Purba Mukherjee

New paper from my group in @science.org : "A small polymerase ribozyme that can synthesise itself and its complementary strand" www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Outstanding work by @edogia.bsky.social

(BioProcess) Exploring fungal polymerases for chemoenzymatic oligonucleotide synthesis at University of York on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - (BioProcess) Exploring fungal polymerases for chemoenzymatic oligonucleotide synthesis at University of York, listed on FindAPhD.com

Are you looking for an interdisciplinary PhD? I have a 4 year PhD opportunity in my group to work on devising enzymatic route to oligonucleotide synthesis - combines protein engineering, directed evolution & X-ray crystallography at York with nucleotide chemistry at MIB, University of Manchester.

Last 3 days left to apply for a PDRA position to study #protein-primed replication. We are looking for a #structuralbiologist trained in #cryoEM interested in working on #replication #initiation in bacteriophages. Applications close on 23/2 so apply now!

See link: jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/post...

Tuesday 24 February in Room 207/208: 10:00 AM, Longfu Xu (@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social): correlated dynamics and activity mapping reveals rapid DNA polymerase exchange and SSB. Platform: Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction II 10:05 AM, Ritika Gupta (Clemson University): ParBs condensates generate force for bacterial chromosome segregation. Platform: Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction II

Tue 24 Feb, in Room 207/208:

10:00 AM, Longfu Xu (@ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social): correlated dynamics and activity mapping reveals rapid DNA polymerase exchange and SSB.

10:05 AM, Ritika Gupta (@finzi-dunlap-lab.bsky.social): ParBs condensates generate force for bacterial chromosome segregation.

Discovery and evolution of three small polymerase ribozyme motifs

The emergence of a chemical system capable of self-replication and evolution is a critical event in the origin of life.

A small polymerase ribozyme that can synthesize itself and its complementary strand 🧪
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Overcoming air-water interface induced artifacts in Cryo-EM with protein nanocrates https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.18.667046v1

And the story is published now!🍾
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Open access link: rdcu.be/exnOc

Many years in the making, great collaboration with @archaellum.bsky.social & @tunglejic.bsky.social

Thanks @ukri.org BBSRC & @leverhulme.ac.uk for funding, reviewers & editor!! 🙏
#microsky #archaeasky

Collage of women scientists featured by the Biochemical Society highlighting leading women in science.

Today on Women & Girls in STEM Day, we celebrate the women advancing molecular bioscience and inspiring future generations. Explore our Leading Women in Science round up featuring powerful stories from across our community: https://ow.ly/3RRH50YcOaT

Long in the making, but happy to present the Chlamydomonas chlororibosome!
Cryo-ET🔬reveals a large new domain on the small subunit, built from multiple extensions in conserved ribosomal proteins.
bioRxiv 📖: shorturl.at/q44tG
This suggests greater chlororibosome diversity than expected!
1/n 🧵

US grant applicants surge at prestigious European research agency Rush for funds to relocate laboratories to Europe is latest hint of a US brain drain.

Rush for funds to relocate laboratories to Europe is the latest hint of a US brain drain.

go.nature.com/45S5Mvz

Happy new year! We have some exciting news, the registration and abstract submissions for the 22nd Nucleic Acids Forum 2026 are now open! Join us on the 10th of July at Burlington House!
Hurry before it sells out! 🧬
www.rsc.org/events/detai...

Exciting #postdoc opportunity in #biocatalysis and #oligonucleotide synthesis in my group at the University of York. Check out the details at jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/post...

Last date to apply is 8th March. Reach out to me if interested.

Aspergillus fumigatus PolX1 is an early ancestor of vertebrate terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferases Abstract. X-family DNA polymerases (PolXs) perform essential roles in repair and maintenance of the genome. One branch of the PolXs have evolved to functio

academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

Excited to share the very first publication from my group in #NucleicAcidsResearch earlier this month!

MRC instructs grant review boards to slash funding rates - Research Professional News Boards asked to recommend just three applications for funding, as BBSRC also suspends calls

Appalling news for the biosciences in the UK. I have three grants under review at the moment so the last week since I heard these rumours have been a definite career low point. Shifting priorities (read political interference) are bad enough
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

but retrospectively applying cuts is absolutely disgusting behaviour from the MRC. Hundreds of us have spent months preparing, reviewing and scoring grants only for all of that work to be chucked in the bin. A whole cohort of postdocs will need to leave academic research - incredibly sad

A peptide catalyst can replace an essential enzyme in a eukaryotic cell https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.27.701630v1

a little girl wearing a vest and tie is cheering with her fist in the air Alt: a little girl wearing a vest and tie is cheering with her fist in the air

Super excited to share the news about the first paper from the Mukherjee group now being out in NAR now. Check it out: academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

Congratulations to @Najma Parveen and @Sophia Steblina!

YORK CHEMIST ELECTED FOREIGN MEMBER OF THE ROYAL SWEDISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Professor Paul Walton has been elected as a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (RSAS).

YORK CHEMIST ELECTED FOREIGN MEMBER OF THE ROYAL SWEDISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

Professor Paul Walton has been elected as a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (RSAS).

www.york.ac.uk/chemistry/ab...

If you are a motivated postdoc looking for an exciting and challenging project to join in a young group look no further! We are looking for someone experienced in bioengineering, interested in DNA polymerases and chemoenzymatic synthesis: jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/rese...

Our first TB preprint with @jnb-lab.bsky.social is out! Using spectroscopic techniques from our lab, we resolve the exact mode of action of everyone's favourite TB drug, bedaquiline. I'd like to add a few comments about the microbiology part of the picture! #TBsky #MicroSky (1/7)

Essays in Biochemistry cover Volume 68 Issue 5 December 2024 Bacteriophages Guest editors: Joanne M Santini

Our latest issue is out now! This themed issue focuses on Bacteriophages, providing further insight into phage diversity across ecosystems, including humans, animals, and plants.
portlandpress.com/essaysbioche...

We are working on the program for the 5th Virtual ChemBioTalks on September 30th, 2025. While we already have commitments by our keynotes @oconnorlab.bsky.social and @craigmcrews.bsky.social, the remaining program is still in planning. Whom would you most like to hear at our next event?

Conserved jumbo phage factors required for protein import into a phage nucleus Bacteriophages use diverse mechanisms to evade anti-phage defenses systems. ΦKZ-like jumbo phages assemble a proteinaceous nucleus-like compartment that excludes antagonistic host nucleases, while int...

And see this related preprint www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Conserved jumbo phage factors required for protein import into a phage nucleus

Yup. That does say "phage nucleus" and it really is a nucleus-like compartment.

We find a lot of proteins - particularly antibiotic biosynthetic enzymes - are produced in soluble form in Streptomyces lividans but not E.coli. It’s a useful platform for the production of otherwise intractable proteins.

To honour Fanny Hesse (1850-1934) for introducing agar and revolutionising microbiology, DSMZ researchers named the strain Streptomyces hesseae (DSM 40473) after her.

#herstory #HonoringWomenInSTEM #WomenInScience #RobertKoch #streptomyces #microbiology

Improving AlphaFold 3 structural modeling by incorporating explicit crosslinks https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.03.626671v1 AlphaFold 3 has significantly advanced the modeling of macromolecular structures, including proteins

Improving AlphaFold 3 structural modeling by incorporating explicit crosslinks https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.12.03.626671v1