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MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

One of the world's leading research institutes, our scientists are working to advance understanding of biological processes at the molecular level - providing the knowledge needed to solve key problems in human health.

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Listed below are the vacancies currently being advertised.

In addition we welcome speculative applications from postdocs – see  Postdoc Opportunities  for further information.

Our postgraduate application process and is run on a yearly cycle – see  PhD at LMB for further information. For undergraduate summer placement opportunities see the Student Placement Scheme .

Research Assistant (Bulstrode Lab) (Fixed Term)

University of cambridge - wellcome trust - medical research council cambridge stem cell institute.

Applications are invited for a Research Assistant position in the group of Dr Harry Bulstrode within the Wellcome ¿ MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute (CSCI) based at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The Wellcome - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute is an international centre of excellence for stem cell research and regenerative medicine. Scientists in the Institute collaborate to advance our knowledge of various stem cell types and to perform pioneering work in translational research areas, providing the foundation for new medical treatments ( https://www.stemcells.cam.ac.uk/ ).

The Bulstrode Lab studies neural stem cells and their microenvironment in brain development, regeneration and cancer (Bulstrode et al., Genes & Development 2017). We are seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Research Assistant to join our research group. The successful candidate will be working with state-of-the-art experimental model systems including assay in primary patient brain tissue organotypic slice culture, magnetic antibody-sorted primary patient brain cell fractions, and primary patient-derived cell lines. The project will be focusing on genetic manipulation and gene therapy targeting of the brain myeloid microenvironment. An overarching long term aim is to translate our basic science towards novel treatments for targeted stereotactic brain delivery in patients with malignant brain tumours, Parkinson's and more. You will be responsible for pursuing your personal research objectives, alongside limited day-to-day lab administrative/ organisational duties as below. Experience or understanding of mammalian cell culture, mouse genetic models or computational analysis would be an advantage. It is essential that the successful candidate can work both independently and as part of a research team, having good communication and organisational skills.

Responsibilities/duties

- Undertake basic research projects and plan day-to-day research activity within the framework of the agreed research programme.

- Must be familiar with or have the capacity to become quickly familiar with standard research techniques and methods such as PCR and cell culture.

- Analyse and interpret the results of own research and prepare data for presentations.

- Present information on research progress and outcomes.

- Contribute to the planning of research projects.

- Represent the research group at meetings/seminars, either with other members of the group or alone.

- Maintenance of human tissue storage and record-keeping arrangements in liaison with Dr. Bulstrode.

- Maintenance of safety records.

- Coordinate and maintain ordering for the lab.

- Coordination and oversight of laboratory duty rotas and ordering of supplies.

- Liaise with colleagues and students on routine matters as well as make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding.

- Act as a source of information and advice to other members of the group on specific techniques and may assist in the supervision of student projects.

- Carry out collaborative projects with colleagues in partner institutions, and research groups.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Dr. Harry Bulstrode, [email protected]

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 1 February 2025 in the first instance.

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Cambridge centre for data-driven discovery, warning message, medical research council boards and panel vacancies.

The Medical Research Council (MRC) is part of  UK Research and Innovation , an independent organisation that acts as a steward in the research and innovation system with a strong voice to government and internationally. The MRC supports high-quality research and training across the biomedical spectrum, from fundamental lab-based science to clinical trials, in all major disease areas.

The MRC’s research boards and panels are comprised of leading scientists that play a key role in delivering MRC objectives across the portfolio.  The research boards hold their own research budgets and review and manage scientific activity within their scientific domains, working co-operatively in areas of common interest.

Applications are invited from scientists with the relevant experience and expertise to become members of MRC boards and panels from April 2021. We are seeking to fill up to 26 vacancies across our four research boards and 29 vacancies across our panels.

Application deadline of 4pm, Monday 05 October 2020.

Vacancies, application process and details

The Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery (C2D3) brings together researchers and expertise from across the academic departments and industry to drive research into the analysis, understanding and use of data science and AI. C2D3 is an Interdisciplinary Research Centre at the University of Cambridge.

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Cambridge Institute for Medical Research

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CIMR’s mission is to determine the molecular mechanisms of disease in order to advance human health.

Cimr research advances.

The role of the AP-1 adaptor complex in outgoing and incoming membrane traffic

Adaptor protein (AP) complexes are an ancient family of heterotetramers, which select cargo for packaging into transport vesicles at various locations in the cell. The AP-1 adaptor is arguably the...

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of human pleura reveals stromal heterogeneity and informs in vitro models of mesothelioma

The pleural lining of the thorax regulates local immunity and wound healing. Disruption of these functions induces fibrosis and in the case of exposure to asbestos, chronic irritation can cause...

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Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a herpervirus which persistently infects over 60% of people worldwide. It is an important human pathogen and leading cause of congenital disease, affecting ~1/100...

Loss of WIPI4 in neurodegeneration causes autophagy-independent ferroptosis

The study of rare genetic diseases can be a valuable way of acquiring new biological insights A new paper from joint first authors Ye Zhu and Motoki Fujimaki investigates the mechanisms by which...

p300 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling underlies mTORC1 hyperactivation in Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome

Deregulated mTOR signaling is implicated in many diseases, including neurodegeneration, as well as aging. Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is a rare sporadic autosomal dominant accelerated...

The IRE1β-mediated unfolded protein response is repressed by the chaperone AGR2 in mucin producing cells

Cells are challenged with a variety of stressful situations, one being the accumulation of unfolded proteins, which disrupt normal cellular functions and contribute to diseases like neurodegeneration...

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Obligate intracellular bacteria - those only capable of growth inside other living cells - have limited opportunities for horizontal gene transfer with other microbes due to their isolated...

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Lung conditions are the third biggest killer in the UK, but receive relatively small amounts of research funding. Less than 2% of public medical research funding goes to respiratory disease research...

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We had a great time last week welcoming a group of sixth form students to CIMR and MBU . The students came from schools in and around Cambridgeshire and gave up their half term holiday to spend the...

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New CIMR publications

Robinson lab (Journal of Cell Biology 2024)

Marciniak lab, in collaboration with Prof Rintoul (Royal Papworth Hospital) & Matthew Garnett (Sanger Institute) (European Respiratory Journal 2024)

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of human pleura reveals stromal heterogeneity and informs  in vitro  models of mesothelioma

Weekes lab (Cell Host & Microbe 2024)

Rubinsztein lab (Nature Cell Biology 2024)

Loss of WIPI4 in neurodegeneration causes autophagy-independent ferroptosis  

p300 nucleocytoplasmic shuttling underlies mTORC1 hyperactivation in Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome

Ron lab (The EMBO Journal, 2023) The IRE1β-mediated unfolded protein response is repressed by the chaperone AGR2 in mucin producing cells

Weekes lab (Nature Communications, 2023) Quantitative proteomics defines mechanisms of antiviral defence and cell death during modified vaccinia Ankara infection

Salje lab (mSphere, 2023) Orientia tsutsugamushi: comprehensive analysis of the mobilome of a highly fragmented and repetitive genome reveals the capacity for ongoing lateral gene transfer in an obligate intracellular bacterium | mSphere (asm.org)  

Woods lab (Journal of Medical Genetics, 2023) Evidence of a genetic background predisposing to complex regional pain syndrome type 1

Rayner/ Deane labs (Nature Communications, 2023) The structure of a Plasmodium vivax Tryptophan Rich Antigen domain suggests a lipid binding function for a pan-Plasmodium multi-gene family

Rubinsztein lab (Developmental Cell, 2023) Mammalian autophagosomes form from finger-like phagophores

Warren lab in a collaboration co-led with the Nangalia lab [Wellcome Sanger Institute; Cambridge Stem Cell Institute] and Kent lab [University of York] (Nature Communications, 2023) Convergent somatic evolution commences in utero in a germline ribosomopathy 

Weekes lab (Cell Reports, 2023) Proteomic analysis of circulating immune cells identifies cellular phenotypes associated with COVID-19 severity

Weekes lab in collaboration with Gewurz lab [Harvard Medical School] (Molecular Cell, 2023) An Epstein-Barr virus protein interaction map reveals NLRP3 inflammasome evasion via MAVS UFMylation

Griffiths lab (Science, 2023) Ectocytosis renders T cell receptor signaling self-limiting at the immune synapse

Rubinsztein lab (Neuron, 2023) Microglial-to-neuronal CCR5 signaling regulates autophagy in neurodegeneration

Deane lab (PNAS, 2023) Altered plasma membrane abundance of the sulfatide-binding protein NF155 links glycosphingolipid imbalances to demyelination

Warren lab (Nucleic Acid Res., 2023) Cryo-EM reconstruction of the human 40S ribosomal subunit at 2.15 Å resolution

Gershlick lab (J. Cell Biology, 2023) The exocyst complex is an essential component of the mammalian constitutive secretory pathway

Read lab (Acta Crystallographica Section D, 2023) Likelihood-based docking of models into cryo-EM maps

Ron lab in collaboration with Elisa De Franco and Andrew Hattersley [University of Exeter] (EMBO Mol. Med 2023) Infancy-onset diabetes caused by de-regulated AMPyla tion of the human endoplasmic reticulum chaperone BiP

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Postal Address: CIMR, The Keith Peters Building, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 0XY

Information provided by: [email protected]

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Welcome to the MRC Toxicology Unit

The Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit is a leading International Research Institute within the School of Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge. The Unit delivers mechanistic toxicology research, pursuing hypothesis-driven toxicological questions with a particular focus on the study of the causal links between exposure to endogenous and exogenous toxicants, molecular initiating events and adverse outcome pathways. The Unit's overall aims are to carry out pioneering research which leads to improved health and to train and mentor the next generation of toxicologists.

Professor Anne Willis is Director of the MRC Toxicology Unit.  Anne was appointed as a member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation in 2015, and in 2017 awarded an OBE for services to biomedical sciences and supporting the careers of women scientists.

anne_willis.jpg

     Professor Anne Willis OBE

Unit photo 2023

Toxicology Unit returns to Cambridge Festival

27 March 2024

Researchers from the MRC Toxicology Unit were involved in the Cambridge Festival 2024 last weekend to engage families with our research. The Cambridge Festival is an annual event coordinated by the University of Cambridge’s Public Engagement team. It is a multi-disciplinary festival with a mixture of online, on-demand and...

Gut microbiome remains stable after COVID-19 vaccination

5 March 2024

Our gut microbiome is home to a diverse mix of microorganisms that are delicately balanced to preserve many aspects of our health including digestion, immunity and even our mental wellbeing. There are known factors that can impact our microscopic companions such as diet, lifestyle, antibiotic use and environmental...

Unit celebrates achievements all round at Annual Science Day

7 December 2023

Earlier this week, the Unit came together to share some of the latest research updates from all of our lab groups and facilities, as well as celebrating some of our research adjacent successes from 2023. This year we launched the MRC Toxicology Unit Research Lecture Award. This is to recognise the contribution of a...

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MRC Cancer Unit

The Medical Research Council (MRC) Cancer Unit at the University of Cambridge (MRC CU) undertakes research into understanding how cancers develop, and seeks to translate this knowledge into new approaches for diagnosis and treatment that can be applied in the clinic. Research focuses on discovering the early steps in epithelial carcinogenesis. A better understanding of these steps will foster new methods to improve the care and survival of patients with epithelial malignancies such as pancreatic, oesophageal, lung, breast and skin cancers.

Find out more about the MRC Cancer Unit .

Last updated: 28 November 2023

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Study unpicks why childhood maltreatment continues to impact on mental and physical health into adulthood

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Childhood maltreatment can continue to have an impact long into adulthood because of how it effects an individual’s risk of poor physical health and traumatic experiences many years later, a new study has found.

We’ve known for some time that people who experience abuse or neglect as a child can continue to experience mental health problems long into adulthood Sofia Orellana

Individuals who experienced maltreatment in childhood – such as emotional, physical and sexual abuse, or emotional and physical neglect – are more likely to develop mental illness throughout their entire life, but it is not yet well understood why this risk persists many decades after maltreatment first took place.

In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists from the University of Cambridge and Leiden University found that adult brains continue to be affected by childhood maltreatment in adulthood because these experiences make individuals more likely to experience obesity, inflammation and traumatic events, all of which are risk factors for poor health and wellbeing, which in turn also affect brain structure and therefore brain health.

The researchers examined MRI brain scans from approximately 21,000 adult participants aged 40 to 70 years in UK Biobank, as well as information on body mass index (an indicator of metabolic health), CRP (a blood marker of inflammation) and experiences of childhood maltreatment and adult trauma.

Sofia Orellana, a PhD student at the Department of Psychiatry and Darwin College, University of Cambridge, said: “We’ve known for some time that people who experience abuse or neglect as a child can continue to experience mental health problems long into adulthood and that their experiences can also cause long term problems for the brain, the immune system and the metabolic system, which ultimately controls the health of your heart or your propensity to diabetes for instance. What hasn’t been clear is how all these effects interact or reinforce each other.”

Using a type of statistical modelling that allowed them to determine how these interactions work, the researchers confirmed that experiencing childhood maltreatment made individuals more likely to have an increased body mass index (or obesity) and experience greater rates of trauma in adulthood. Individuals with a history of maltreatment tended to show signs of dysfunction in their immune systems, and the researchers showed that this dysfunction is the product of obesity and repeated exposure to traumatic events.

Next, the researchers expanded their models to include MRI measures of the adult’s brains and were able to show that widespread increases and decreases in brain thickness and volume associated with greater body mass index, inflammation and trauma were attributable to childhood maltreatment having made these factors more likely in the first place. These changes in brain structure likely mean that some form of physical damage is occurring to brain cells, affecting how they work and function.

Although there is more to do to understand how these effects operate at a cellular level in the brain, the researchers believe that their findings advance our understanding of how adverse events in childhood can contribute to life-long increased risk of brain and mind health disorders.

Professor Ed Bullmore from the Department of Psychiatry and an Honorary Fellow at Downing College, Cambridge, said: “Now that we have a better understanding of why childhood maltreatment has long term effects, we can potentially look for biomarkers – biological red flags – that indicate whether an individual is at increased risk of continuing problems. This could help us target early on those who most need help, and hopefully aid them in breaking this chain of ill health.”

The research was supported by MQ: Transforming Mental Health, the Royal Society, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East of England, Girton College and Darwin College.

Reference Orellana, SC et al. Childhood maltreatment influences adult brain structure through its effects on immune, metabolic and psychosocial factors. PNAS; 9 Apr 2024 ; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.230470412

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• Spotlight on neuroscience
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