Skip to content

Blog

Newcastle Chemical Biology Workshop 2025

On 14th February, Newcastle University hosted a half-day Chemical Biology Workshop, in conjunction with the Babraham Institute in Cambridge.    The workshop featured two guest speakers from the Babraham: Dr Maria Christophorou who spoke about protein citrullination, and Dr Jonathan Clark who spoke about the chemistry of tendon collagen.    The other speakers included: Prof Paula Salgado (Professor of Structural Microbiology, Newcastle University); Dr Will Stanley (Associate Principal Scientist; Iksuda Therapeutics); Dr Jem Stach (Senior Lecturer, Newcastle University); and, Dr Katherine Duncan (Senior Lecturer, Newcastle University).    Thanks to the CONNECT fund, a Flexible Talent and Mobility award (FTMA) from UKRI’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), which supported… Read More »Newcastle Chemical Biology Workshop 2025

IDWGS 2025

This February, we celebrated International Women and Girls in Science Day!   Within Newcastle University’s chemical biology research groups, we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and make a difference. A special thanks to all the women in the Kawamura Research Group and McAllister Lab for their incredible contributions to the field of science!  International Women and Girls in Science Day (IDWGS) was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. Celebrated annually on February 11th, this day highlights the critical role women and girls play in science and technology… Read More »IDWGS 2025

EFMC-ISCB 2025, Basel

In January, Prof Akane Kawamura delivered a plenary talk on histone demethylases shaping the epigenetic landscape at the 2nd EFMC International Symposium on Chemical Biology in Basel, Switzerland.  We’re also delighted that our team members presented posters on their work, on the different approaches to mRNA display to find cyclic peptides with the desired selectivity to a model family of proteins (Tom Smith, PhD Student), and chemical tool development for histone methyllysine readers (Dr Roman Belle, PDRA).  On the second conference day, Akane participated in a panel discussion about career development in chemical biology for early career researchers, alongside Dr Christopher Dumelin (Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research), Dr Thais Gazzi (F.Hoffmann-La… Read More »EFMC-ISCB 2025, Basel

Chemical Biology Winter Symposium 2024

The Kawamura and McAllister Lab research groups hosted their annual Chemical Biology Winter Symposium, blending festive cheer with intellectual stimulation!   This event provided a platform for researchers to present their work through a series of short presentations. These presentations showcased the depth and breadth of research activities, whilst facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration.  Amidst the scientific discussions, the event also included some festive fun. Participants enjoyed a Secret Santa gift exchange, and the Christmas quiz, complete with the exciting “Sink or Float” challenge, brought an element of playful competition and camaraderie among the attendees.  The day concluded with a dinner at Victor’s to celebrate the Chem Bio teams’ achievements.  Special… Read More »Chemical Biology Winter Symposium 2024

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.  

Team Building in Durham

On 7 June, chemical biologists from the Kawamura Research Group and McAllister Lab ventured to Durham for a team away day, supported by the Newcastle University SAgE Faculty’s People Fund.  Enhancing the skills that Chem-Bio researchers need to be successful, the team day-out included interactive workshops focused on how to create effective PowerPoint presentations and conduct data analysis (for example, for IC50 which is a measure of the potency of a substance in inhibiting a specific biological or biochemical function), as well as building teamworking and communication skills.   The day also included dragon-boat racing down the River Wear (courtesy of Adventure Access), and a surprise encounter with TV presenter Matt… Read More »Team Building in Durham

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 Dr 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… Read More »Cake Sale Success: NU Researchers Raise Funds for CRUK