Mathew and Noelia were recently invited to attend the Japan-UK neuroscience meeting being held in Osaka, Japan. The meeting, jointly funded by AMED and MRC, sought to strengthen connections between researchers in the UK and Japan. The meeting was a fantastic opportunity to share their research, and also learn about other work being conducted by neuroscientists in the two countries. Delegates were also treated to trip to a local castle, and were serenaded by talented singers in an impromptu Karaoke bar visit!

Many congratulations to Zuzanna, who has passed her PhD viva. Also, huge thanks to Professors Anita Jones and Salvador Ventura for examining Zuzanna. 

Congratulations to Katie, Candace and Takeshi, who have published a new paper in eLife.  Building on a hypothesis first proposed by Francis Crick in 1984, the research addresses how the brain retains memories despite the continuous turnover of proteins. Crick theorised that specialised proteins could bind in pairs, allowing one to be replaced while the other stabilises the connection, preserving memories over time. The research team led by Professor Seth Grant and Professor Mathew Horrocks tested this hypothesis, focusing on a protein essential for learning and memory called PSD95. Using advanced forms of microscopy and genetic techniques that enables visualisation of protein pairs isolated from the mouse brain, they confirmed Crick's theory.  They also discovered that the protein exchange occurs slowest in those areas of the brain responsible for long-term memory. Professor Horrocks commented, "It was exciting to directly visualise synaptic building blocks at nanometre resolu...

Huge congratulations to Beccy Saleeb, who has been shortlisted for a prize from Women in Neuroscience UK. The prize is to award rising stars in neuroscience, and Beccy will be attending the prize ceremony at the University of Cambridge in November. 

Part of our group visited Swansea for the British Biophysics Society Biennial Meeting 2024. Awesome science combined with a beautiful venue! We all really enjoyed hearing about all the advances in biophysics research being made in the UK (and abroad!). Looking forward to the 2026 meeting, and the poster flash talks as a new addition to the programme. Thanks to the Society for organising.

Wishing the best of luck to our research assistant, Agustina, who is leaving us to start a PhD with the Institute of Cancer Research in London. We're confident that you'll be an amazing PhD student, and will be sad to see you leave us! 

We're happy to welcome Yuanyuan to the ESMB. She'll be working with us and Professor Robert Henderson, using state-of-the-are SPAD arrays for single-molecule detection.