All life around us, from bacteria and viruses to plants and animals, is made up of molecules and cells. How these units of life work together to make individuals as complex as ourselves is a key question to our understanding of health and disease. The Molecules and Cells Research Theme brings together more than 140 leading scientists to share knowledge and ideas across disciplinary boundaries to advance our understanding of the rules of life.
Current areas of focus include: DNA and chromatin; RNA and proteins; Cellular pathways and signalling; Cellular organisation and dynamics; Cell physiology and behaviour; Chemical biology and protein engineering
Recent Discoveries
Phase separation drives rotavirus replication factories
Rotavirus is the most common virus causing gastroenteritis in children in the UK. Almost every child in the UK has a rotavirus infection before they are 5 years old and some of them need hospital care because of rotavirus infection.
Alexander Borodavka coordinated a multidisciplinary project on the mechanism of formation of viral replication factories - viroplasms. The authors reveal for the first time how two nonstructural proteins form liquid–liquid phase-separated condensates as the structural foundation of viroplasms, showing the importance of exploiting molecular condensates as antiviral therapeutic targets. Read
Switching on a key cancer gene could provide first curative treatment for heart disease
Heart failure affects around 23 million people worldwide each year, and there is currently no cure. The loss of heart cells reduces the strength of the heart and causes scar formation, heart failure and ultimately death.
Catherine Wilson is the lead author of this study, where researchers trying to turn off a gene that allows cancers to spread have made a surprising U-turn. By making the gene overactive and functional in the hearts of mice, they have triggered heart cell regeneration. Read
Wider Impact
Tackling cardiac rhythm abnormalities to extend and improve quality of life
Problems with the rhythm of the heart (arrhythmias) are a major cause of sudden cardiac arrest, causing 4.5 million deaths annually worldwide. Research at the University of Cambridge from 2002 to 2019 aimed at understanding the fundamental biochemistry of electrical errors in the heart has led to the creation of the first subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD). Since 2013, this device has been used to treat nearly 90,000 patients across 42 countries. Read
Revolutionising cancer therapy via the DNA-damage response
Research at the University of Cambridge into DNA repair inhibitors led to a novel cancer therapy, Olaparib, which has been approved for ovarian, breast, pancreatic and prostate cancer treatment. Stephen Jackson is a world-class pioneer in DNA damage repair mechanisms and was one of the first to attempt to translate his basic research in this area to drug discovery, recognising that faulty DNA damage repair pathways in cancers could be exploited therapeutically. Read
Theme Leads
Theme Members
A - F
James Ajioka
Andrew Blagborough
Bill Broadhurst
Jose Casal
Mike Chapman
Nicholas Coleman
Julia Davies
John Doorbar
Anton Enright
Brian Ferguson
Kristian Franze
James Fraser
Gillian Fraser
G - M
Nick Gay
Marco Geymonat
Olivier Giger
Richard Hayward
Yka Helariutta
Liz Hook
Kate Hughes
Tony Jackson
Randall Johnson
Vassilis Koronakis
Peter Lawrence
Joo-Hyeon Lee
Marion MacFarlane
Paula MacGregor
Michael James Mason
Eric Miska
Sara Morais da Silva
N - Z
Francois Nedelec
Uta Paszkowski
Ole Paulsen
Hugh Robinson
George Salmond
Milka Sarris
Dee Scadden
Christof Schwiening
Liza Selley
Geoffrey Smith
Stephen Smith
Elizabeth Soilleux
Nancy Standart
Azim Surani
Trevor Sweeney
