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Roman, Rob & Emma Complete GNR 2024!

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Roman Belle, Rob Dawber and Emma Wadforth (aka TEAM TGIF) for their incredible achievement in completing the Great North Run 2024 to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. Their research activities are funded by CRUK so this has been a great opportunity to further support cancer research.  The Great North Run is the world’s largest half marathon. This year, a record-breaking 60,000 runners competed in this annual event, running from Newcastle to South Shields.  Roman: “We’re thrilled to be part of this event, pushing ourselves to the limit and raising vital funds to help CRUK continue our ground breaking research.”  Our team members were… Read More »Roman, Rob & Emma Complete GNR 2024!

Attending the RICT2024 in Bordeaux

Akane Kawamura, Siddique Amin and Filomena Saulino attended the RICT2024 (the 58th International Conference on Medicinal Chemistry) held in Bordeaux this July – a conference focused on the intersection of chemical biology and drug discovery.  Akane Kawamura gave a talk on cyclic peptides as chemical tools to probe biology, and our PhD Students presented their posters relating to work on cyclic peptides (Siddique), and inhibitor development against epigenetic reader domains (Filomena).   The event was a fantastic experience, with plenty of discussions with other medicinal chemists and chemical biologists from around the globe.  

Ethan Ling Completes His MChem

A huge congratulations to Ethan Ling for completing is Masters in Chemistry!  Ethan’s dissertation/research project focused on click chemistry optimisation on peptides.  We wish Ethan all the best in the next stages of his career, and we’re delighted that he was a part of the Kawamura Research Group.   

New Logo!

A special thanks to Tim Bell for using his artistic flair and creative skills to develop a new logo for the Kawamura Research Group!   Capturing the essence of our research in molecular science and chemical biology, the new design has been well received by our group’s supporters.  

Cake Sale Success: NU Researchers Raise Funds for CRUK

Written by Rob Dawber: Here at Newcastle University, we believe in the power of community and collaboration, not just in our research labs but also in our efforts to make a difference in the wider world. With this spirit in mind, a group of enthusiastic researchers working within the university’s Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology Groups recently organized a cake sale to raise funds for Cancer Research UK – an organisation that funds much of our own research! We are thrilled to announce that our efforts were a smashing success, raising over £500 in a matter of hours!  A Sweet Initiative for a Serious Cause  In the UK alone there… Read More »Cake Sale Success: NU Researchers Raise Funds for CRUK

Showcasing Chemistry at Beamish Hall

Written by Siddique Amin:  Last weekend, the Newcastle University chemistry department set up shop at the Beamish Museum for a two-day outreach event of all things chemistry. The event was a chance for families visiting the museum to delve into the fascinating world of chemistry research.  Leading the charge were some enthusiastic volunteers from the chemistry department, including Kawamura Group researchers Siddique, Tom, and Emma. Throughout the weekend, the volunteers showcased the diversity of chemistry research performed at Newcastle University through a range of interactive experiments. Visitors got to witness the wonders of spectroscopy, learn about the power of solar cells, explore the science behind sugars, and get a glimpse… Read More »Showcasing Chemistry at Beamish Hall

International Women’s Day 2024

Friday 8th March 2024 marked International Women’s Day, which is a time to celebrate the contributions of women in various fields, including scientific research and chemical biology. Female scientists have been led ground-breaking research, contributing to our understanding of complex biological systems and the development of innovative medical treatments and drug discovery.  International Women’s Day also reinforces the importance of supporting and encouraging women in science to ensure a diverse and inclusive future for all scientific endeavours.    Emma Wadworth (PhD Student):  “To any young women, from any background, thinking of a career in science, definitely push yourself! Working towards new scientific discoveries is a challenging and rewarding experience.”   … Read More »International Women’s Day 2024

What is Chemical Biology?

In 2023, members of the Kawamura Group worked closely with The Big Picture People to produce a simple video explaining what chemical biology is and a flavour of the research undertaken at Newcastle University. This project was funded by the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust, to help communicate to a wider audience about the field of chemical biology.  In early 2024, Newcastle University staff and students dropped-in to our informal event to watch the video and meet the members of the Chemical Biology Department. As well as highlighting the team’s collection of scientific posters, attendees participated in a hands-on experiment using methylated spirit and fruit, to extract cells containing DNA, with… Read More »What is Chemical Biology?

Tom’s Artwork Featured on RSC Chem Bio’s Cover

We were delighted when Tom Smith’s artwork was chosen for the front cover of the RSC’s Chemical Biology journal in January 2024!   About the artwork: “When deciding how best to summarise the work from our paper into some art we were thinking about the themes of developing cyclic peptide hits using experimental vs bioinformatic guided data. It just so happens that at the end of 2023, Newcastle University’s Glassblowing team ran a series of festive glassblowing workshops to raise funds for Newcastle Hospital Charity. There we encountered some incredible glass designs, including a hand made from glass, by our talented glass blower Robyn Hare (Newcastle University Research Facilities). We thought… Read More »Tom’s Artwork Featured on RSC Chem Bio’s Cover

ChemBio Winter Symposium 2023

The Kawamura Group and McAllister Lab celebrated the end of successful year of chemical biology research within Newcastle University!  The 2023 Winter Symposium, organised by Emma Wadworth, Tom Smith and Tim Bell, took place at the end of December.  Research presentations from all team members were followed by fun activities including a festive team quiz and a Secret Santa. The teams enjoyed a festive lunch at Pleased to Meet You, before some braver participants went on to karaoke.  2023 was a great year for the Chemical Biology teams which saw many achievements:  New lab facilities set-up in the Bedson Building;  Six new team members and three summer studentships;  Collaborative research… Read More »ChemBio Winter Symposium 2023