Welcome to the MRC WIMM blog, a blog aimed at a scientifc, but non-specialist, audience. All posts are written by members of the MRC WIMM!
The slimy jelly that helps us respond to infection
A fully functioning immune system is dependent on good communication between many different types of cell. We know that one set of cells detects damage and infection, while another leaps into action to defend the body. But we weren’t entirely clear how the two ‘talked’ to each other. New research by the Jackson lab suggests that a special type of carbohydrate acts as the broker between the two.
A zebrafish genetic toolkit to understand development
31 May 2017
Development is complex business – from the moment a sperm fertilises an egg, a cascade of biological processes is set in motion, and small changes in this cascade can cause a number of different developmental conditions. A new method developed by the Sauka-Spengler Lab can help understand the nuts and bolts that regulate these developmental changes in a very special set of cells.
INTERFERing: the immune responses helping cancer cells resist treatment
8 May 2017
Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy generally work by causing damage to the DNA of cancer cells. Unfortunately, cancer cells can become resistant to this DNA damage and therefore resistant to the treatments. Recent collaborative research in the WIMM between labs in the Department of Oncology and the MRC Human Immunology Unit sheds light on this process, revealing new markers of treatment resistance in patients and potential future drug targets.
Multiple Sclerosis – Action and Reaction
24 April 2017
The Fugger lab reports on their participation in 'Brain Diaries', an exhibition that aimed to show to the public how the latest neuroscientific research is transforming what we understand about our brain – from birth to the end of life. how they got on presenting their exhibit to those that attended Super Science Saturday.
Cells have a skeleton, and a very clever way of organising it
28 March 2017
Just like humans, each of our cells have a skeleton in order to maintain their shape. Up until recently, we didn’t have the ability to see their skeleton in great detail. But with new technology creating ever-more powerful microscopes, we can now see the skeleton and the patterns it creates to maintain the cell’s structure. In this blog post, Dr Marco Fritzsche discusses his recent paper published in Nature Communications in collaboration with Prof Christian Eggeling and Prof Eric Betzig, researching exactly how the skeleton of a cell is organized.
CRISPR computers: how to program a cell
13 March 2017
Inside every cell in your body, a complex network of signals are constantly being sent, received, interpreted and acted upon. These signals tell the cell how and when to perform its particular specialised task, in concert with all the other cells surrounding it. Understanding how these networks operate is critical to developing a full understanding of biological systems, but until recently, scientists have lacked tools with sufficient precision to probe these networks accurately.
What are the consequences of severe anaemia for mothers and babies?
27 February 2017
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder that results in the production of abnormal red blood cells, resulting in the inefficient transport of oxygen around the body. To coincide with Rare Disease Day, Dr Duantida Songdej (a consultant haematologist in Thailand) and her DPhil co-supervisor Dr Chris Babbs tell us about their work creating a registry of survivors of this rare form of anaemia
Stopping the spread: towards new treatments for childhood cancer
20 February 2017
Cancers of the blood, or leukaemias, that involve mutations in a gene called Mixed Lineage Leukaemia (MLL) have a very poor prognosis and are particularly prevalent in young children. Due to the aggressive nature of this type of cancer, there is an acute need for the development of more effective therapies to help treat the children who suffer from this devastating condition.
The science behind the headlines
6 February 2017
Tomasz Dobrzycki describes just how rewarding it was to participate in the 'Super Science Saturday' at the Museum of Natural History in Oxford, a special themed event on the science behind the headlines.
How students see scientists: Part XV
23 January 2017
In early December last year, a group of five undergraduate students from PETROC College in Plymouth visited the WIMM in order to get a taste of what life as a research scientist might really be like. In this blog, Sarah Huxtable (Programme Manager and Lecturer, Genetics and Physiology) tells us just how rewarding the students found their visit, and how great the cake was!
A Not-So-Special Delivery: Zika Virus in its Envelope
9 January 2017
Layal Liverpool and Antonio Gregorio Dias Jr describe how our understanding of the dengue virus could hold the key to developing a vaccine for Zika.
How students see scientists: Part XIV
19 December 2016
The Global Physician Leadership Stream (GPS) at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) allows trainee doctors to undertake placements in research labs abroad as part of their studies, The MRC WIMM has hosted several students on the programme over the past few years (see previous blogs here and here) and this summer was no exception. Read on to find out just how valuable Nelson Tsz-Pui Kwan found his experience working with David Beeson (NDCN) at the MRC WIMM earlier this year.
Cracking the code
5 December 2016
Every year, thousands of children are born with health problems that are caused by changes to their DNA sequence, or genetic code. These changes might have been inherited from their parents, who are often unaffected themselves, and therefore have no idea of what they might be passing on to their children – and therefore, understandably, no idea of how to cope with the consequences. Understanding which genetic changes cause these conditions is critical to helping scientists and doctors inform parents about the conditions their children suffer from, and help to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to counter the impact this has on the child’s life. In this blog, Kerry Miller, a postdoc in Andrew Wilkie’s lab, explains how her research on a skull deformation condition called craniosynostosis holds the promise to do just that.
Honey, I shrunk the scientists: Virtual immersion in the microscopic reality
21 November 2016
Virtual reality is more often associated with sci-fi films than molecular biology, but find out in this blog how a team from the MRC WIMM are hoping to change all that. Imagine being able to walk around the nucleus of a cell, or pick up and discuss a 3D image of a zebrafish embryo with a team of collaborators from all over the world in the same room. Sound like a distant fantasy? Jakub Chojnacki explains why it soon might not be…
How students see scientists: Part XIII
7 November 2016
The latest post in our series of blogs written by students who undertake work experience placements here at the WIMM is a little different. Whilst most students who come here work in a lab, this week’s blog is by a GCSE student at Cherwell School, Abraham Sondhi, who last month undertook a week’s work experience placement in the Administration Office. Read on to find out just how much Abraham learnt during the five days he spent with the team, and how much he valued the experience.
Pinch by pinch
24 October 2016
What does your genome have in common with a Michelin-starred chef? Find out in this article by Yale Michaels, a DPhil student in Tudor Fulga’s lab, written for the MRC Max Perutz Science Writing Award.
Seeing is believing: what does your DNA look like in 3D?
10 October 2016
Clue: it’s a bit more complicated than a bendy ladder. Over the past year, scientists working in the Computational Biology Research Group and the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit at the MRC WIMM have been collaborating with Goldsmiths University in London to produce CSynth: new interactive software which allows users to visualize DNA structures in three dimensions. The team took the technology to New Scientist Live in September this year, and wowed hundreds of people with this incredible new tool. In this blog post, Bryony Graham describes the science behind the technology, and how the team managed to explain some pretty complex genomics to thousands of people using some pieces of string, a few fluffy blood cells and a couple of touchscreens, all whilst working under a giant inflatable E. coli suspended from the ceiling. Of course.
How students see scientists: Part XII
26 September 2016
The WIMM plays host to many students over the course of the summer months, offering them a valuable insight into the life of a scientist, and introducing them to fundamentally important concepts and techniques in the lab. In this post, Rahul Shah, a medical student about to start the third year of his degree at the University of Cambridge, tells us about the two months he spent working with Andrew Wilkie and Steve Twigg in the Clinical Genetics lab.
Ever wondered where your blood comes from?
12 September 2016
We all find out at a pretty young age what our blood is: often due to unfortunate incidents as toddlers involving overambitious attempts to run/jump/climb over household objects twice our height. But despite almost continually losing blood throughout our lives via cuts, grazes, injections and other incidents we almost never run out of the stuff, except in extreme circumstances. This is because your body is constantly producing blood to make up for that which is lost during daily life – but where does this new blood come from? This is a tricky question to answer, but a study led by Rui Monteiro in Roger Patient’s lab in the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit sheds new light on this complex process. Tomasz Dobrzycki, a DPhil student in the lab, explains what they found.
How super is a super-enhancer?
30 August 2016
Over the past few years, a fierce debate has raged on amongst geneticists about whether the enticingly named ‘super-enhancer’, a region of the DNA proposed to have essential functions in controlling how a cell works, actually exists. Last month, a study by a team of scientists in Doug Higgs’ lab at the WIMM finally took apart this question piece by piece – and they found that there is nothing very ‘super’ about a super-enhancer at all. Marieke Oudelaar, a DPhil student in the Higgs and Hughes labs who was involved in the work, explains more.