Check out this preprint from the @simonbullock11.bsky.social lab, amazing work led by @lucas-albacete-x2.bsky.social ! 🔬

🚨🚨🚨Check out this new preprint from the Löwe lab proposing that microtubule architecture and dynamics evolved in Asgard archaea prior to eukaryogenesis! Happy to have had a little contribution by showing that Asgard tubulin displays a key hallmark of eukaryotic tubulins: dynamic instability! 🚨🚨🚨

Steven stands on a link-corridor at the MRC LMB. In the background there are meeting rooms, social areas and windows into labs.

Steven has joined us as an RA to assist in the design, production and characterization of a panel of binders to be used as biosensors to image sorting of endogenous cargos in cells using multispectral microscopy, or as modulators of activities of sorting machineries!

Welcome to the lab, Steven!

Join the LMB's PhD programme! Applications now open for October 2026 Deadline 2nd December 2025

There’s just ONE WEEK left to apply to join our amazing PhD programme next year!
Visit our website for more information: www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/students/int...
Applications close on 2nd DEC 2025

We present a simple method to easily increase the imageable depth of an expansion microscopy gel on a typical inverted microscope ten-fold, using some carefully placed FEP film and a water dipping objective lens:

The final version of our multispectral microscopy manuscript is now online at Nature Photonics: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

The main additions are some further comparisons to yet more unmixing algorithms, in which we find that our algorithm is still the most accurate.

We are very happy that the amazing PhD work of our previous PhD student, @akaashkumar.bsky.social is out in Nature Photonics!

Great opportunity for a Research Support Officer to join @cellbiol-mrclmb.bsky.social, supporting @deriverylab.bsky.social in their studies of the molecular mechanisms behind receptor sorting in endosomes.
More info: www.nature.com/naturecareer...
Apply by 10 JUL
#ScienceJobs

A picture of 3 rows of people on steps at the MRC LMB. From left to right - top row: Akaash, Vic, Lara - Middle row: Kerrie, Manu, Paddy - bottom row: Meg and Julie

🚨 JOB ALERT 🚨
We're hiring a Research Assistant – no PhD needed!
Join us to explore the molecular mechanisms of receptor sorting in endosomes.
Experience in protein expression/purification, cloning & cell culture desired 🧫🔬
Apply now 👉 www.nature.com/naturecareer...

#STEMCareers #ResearchJobs

Portrait photo of Emmanuel Derivery stood in a lab space

Emmanuel Derivery (@deriverylab.bsky.social in @cellbiol-mrclmb.bsky.social) speaks to @jcellsci.bsky.social about the motivations behind his career, the exciting field of protein design & advice for new Group Leaders.
Full interview: journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
#LMBintheNews

Emmanuel Derivery. Image Credit MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology.

In our latest interview, we hear from the 2024 @bscb-official.bsky.social Hooke Medal winner Emmanuel Derivery @deriverylab.bsky.social. Emmanuel tells us about his research, what winning the Hooke Medal means to him & his advice on building a successful lab.
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...

ANXA11 biomolecular condensates facilitate protein-lipid phase coupling on lysosomal membranes - Nature Communications Nixon-Abell et al. show that ANXA11 condensation on lysosomal membranes causes a coupled phase transition of the underlying lipids and mechanical stiffening of the overall ensemble involved in RNP gra...

😊 Very happy to see this out! A real group effort from the Hyslop lab (@thecimr.bsky.social) including brilliant collaborations with
@knowleslab.bsky.social,
Vendruscolo lab, @michael-e-ward.bsky.social lab,
@deriverylab.bsky.social lab,
@profmarciniak.bsky.social lab
🎉🎉🎉

Student Placement Scheme Research internships available for undergraduate students Apply by 30 March 2025

Are you an undergraduate student considering a career in academic research?
Don’t miss the opportunity to gain hands-on experience at the LMB with our Student Placement Scheme – open now for applications!
Apply by 30th March.
More info: www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/students/stu...

We are super proud of @lara-kruger.bsky.social who is leaving to start her own lab at
@institutcurie.bsky.social
- you're going to be missed in the Derivery lab!

Our automatic parameter-free deconvolution code is now 2–3× faster while still producing exactly the same results as before. If you want to try it out, we have a Google Notebook implementation available at beryl.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/rlgc_notebook/. Manuscript WIP.

Picture of Julie wearing a red top and black bottoms, holding a bottle of champagne

Congrats to @juliemiesch.bsky.social who was awarded a Postdoc Mobility grant by @snf-ch.bsky.social to support her research for two years. Her postdoc research will focus on the biophysical regulation of water buffering in the cell.

How does tRNA-modifier #Elongator stabilize microtubules during asymmetric cell division?
Vicente Planelles Herrero @deriverylab.bsky.social et al find subcomplexes binding to microtubule ends & tubulin dimers, & enriching microtubules with polyglutamylated tubulin
www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

Figure 5. Elongator is a tubulin polymerase selective for polyglutamylated monomers. (A, B) Elp456 binds preferentially to polyglutamylated tubulin. (A) Affinity measurement between eGFP-Elp456 and indicated αβ-tubulin heterodimers using microscale thermophoresis. Estimated dissociation constant (Kd) values are indicated (mean ± s.d.; n = 3). (B) Estimated dissociation constants for the indicated tubulins. Elp456 binds with similar affinity to recombinant Drosophila α1β1-tubulin, pig brain tubulin, mouse brain tubulin and mouse brain tubulin lacking K40 acetylation. However, the binding to tubulin purified from TTLL1/7-double KO mouse brains (lacking polyglutamylation) and HeLa S3 cells (lacking polyglutamylation, K40 acetylation and Δ2 deletion is similar and ~18 times lower than other tubulins. (C) Experimental assay to detect polyglutamylation in polymerized microtubules in vitro. (D) Microtubules polymerized in the presence of Elongator are significantly enriched in polyglutamylated tubulin when using a 50:50 pig brain tubulin:HeLa S3 tubulin mix. Correspondingly, when using HeLa S3 tubulin, which is not polyglutamylated, no effect is observed. P values for an Ordinary one-way ANOVA test followed by two-tailed Turkey multiple comparison test are indicated (E–G) Elongator depletion results in decreased polyglutamylation levels at the spindle. mean ± standard deviation. P values for an Ordinary one-way ANOVA test on independent experiments (N = 3) followed by two-tailed Turkey multiple comparison test are indicated. (E) Drosophila S2 cells depleted for Elongator have significantly decrease levels of polyglutamylated tubulin at the mitotic spindle.

During revisions, we've added lots of exciting new data, so be sure to check out the paper! Most importantly, we now demonstrate that Elongator regulates polyglutamylation levels of spindle microtubules, both in cells and in vivo.

Elongator, an established tRNA-modifying complex, can also stabilize microtubules during asymmetric cell division. This study shows that Elongator subcomplexes achieve this by binding to microtubule ends as well as tubulin dimers, and enriching microtubules with polyglutamylated tubulin. • Dual binding mechanism: Elongator binds microtubule ends and free αβ-tubulin heterodimers via its Elp123 and Elp456 subcomplexes, respectively. • Microtubule stabilization: Coupled activity of Elp123 and Elp456 reduces the tubulin concentration required for microtubule elongation, increasing microtubule growth speed and reducing their catastrophe rate. • Selective tubulin recognition: Elp456 binds with higher affinity to polyglutamylated tubulin, resulting in preferential incorporation of polyglutamylated tubulin into Elongator-assembled microtubules. • Tubulin code rewriting: By enriching microtubules with polyglutamylated tubulin, Elongator modifies the tubulin code in vitro, in cells and in vivo in Drosophila sensory organ precursor cells.

In the original draft, we showed that Elongator binds to microtubules irrespective of their PTMs, but selectively elongates them using polyglutamylated tubulin subunits. As a result, Elongator rewrites the tubulin code of dynamic microtubules. How cool is that?

Elongator is a microtubule polymerase selective for polyglutamylated tubulin | The EMBO Journal imageimageElongator, an established tRNA-modifying complex, can also stabilize microtubules during asymmetric cell division. This study shows that Elongator subcomplexes achieve this by binding to mic...

🚨 Paper Alert 🚨

Our preprint describing Elongator as a selective microtubule polymerase that rewrites PTMs on microtubules is now published! Check it out: www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....

Akaash Kumar stands next to his multispectral imaging hardware which features several cameras. Behind him, a computer screen shows a colourful cellular image captured with his new microscopy system.

Congrats to @akaashkumar.bsky.social who has won the PhD Award from the Cambridge Centre for Physical Biology for his work developing a novel microscopy system with @deriverylab.bsky.social & @jamesdmanton.bsky.social in @cellbiol-mrclmb.bsky.social.
www.physbiol.cam.ac.uk/akaash-kumar
#LMBintheNews

‪Derivery Lab - MRC LMB‬ ‪@deriverylab.bsky.social‬ · 3m Congrats to Akaash, a postdoc in the lab, for winning the PhD Award from the Cambridge Centre for Physical Biology. His PhD research worked on the development of a multispectral imaging system capable of imaging up to 8 fluorophores similtaneously and tackling complex biological questions with this! Photograph of Akaash in posed infront of a computer monitor with a colourful cell imaged using his multispectral camera tree which is to the right of him. ALT Derivery Lab - MRC LMB ‪@deriverylab.bsky.social‬ An overview of Akaash's multispectral camera tree can be seen in the graphical abstract (which you can read more about here: www.physbiol.cam.ac.uk/prizes ). Peek at some colourful cells! 1a) Schematic of multispectral imaging hardware, b) photo of multispectral imaging hardware. 2a) Raw recorded data, b) emission spectra of fluorophores used in sample, c) unmixed data using novel algorithm, d) merge of data in c, e-f) other examples of simultaneous multispectral live cell imaging ALT December 11, 2024 at 11:20 AM Home Search Notifications Chat Feeds Lists Profile Settings Getting started Like 10 posts Teach our algorithm what you like Follow 7 accounts Bluesky is better with friends! Discover Following Extracellular Vesicles More feeds Feedback · Privacy · Terms · Help 1a) Schematic of multispectral imaging hardware, b) photo of multispectral imaging hardware. 2a) Raw recorded data, b) emission spectra of fluorophores used in sample, c) unmixed data using novel algorithm, d) merge of data in c, e-f) other examples of simultaneous multispectral live cell imaging

An overview of Akaash's multispectral camera tree can be seen in the graphical abstract (which you can read more about here: www.physbiol.cam.ac.uk/prizes ). Peek at some colourful cells!

Congrats to Akaash, a postdoc in the lab, for winning the PhD Award from the Cambridge Centre for Physical Biology. His PhD research worked on the development of a multispectral imaging system capable of imaging up to 8 fluorophores similtaneously and tackling complex biological questions with this!

Congrats to @akaashkumar.bsky.social , a postdoc in the lab, for winning the PhD Award from the Cambridge Centre for Physical Biology. His PhD research worked on the development of a multispectral imaging system to image up to 8 fluorophores similtaneously for tackling complex biological questions!

And now we welcome our new PhD student @paddyod.bsky.social !

Vicente stands behind a table holding a dinosaur plush toy. In front of him is a table which contains the blue-green box from which the dinosaur plush appeared, and a minions celebration cake which has dinosaur decorations on cocktail sticks on top of it.

Then, only last week, post-doc @vicenteph.bsky.social was promoted to Senior Investigator Scientist and will remain in the group to develop new methods in protein design, in vitro reconstitutions, multispectral imaging assays and his work on Elongator!

On the bottom left is Akaash Kumar, bottom right is Lara Kruger, behind lara is Manu Derivery and behind Akaash is James Manton, all holding glasses of champagne.

Later in October, the LMB had their yearly annual symposium with Post-doc Lara Kruger winning the Steitz Prize for her talk and @akaashkumar.bsky.social winning the Perutz Prize for his PhD work!

Akaash stands in front of some stairs, holding a bottle of champagne whilst wearing a suit.

Then, in September @akaashkumar.bsky.social passed his PhD viva, becoming the latest doctor to emerge from the lab! He then won the RMS Early Career Award 2024 in October.

Multispectral live-cell imaging with uncompromised spatiotemporal resolution Multispectral imaging is an established method to extend the number of colours usable in fluorescence imaging beyond the typical limit of three or four, but standard approaches are poorly suited to li...

In June, @akaashkumar.bsky.social and @jamesdmanton.bsky.social had their Multispectral live-cell imaging paper released on to the BioRxiv www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

We then had two new Post Docs join the group: @meganclapperton.bsky.social and @juliemiesch.bsky.social !

A picture of Emmanuel Derivery wearing a grey jumper standing with his arms folded in front of a blurred wet-lab background.

Catching the blue-world up with the last 6 months of Derivery group shenanigans:

First up: in April Manu was the recipient of the 2024 Hooke Medal from BSCB!