Nick Lane: Is complex life a freak accident?

By George Wigmore, on 31 January 2012 “In the beginning, the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.” While the above Douglas Adams quote may aptly describe the prevailing universal sentiment, we still continue to search the skies with SETI for…

UCL Mitochondria project wins 2011 SET for Britain Award

Warmest congratulations to Miss Talia Atkin of the UCL Research Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology (NPP), who struck Gold, and a prize of £3,000,  at a competition in the House of Commons for the excellence of her scientific research. Talia presented her biological research to more than one hundred politicians and a panel of…

Parkinson’s disease research funding awarded

Prof Michael Duchen has been awarded a project grant from the Parkinson’s Disease Society to study ‘interactions between mitochondrial biogenesis and complex I inhibition in the pathogenesis of Parkinsons’ Disease’ This will provide funding for Dr Juan Carlos Corona to work with Prof Duchen for two years. Parkinson’s UK website

Michelangelo Campanella wins BBSRC New Investigator funding

Michelangelo Campanella, Lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College and member of CfMR, wins funding through BBSRC New Investigator award. The award is entitled: “Role of the mitochondrial Translocator Protein (mTSPO) in cell homeostasis: a molecular pathway in signalling and self-conservation mechanisms”. Links: Dr Campanella  

Britton Chance dies November 16th 2010

Britton Chance was one of the truly great pioneers of 20th century mitochondrial bioenergetics. Way ahead of his time, he had an enormous influence on the field as a whole and on many individual careers as well, and he will be much missed. For biography please see: http://www.archives.upenn.edu/people/1900s/chance_britton.html  

Nick Lane wins 2010 Royal Society Prize for Science Books

Dr Nick Lane (UCL Genetics, Evolution and Environment) has won the 2010 Royal Society Prize for Science Books. In his book Life Ascending: The Ten Great Inventions of Evolution (published by Profile, 2009), Dr Lane charts the history of life on Earth by describing the ten greatest inventions of life, based on their historical impact,…

Energy revolution key to complex life

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…