They’re found in home-testing kits for pregnancy, hospital tests for MRSA, and in six out of ten of the best-selling drugs today. But monoclonal antibodies have kept a surprisingly low profile since their debut in a Nature paper in 1975. This podcast follows them from that time through patent wars, promising drug trials and finally […]
Monoclonal antibodies; from their debut to blockbuster status
Hugh Huxley – 25th February 1924 – 25th July 2013
It is with great sadness that we report that Hugh Huxley died yesterday following a major heart attack on Monday at his home with Frances in Woods Hole. Hugh was the very first Ph.D. student to join the MRC Unit for the Study of the Molecular Structure of Biological Systems in 1948 under the leadership […]
Vesicles modulate an actin network for asymmetric spindle positioning in oocytes
Work carried out by Melina Schuh’s group in the LMB’s Cell Biology Division has provided new insights into how the spindle is asymmetrically positioned in oocytes, which is a vital step in the development of a fertilizable egg in mammals. The oocyte is stored in the ovary in meiotic arrest until ovulation. At ovulation, the […]
Identifying behavioural functions for genes has produced a key resource for neuroscience research
While fully sequenced genomes are available for many important experimental organisms, a major challenge has been to identify the functions of the genes identified. A method for phenotyping that is both high-throughput, so all an organism’s genes can be phenotyped, and high-content, so inferences about gene function can be made with precision, has been required. […]
The smell of food ‘wakes up’ the zebrafish visual system
New research from Leon Lagnado’s group in the LMB’s Neurobiology Division shows how food-related smells ‘re-tune’ zebrafish vision by making the retina more sensitive to moving objects, such as the prey that zebrafish eat. The way the brain processes information from one sense depends on the activity of other senses. For instance, we all know […]
Virus Wars – thousands visit LMB stand at the Royal Society
Scientists from Leo James’ group, from the LMB’s PNAC Division, showed their new ‘Virus Wars’ exhibit at this year’s Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition – to help celebrate the MRC’s centenary and showcase the group’s work on virus neutralisation. As lead scientist Will McEwan explains, “We designed our ‘Virus Wars – Antibodies Fight Back’ exhibit […]