I have always regarded centrosomes as the organelles responsible for organising microtubules, with the primary function of nucleating microtubules during mitosis. However, after attending a seminar by Alice Meunier from L’Institut de Biologie de l’ENS Paris, I can certainly say that the world of centrosomes is a lot more complex. In addition to its well-known […]

In a departure from the norm, Dr. Steve Brusatte from the Edinburgh University School of Geosciences came to the IGMM to tell the tale of the dinosaurs. Steve guided us through their tumultuous evolution, from their rough start in the early Triassic culminating with total world domination in the Cretaceous period. He spoke with the […]

It is no secret that DNA organisation in the nucleus is not random. Chromatin architecture is a highly dynamic structure and as it’s been long known in biology, changes in structure relate to changes in function. Indeed, various DNA binding proteins can affect chromatin folding and alter gene expression[1]. Hence, identifying protein-DNA interactions is important […]

Homeostasis, the process through which a tissue maintains its’ optimal functional conditions, is a tightly regulated process. This regulation is achieved through the careful control of cell turnover within the tissue, removing damaged cells through the induction of apoptosis and encouraging cell proliferation to generate new cells to replenish the tissue. Stem cells therefore play […]

The IGMM lecture theatre was packed with people on the 12th November, eager to listen to Steve Jackson’s seminar, which was entitled ‘Cellular responses to DNA damage: mechanistic insights and clinical applications’. I did my undergraduate project in Steve’s lab two years ago, so I was interested to see what they’ve been up to since […]

On the 6th of November 2019, the IGMM welcomed Professor Marc Bühler from the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research to present his work on the ChAHP complex. Research in the Bühler lab focuses on investigating various mechanisms that affect eukaryotic genome organization, chromatin structure, and gene expression, and how these mechanisms have evolved over […]

By Lisa Backwell | Thursday 24 October 2019 In this week’s IGMM external seminar series, Professor Victoria Sanz-Moreno from Queen Mary University of London treated us to a quick-fire snapshot of her labs extensive work on an aggressive form of skin cancer called melanoma, which has led to the recent discovery that a pathway called […]

On Thursday the 26th of September Dr. Elaine Emmerson from the Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine gave an excellent talk on the manipulation of the parasympathetic nerves of the salivary gland and how this could be used in a therapeutic setting. The dysfunction of the salivary glands causes a range of symptoms, including difficulty swallowing […]

As a PhD student from the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine in Edinburgh, I had the great opportunity to attend the talk “The epigenetic transcriptional repressor complex – defending the genome from retroelement attack” given by Prof. Paul J Lehner, a Wellcome Trust Principal Fellow from the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research. Prof. Lehner […]