Prof. Rivka Isaacson

🧪Congratulations to my former literature supervisee Tamanna and current PhD student Mingyang whose sterling efforts to research the under-explored role of growth hormone in breast cancer have now been published in Bioscience Reports - well done everyone! url: portlandpress.com/bioscirep/ar...

I got the Welshiest sentence on Duo just now: After eating Owen, the dragon is planning to move to Cardiff. Hope you don't get indigestion, ddraig!

How I found an unexpected connection to science in the works of Iris Murdoch – by a molecular biophysicist An academic has used ten of Iris Murdoch’s novels and some newly discovered poems to illuminate scientific concepts.

I ❤️ Iris Murdoch #youdon'tsay - I'm so excited she has a new book out despite having died in 1999 and it's poetry - my fave - here are some of my thoughts: How I found an unexpected connection to science in the works of Iris Murdoch – by a molecular biophysicist theconversation.com/how-i-found-...

Blown away by this incredible documentary by Hannah Berryman about Eileen Collins pioneering astronaut, pilot & mission commander. I remember these famous space missions esp Discovery but knew nothing of their heroine. Amazing Q&A w her afterwards too. Beg, borrow or steal a ticket-unmissable!

Earlybird deadline has passed and we have our ideal number of delegates signed up but if anyone else would like to join us the venue has a little more capacity and we are still open to a few more applications and poster abstracts if anyone else would like to join us - it's gonna be a blast!

Earlybird deadline TODAY! We are nearly full-reserve your protein-making spot right now-we would love to see you in Birmingham-super fun interactive 2-day course-choose-your-own-adventure sessions for expression and purification; personalised trouble-shooting! www.eventsforce.net/biochemsoc/f...

The Best Country Music on Bandcamp, August 2025 Our monthly round-up of folk, bluegrass, roots rock, Americana, and all things country-ish.

It's Bandcamp Friday! daily.bandcamp.com/best-country... so far I've bought Folk Bitch Trio, Darkening Green, Kissing Other Ppl (all from attached) and David Hurn. I was gonna get Fancy Hagood who was wonderful supporting Ashley Monroe recently but don't think he's on. Further suggestions welcome...

EARLYBIRD deadline 18th Sept! Places filling fast for our super-interactive protein-making workshop. Come join us in Brum at Thinktank Museum & learn to make top qual proteins start-to-finish. Limited numbers 4 max interaction/troubleshooting. My report from 2024: portlandpress.com/biochemist/a...

🧪I'm honoured & proud to say I've been appointed chair of the organising committee for Physics of Life 2027, our flagship conference @physicsoflifeuk.bsky.social, @instituteofphysics.bsky.social & @bbsociety.bsky.social which will be held in Edinburgh 22-25 March 2027. Stay tuned for many updates...

@irismurdoch.bsky.social On Murdoch's Birthday why not consider joining the Iris Murdoch Society?
irismurdochsociety.org.uk/product/memb...
Receive the brilliant Iris Murdoch Review, keep up to date with scholarship, new publications, symposia etc via the newsletter & get reduced rates on IM events

The art of ‘travelling hopefully’ Twenty years after being caught up in the 7/7 London terror attacks, Rivka Isaacson reflects on the lasting impact of that day

I wrote about my 7/7 experience for the 20th (!) anniversary: The art of ‘travelling hopefully’ ft.com/content/ac05... via @ftweekend.com
This, from the comments section, is going on my CV: In a world of pontificating dim wits, a voice that is crystal clear on what it means to carry on fully awake

Two NMR spectroscopists with colourful hair...

With the great man himself! I always get pics with the colourfully haired people of the conference...

It's the keynote now - the epic legend Frank Delaglio whom I've cited so many times but never met - he is a total genius, endlessly entertaining, and his beard is purple!

🧪25th @ccpnmr.bsky.social conference is go! Off to wonderful start with session on peptides featuring Anne Conibear, @kawamuragroup.bsky.social so far. We don't think anyone has been at all 25 CCPNs but search is on for top attendee. I'm 22/25 -missed first 2 living in US and 1 for giving birth...

An outstanding afternoon at the cross-disciplinary 1st King's Multiscale Biofilm Research Hub Symposium. This is Prof. Jessica Mark Welch all the way from the US-just look at those incredible images! 🧪

I am at something amazing-a book launch for 2 very different works-a coming-of-age lesbian novel by Katie Hall & a book about evil in Iris Murdoch by my friend Daniel Reid. Totally inspiring evening @kingstonunilib.bsky.social is a total travesty they have shut down humanities

On the same day my son asked me how I wore my hair in the 'nineteen hundreds' & my daughter asked me whether the bike I rode in Cambridge was a penny farthing... #notthatold

🧪 I have an excellent review article on S-palmitoylation in health and disease written by a superb student I've been mentoring. I've been sniffing around for upcoming special issues on PTMs or lipids but no luck so far - anyone know of anything, or has interest in publishing this? NO SPAM please

PGR symposium always a favourite day of the year. Our @kingsnmes.bsky.social chemistry PhD students are so awesome! Love this action shot of our fearless leader Isma telling us what an adventure the PhD journey can be...

Absolute #dreamcometrue meeting the wonderful #MaryChapinCarpenter last night. The heartfelt dynamic between accomplished interviewer &lifelong superfan #NicoleTaylor and MCC was absolutely bewitching. Everyone was enraptured. Both so sweet & modest-privileged to hear the beautiful new songs. Lovely

small crowd of scientists at climate protest in parliament square

I had a great time at the #climateprotest last week - I know fun isn't really the goal but it was a beautiful day with inspiring talks and the reassurance of being around sensible people who care about the planet and are actually trying to do something about it @ScienceToPolitics.bsky.social #win

I've got a crazy day on Tuesday but am still really hoping to put in an appearance - please come too 🧪

To find out about inner workings of department stores I bought a book published in 2024-it all felt quite relevant & useful, if a bit pompous in style, until about half way through it mentioned deliveries by horse & wagon. I've since discovered it was first published in 1901-interesting experience!

Every year I co-organise a popular protein engineering workshop with @Biochemsoc.bsky.social - this year we will be in Birmingham 18-19 Nov. Booking hasn't opened yet but interest can be registered here. We had a wonderful group last year-join us! www.biochemistry.org/events-and-t...

Thank you so much for writing this! All three corresponding authors across the 2 papers are women, and the majority of the other authors are too. Feminism & diversity issues are close to our hearts & foremost in our practice...

Scientists discover protein key to bacteria's survival in extreme environments The discovery sheds light on how certain bacteria form spores for survival, enabling superbugs to evade hospital cleaning

🧪Awesome Lizzie from the press office @kingsnmes.bsky.social has written a story about our new papers in Genes & Development @cshlpress.bsky.social which identify MdfA, a new protein that helps bacteria shut down their metabolism as they transform into spores: www.kcl.ac.uk/news/scienti...

🧪And the great Peter Setlow, one of the sporulation patriarchs, kindly wrote a commentary about our two papers! genesdev.cshlp.org/content/earl...

🧪At some point we discovered that Kit Pogliano's lab at UCSD had discovered the same adaptor through completely different experimental approaches and we all worked together to publish back-to-back. Here's theirs:
genesdev.cshlp.org/content/earl...

🧪When bacteria meet unfavo(u)rable growth conditions and decide to become practically indestructible spores, MdfA helps them get rid of their metabolic enzymes in the ClpCP waste disposal chute, so that they can shut down metabolism and go dormant, until such time as environment improves...

🧪Amy @amycamp.bsky.social & I met in the Silver lab @danafarber.bsky.social in 2001 & we've collaborated ever since we both got our own labs. This paper about a new ClpCP adaptor, out today, is the work of about 10 years & we are very happy to see it fly the nest. genesdev.cshlp.org/content/earl...