Check out the new #PDB entries this week, 270 in total! Here is a structure of human Kappa-type opioid receptor with anti-itching drug Nalfurafine (7yit; ebi.ac.uk/pdbe/entry/vie…), solved using lipidic cubic phase crystallography, published in Nature Communications pdbe.org/latest

Come along next Wednesday and hear about what the excellent PhD researchers in UCD SBBS are doing in their research projects. Intended for a non-scientific audience but all are welcome!! #Engage2023

Very enjoyable Stage 2 “Biochemistry in Action” presentations this morning. The UCD Science students are sharing their literature research on their favourite proteins. We are learning lots! Excellent presentations on Huntingtin, Abrin, opioid receptor, & collagen. 👏👏👏

And the winners of the stage 2 “Biochemistry in Action” presentations are Group 27 who gave an excellent presentation on Huntingtin protein. Well deserved 🏆 UCD Science Society UCD Science UCD SBBS

The annual Stage 2 Protein structure modelling competition also generated some amazing structures. The students are challenged to create a protein structure using regular materials, giving them a 3-D insight to proteins. These are (LtoR) disintegtin, opiod receptor mu, and src.

#UCDEngage series begins with Theresa Ayer’s exciting talk “The Calm before the Storm” preventing epilepsy after brain trauma. Epilepsy is more than seizures and her work focuses on how to prevent it. UCD SBBS

Next up Ying Ling Dee’s #UCDEngage talk focussing on “ #Nanomedicine, can we build an efficient delivery company?” She starts by clearly demonstrating how small nano is. Lots of us had a nanomedicine already when we got our mRNA vaccines wrapped up in nanoparticles UCD SBBS

Next our own Niamh Duggan presents her research on & low oxygen chronic infection in cystic fibrosis. She gets us all engaged @ the start & asks us to take deep breath & than explains how she models low O2 in the lab to compare with patient samples #UCDEngage UCD SBBS

Lynda Jordan loving her Brittney spears mic describes how she develops Bioplastics from bacteria. We can’t live without plastic but her work will give us bioplastics which are better for the environment. Finding the right gene was like finding a needle in a haystack #UCDEngage

Next, Ma_cy also from our lab presents her cool cartoons showing her work on vaccines for superbug infections. This bug is very resistant to nearly all antibiotics. VxPt is the superhero vaccine that she has discovered to prevent these infections #UCDEngage UCD SBBS

Last but by no means least @NiamhMartin9 talks “Keeping tabs on Covid” monitoring covid or other outbreaks by testing wastewater. ⬆️ in covid cases fit with covid levels in sewage & sometimes before the cases numbers ⬆️ so they predict outbreaks COVIDPoops19 #UCDEngage UCD SBBS

Fabulous talks from our ENGAGE 2023 finalists Theresa Auer, Ying Ling Dee, Niamh Duggan, Lynda Jordan, Chaoying Ma, and Niamh Martin, presenting their research in such an accessible and entertaining way.UCD Science UCD Conway Institute BiOrbic Research Ireland Centre for Bioeconomy

Congratulations to the exceptional Biochemistry & Molecular Biology graduates in the class of ‘23 on their conferring earlier this week. The future is bright. 🤩

Excellent talk by Dorian in Ed Lavelle lab on his PhD project at #ECI2024 this morning 🤩 describing his insights on mucosal adjuvant combinations. Dorian is a BiochemUCD graduate. I love to watch our UCD SBBS graduates progress.

The symptoms of depression might come and go, but new evidence suggests that the pattern of brain wiring behind it remains the same for life go.nature.com/3AS480h