11 April 2022
Microtubules are hollow rods that form an important part of the cell cytoskeleton. They are built from polymers of tubulin, a protein that can be modified by the removal (or later re-addition) of an amino acid called tyrosine. Tyrosine modification can affect how the microtubules interact with kinesins, which walk along the microtubules and carry cargo from one part of the cell to another. Proper kinesin function is particularly important in neurons, since these cells can reach remarkable lengths and so transporting cargo from one end to another is a significant undertaking.
2 March 2022
Dr Mereena Ushakumary is a postdoctoral researcher studying late lung development in Dr Anne-Karina Perl’s laboratory at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. With in-person conferences returning after the disruption of the pandemic, she took the opportunity to attend her first Gordon Research Conference.
14 February 2022
Oil production in the Arctic is on the rise, which in turn makes oil pollution an ever-increasing threat. Crude oil spills can have devastating repercussions for marine organisms, including cardiotoxicity. It is thought that polyaromatic hydrocarbons such as phenanthrene are responsible for causing this damage to the heart. However, previous research into their effects have rarely considered the whole organism and have largely been concerned with embryonic fishes.
27 January 2022
For Dr Anne-Karina Perl, an associate professor at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, November 2021 was truly uplifting. Almost two years into the coronavirus pandemic, she was finally heading to an in-person meeting in the form of the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Lung Development, Injury and Repair. Even more significantly, this was a conference that she herself had coordinated, steering the meeting through the uncertainties of the pandemic with the help of Dr Daniel Tschumperlin, Dr Rory Morty, and Dr Xin Sun.
Successful applicants for one of our Meeting Grants are asked to submit a short report about the event after it has taken place. We always enjoy reading the reports as we can find out about all the incredible science taking place thanks to our financial support. …
8 April 2022
Ageing is associated with the accumulation of epigenetic changes to a cell’s DNA. Attempts to slow or even reverse ageing understandably attract a lot of attention, and one novel strategy of particular interest is attempting to ‘rejuvenate’ existing cells. With the help of a Travelling Fellowship, PhD student Priscila Chiavellini was able to visit Stanford University to investigate this approach.
22 February 2022
It has been suggested that there is a link between pain and relapse into alcohol use disorder, two important areas of concern in the medical field. The mechanisms underlying this connection are not well understood, but the dynorphinergic system likely plays a key role. A DMM Travelling Fellowship recently supported a collaborative effort to investigate this in more detail.
2 February 2022
Every time we eat, from hurried snacks to three-course meals, our oesophagus gets to work and delivers the food from our mouths to our stomachs. We usually take this process for granted, but have you ever wondered how it happens so smoothly?
22 November 2021
The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is a vast creature, reaching up to five metres long. The shark grows very slowly but can reach this impressive size because it is also incredibly long-lived, with reports of some sharks living for up to 400 years.
26 May 2021
Lab closures, project delays, funding concerns and restricted travel – 2020 as a scientist was a tough one. Thankfully, labs are back open and delayed projects are picking up once again. Travel restrictions are still in place however, meaning that in-person events are still a way off. …
Visit our journal websites
You must be logged in to post a comment.