The evolution of complex life is strictly dependent on mitochondria, the tiny power stations found in all complex cells, according to a new study by Dr Nick Lane, from UCL (University College London), and Dr William Martin, from the University of Dusseldorf. “The underlying principles are universal. Energy is vital, even in the realm of…
Life Ascending, a history of life on Earth by Dr Nick Lane (UCL Genetics, Evolution and Environment) has been shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize. The volume, pubilshed by Profile Books, charts the history of life on Earth by describing the ten greatest inventions of life, based on their historical impact, their importance…
Dr Derek Hausenloy Honorary Consultant Cardiologist at the Heart Hospital and Clinical Lecturer at the Hatter Cardiovascular Institute, was awarded a British Heart Foundation Senior Clinical Fellowship. This is to investigate the role of mitochondrial dynamics and morphology in the heart in the context of myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion injury and cardioprotection and its underlying cellular signaling…
In the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List 2010, Professor Salvador Moncada, Chairman of the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical research at University College, London, has been knighted for services to science. Links UCL News Find out more about Professor Moncada
The emphasis of the proposed work is to find genes associated with a high risk of developing Parkinson’s Disease and to explore the functional consequences of mutations in those genes in cells, animal models and patients. As most of the PD related genes identified to date involve mitochondria, there is a major focus on mitochondrial…
UCL scientist seeks answers on complex life and origin of species thanks to unique UCL Fellowship award. “There is a big hole at the very heart of biology, and it concerns the origin of all complex life on earth – why our planet erupted with life, and why humans turn out to be so closely…
John Hardy discovered the first defined genetic cause of Alzheimer’s disease: a mutation in the APP gene, and framed the amyloid cascade hypothesis for this prevalent disorder. In support of this hypothesis, his group has been involved in many of the subsequent findings which underpin it including making amyloid depositing mice, identifying tau mutations as…
Dr Josef Kittler, MRC Senior Fellow at the Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, has been awarded the Lister Institute Research Prize, one of only three recipients this year. The Lister Institute, founded in 1891, supports a wide variety of biomedical and related research, and awards the Lister Institute Research Prize to young scientists in…