News

28 Mar 2023

Joshua Western is the 2022 H.E. Woodman Prize runner-up

Congratulations to Joshua Western on being the runner-up for the 2022 H.E. Woodman PrizeThe H.E. Woodman Prize –in memory of H. E. Woodman, M.A., Reader in Animal Nutrition— rewards the best PhD or M.Phil. thesis submitted to the University of Cambridge relevant to the chemistry of foods. The Prize is awarded by the Professors of Botany (Regius) an…

31 Oct 2022

Structure and dynamics of Toll immunoreceptor activation in the mosquito Aedes aegypti

The yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) has evolved to become an efficient vector for arboviruses (i.e. any virus that is transmitted byarthropods (insects) such as mosquitoes and ticks), but the mechanisms of host-pathogen tolerance are unknown.Insect Toll receptors, which perform critical functions in innate immunity, are activated by a family …

23 Sep 2022

£19 million to investigate bold ideas in bioscience research

22 September 2022Five world-class teams are set to receive over £19 million from BBSRC to support adventurous research aimed at tackling fundamental questions in bioscience.Each of these teams - involving 39 investigators from 16 research organisations - will look to advance the frontiers of bioscience knowledge by exploring bold and exciting quest…

15 Jun 2022

Small G proteins in cellular signalling and disease

Scientific Meeting, 12-15 September 2022, at the Victoria Gallery and Museum, Liverpool.Small G proteins of the Ras superfamily regulate a plethora of cell signalling pathways and impact on most biological processes. Deregulation of these proteins and their pathways often results in disease, such as cancer and genetic disorders, and plays a role in…

14 Jun 2022

Jammy plants!

The Dupree Group and their collaborators have identified genes that regulate the properties of pectin, with their mutants causing pectin to gel as jam in the plant cell wall.Plant biomass accounts for around 80% of the carbon fixed within living organisms on the planet. Most of this carbon is stored in complex polysaccharide molecules surrounding a…

13 May 2022

Algae-powered computing: our scientists create a reliable and renewable biological photovoltaic cell

The Howe Group have used a widespread species of blue-green algae to power a microprocessor continuously for a year - and counting - using nothing but ambient light and water. The system has potential as a reliable and renewable way to power small devices.Comparable in size to an AA battery, the system contains a type of non-toxic algae called Syne…

22 Mar 2022

Effectiveness of antibiotics significantly reduced when multiple bugs present

The Welch Group has found that much higher doses of antibiotics are needed to eliminate a bacterial infection of the airways when other microbes are present. Their study helps to explain why respiratory infections often persist in people with lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis despite treatment.In their study, published in The ISME Journal, the …

17 Feb 2022

Science Day returns for 2022!

Join us on Saturday 2 April, 11am-4pm, in the Hopkins Building for a fun-filled day of hands-on scientific activities and games!"Let there be light", or should that be "Let there be colour"? Early in the life of the Earth, our brown planet became a pigmented one. Life realised that light could be split into rainbows, its energy trapped and life on …

18 Jan 2022

Accelerating cancer drug development by targeting a DNA repair protein

The Blundell Group and our Cryo-Electron Microscopy Facility have published in Nature an exciting breakthrough in understanding how cancer drugs targeting the DNA repair protein DNA-PKcs bind to their target.Protein kinases are regulators of almost all aspects of cell life and play central roles in signaling pathways. Since the FDA approval of one …

25 Nov 2021

Paul Dupree and Steve Jackson named as Highly Cited Researchers

We are pleased to announce that Paul Dupree and Steve Jackson have been named as 2021 Highly Cited Researchers, with their research among the top 1% most cited works in their respective fields worldwide.On being recognised as one the world's most influential researchers, Professor Paul Dupree commented, "I am very proud once again in 2021 to be nam…

14 Oct 2021

Swapping Spike genes may promote emergence and spread of new coronaviruses

A group of scientists from Cambridge, Greece and Belgium has discovered that the genome region of coronaviruses that specifies the viral Spike protein is highly unstable and mobile.Spike is the protein that binds to human cells to allow the virus to gain entry. By using genome sequence analysis, researchers from the University of Thessaly, Greece, …

8 Oct 2021

Postgraduate Virtual Open Days 2021

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Days will be taking place this year 1-14 November.During the Open Days you will be able to access webinars, videos and resources from departments and Colleges. These sessions and resources will help you to learn more about the courses on offer, hear from students about life as a postgraduate student at Cambridge, disco…

2 Jul 2021

Part II examination prizes 2021

Congratulations to our Part II undergraduate examination prize-winners!We are very pleased to announce that the Part II Biochemistry prizes for 2021 have been awarded to the following students:Part II Richard Perham 1st Prize 2021, awarded to the student ranked highest in the class:Lukas FiedlerPart II Richard Perham 2nd Prize 2021, awarded to the …

22 Jun 2021

Part III examination prizes 2021

Congratulations to our Part III undergraduate examination prize-winners!We are very pleased to announce that the Part III Biochemistry prizes for 2021 have been awarded to the following students:Part III Richard Perham 1st Prize 2021 (awarded to the student ranked highest in the class):Thomas HammondPart III Richard Perham 2nd Prize 2021 (awarded t…

14 Jun 2021

4th EPIC-XS Webinar of Spatial Proteomics

On 26 August 2021, the 4th EPIC-XS Webinar on Spatial Proteomics will take place.The European Proteomics Infrastructure Consortium providing Access (EPIC-XS) consists of a unified network of experienced access providers and research groups who share a common goal: to facilitate the development and sustainability of proteomics exploration to all lif…