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 Royal Society Philosophical Transactions is celebrating 350 years of publishing scientific research with a special issue of commentary articles. These articles look back at some of the major, historical, scientific landmarks in the physical and biological sciences, which were reported in Philosophical Transactions. Of the 17 biological papers chosen, which include papers by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, Alan Turing and Peter Medawar, two are for pioneering work undertaken at the LMB.
Double Nobel laureate, Fred Sanger, has been remembered in Cambridge with the unveiling of a blue plaque on his former home at 252 Hills Road. Friends, family and colleagues attended the ceremony, organised by the Society of Biology, on Saturday 7th March.
One of the founders of the LMB, and former Head of the PNAC Division, Fred had lived at the Hills Road house for over 40 years: throughout his scientific career.
Students from the new University Technical College (UTC) Cambridge have been taking part in a 6-week challenge project developed by the LMB. The year 10 students were tasked to design a scientific laboratory facility. As part of the project they learnt about key areas of design and management, including; health and safety, legislation, scientific requirements and best practice.
Leading Japanese biopharmaceutical company, Sosei Group Corporation, has acquired the UK-based biotechnology company, Heptares Therapeutics Limited, to create a leading global biopharmaceutical company with a major drug discovery and development hub in the UK.
Heptares was co-founded in 2007 by Richard Henderson and Chris Tate, LMB group leaders in the Structural Studies Division. It was set up to exploit their pioneering technology to stabilise G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
Emeritus group leader Cyrus Chothia, from the LMB’s Structural Studies Division, has been honoured with two awards for his ground-breaking work in the use of computational methods to study the structure and function of proteins, and the evolution of genomes, which led to the birth of Structural Bioinformatics and Computational Genomics.
The 2015 Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) Award for Annual Outstanding Contributions to Biomolecular Technologies has been awarded to Brad Amos and John White for the development of the laser-scanning confocal microscope.
Brad and John were members of the LMB when they developed and patented the first high-resolution, laser scanning confocal microscope for biological use in 1987.