̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge - molecular biology

̽��ֱ��lab making food healthier and medicine cheaper

lkm37 — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 10:05:48 +0000

Dr Nicola Patron is cultivating a new kind of biotechnology, where we can read nature’s blueprints and direct its energy to more potent ends.

Plant ‘thermometer’ triggers springtime budding by measuring night-time heat

fpjl2 — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 18:01:35 +0000

An international team of scientists led by the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has discovered the ‘thermometer’ molecule that enables plants to develop according to seasonal temperature changes.

Researchers have revealed that molecules called phytochromes – used by plants to detect light during the day – actually change their function in darkness to become cellular temperature gauges that measure the heat of the night.

̽��ֱ��new findings, published today in the journal Science, show that phytochromes control genetic switches in response to temperature as well as light to dictate plant development.

At night, these molecules change states, and the pace at which they change is “directly proportional to temperature” say scientists, who compare phytochromes to mercury in a thermometer. ̽��ֱ��warmer it is, the faster the molecular change – stimulating plant growth.

Farmers and gardeners have known for hundreds of years how responsive plants are to temperature: warm winters cause many trees and flowers to bud early, something humans have long used to predict weather and harvest times for the coming year.

̽��ֱ��latest research pinpoints for the first time a molecular mechanism in plants that reacts to temperature – often triggering the buds of spring we long to see at the end of winter.

With weather and temperatures set to become ever more unpredictable due to climate change, researchers say the discovery that this light-sensing molecule moonlights as the internal thermometer in plant cells could help us breed tougher crops.

“It is estimated that agricultural yields will need to double by 2050, but climate change is a major threat to such targets. Key crops such as wheat and rice are sensitive to high temperatures. Thermal stress reduces crop yields by around 10% for every one degree increase in temperature,” says lead researcher Dr Philip Wigge from Cambridge’s Sainsbury Laboratory.

“Discovering the molecules that allow plants to sense temperature has the potential to accelerate the breeding of crops resilient to thermal stress and climate change.”

In their active state, phytochrome molecules bind themselves to DNA to restrict plant growth. During the day, sunlight activates the molecules, slowing down growth.

If a plant finds itself in shade, phytochromes are quickly inactivated – enabling it to grow faster to find sunlight again. This is how plants compete to escape each other’s shade. “Light driven changes to phytochrome activity occur very fast, in less than a second,” says Wigge.

At night, however, it’s a different story. Instead of a rapid deactivation following sundown, the molecules gradually change from their active to inactive state. This is called “dark reversion”.

“Just as mercury rises in a thermometer, the rate at which phytochromes revert to their inactive state during the night is a direct measure of temperature,” says Wigge.

“ ̽��ֱ��lower the temperature, the slower phytochromes revert to inactivity, so the molecules spend more time in their active, growth-suppressing state. This is why plants are slower to grow in winter.

“Warm temperatures accelerate dark reversion, so that phytochromes rapidly reach an inactive state and detach themselves from DNA – allowing genes to be expressed and plant growth to resume.”

Wigge believes phytochrome thermo-sensing evolved at a later stage, and co-opted the biological network already used for light-based growth during the downtime of night.

Some plants mainly use day-length as an indicator of the season. Other species, such as daffodils, have considerable temperature sensitivity, and can flower months in advance during a warm winter.

In fact, the discovery of the dual role of phytochromes provides the science behind a well-known rhyme long used to predict the coming season: Oak before Ash we'll have a splash, Ash before Oak we’re in for a soak.

Wigge explains: “Oak trees rely much more on temperature, likely using phytochromes as thermometers to dictate development, whereas Ash trees rely on measuring day length to determine their seasonal timing.

“A warmer spring, and consequently a higher likeliness of a hot summer, will result in Oak leafing before Ash. A cold spring will see the opposite. As the British know only too well, a colder summer is likely to be a rain-soaked one.”

̽��ֱ��new findings are the culmination of twelve years of research involving scientists from Germany, Argentina and the US, as well as the Cambridge team. ̽��ֱ��work was done in a model system, a mustard plant called Arabidopsis, but Wigge says the phytochrome genes necessary for temperature sensing are found in crop plants as well.

“Recent advances in plant genetics now mean that scientists are able to rapidly identify the genes controlling these processes in crop plants, and even alter their activity using precise molecular ‘scalpels’,” adds Wigge.

“Cambridge is uniquely well-positioned to do this kind of research as we have outstanding collaborators nearby who work on more applied aspects of plant biology, and can help us transfer this new knowledge into the field.”

A photoreceptor molecule in plant cells has been found to moonlight as a thermometer after dark – allowing plants to read seasonal temperature changes. Scientists say the discovery could help breed crops that are more resilient to the temperatures expected to result from climate change.

Discovering the molecules that allow plants to sense temperature has the potential to accelerate the breeding of crops resilient to thermal stress and climate change

Philip Wigge

Plant ‘thermometer’ triggers springtime budding by measuring night-time heat

Mark K.

Daffodil

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Dr Frederick Sanger (1918-2013)

sj387 — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 16:37:18 +0000

A pioneer of DNA sequencing, Dr Sanger started his scientific career by reading Natural Sciences as an undergraduate at St John’s College, Cambridge. He subsequently undertook a PhD, completed in 1943 with a thesis entitled " ̽��ֱ��metabolism of the amino acid lysine in the animal body". After receiving his doctorate, he continued to work at the ̽��ֱ��, aiming to determine the entire sequence of amino acids in a protein chain.

Dr Sanger is one of only four double Nobel laureates, and the only person ever to have won both prizes in chemistry. In 1958, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his research on protein structure and, in particular, the discovery of the structure of insulin. In 1962 he left the ̽��ֱ�� and moved to the new UK Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) as Head of the Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry Division.

Whilst at the LMB, Sanger worked with colleagues in developing methods to sequence the nucleic acids DNA and RNA. His group produced the first complete sequence of a virus genome, of just over 5000 base-pairs; they went on to sequence the first human genome of about 16,000 base-pairs, and in 1982 they sequenced the genome of a virus of around 48,000 base-pairs. This work foreshadowed modern research into the human genome, including that done by the Sanger Institute.

It was this work on DNA that earned Sanger his second Nobel Prize in 1980, received jointly with Paul Berg (Stanford ̽��ֱ��) and Walter Gilbert (Harvard ̽��ֱ��), “for their contributions concerning the determination of base sequences in nucleic acids”. His development of the “dideoxy” or “Sanger” technique of sequencing is still used today, and allows 500-800 bases to be read at a time. Three years later, in 1983, Sanger retired.

Venki Ramakrishnan, Deputy Director of the LMB, said: “Fred was one of the outstanding scientists of the last century and it is simply impossible to overestimate the impact he has had on modern genetics and molecular biology. Moreover, by his modest manner and his quiet and determined way of carrying out experiments himself right to the end of his career, he was a superb role model and inspiration for young scientists everywhere.”

Richard Henderson, former LMB Director, remembers, “He was a superb hands-on scientist with outstanding judgement and skill, and an extremely modest yet encouraging way of interacting with his younger colleagues. I particularly remember one young scientist who had asked Fred for advice being told, ‘I think you should try harder’. ̽��ֱ��example he set will continue to motivate young scientists even now he has gone.”

Sir Gregory Winter, Master of Trinity College, is a former Head of Division of Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry at LMB - a position that Sanger also held. He said: " ̽��ֱ��impact of Fred Sanger's work in reading the polymers of life has been felt in almost every area of biology and medicine; it is difficult to imagine a world without his contributions. Not only did his work provide deep insights into the chemical nature of life, but it had huge practical implications - it led directly to the sequencing of the human genome and also helped to lay the foundations of the modern biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries."

Dr Frederick Sanger, recognised by many as the “father of genomics”, died in 2013 at the age of 95. ̽��ֱ��founding member of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, and the person after whom the Sanger Institute is named, he was known as an extremely modest and self-effacing man whose innumerable scientific contributions had an extraordinary impact on molecular biology.

Fred was one of the outstanding scientists of the last century and it is simply impossible to overestimate the impact he has had on modern genetics and molecular biology

Venki Ramakrishnan

Nick

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Her Majesty the Queen opens the new MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology

th288 — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:16:17 +0000

̽��ֱ��Queen and His Royal Highness ̽��ֱ��Duke of Edinburgh arrived on the nearby guided bus to be greeted by local primary school children before touring the LMB’s new state-of-the-art building and learning about its cutting edge work on Alzheimer’s, viruses, asthma and other key areas of medical research.

A birthplace of modern molecular biology, the LMB is a world-class, multidisciplinary laboratory exploring some of the most complex problems in basic biological science. ̽��ֱ��new LMB building is the flagship for the extended Cambridge Biomedical Campus and the official opening is a highlight of the Medical Research Council’s Centenary celebrations, taking place throughout 2013.

Costing £212 million, the new building provides world-class research facilities and additional space for around 600 scientists, PhD students and support staff. ̽��ֱ��Large Facilities Capital Fund, administered by the predecessor to the current Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, contributed £67 million towards the project and the remainder is funded by the Medical Research Council, and includes income generated from the commercialisation of discoveries made at LMB. ̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has also contributed £7.5 million to enable them to house ̽��ֱ�� groups alongside LMB teams.

Sir Hugh Pelham, Director of the LMB, said: “It is a huge privilege to be the director of this great institute, founded by the Medical Research Council over 50 years ago as the new discipline of molecular biology was first emerging. LMB scientists have enjoyed great success and today continue to provide the knowledge needed to solve fundamental problems in human health. At the same time they are encouraged to exploit their discoveries – through patents, licensing and business start-ups – helping to advance medical research and improve the UK’s economic competitiveness.

“This magnificent new building was completed to budget and only a few weeks behind schedule. It was occupied and fully operational within a little over a month. This event is a tribute to all those who have worked so hard to make this vision become reality.”

Chief Executive of the MRC, Professor Sir John Savill, said: “Anyone who has seen the LMB’s new home will have been struck by the beautiful proportions of this ‘cathedral of science’. This is a superb building for superb scientists engaged in fundamental research that is changing lives.”

David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, said: “ ̽��ֱ��LMB has been responsible for some of the most significant breakthroughs in modern medicine. This leading edge building will ensure this legacy continues well into the future. It will support world-class scientists, drive growth and keep the UK at the forefront of research and innovation.”

Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor of the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge, said: “ ̽��ֱ��LMB and the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge are world-leading institutions: this fabulous new home for the LMB, which includes space to house medical researchers from the ̽��ֱ��, will strengthen this exceptional collaboration even further. As Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge and previously CEO of the MRC, it is wonderful for me to see an exceptional building which symbolises that strong relationship, and provides the scientists with a home of a scale and ambition which matches the vital research that they perform.”

̽��ֱ��Queen’s visit mirrored a visit to Cambridge 51 years ago, on Monday 28 May 1962, when she officially opened the LMB’s previous building and Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Following her visit to the LMB on 23 May the Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, will open the new Rosie Hospital on the Addenbrooke’s site.

̽��ֱ��LMB’s history dates back to 1947, when the Medical Research Council set up a 'Unit for Research on the Molecular Structure of Biological Systems'. Since then the Laboratory has become known as ‘ ̽��ֱ��Nobel Prize factory’: with nine Nobel Prizes shared amongst 13 LMB scientists.

Discoveries made at the LMB have formed the basis of many biotechnology companies, including Domantis, Cambridge Antibody Technology, Ribotargets, Protein Design Labs, Celltech, and Biogen.

̽��ֱ��LMB’s greatest success is the development of humanised monoclonal and synthetic antibodies. This breakthrough led to the development of important drugs, such as Herceptin® and Humira. Monoclonal antibodies account for a third of all new therapeutic treatments: for breast cancer, leukaemia, asthma, arthritis, and psoriasis. ̽��ֱ��LMB is a great success story for the UK – with income from royalties and share sales arising from LMB patents amounting to £330 million over 2005-10.

As part of MRC Open Week, the LMB will be opening its new building to the public on Saturday 22 June. Open to all ages, the LMB Open Day will give visitors an opportunity to view the new building, gain an insight into the Laboratory's work and take part in a range of family-friendly hands-on activities.

̽��ֱ��new building for the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge was officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen today.

This is a superb building for superb scientists engaged in fundamental research that is changing lives.

Professor Sir John Savill

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