Integrative Membrane Biology Group
News
May 2011: Leeds-China collaboration in Membrane Biology: 4 years on
The 4th joint symposium of the UK-China Membrane Biology initiative
led by the University of Leeds was held at Nankai University, China 10-12 May
2011. More information.
November 2010: Scorpion has welcome sting for heart bypass patients - A toxin found in the venom of the Central American bark scorpion
(Centruroides margaritatus) could hold the key to reducing heart bypass
failures.
June 2010: Findings provide new therapeutic route for rare kidney disease - Recent findings provide a new focus for future therapies for
Dent's disease, for which there is currently no cure.
May 2010: 'Fountain of youth' steroids could protect against heart disease - A natural defence mechanism against heart disease could be
switched on by steroids sold as health supplements.
April 2010: UK team reveals all three structures of single transporter protein - A team of researchers have captured the 3D atomic models of a
single transporter protein in each of its three main structural states, a goal
of researchers from around the world for over 25 years.
March 2010: Leeds inflammation research opens route to better pain relief - Research at the University of Leeds could pave the way to a new
generation of painkillers by providing a new theory of how inflammation causes
pain.
February 2010: Research builds on genetic link to autism and schizophrenia - A genetic link between schizophrenia and autism is enabling
researchers to study the effectiveness of drugs used to treat both
illnesses.
September 2009: 3rd Joint Symposium of the Leeds-China Collaboration
The 3rd joint symposium of the Leeds-China collaboration in Membrane
Biology took place on September 20-28, 2009. More information.
August 2009: Scientists halt epilepsy in mice - Scientists at Leeds have prevented epilepsy caused by a gene
defect from being passed on to mice offspring - an achievement which may herald
new therapies for people suffering from the condition.
June 2009: REST determines how specific traits develop in offspring - One of the mechanisms governing how our physical features and
behavioural traits have evolved over centuries has been discovered by
researchers at the University of Leeds.
March 2009: Faculty member elected to serve on International Rett Syndrome Foundation
scientific board - Dr Mathias Dutschmann (IMSB, Senior Lecturer) has been appointed to serve on
the Scientific Review Board (SRB) of the International Rett Syndrome Foundation
(IRSF) for a three year term.
October 2008: Crossing the boundary: how proteins permit
molecules to enter cells - Scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding the inner
workings of transporter proteins, which help essential chemicals move around the
human body
October 2008: New book on potassium channels -Dr Jon Lippiat (IMSB) has edited this new volume from the popular "Methods in
Molecular Biology" series. Contributing authors include several Leeds and
internationally-renowned researchers who describe methods for the study of the
expression, structure, function, cell biology, and pharmacology of ion
channels.
September 2008: Disease diagnosis in just 15 minutes - Testing for diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis could
soon be as simple as using a pregnancy testing kit.
July 2008: Leeds-China Membrane Biology Initiative takes a
further step - The UK-China Membrane Biology Initiative led by the University of
Leeds recently celebrated its first birthday by successfully hosting the 2nd
international symposium on "Membrane Biology: Structure, Signalling and
Neuroscience" at the University of Leeds.
March 2008: European membrane expertise to focus on new
treatments for human diseases - A new 15 million Euro project led by the University of Leeds aims
to find novel treatments for many human diseases by bringing together the
leading European experts in membrane proteins.
February 2008: New Centre to be at the heart of UK's
cardiovascular research - Expertise from across the University of Leeds is to be channelled
into a new research centre that aims to progress the understanding, treatment
and prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
January 2008: Electronic switch opens doors in rheumatoid joints - A breakthrough in understanding the way atoms move across cell
membranes in the human body could pave the way for the development of new
treatments for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid
arthritis.
24th May, 2007 Gold Peak: [Message from Steve Baldwin] I am sure you will by now have heard that the Integrative Membrane Biology Research Group has been accorded Gold Peak status by the University. This is due to the sterling efforts of the Group as a whole, and so as well as congratulating everyone on this success, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all for the hard work and scientific inspiration that has made this possible. We will be arranging a celebration shortly, and also plan to build on this success by applying in the very near future for Centre status. I will be in touch about both matters presently.
May, 2007 Leeds-China collaboration in the Systems Biology of Membrane Function:
A joint symposium on 'Membrane Biology: Structure, Signalling and Neuroscience' was held at Beijing (Peking) University in May 2007. During the symposium 24 speakers, 13 from China and 11 from Leeds, together with many other participants, exchanged their latest research data and ideas. The event also proved to be a highly successful platform at which the both sides discussed long term collaborative possibilities and plans. More information can be found here.