or are overwhelmed.
Day 360 of #LMB365 shows a stack of new 10 gigabit network switches being configured by the LMB’s IT team. The network in the new building was designed and installed by the team back in 2012 and they continue to update this to ensure the LMB’s infrastructure is cutting-edge
Happy Christmas from the LMBees on day 359 of #LMB365! These cuddly bees are available to purchase from the LMB’s Reception when they aren’t having fun swarming on the Christmas tree…
Day 358 of #LMB365 is a Christmas tree composed of Hela cells ectopically expressing golgin-97 at the mitochondria, in green, and co-stained with vesicle cargo proteins in red and blue. Golgin-97 is a peripheral membrane protein that localises to the trans-Golgi via a C-terminal GRIP domain. By replacing the GRIP domain with a mitochondrial targeting sequence we can re-localise golgin-97 from the Golgi to the mitochondria and then, using immunofluorescence, see what happens to the localisation of other proteins in the cell. Using this assay Sean Munro’s group in the Cell Biology Division has shown that Golgin-97 is a vesicle tether that captures endosomally derived vesicles via its N-terminus. The ‘baubles’ are labelled with the cis-Golgi marker gm130 and the ‘star’ labelled with the trans-Golgi markers TGN46 and golgin-245.
Science is all about success as well as failure and many experiments don’t work. Dealing with failure in a constructive way is a vital skill that scientists develop throughout their career. On day 357 of #LMB365, a postdoc lost his purified protein due to a machine malfunction after spending hours in the cold room trying to save it. While he felt great disappointment, he also made the best of the situation by applying his sense of humour to the situation at hand. A great example of failing gracefully!
As we celebrate the winter solstice, day 356 of #LMB365 shows John O’Neill’s group on an outing to visit the Corpus Clock in Cambridge. Sitting atop the clock is an extraordinary monster: the ‘Chronophage’ meaning Eater of Time. John’s group studies the fundamental mechanisms of daily cellular timekeeping and how circadian regulation of biological function is achieved.
Long-serving staff member Jane Randall retired this month after more than 26 years at the LMB. As the Assistant Divisional Administrator for PNAC Division, Jane worked for many distinguished LMB scientists over the years including César Milstein, Terry Rabbitts, Michael Neuberger and Greg Winter. Day 355 of #LMB365 shows Jane and colleagues at her retirement party when she was presented with a number of gifts, including a framed photo of her being presented to the Queen in 2013 at the official opening of the new LMB building. We wish her well for a richly deserved and fulfilling retirement.
On day 354 of #LMB365, members of the LMB celebrate Christmas Jumper Day – bringing in the holidays in style!
Day 353 of #LMB365 shows the LMB Library sprouts in quiet discussion about their Christmas preparations and wish lists. Sprout one is hoping Santa is going to bring them a copy of the Nordic Baking Book. Sprout two would really like some fancy pyjamas. They are both sure they are going to have to resort to First class stamps as they haven’t written any cards yet.
Christmas came early for the LMB’s EM Facility as they took delivery of a new Glacios electron microscope. Day 352 of #LMB365 shows members of the Facility with one of the major components just after it was unloaded from the van. The microscope will be used by groups across the LMB to assess and image samples for cryo-electron microscopy.
The LMB has held a charity Christmas raffle every year since the 1970’s and has raised many thousands of pounds over the decades. Day 351 of #LMB365 is a photo of the LMB’s raffle drum, built by Bill Parkinson from the Maintenance Department in the 1980’s, with stickers showing the sums raised in various years for different charities. The charity this year is the Cystic Fibrosis Trust – watch this space to see how much we raise in 2019
Day 350 of #LMB365 shows one of our Domestic Service Assistants, Freda Chapman, with her amazing cleaning trolley. Together they are bringing festive cheer across the LMB during the lead up to Christmas.
Day 349 of #LMB365 shows some of the LMB’s dedicated crafters running their Christmas stall to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Many of the items for sale were crocheted, knitted or embroidered and members of the LMB purchased lots of beautiful items for Christmas. Watch this space to see how much we raise
A Secret Santa gift of wine glass markers has been put to good use in the NMR facility on day 348 of #LMB365. These cute markers will help staff in the facility easily identify important samples, and bring a little festive spirit too!
The LMB is simply having a wonderful Christmastime! Day 347 of #LMB365 shows the restaurant decked in festive finery, ready to welcome over 200 people for a delicious 3 course lunch with all the trimmings. Thank you to our amazing catering team
CryoEM structures determined by the Modis group show how the innate immune sensor MDA5 recognizes viral RNA by forming filaments. ATP hydrolysis is coupled to structural changes in the filament, which are proposed to promote discrimination between viral and cellular RNAs. Depicted here on day 346 of #LMB365 is a model of an MDA5-dsRNA filament (foreground). A viral dsRNA genome and the endosome that delivered it into the cytosol are shown in the background. Image created by Lesley McKeane (Visual Aids) in consultation with Yorgo Modis.