Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology

Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology

@leicstructbio.bsky.social

Great science in structural and chemical biology, single-molecule and super-resolution microscopy

260 followers198 following25 posts

Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

Registration is now open! The 14th edition of the International Conference on Hydrogenase and Other Redox Metalloenzymes (ICH2026)e at the University of Leicester 26 to 30 July 2026. @jamesbirrell.bsky.social @rmlab.bsky.social @ir-paash.bsky.social le.ac.uk/chemistry/re...

le.ac.ukInternational Conference on Hydrogenase and Other Redox Metalloenzymes 2026 | School of Chemistry | University of LeicesterWeb page for the International Conference on Hydrogenase and Other Redox Metalloenzymes. The conference will be held in Leicester in Summer 2026.

Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology reposted

The Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine
@thelisterinstitute.bsky.social

#ListerFellow Amanda Chaplin (Prize winner 2022) et al. reveal how double‑strand breaks are recognised in nucleosomes in humans. The cryo-EM structures "provide insights relevant to targeting NHEJ in cancer therapy." Read full thread⏬ and follow us for more news from the Lister community (1/6)

Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

congrats @petermoody.bsky.social

Real Professor Moody@petermoody.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1002/ange... absolutely delighted to have been included in this. @leicstructbio.bsky.social

doi.orgOutside Back Cover: Solvent Channels and Electric Fields Guide Proton Delivery to the Active Site of Heme PeroxidasesLocal electric fields guide protons toward the heme through two distinct electrostatic funnels at the γ- and δ-edges in heme peroxidases. Water-mediated pathways enable proton exchange with key resid...
Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

The Allosteric Regulator Inositol Phosphate Dramatically Affects the Efficacy and Selectivity of Inhibitors for Different HDAC Complexes, in @acs.org pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

pubs.acs.orgThe Allosteric Regulator Inositol Phosphate Dramatically Affects the Efficacy and Selectivity of Inhibitors for Different HDAC ComplexesClass I histone deacetylases regulate gene transcription and are established therapeutic targets. HDAC1–3 form the catalytic subunit in several distinct multiprotein complexes; however, HDAC inhibitor...
Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

How do protons get delivered to the active site of heme peroxidases? A combination of solvent channels and electric fields, say @petermoody.bsky.social onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

onlinelibrary.wiley.comSolvent Channels and Electric Fields Guide Proton Delivery to the Active Site of Heme PeroxidasesElectrostatic potential surfaces and electric field lines reveal that local fields guide proton delivery through multiple conserved solvent channels in heme peroxidases, enabling efficient access to ....
Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

Congratulations to Helen O'Hare and group on "Engineering the TCA cycle regulator GarA to increase erythromycin production in Saccharopolyspora erythraea" in @microbiologysociety.org www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/jour...

microbiologyresearch.orgEngineering the TCA cycle regulator GarA to increase erythromycin production in Saccharopolyspora erythraeaActinobacteria are important for industrial production of antibiotics, fine chemicals and food and a source of new compounds for drug discovery. Their central metabolism is regulated by a conserved pr...
Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

Congrats @rmlab.bsky.social and co-authors on "Two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy as a tool to reveal the vibrational and molecular structure of [FeFe] hydrogenases" in Chemical Science pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

pubs.rsc.orgTwo-dimensional infrared spectroscopy as a tool to reveal the vibrational and molecular structure of [FeFe] hydrogenases[FeFe] hydrogenases are Nature's most efficient catalysts for the cleavage and evolution of molecular hydrogen. Despite decades of research, key aspects of the catalytic cycle and the underlying geome...
Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

Engineered Receptor Capture Combined with Mass Spectrometry Enables High-Throughput Detection and Quantitation of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in @pubs.acs.org pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....

pubs.acs.orgEngineered Receptor Capture Combined with Mass Spectrometry Enables High-Throughput Detection and Quantitation of SARS-CoV-2 Spike ProteinMass spectrometry (MS) is a potentially powerful approach for the diagnostic detection of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. However, MS detection is compromised when viral antigens are present at low conc...
Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

Structural and functional insights into the interaction between Ku70/80 and Pol X family polymerases in NHEJ @natcomms.nature.com BRCT domain in recruitment and activity of two Pol X members in NHEJ: a unified model for the interaction of Pol X with Ku70/80. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comStructural and functional insights into the interaction between Ku70/80 and Pol X family polymerases in NHEJ - Nature CommunicationsThe molecular basis for the enrollment of X family DNA polymerases in non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) is unclear. Here the authors elucidate the structure of Pol λ within the DNA-PK long-range compl...
Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

Terminal hydride formation in [FeFe] hydrogenase: understanding the role of the dithiolate bridgehead in @chemcomm.rsc.org Congratulations @rmlab.bsky.social ! pubs.rsc.org/en/content/a...

pubs.rsc.orgTerminal hydride formation in [FeFe] hydrogenase: understanding the role of the dithiolate bridgehead[FeFe]-hydrogenases are highly-active hydrogen-conversion biocatalysts using Earth-abundant metals in their active-site. Understanding their mechanism may enable design of catalysts for renewable ener...
Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

How cool is this?? "Structural dynamics of DNA unwinding by a replicative helicase" by #CryoEM Taha Shahid's work at LISCB: le.ac.uk/news/2025/ma...

le.ac.ukBreakthrough molecular movie reveals DNA’s unzipping mechanism with implications for viral and cancer treatments | News | University of Leicester
Nature@nature.com

Nature research paper: Structural dynamics of DNA unwinding by a replicative helicase https://go.nature.com/3XWtN0b

go.nature.comStructural dynamics of DNA unwinding by a replicative helicase - NatureCryo-electron microscopy structures of DNA helicases in various conformations provide insight into an ATP-hydrolysis-dependent ‘entropy switch’ that drives unwinding of DNA for replication, with probable conservation across viral and eukaryotic systems.
Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

Identification and inhibition of PIN1-NRF2 protein–protein interactions through computational and biophysical approaches www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.comIdentification and inhibition of PIN1-NRF2 protein–protein interactions through computational and biophysical approaches - Scientific ReportsScientific Reports - Identification and inhibition of PIN1-NRF2 protein–protein interactions through computational and biophysical approaches

Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology reposted

Ben Garcia
@garcialabms.bsky.social

A great collaboration with Phil Cole (Harvard) engineering Sortase to facilitate its transpeptidase activity on histone H3 has been published in JACS. This work developed multiplexed "cut-and-paste" middle-down proteomics with tandem mass tags for quantification. pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....

pubs.acs.orgCircular Engineered Sortase for Interrogating Histone H3 in ChromatinReversible modification of the histone H3 N-terminal tail is critical in regulating the chromatin structure, gene expression, and cell states, while its dysregulation contributes to disease pathogenesis. Understanding the crosstalk between H3 tail modifications in nucleosomes constitutes a central challenge in epigenetics. Here, we describe an engineered sortase transpeptidase, cW11, that displays highly favorable properties for introducing scarless H3 tails onto nucleosomes. This approach significantly accelerates the production of both symmetrically and asymmetrically modified nucleosomes. We demonstrate the utility of asymmetrically modified nucleosomes produced in this way in dissecting the impact of multiple modifications on eraser enzyme processing and molecular recognition by a reader protein. Moreover, we show that cW11 sortase is very effective at cutting and tagging histone H3 tails from endogenous histones, facilitating multiplex “cut-and-paste” middle-down proteomics with tandem mass tags. This cut-and-paste proteomics approach permits the quantitative analysis of histone H3 modification crosstalk after treatment with different histone deacetylase inhibitors. We propose that these chemoenzymatic tail isolation and modification strategies made possible with cW11 sortase will broadly power epigenetic discovery and therapeutic development.
Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

MRC AIM studentships with LISCB supervisors on this page now too! Closing date for AIM is 10 January, BBSRC MIBTP is 16 January. Get in touch with any questions on what makes a strong application! hv33@le.ac.uk

Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology@leicstructbio.bsky.social

A list of all the PhD projects in LISCB advertised with the MIBTP program: le.ac.uk/research/ins.... Get in touch with the listed supervisor(s) or Tennie hv33@le.ac.uk for support in putting in the best possible application.

le.ac.ukResearch opportunities | Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology | University of Leicester
Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology
@leicstructbio.bsky.social

review by @hopkinsongroup.bsky.social "The biochemistry of the carcinogenic alcohol metabolite acetaldehyde" in DNA Repair www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Hopkinson Research Group@hopkinsongroup.bsky.social

Very happy to see that our review on acetaldehyde biochemistry is now out in DNA Repair. Well done to co-author Liam. @leicstructbio.bsky.social sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

sciencedirect.comsciencedirect.com

Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology reposted

Thomas Schalch
@schalchlab.bsky.social

🎓 Exciting #PhD opportunity in our lab at @mcbleicester.bsky.social and @leicstructbio.bsky.social. Join the BBSRC-funded MIBTP programme for a 4-year fully funded studentship with comprehensive training in year 1 + research project years 2-4. #PhDSky #AcademicSky Details: tinyurl.com/4fhavzxh

tinyurl.comUncovering the mechanisms of epigenetic regulators using cutting-edge molecular biology and advanced imaging methodologies at University of Leicester on FindAPhD.comPhD Project - Uncovering the mechanisms of epigenetic regulators using cutting-edge molecular biology and advanced imaging methodologies at University of Leicester, listed on FindAPhD.com

Leicester Institute for Structural and Chemical Biology reposted

Wendy Bickmore
@wbickmor.bsky.social

Interested in difficult to access parts of genetics, cellular & structural biology? Join us in Edinburgh 2-4th April 2025 for "Hidden Cell, Dark Genome" Regulation in the dark genome Uncharted proteins, RNA complexity Atomic structures at cellular scale Cell diversity www.ed.ac.uk/c/hidden-cel...

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