We're Hiring!
We're looking for a structural enzymologist to help decipher how viruses evolve resistance to antiviral drugs. More details here and apply here.
Prospective students:
We are happy to accept students from the BBSRC DTP programme for PhD projects. We're also happy to hear from potential applicants for Gates Cambridge MPhil or PhD studentships, Cambridge Trust Studentships or Commonwealth Scholarships. You can find details on additional sources of studentship funding on the Department of Pathology prospective students page.
Prospective postdocs:
We are always interested to hear from motivated postdocs who want to apply for fellowships (e.g. from EMBO, HFSP, the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 [Stephen had one of these!], the Royal Society or the Wellcome Trust) to join the lab.
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You can find many more photos on our lab Twitter account Follow @AtomicVirology |
Summer Garden Party - August 2021
After a very long 18 months it was great to be able to bring everyone together for a most British of social events - a summer garden party! We were joined by our friends from Janet Deane's lab. The British climate didn't disappoint (it rained) but that didn't stop us having a great time, with plenty of good snacks including Susanna's killer chilli jams. We even got a chance to take a new lab photo, sadly without Alison who headed off early to finish her MPhil thesis (we're sure the end result will be worth it!) and Kamal who is still based in Oxford at Diamond beamline B24. Thanks everyone for coming over and making it a great day...roll on next Summer!
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Everyone gathered
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BBQ fare, of course (new for this year, a separate vegan BBQ!)
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Ben made a new friend in dognuts
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Dognuts asserting her dominance as top dog in the lab
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It wouldn't be a summer BBQ in the UK without rain
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But thankfully we were prepared and no one got too soggy
Lab Christmas Party - December 2019
We again teamed up with our friends in Janet Deane's lab from the CIMR to hold a lab Christmas party at Stephen and Janet's house. There was a Dirty Santa swap of gifts, food, music, mulled wine, and puzzles including our Lego Challenge. We topped it off with what has to be one of the most esoteric of Christmas movies, Gremlins (thanks Kamal for the solid film pick). A fun end to a busy year in the lab!
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There was loads of food, despite Stephen's snacking before people arrived
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Janet passing around the hat for the Stealing Santa
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Henry was pretty happy with his Secret Santa gift
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Maria was a bit more puzzled by hers
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Stephen stole Henry's present (sadly, his time with the swan queen was short-lived)
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Maria's present finally makes sense
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Kamal and Natalia look on (gifts in hand)
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Ben unwrapping his gift
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He seems pretty happy with some Lego
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The lab Unicorn theme lives on in a snow-globe
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Natalia and Tomasz inspect her new cheese-making kit
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Tomasz doesn't seem entirely happy with all this photo taking
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Maria contemplating the pieces before the Lego challenge
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The action starts with Natalia and Janet busily building
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The mood is more pensive on the other team
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But the pace soon picks up
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And you can almost detect a bit of hubris at one point
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But it's short-lived as the other team clinch victory
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Cambridge Science Festival - March 2019
We had fun again presenting our "Grow your own crystal" stand at the Cambridge Science Festival with our friends from Janet Deane's lab and Ian Breierley's lab. Lots of lysozyme crystals, discussions about what it's like to be a scientist, pipetting lessons, certificates of achievement to crystal growers, stickers and general fun! Thanks to everyone who came to the stand, and especially to all the volunteers for helping make the day a success.
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There was lots to do when setting up...
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...but at least the crystals were growing
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Chris, Chen and Kamal wait for the doors to open
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Chris and Kaveesha explaining our work
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Whole families got involved
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Eve in front of the awesome poster made by Harriet
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The bay was so busy you couldn't move at times!
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Kids were learning pipetting basics...
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...and seeing what it's like to spend a day in the lab
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Kamal inspecting someone's handywork
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Ours wasn't the only cool stand...Stephen particularly liked "Worm or Noodle?"
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Everyone enjoying a well-deserved beer at the end of the day
Welcome pizza - October 2018
We've had lots of new people join the lab over the last little while, so we were well overdue a pizza night. We enjoyed some foot-long pizzas from our friends from Janet Deane's lab in order to welcome Kamel, Ben, Kaveesha and Tomasz to the lab
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Ben even managed to get a cheeky selfie into this shot...
Film crew in the lab - September 2018
There was some minor excitement in the lab today as we had a film crew (of one guy, admittedly, but with a very professional looking camera) in the lab. It was for an interview that the Wellcome Trust were doing with Stephen as part of their series of researcher stories. Everyone in the lab had a go at acting during an impromptu 'lab meeting' in the tea room and there were some 'action shots' too. You'll have to wait a few months for the finished product, but a few behind-the-scenes shots are below.
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Stephen and Ben freezing crystals
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Our intrepid film maker
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Stephen and Ben using the ÄKTA
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Stephen and Ben still using the ÄKTA (or pretending to!)
Cambridge Science Festival - March 2018
As Easter approaches it is again time for the lab to take part in the Cambridge Science Festival. This year we were joined by members of Janet Deane's lab from the CIMR, and of Trevor Sweeney's lab, Colin Crump's lab and Ian Breierley's lab from Pathology. In addition to our usual "Grow your own crystal" activity and "A day in the lab" photo journal, Harriet from Trevor's lab had made a fabulous cartoon graphic novel-inspired "Why we study viruses" poster. About 250 people visited the stall, with over 120 lysozyme crystalisation experiments being performed, and everyone manning the stand had a great time. Thanks everyone for making the day such a success!
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Janet doing a last minute test to make sure everthing is working
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Tomasz teaching his mum how to grow protein crystals
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Janet demonstrating the finer points of tip ejection
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Reaching to focus knob is a challenge if you have short arms...
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But the certificate at the end makes it worth while!
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Chris giving tips on pipette use
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Eve explaining the experiment
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The stand was busy most of the day
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Stephen explaining pipetting
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Chen assisting with pipetting
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Stephen using Harriet's poster to explain why we study viruses
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Chris supervising crystal inspections
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Janet shows another young boy how to use a pipette
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And how to visualise crystals under the microscope
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Even some of the other Science Festival volunteers had a go at protein crystallisation
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Harriet supervising a crystallisation experiment
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Colin (and his little boy) chatting about science at the PathCaf
Formal hall at Sidney Sussex College - March 2018
Tomasz celebrated the end of his first Term in Cambridge by inviting the lab to dinner at his college, Sidney Sussex. It was a very nice dinner in grand surroundings and we all had a great time (even if we did all feel our age when having a quick drink at the college bar afterwards...). Thanks Tomasz for the invite!
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Tomasz, Janet, Stephen and Chen in front of a rather over-exposed portrait of Lady Radclyffe (founder of the college)