Viruses are tiny segments of nucleic acids with a lipoprotein coating that are usually only a few nanometers wide but have the ability to cause a massive havoc within a short period, to both plants and animals. In fact, viruses are so pathogenic that they even infect other microorganisms such as bacteria as in the case of bacteriophages! Continue reading Viruses Gone Viral
In December, the Biochemical Society awarded me a travel grant to attend the 2019 ASCB EMBO meeting. I am a final year PhD student in a small lab, so being able to travel to an international conference without depleting my research budget was an opportunity for which I am very grateful. Continue reading Attending the 2019 ASCB EMBO meeting
The extracellular matrix (ECM) has fascinated me ever since I was a student, newly introduced to the concept that interactions between cells build and sustain multi-cellular tissues. Unlike the cells of plants or fungi, animal cells have no cell wall: molecules secreted by animal cells into the extracellular space can bind directly to plasma membrane receptors to influence gene expression and cell behaviour. Continue reading Guest editing an issue of ‘Essays in Biochemistry’ on the Extracellular Matrix
One of the driving forces behind us organising NEB2019, was a lack of alternative meetings focused on our research topic. Whilst it can be interesting to broaden your horizons at conferences, sometimes you just long to settle into a set of talks that are directly relevant to your own research. Continue reading Lessons from the Young Life Scientists’ symposium
