MRC Toxicology Unit

With the news of cuts to mRNA vaccine development in the US, Unit Director Anne Willis joined Marnie Chesterton yesterday to discuss the evidence behind vaccines.

Listen to the BBC inside science episode here: buff.ly/deJ4NZf

Fortunately we're not stopping our research into mRNA vaccines and other nucleic acid therapies 🙂

Want to support research at the University of Cambridge? We are looking for a reliable and organised person to join the MRC Toxicology Unit as Building Manager. This post is essential to ensure effective operation of research activities in the Unit.

Apply here: buff.ly/uuYIuMo @cam.ac.uk

Odara was previously in Vito Mennella's group where she learnt about volume electron microscopy and got this great opportunity to co-organise a conference.

The UK Proteostasis Network, launched in 2024 by The Babraham Institute, with support from the Pharmacology Department and the MRC Toxicology Unit, has been awarded a Network Grant from the BBSRC.

Read more here: www.mrc-tox.cam.ac.uk/news/uk-prot...

@ukproteostasis.bsky.social #proteostasis

Odara and colleagues posing for a photo with the sea and a town in the distance behind them

Odara Medagedara, a PhD student in the Willis and MacFarlane groups with co-supervision from the Rawlins group at the Gurdon Institute, had the pleasure and the challenge of co-organising her first conference.

Read about the symposium and how she found the experience here: buff.ly/KnP4WFo

Cameron standing with other prize awardees by a Biochemical Society poster which says bringing together molecular scientists.

Congratulations to Cameron Cole who was awarded the Oral Communication Prize at the 30th Translation UK meeting held by the Biochemical Society. His talk was titled "Probing translation surveillance with a constitutive RNA binding ASCC3 mutant."

@biochemsoc.bsky.social #translationuk

Last week we welcomed three sixth-form students for the Aspiring Scientists Training Programme. They joined us as researchers for the week, conducting their own lab projects and attending bespoke workshops.

Read more about the week here: buff.ly/Ht5gZjv

@gurdoninstitute.bsky.social

Group photo of attendees of the ITTP summer school

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the annual Integrative Toxicology Training Partnership (ITTP) Summer School at the MRC Toxicology Unit. It was an excellent week spent sharing knowledge and building networks in toxicology.

@cam.ac.uk @labliston.bsky.social @liverpooluni.bsky.social @ukri.org

Find out about the story behind recent findings from the Patil lab that gut bacteria can absorb forever chemicals, with this feature article written by our Science Communications Manager Rachel Fellows.

@kiranrpatil.bsky.social

Congratulations to Unit director Professor Anne Willis, who is one of three Fellows admitted to St Catherine's college.

Anne will be inducted in a special ceremony today and will start her Professorial Fellowship in October, contributing to the academic and social life of the college.

Congratulations to Dr Kiran Patil who has been awarded a €150,000 proof-of-concept grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to develop novel live biotherapeutics for boosting cancer therapy.

Read more about the award here: buff.ly/KcfT1gW

@erc.europa.eu @kiranrpatil.bsky.social

We are sharing entries from our first Science Writing Competition. Each essay answered the question: "Are non-scientific qualities necessary to perform high quality research?"

Read our next entry titled "You don’t have to be mad to work here, but would it help?" here: buff.ly/J4JqSTe

3D rendering of bacteria inside the intestine.

We are looking for a Research Assistant to join the Patil lab to use a combination of microbiological, genetic and analytical techniques to isolate and engineer bacteria for use as next-generation probiotics.

Apply here: buff.ly/tP0ZQxs
Closes 21st July 2025

@kiranrpatil.bsky.social

Old Addenbrooke's Neigbourhood at Cambridge Pride 2025.

T-shirt decorating at the MRC Toxicology Unit.

Dr Clara Barker speaks at The Biochemistry Department on 'Scattering atoms, electrons and perceptions.

Pride Happy Hour at the Gurdon Institute

During June, the MRC Toxicology Unit, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Pharmacology, and the Gurdon Institute joined together for Pride Month with a series of events to support LGBTQIA+ staff and students.

@phar.cam.ac.uk @gurdoninstitute.bsky.social @cambiochem.bsky.social @cam.ac.uk

Gut bacteria can remove PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ from our body Study finds that toxic PFAS could be absorbed by a gut microbe, potentially protecting us from a range of health issues associated with ‘forever chemicals’.

A new study has found that toxic PFAS could be absorbed by a gut microbe, potentially protecting us from a range of health issues associated with ‘forever chemicals’.

www.ukri.org/news/gut-bac...

@mrc-tu.bsky.social

3D rendering of a bacterium with flagella cut open to show clumps of PFAS molecules inside along with the bacteria's own cellular machinery.

Researchers in the Patil Lab have discovered that certain species of gut bacteria can absorb PFAS. Boosting these species in our gut microbiome could be a new way to protect us from the harmful effects of PFAS.

Read more here: buff.ly/4FsVFsS

@kiranrpatil.bsky.social @indraroux.bsky.social

Stephan Kamrad and Tara Davis in the Patil lab at the MRC Toxicology Unit have identified that some drugs and environmental contaminants alter gut bacterial amine metabolism.

Find out more here: buff.ly/5akzsgs
@kiranrpatil.bsky.social @skamrad.bsky.social

PhD student in the MacFarlane Lab, David O'Loughlin is representing us at the 74th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting. Congratulations David for being selected! @davidoloughlin.bsky.social

ONE WEEK LEFT TO APPLY: We are looking for one or two Research Assistants to join the group of James Thaventhiran.

Thaventhiran Lab Research: buff.ly/LI9mh40
More information and apply here: buff.ly/vyk0qiz
Closes: 7th July 2025

What does your gut microbiome do? - Help to break down food and its components - Protects your gut from pathogenic bacteria - Help to shape and regulate your immune system - Produce bioactive molecules, like short-chain fatty acids to support your gut cells - Synthesize essential vitamins

The importance of the microbiome by the numbers - 10-100 trillion symbiotic microbial cells in each person - >10,000 different microbe species - The genes in our microbiome outnumber the genes in our genome by about 100 to 1 - Up to 90% of disease can be linked back to the gut microbiome

Happy World Microbiome Day! The Patil Lab at the MRC Toxicology Unit are fascinated by how our microbiome interacts with chemicals in our environment including in food, medicines and pollutants.

Brush up on your knowledge with these great figures made by @rhboston95.bsky.social

Indra Roux, a postdoctoral researcher in the Patil lab, sat down with the Engineering Biology Interdisciplinary Research Centre to share what she has learnt about Engineering Biology.

Share what you think of this evolving field with the hashtag #FacesofEngBio

CLOSING SOON: Postdoctoral position in the group of Professor Anne Willis to work on an exciting research programme investigating the effects of mRNA translation surveillance mechanisms on the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents.

Apply here: buff.ly/tQpAmlN
Closes 1st July 2025

Congratulations to Dr James Thaventhiran, principal investigator at the MRC Toxicology Unit and clinical immunologist who has received the prestigious Lister Fellowship award.

Read more here: buff.ly/sMmSIJA

‪@thav-lab.bsky.social‬ ‪@cambridgebiosci.bsky.social‬ @thelisterinstitute.bsky.social

Congratulations to Roberto Campalastri, a PhD Student in the Sawarkar Lab for receiving the Kate Hannon Award for Best Presentation at the International Transcription meeting at the Stowers Institute in the US. Roberto's talk was titled "A spatiotemporal expression atlas of mouse tRNA genes".

The Old Addenbrooke's Neighbourhood - Pharmacology, Gurdon Institute, Biochemistry and MRC Toxicology Unit, coming together to support Pride 🏳️‍🌈

Congratulations to Gili Zilberman-Schapira who is the winner of our inaugural Science Writing Competition.

Entrants had to provide their own take on the question: "Are non-scientific qualities necessary to perform high quality research?"

Read her winning entry here: buff.ly/J4JqSTe

We are looking for a postdoc to join Prof Anne Willis' group to investigate the effects of mRNA translation surveillance mechanisms on the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents.

More information and apply here: buff.ly/tQpAmlN
Closes 1st July 2025

Congratulations to the Postdoc Away Day committee for an excellent first Postdoc and Core Facilities Away Day!

It was great to see Tox Unit members finding scientific and technical skills in common and working together to plan how to share research with different audiences.

A few photos from Café Synthetique last night. Thanks to our speakers Web Robertson from @mrclmb.bsky.social and Sonja Blasche @mrc-tu.bsky.social.

Café Synthetique will have a short break and will be back in September.