QMUL Centre for Molecular Cell Biology News

Chengchen Wu shortlisted for QMUL Research Technician 2026

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 23:00:00 +0100

As part of The Queen Mary Research and Innovation Awards 2026 this award is given to a member of technical staff whose exceptional practical skills, commitment and vision has enabled the highest quality research, innovation or knowledge exchange. Chengchen Wu, Cell Dynamics & Super Resolution Technican at the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology, plays a pivotal role in advancing Queen Mary's research capabilities through her leadership of our cutting-edge live-cell super-resolution imaging facilities. She manages and develops highly specialised microscopy systems, enabling researchers to visualise cellular processes at unprecedented resolution. Her technical expertise, innovation in method development and dedication to training have significantly increased research quality and productivity, contributing to high-impact publications and international collaborations.

Summer research internships for undergraduate students

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Ten talented undergraduate students from across a wide range of Science and Engineering programmes are embarking on exciting summer research internships under the mentorship of academic supervisors. This fantastic opportunity has been made possible through the QMUL Summer Training Research Initiative to Support Diversity and Equality (STRIDE) and the London Mathematical Society's Undergraduate Research Bursaries (URB) scheme. Spanning the full breadth of Science and Engineering, these diverse and innovative projects offer students a unique chance to explore research, develop new skills, and gain first-hand experience of academic discovery. We hope the programme will inspire the next generation of researchers and ignite a lasting passion for scientific inquiry. Below, you can find the full list of projects, students, and supervisors taking part in this year's programme. Zahra Ibrahim Ahmed Yusuf: An inclusive approach to measuring depression in neurodivergent young adults from diverse backgrounds (supervisor Giorgia Michelini) Tahran Tinnin Motlib-Siddiqui: Bioelectronic Sensors for Lanthanides (supervisor Lin Su) Radoslaw Bukowiński: LoRa-Based Satellite Ground Station Development and Link Analysis using the TinyGS Network (supervisor Fatma Benkhelifa) Mohammed Rizwan Miah: Offshore Aquaculture Renewables (supervisor Eldad Avital) Elsie Chidera Obiako: Developing AI tools for image-based diagnosis (supervisor Shaheer U Saeed) Amina Abulrahim Montalto: Domestic Water Recycling (supervisor Eldad Avital) Nursen Adiba Chowdhury: Synthesis, Fabrication and Characterization of Novel Antiferroelectric Materials (supervisor Giuseppe Viola) Ivet Lobo: Combinatorial search algorithms- AI and Machine Learning vs Integer Optimization (supervisor Thomas Prellberg) Zishan Xu: Higher order hyperbolic problems with singularities (LMS URB, supervisor Claudia Garetto) Oliver Leo Carter: Matroids that maximase a valuative invariant (LMS URB, supervisors Alex Fink and Mark Jerrum)

Kinesin motor proteins emerge as potential targets for neurodegenerative disease

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 23:00:00 +0100

A study at the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology (Palacios lab in collaboration with Whitworth lab and Talisman Therapeutics Ltd, Cambridge, UK) demonstrates that the motor proteins kinesin-1 and kinesin-3 are required for the survival of both Drosophila and human neurons and shows that increasing their activity can alleviate neurodegenerative defects in a model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neurons depend on efficient intracellular transport to move organelles and other cargoes across their long cellular processes. Defects in this transport system have been linked to several neurodegenerative disorders. Using both Drosophila and human iPSC-derived neurons, the researchers found that reducing kinesin levels disrupts neuronal development and survival. The team then investigated whether boosting kinesin activity could protect neurons from neurodegeneration. Using a humanised Drosophila model expressing a pathogenic amyloid-β, associated with familial AD, they found that increasing levels of kinesin-1 or kinesin-3 restored normal neuronal morphology and improved age-dependent locomotor defects. These findings identify kinesins as promising targets for therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative disease. Building on this, the Palacios lab, in collaboration with the Bulgakova lab, has secured funding to identify small-molecule activators of kinesin-1 (from MRC–AstraZeneca). Reference: Deepthy Francis, Francesco Paonessa, Victoria L. Hewitt, Maria Southall, Isabel Peset, Alexander J. Whitworth, Frederick J. Livesey, Caroline C. G. Fabre, Isabel M. Palacios. Investigating how changes in the levels of kinesins impact neuronal health in Drosophila and human iPSC-derived neurons AD model. Open Biol 1 May 2026; 16 (5): 250319. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsob.250319

Innovation paves way to make 'clean' chemicals, plastics and food using solar energy

Mon, 18 May 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Integrated solar reactor uses sunlight, water, CO2 and engineered bacteria to grow biomass in a single beaker. A new study led by Dr Lin Su of Queen Mary University of London, published today in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, describes a new integrated solar reactor in which engineered Escherichia coli (E. coli) are grown directly inside the same liquid that converts CO₂ into a usable energy source using sunlight. In future, this technology may be used to make environmentally clean chemicals, plastics or even microbial protein. The device combines an organic solar cell, a semiconductor electrode, two enzymes, and an engineered bacterium, and converts CO₂ and water into living biomass, reproducing the stages of natural photosynthesis without any plant, alga or photosynthetic microbes. Solar powered chemistry and engineered bacteria Today's chemical industry runs on fossil fuels. Two clean alternatives are growing in parallel: solar-powered chemistry, where sunlight turns CO₂ into useful small molecules, and engineered bacteria, which can be programmed to make a wide range of chemicals. Several earlier biohybrid devices have already placed an abiotic light absorber and a microbe inside the same reactor, using different combinations of catalysts, intermediates and host organisms. This paper asks: can the same one-pot integration be achieved using a set of components that are tractable to engineering on both sides, specifically an organic light absorber, a purified enzyme as the CO₂-reduction catalyst, the soluble single-carbon energy carrier formate, and an engineered E. coli chassis? This combination matters because each of these components can be independently tuned or swapped (the solar cell redesigned, the enzyme re-engineered, the strain rewired for a target product), giving a platform that is designed to be modified rather than fixed to one chemistry. For a clean chemical industry to replace the fossil-fuel one, the chemistry that captures CO₂ and the biology that turns it into useful products will eventually need to share the same device. Two-step processes with manual transfer between reactors are too expensive and inefficient to scale. This work is an early demonstration that the chemistry and the biology can be made compatible inside one beaker, which is the foundation for any future integrated solar refinery for chemicals, materials, and microbial protein. Inside the reactor, sunlight powers two reactions, and a third reaction follows in the same liquid. Sunlight splits water on one electrode, releasing oxygen for the bacteria to breathe. It powers an enzyme on a second electrode that captures CO₂ from the liquid and turns it into formate, a small molecule that carries the captured solar energy in a form the bacteria can use as fuel. The bacteria then take up the formate, burn it for energy using the oxygen the device just made, and use that energy to build themselves out of more CO₂ dissolved in the same liquid. Sunlight goes in. Living bacteria come out. The value of the work is showing that the full chain, from photons to E. coli biomass in one liquid, is possible at all. This opens the way to swapping in engineered strains that produce target chemicals beyond biomass. Dr Lin Su, a lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, said: "Previously the problem with trying to make living biomass like bacteria in a solar powered chemical reactor, is that the chemistry typically releases toxic metal ions that poison the bacteria. We have shown that a solar-powered chemical reactor and engineered bacteria can share a single beaker, using sunlight, water and CO₂ to grow living biomass safely. "Once that integration works, a synthetic biologist can plug a different engineered E. coli strain into the same hardware to produce a different molecule. "While it is at an early stage, with the yields still small and the reactor running for hours rather than weeks, it is very promising." Dr Celine Wing See Yeung, from the University of Cambridge, said: "The project came together like a jigsaw puzzle shaped by years of research—from enabling organic photovoltaics to function at high temperatures to advancing enzyme purification and integrating it with synthetic biology. Together, we show how materials chemistry and synthetic biology can join forces to develop solar powered chemical refineries of the future." Professor Ron Milo, from the Weizmann Institute of Science, said: "The successful integration of these two systems is going to be key to sustainable production technologies. Advancements in growing bacteria using CO2 open the way for supplying our food in a way that uses much less land and water and can scale to meaningfully dampen the climate and ecological challenges humanity faces" Professor Erwin Reisner, from the University of Cambridge, said: "Our study demonstrates that synthetic light absorbers can be integrated with non-photosynthetic microbes to power the core reaction of natural photosynthesis. This achievement was made possible through a cross-disciplinary approach by careful selection and combination of semiconductors with isolated enzymes and engineered microbes in a solar-powered device. This approach opens up exciting new opportunities to produce high-value chemicals through semi-biological systems for sustainable manufacturing by taking advantage of the frontiers in synthetic biology." Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.6c03677

New insights into the control of cell-to-cell variation within bacterial communities

Sat, 16 May 2026 23:00:00 +0100

By analysing gene expression at the single-cell level, researchers at the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of West London and Tampere University, have uncovered how premature termination of transcription shapes differences between individual members of bacterial communities. Because gene expression is stochastic and naturally occurs in short, irregular bursts, bacterial communities display significant cell-to-cell variation. Published in Science Advances, the study demonstrates that regulation of stochastic gene expression does not stop at transcription initiation, premature termination of transcription of metabolic genes also plays an active role in shaping transcriptional bursts and controlling variability. Different regulatory architectures modulate either the size or frequency of these bursts. The soil bacterium Bacillus subtilis uses premature termination of transcription to maintain controlled cellular heterogeneity that could support resilience in spatially uneven environments such as soil, whereas the gut bacterium Escherichia coli combines control of transcription initiation with premature termination to enable rapid, switch-like responses to external metabolic cues that could facilitate adaptation to fluctuating conditions such as host feeding cycles. The study further reveals that bacteria do not act in isolation; through metabolite exchange, cells can influence each other's gene expression, driving changes in cell-to-cell variation via intercellular regulation of transcription, enabling coordinated, community-level behaviour. Reference: Moradian S, Ali N, Jagadeesan R, Behrends V, Sanches Ribeiro A, Engl C. (2026) Premature transcription termination modulates stochastic gene expression in bacteria. Sci Adv 12(20):eaed0831. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aed0831

Covalent probes help identify a key vulnerability in cellular senescence

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Researchers from the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology contributed to a study of cellular senescence published in the journal Nature Cell Biology. Cellular senescence is a stress-response state in which cells permanently stop dividing but remain metabolically active, contributing to tissue repair and tumor suppression, while the accumulation of persistent senescent cells can drive ageing and diseases including cancer. The study comprised a phenotypic screen of a covalent library of ~10,000 compounds to identify senolytics with novel mechanisms of action. Using target deconvolution approaches, including chemical proteomics with alkyne-tagged probes, the researchers identified glutathione peroxidase GPX4 as a key vulnerability of senescent cells. Senescent cells are primed for ferroptosis but rely on GPX4 to suppress toxic lipid peroxidation. Hence, GPX4 inhibition selectively eliminated senescent cells in cellular and in vivo cancer models, highlighting GPX4 inhibition as a promising strategy for targeting cellular senescence. Reference: D'Ambrosio, M., White, M.E.H., Gavriil, E.S. et al. Electrophilic compound screening identifies GPX4-dependent ferroptosis as a senescence vulnerability. Nat Cell Biol 28, 915–929 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41556-026-01921-z

New Minireview on the impact of cyanobacterium Synechocystis research

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +0100

Researchers from the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology have co-authored a Minireview exploring the impact of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, the most widely studied laboratory cyanobacterium. The article appears in a Special Series on the History of Microbial Model Systems published in the Journal of Bacteriology. Working in collaboration with colleagues from the Universities of Freiburg, Rostock, and Tübingen, the team traces how Synechocystis PCC 6803 became established as a central model organism in photosynthesis research. The review highlights the organism's methodological advantages and outlines the significant contributions that studies of Synechocystis have made to our understanding of photosynthetic processes and the biology of phototrophic microorganisms. The Minireview provides valuable insight into how this model system continues to shape discoveries in microbial physiology and bioenergetics. Reference: Doello S, Hammerl J, Forchhammer K, Hagemann M, Hess WR, Mullineaux CW, Wilde A. 2026. From pond to platform: how Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 became the default model cyanobacterium. J Bacteriol 208:e00535-25. https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.00535-25.

New study of microtubule end stabilisation by human kinetochores

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0100

During cell division, each of the two daughter cells must receive exactly one copy of the mother cell's genome. To achieve this precision, chromosomes need to be firmly attached to microtubules, dynamic filaments that form the mitotic spindle. To understand how this firm attachments are held together, researchers at the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology reconstituted them using purified components in vitro. Their study, published in the EMBO Journal, uses methods of structural biology to resolve how teams of molecules assemble at the ends of microtubules and hold them together, preventing microtubules from falling apart. The key to forming this stable attachment is cooperation between molecules, such as the Ndc80 and Ska protein complexes: several copies of each complex join together in a self-assembling oligomer that holds the end of a microtubule together. These results reveal a molecular mechanism that allows healthy human cells to divide without errors. Reference: Radhakrishnan, R.M., Stokes, L., Day, M. et al. Microtubule end stabilisation by cooperative oligomers of Ska and Ndc80 complexes. EMBO J 45, 2905–2937 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44318-026-00749-5

UK Annual Bioenergetics Conference

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Location: Arts 2 Lecture Hall and Foyer Join us for the UK Christmas Bioenergetics Meeting on 15th December! Plenary Lecture: Redox Regulation of Photosynthetic Electron Transport by Anja Krieger (CEA, Sacley, France). Have a look at the preliminary programme to find out more. As usual, there is no registration fee. The event is sponsored by the Centre for Biodiversity and Sustainability and the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology at QMUL, as well as the Biochemical Society and PSI. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. To make sure that we order enough food and drink, we'd be grateful if you could fill in registration as soon as possible. Student members of the Biochemical society are welcome to apply for travel support . See you soon!

New Study Reveals Hidden Diversity in How Bacteria Respond to Antibiotics

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Researchers at the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology and Experimental and Applied Physics together with colleagues at the University of Edinburgh and Imperial College London have uncovered a new mechanism that helps bacteria survive antibiotic treatment. Published in Nature Communications, their research shows that RNA repair in E. coli not only enables survival of ribosome-targeting antibiotics but also creates differences in resistance between individual cells within a population. This discovery highlights the complexity of bacterial survival strategies and opens new avenues for tackling antibiotic resistance. Hindley, H.J., Gong, Z., Moradian, S. et al. Heterogeneity in responses to ribosome-targeting antibiotics mediated by bacterial RNA repair. Nat Commun 16, 9620 (2025). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64759-3.

The London Consortium for Cryo-EM (LonCEM) annual symposium

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 23:00:00 +0100

The London Consortium for Cryo-EM (LonCEM) annual symposium When: Wednesday 10th September 2025, from 12:00 - 18:45. Where: Graduate Centre, Mile End campus, QMUL. The programme will feature talks from industry showcasing the use of this technology, a keynote lecture, and presentations from consortium partner institutions, including QMUL. The day will conclude with a panel discussion on "Exploring the Future of Cryo-EM" with leading experts and industry representatives, followed by a networking session with a drinks reception. Registration is free and can be completed using the link below. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/4th-london-consortium-for-cryo-em-loncem-symposium-tickets-1401633857599?aff=oddtdtcreator We look forward to seeing you at the event.

The Inaugural Symposium of the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 23:00:00 +0100

This week the Centre for Molecular Cell Biology (CMCB), based in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences - Queen Mary, Queen Mary University of London held our Inaugural Symposium. We welcomed many guests from within and outside QMUL with a shared interest in understanding the rules of life using cell biology and structural biology across domains of life. Many thanks to our amazing keynote speakers: Prof. Xiaodong Zhang, FRS who took us on a fascinating structural journey into ATPase driven bacterial transcription initiation & Prof. Mark Leake who provided valuable insights into the biophysics of mesoscale bio-liquid droplets in bacteria. Our panelists - Dr Elena de Vita, Dr Caroline Roney, Dr Rosalind Hannen and Prof Angray Kang, engaged us with an exciting panel discussion on Engineering Biology for Cellular Adaptation in a Changing World chaired by Dr Peter Thorpe. We also enjoyed research talks from our Centre members representing various stages of career: Dr Vladimir Volkov, Ms Anum Kursheed, Dr Danylo Gorenkin, Dr Christoph Engl, Dr Moontaha Mahbub, Mr James Rayner, Dr Ivan Kadurin, Dr Natalia Bulgakova and Dr Charalampos Rallis. Our session chairs Dr Francesca Chandler, Dr Lin Su and Dr Vito Manella did a fantastic job keeping the sessions on time. Our heartfelt thanks to all our colleagues who attended and helped make this a dynamic, vibrant day. There were fantastic contributions from academics, postdocs, PhD students and our technical staff during poster sessions and discussions. Congratulations to our Poster prize winners: Dr Alessandro Agnarelli and Ms Charles Clarke. Especially grateful to our Head of School, Prof. Caroline Brennan and our Director of Research, Prof. Isabelle Mareschal for their continuous support and backing. Finally, special thanks to Dr Aravindan Ilangovan who organised this event with support from Dr John Viles, Dr Christoph Engl, Prof Conrad Mullineaux, Dr Mark Van Breugel and Dr Vidya Darbari.