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Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford

@kavlioxford.bsky.social

480 followers 110 following 320 posts

Catalysing discovery by bringing the physical sciences into the cell.

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Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Aug 5

🎧 Professor Dame Carol Robinson joins BBCRadio4’s Desert Island Discs to reflect on her life and career through eight memorable tracks.
From Pfizer at 16 to Professorship at Oxford.
📻 Listen from 10 Aug → www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
#DesertIslandDiscs #WomenInSTEM #MassSpec #KavliOxford

BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, 10/08/2025

Lauren Laverne invites her castaway guests to share the soundtrack of their lives.

www.bbc.co.uk

Reposted by Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford

Matt Higgins @parasitematt.bsky.social · 23d

Delighted to share our review on how those malaria parasites get into our blood cells and how we might stop them.
rdcu.be/eGnUl

Erythrocyte invasion in malaria: from molecular mechanisms to rational vaccines

Nature Reviews Microbiology - If erythrocyte invasion is blocked during the blood stage of infection by Plasmodium parasites, malaria can be prevented. In this Review, structural insights on...

rdcu.be

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Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · 23d

@oxforddpag.bsky.social @medsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk @kavlifoundation.org #KavliOxford

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · 23d

Congratulations to Mootaz Salman on receiving the Bayliss–Starling Prize Lecture 2025 from The Physiological Society!

Read more 👉 kavli.web.ox.ac.uk/article/moot...

Mootaz Salman Awarded the Bayliss-Starling Prize Lecture 2025 by The Physiological Society

kavli.web.ox.ac.uk

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · 28d

@somervillecollege.bsky.social @oxfordbiochemistry.bsky.social @medsci.ox.ac.uk @kavlifoundation.org @ox.ac.uk #Neuroscience
#CellAdhesion #DPhilLife
#BrainDevelopment
#StructuralBiology
#WomenInSTEM

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · 28d

By combining in vitro, in cellulo, and in vivoapproaches within the MIGRATE collaboration (migrate.web.ox.ac.uk/home), she hopes to contribute to our understanding of how the brain builds a regulated and interconnected network.

Home

migrate.web.ox.ac.uk

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · 28d

Amy’s work focuses on the structure and function of cell adhesion molecules involved in brain development. She aims to link molecular structure to biological function and physiological roles.

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · 28d

#MeetTheResearcher
We’re pleased to introduce Amy Roberts this week from the Seiradake Group. Amy is a #DPhil candidate currently in her second year of study. Her research is generously supported by the Margaret Pelly-Carys Bannister Scholarship from Somerville College.

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Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Sep 8

#KavliOxford's August publications are now out!

lnkd.in/eC4tq9Te

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Sep 3

@oxfordbiochemistry.bsky.social @kavlifoundation.org @ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Sep 3

By understanding how to target PCFT over RFC transporter will help to reduce the toxicity associated with anticancer drug treatment, an impediment to the existing chemotherapy.

#StructuralBiology, #cryoEM, #DrugTransport, #ProstaglandinUptake, #FolateUptake, #CancerTherapy, #AntiInflammatoryDrug

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Sep 3

However, cancer cells (specifically solid tumours) take up the folate nutrient via proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT) which has an acidic pH optimum.

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Sep 3

The main cause of cell toxicity is the uptake of the chemotherapy drugs such as antifolates into healthy tissues via a folate transporter; Reduced Folate carrier (RFC) which works at the neutral pH.

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Sep 3

In another project focussed on human proton-coupled folate (PCFT; SLC46A1) membrane transporter, Chitra is delineating structures of PCFT with a novel antifolate library which will prove instrumental for structure-based drug designing.

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Sep 3

The molecular basis of transporter function will help to develop novel strategies to overcome the drug-resistance and enhance the clinical applications.

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Sep 3

In their recent paper (under revision), they report essential mechanistic details of substrate selection for PGs uptake transporter SLCO2A1(SLC21A2) through its cryo-EM structures bound to endogenous PGs and four widely prescribed medications for treating inflammation, chronic asthma & Parkinson’s.

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Sep 3

However, membrane transporter plays a critical role in regulating the biological actions of PGs in diverse tissues, including the lungs, liver, kidney, and female reproductive tissues.

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Sep 3

Prostaglandins (PGs) are hormone-like lipid compounds involved in inflammation, pain and fever. The wide range of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) available to treat inflammation and pain, target prostaglandin synthase enzyme.

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Sep 3

Chitra joined the group in 2022 as a postdoctoral researcher funded by Wellcome Trust. Her research projects focus on the structural characterization of human solute carriers (SLCs) particularly SLCO2A1 (SLC21A2; prostaglandin uptake) and SLC46A1 (PCFT; proton-coupled folate transporter).

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Sep 3

#MeetTheResearcher
Happy to introduce Chitra Joshi this week! Chitra is a postdoc researcher in the Newstead Group working on the structural basis of metabolite and drug transport through solute carrier proteins (SLCs) in humans.

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Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Aug 13

#StemCellResearch
#Neuroscience
#Organoids
#CRISPR
#WomenInSTEM
#KavliOxford
@ndcnoxford.bsky.social
@medsci.ox.ac.uk

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Aug 13

Animal models do not fully replicate human cerebellar development. To address this, she is comparing protocols for generating cerebellar organoids and working on the development of CRISPR-based reporter lines to track specific cell populations throughout cerebellar maturation.

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Aug 13

Due to its prolonged development—it is not fully mature at birth and continues developing until around two years of age—the cerebellum remains one of the most challenging brain regions to study.

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Aug 13

The cerebellum is primarily associated with motor coordination, motor learning, balance and posture, but it has also been increasingly linked to cognitive and emotional processing.

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Aug 13

Her research focuses on the use of in vitro models—specifically cerebellar organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem cells—to study the development of the human cerebellum.

Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford @kavlioxford.bsky.social · Aug 13

#MeetTheResearcher

Introducing Tamiris Borges da Silva this week from the Becker Lab. Tamiris is a postdoctoral researcher developing induced human pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) models and reporter lines to study human cerebellar development.

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