John O’Neill, from the LMB’s Cell Biology Division, discusses how unravelling the complex mechanisms of the body clock has led to some fascinating discoveries worthy of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. More…
The circadian rhythm of life
Magnetic attraction of AstraZeneca to MRC LMB
AstraZeneca has moved it Nuclear Magnetic Resonance laboratory to the LMB while its new global R&D centre is built nearby. More…
Alcohol can cause irreversible genetic damage to stem cells, says study
Link between drinking and cancer clarified by study – led by KJ Patel’s group in the LMB’s PNAC Division – which indicates alcohol causes cancer by scrambling DNA in cells, eventually leading to mutations. More…
Scientists establish a comprehensive protein interactions map of the replication machinery of a chronic virus
Chronic viral infections are amongst the biggest threats to human health worldwide. Leo James’ group from the LMB’s PNAC Division, in collaboration with scientists at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and University of Basel, have established the first comprehensive overview of cellular proteins interacting with the LCMV polymerase. It is hoped that the research leads to a better understanding of how chronic viral infections start and the complex molecular interactions between viruses and their hosts. More…
Distinct human mutations can alter the effect of medicine
About one third of all medicine binds to the same type of receptor in the human body. An estimated 3 percent of the population have receptors of this type that are so genetically different that they are predisposed to altered, ineffective or adverse responses to medicine, a new study from the University of Copenhagen and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge shows. More…
GPCR structures aided drug design
A decade after a key structural analysis, scientists have a better understanding of the pharmaceutically important family of receptor proteins – G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). Includes reference to the work done at the LMB by Chris Tate. More...