10 Jul 2020
Giles Oldroyd elected as member of EMBO
Professor Giles Oldroyd is among 63 other scientists from around the world elected this year as Members and Associate Members of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO).EMBO Membership honours distinguished scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the life sciences, including 88 Nobel Laureates. It is an international organi…
9 Jul 2020
Cells in tight spaces – how the cytoskeleton responds to different cell geometries
Inside every living cell, there is a network of protein filaments providing an interior scaffold controlling the cell’s shape called the cytoskeleton. Research from the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) suggests that this relationship might actually be two-way, with cell geometry itself having the capacity to influence the organisati…
13 May 2020
Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser appointed as new CEO of UKRI
Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser DBE FRS, Director of the Sainsbury Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the national funding agency investing in science and research in the UK. Professor Leyser has a long-term interest in inclusiveness and engagement in sc…
29 Apr 2020
Giles Oldroyd elected as a fellow of the Royal Society
Professor Giles Oldroyd has been recognised for his outstanding contributions to science in plant-microbe interactions with his election as a fellow of the Royal Society. Announced today by President of the Royal Society, Dr Venki Ramakrishnan, 51 new Fellows, 10 Foreign Members and one Honorary Fellow have been selected for their outstanding contr…
16 Mar 2020
2020 Waddington Medal
SLCU Director Professor Ottoline Leyser has been awarded the 2020 Waddington Medal by the British Society for Developmental Biology (BSDB).The Waddington Medal is the only national award in Developmental Biology. It honours outstanding research performance as well as services to the subject community. The medal is awarded annually at the BSDB Sprin…
27 Feb 2020
Discovery of expanding pectin nanofilaments that manipulate plant cell shapes
Scientists have discovered new filamentous structures within plant cell walls that influence cell growth and help build complex three-dimensional cell shapes. Combining two types of high-performance microscopes, the researchers identified pectin nanofilaments aligned in columns along the edge of the cell walls of plants. The filaments, which are 1,…
19 Feb 2020
Random gene pulsing generates patterns during development of living systems
A team of Cambridge scientists working at the intersection between biology and computation has found that random gene activity helps patterns form during development of a model multicellular system.We all start life as a single cell, which multiplies to produce specialised cells that carry out different functions. This complex process relies on pre…
5 Dec 2019
People of Science
Professor Ottoline Leyser talks to Professor Brian Cox about her admiration for Nobel Prize winning geneticist, Barbara McClintock and explains the two great principles she uncovered. In series 2 of the Royal Society'sPeople of Science, Professor Brian Cox discovers the scientific inspirations behind six Royal Society Fellows, including SLCU's Dir…
15 Nov 2019
Hinchingbrooke School solves botanical crime scene
We were delighted to welcome Sixth Form students from Hinchingbrooke School to SLCU this week to meet our scientists and solve a botanic-inspired crime. SLCU hosted 25 A Level Biology students from Hinchingbrooke School for a tour of our building, cafe table chat with our scientists about what they do and Science Escape Room.Reactions to the visit …
6 Nov 2019
Mix of LCOs and COs essential for mycorrhizal establishment
An international collaboration of scientists working to optimise arbuscular mycorrhizal associations to improve sustainability in agriculture has demonstrated new insights into how signalling pathways promote symbiotic microbial associations with plants. The team from the University of Cambridge, Aarhus University, Université de Grenoble Alpes and …
22 Oct 2019
Revealing the nanostructure of wood could help raise height limits for wooden skyscrapers
Cambridge researchers have captured the visible nanostructure of wood in its live hydrated state for the first time using an advanced low-temperature scanning electron microscope. Architects and engineers are increasingly considering wood as a lighter and more sustainable construction alternative to steel and concrete. While wood has been used in b…
15 Oct 2019
Network and genetic analyses reveal 32 cambium transcription factors
A comprehensive analysis of the transcription factors (TF) that play in the vascular cambium has boosted our understanding of the underlying transcriptional regulation in this important plant meristem through the discovery of 32 cambium TFs.The work provides a significant new resource of genetic tools and data to advance further research in radial …
15 Oct 2019
Plant scientists gather in Cambridge to advance collaborations in global food security research
Plant scientists gather in Cambridge to advance collaborations in global food security research.They included scientists from the University of Cambridge’s Sainsbury Laboratory (SLCU) and Department of Plant Sciences, Lancaster University, The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) in Norwich and the John Innes Centre. With funding from Gatsby Charitable Found…
14 Oct 2019
Big Biology Day 2019
Seeds, Bees and Pollen was the theme at this year's hands-on exhibition run jointly by the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) and Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG) at Big Biology Day. People from all ages explored the many special mechanisms that plants have evolved to attract different pollinators and disperse their seeds th…
19 Sep 2019
Overlap in lateral root and nodule development brings self-fertilising cereals one step closer
A vision of creating crops that do not need chemical fertilisers is one step closer thanks to the recent discovery that a substantial overlap exists in the developmental programmes plants use for lateral roots and nitrogen-fixing nodules. The ultimate goal of the scientists is to transfer nitrogen fixation into cereals. This aim will benefit those …
