News

19 Apr 2018

Lent Term with the BioSoc

An update from the Cambridge University Biological Society.Lent Term has begun and everyone is back to their busy routines. This term, BioSoc has prepared a line-up of incredible speakers from a whole spectrum of disciplines that are covalently or non-covalently linked to the biological sciences. Come along to find out everything from how herbal me…

19 Apr 2018

AI 'scientist' finds toothpaste ingredient may combat malaria

The Oliver Group have published a new paper in the journal Scientific Reports.Next time you clean your teeth, check the ingredients in your toothpaste; the chances are that it will contain triclosan. This compound prevents the build-up of plaque bacteria by inhibiting the action of enoyl reductase (ENR), an enzyme involved in fatty acid biosynthesi…

19 Apr 2018

An unexpected structure for pro-myostatin

The Hyvönen Group, and collaborators at the University of Cincinnati, have published a new paper in The EMBO Journal.Cell signalling in the broadest terms is any communication process that governs and coordinates the activities and actions of a cell, including the process by which cells sense and respond to their neighbours and environment. It is t…

19 Apr 2018

Solving problems in biotechnology and medicine using Flexible Nets

The Oliver Group have published a new paper in the journal Systems Biology & Applications.The exploitation of systems biology information to design novel microbes for biotechnological processes, and to control those processes in real time on an industrial scale, requires computational modelling. However, biological systems are difficult to model an…

19 Apr 2018

Two chamber biological solar cells bring greener energy a step closer to reality

The Howe Group, and collaborators from the Knowles Group in the Department of Chemistry, have published a new paper in Nature Energy.The world's energy demand is at an all-time high, and is only set to increase with the rising global population, putting substantial strain on our current energy resources. With fossil fuels depleting and the threat o…

19 Apr 2018

BioSoc Michaelmas Term round-up

Cambridge University Biological Society had a vibrant term with many successful events. Here's a rundown of what happened.Michaelmas Term is over; it is getting quieter every day as the undergraduates are leaving for the vacation and soon Christmas bells will be ringing!Cambridge University Biological Society had a vibrant term with many successful…

19 Apr 2018

Titan Krios cryo-electron microscope has arrived

The Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) Consortium is pleased to announce that the new Titan Krios 300kV cryo-electron microscope has arrived in the Department.Installation has now begun and will take approximately 10-12 weeks.The arrival of this new equipment complements the 200kV instrument that was installed at the end of 2016. The combination of…

19 Apr 2018

Myc and Ras: Partners in crime for lung cancer progression

The Evan Group have published a major paper on lung cancer in the journal Cell.Lung cancer is currently the third most common cancer in the UK, with over 46,000 new diagnoses every year. Additionally, lung cancer is the most common cause of UK cancer death, accounting for 22% in 2014, which equates to around 100 deaths from the disease every day. A…

18 Apr 2018

Professor Steve Oliver to be presented with Lifetime Achievement Award

We are pleased to announce that Steve Oliver is to be presented with the Genetics Society of America Yeast Genetics Meeting's Lifetime Achievement Award at Stanford University in August 2018.Steve started working with yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, baker's yeast) as a graduate student, and has studied this model organism ever since. A key part of…

18 Apr 2018

Professor Paul Dupree named a 2017 Highly Cited Researcher

We are pleased to announce that Paul Dupree has been named a 2017 Highly Cited Researcher, with his research among the top 1% most cited works in the field of plant and animal biology.Professor Dupree commented that: "I'm very proud to be named a 2017 Highly Cited Researcher. This reflects the outstanding work of our group members over many years t…

17 Apr 2018

Graphene-based electrodes for microbial fuel cells

The Howe Group, and collaborators at the Cambridge Graphene Centre, have published an article in the Royal Society of Chemistry's Journal of Materials Chemistry A.With the world's ever increasing population and economic development straining our energy and clean water supplies, there is a pressing need for novel renewable energy resources and susta…

17 Apr 2018

Green electronics: a bacteria-powered clock

The Howe Group and their collaborators have published a paper in Nature Communications demonstrating that printed cyanobacteria can be used as a two-in-one bio-battery and bio-solar-panel.The search for renewable energy technology is of utmost importance with our continuing depletion of fossil fuel sources and the world's increasing population. As …

17 Apr 2018

Part III student Keir Murison publishes in The Biochemist

Keir Murison has co-authored an article for The Biochemist magazine.Keir Murison, one of our Department's Part III students, has co-authored an article alongside Dr Michelle Holland (King's College London) for The Biochemist magazine; "RNA modifications shed new light on DNA's older brother".In speaking about his article, Keir said: "Delving into t…

17 Apr 2018

£225 raised for BBC Children in Need

Halloween and the final of The Great British Bake Off on the same day can only mean one thing; the Department held a spooky bake sale to raise money for BBC Children in Need!Thanks to everyone who came along to buy cakes and have a laugh at some of the Admin Team in fancy dress. As a Department, we raised a spook-tacular £225!BBC Children in Need i…

17 Apr 2018

Insights into enzymes that break down plant cell walls

The Dupree Group have published a paper in Nature Communications offering insight into enzymes that break down plant cell walls.With the world's population predicted to reach 8 billion by 2024 and our gradual depletion of non-renewable energy resources, the need for sustainable sources of energy and material is ever increasing. Our most abundant so…