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.
The latest episode of BBC Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage features Amy Courtney, postdoctoral researcher in William Schafer’s group in the LMB’s Neurobiology Division. Together with hosts Brain Cox and Robin Ince and panellists Tim Lamont and Russell Kane, she discusses the strange lives of octopuses, including their doughnut shaped brains, how they compete for prey and whether they have arms or legs. More…
The new collection of Royal Society Biographical Memoirs “Structural and molecular biology—an origins story” celebrates the pioneers who uncovered the structures, functions, and relationships of proteins and genetic material. In tracing the origins of field, the Royal Society highlight several LMB researchers and note how the establishment of the LMB made it possible to bring genetics and structural biology together. More…
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Colworth Medal, The Biochemist has published profiles of recent winners. Their latest release includes an interview with Tanmay Bharat, Group Leader in the LMB’s Structural Studies Division, who discusses his research using electron tomography to investigate biofilms, the motivations behind his work, and his advice to future scientists. Featured alongside Tanmay, are LMB alumni Melina Schuh and Stephen Wallace, who won the Colworth Medal in 2019 and 2023 respectively. More…
Knowable magazine covers competing theories as to how organelles such as the nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum came to exist within complex cells. They include the ‘inside-out’ approach from Buzz Baum, Group Leader in the LMB’s Cell Biology Division, who posits that long protrusions from ancient archaeal cells slowly enclosed neighbouring alphaproteobacterium to eventually create internal membrane compartments. More…
As previously seen in tau and α-synuclein, Benjamin Ryskeldi-Falcon’s group have determined that TDP-43 forms distinct amyloid arrangements in different neurodegenerative diseases. They describe the structure of filaments of TDP-43 in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) as a chevron shape, markedly different from the double spiral shape they previously identified from brains of those with a form of FTLD accompanied with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. More…
Sean Munro’s group in the LMB’s Cell Biology Division, and Matthew Freeman at the Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, have built the ‘Unknome’ database, which ranks human genes based on how much is known about them. They found that surprisingly little is known about an estimated fifth of the human genome, and that many of these genes in question are vital to key organism functions such as fertility, development, and protein quality control. More…