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Jumping Back into “Juicy Genes”

Written by: Hana Anderton. Once again, volunteers from the Kawamura Research Group returned to this year’s Discover Festival on 13th June 2026, bringing chemical biology to the centre of Newcastle through an engaging experiment. The family-friendly festival gave members of the public the opportunity to explore the world around them, celebrate creativity, and discover the excitement of scientific research, something which the team delivered brilliantly.  The group’s interactive activity, Juicy Genes, invited families to extract DNA from strawberries and kiwi fruits, offering a fascinating insight into what exactly makes up every living organism. Through this interesting experiment, members of the public were also able to learn about the role of… Read More »Jumping Back into “Juicy Genes”

Dr Megan Wright Closes Inspiring Webinar Series

This month we were delighted to host Dr Megan Wright from the University of Leeds for the final talk in our Inspiring Women in Chemical Biology seminar series, proudly supported by the Biochemical Society.  Dr Wright delivered an engaging and insightful presentation titled “Covalent chemical probes for in‑cell protein labelling”, offering a window into how her group designs and applies innovative chemical tools to study biological mechanisms directly within native cellular environments. Her work highlights the power of covalent strategies to illuminate complex protein function with precision and creativity.  This seminar was a fantastic conclusion to the series, showcasing not only impactful science but also inspiring leadership within the chemical biology community. Dr Wright’s clarity, enthusiasm, and thoughtful… Read More »Dr Megan Wright Closes Inspiring Webinar Series

Celebrating Inspiring Women in Chemical Biology on IWD

On International Women’s Day, we were proud to shine a spotlight on the remarkable scientists who have contributed to Newcastle University’s seminar series, Inspiring Women in Chemical Biology, which was sponsored by the Biochemical Society.  Over the past year, we’ve had the privilege of welcoming an exceptional group of researchers whose work is shaping the future of chemical biology:  Prof. Emily Flashman – University of Oxford  Dr. Sarah Barry – King’s College London  Prof. Angela Russell – University of Oxford  Prof. Clare Mahon – Durham University    Each seminar not only highlighted cutting-edge scientific advances but also opened up meaningful conversations with our early career researchers. Our speakers generously shared insights from their scientific achievements alongside the personal experiences that have influenced their career paths – creating… Read More »Celebrating Inspiring Women in Chemical Biology on IWD

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026

On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we are proud to celebrate the remarkable women who shape and strengthen the Kawamura Research Group and the McAllister Lab at Newcastle University.  Across our laboratories, women researchers, students, and collaborators drive innovation through their curiosity, resilience, and creativity. Their work spans chemical biology, peptide science, glycobiology, and beyond – pushing scientific boundaries while inspiring the next generation of scientists. Their contributions are not only essential to our group but to the advancement of science globally.

NU Chem Bio Achieves Gold LEAF Award

We are thrilled to announce that the Newcastle University Chemical Biology department has earned the Gold LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework) Award, the highest level of recognition for sustainable laboratory practice!  This milestone reflects our continued commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our research activities while fostering a culture of responsibility and innovation. This accomplishment builds on our previous success: in June 2025, the group proudly achieved Silver award.   Following the Gold Assessment, the auditor commented: “All members of the Chemical Biology Lab are highly engaged in embedding sustainability, with a strong commitment to continually reviewing and improving performance which is leading to reductions in waste and energy usage. An excellent submission!”  Reaching Gold required a collective effort – a special thanks to Joanna Bonnici, Filomena Saulino, Tom Smith, Tim Bell, Keir… Read More »NU Chem Bio Achieves Gold LEAF Award

Keir Awarded Prize at Protein & Peptide Conference

Written by Keir Pebody. I recently attended the first RSC Protein and Peptide Science Group (PPSG) Conference held in Nottingham on 15-16th December, to present my poster on the ‘Exploration of cell permeability features on a SARS-CoV-2 Mpro cyclic peptide inhibitor.’  The conference was greatly entertaining, with talks from speakers including Dek Woolfson (Bristol/Copenhagen) on AI-designed proteins, and Monika Raj (Emory) on designing chemical tools to explore protein druggability. We presented our posters in the new GSK Sustainable Chemistry building, with great posters from all over the UK – reflecting the impressive depth of the PPSG community. It was lovely to have the opportunity to speak to so many other scientists & early-career professionals about their research!  I… Read More »Keir Awarded Prize at Protein & Peptide Conference

Welcome to the group Eleanor!

A very warm welcome to Dr Eleanor Taylor-Newman to the Kawamura Research Group, where she joins as an EPSRC Postdoctoral Pathway Fellowship.  Eleanor graduated with an MChem degree from the University of Leicester , including a placement year at AstraZeneca and a research project with Dr Richard Doveston. She then worked as a peptide scientist at Almac Sciences before beginning her PhD in 2021 at Durham University through the MoSMed CDT programme, under the supervision of Prof. Steven Cobb and in collaboration with Dr Graham Taylor (University of Birmingham). Her doctoral research focused on the synthesis and evaluation of ligands and PROTACs targeting Epstein–Barr Nuclear Antigen 1.  In the Kawamura Group, Eleanor will be applying mRNA display to identify peptide binders against target RNA. Welcome to… Read More »Welcome to the group Eleanor!

Joanna Nominated for an NU Technicians Award

At the end of an exciting 2025, we were delighted to celebrate Dr Joanna Bonnici, Scientific Officer in the Kawamura Research Group, on being nominated for the NU Technician Contribution to Research Award. This nomination is a fantastic recognition of the significant impact that Joanna has across our chemical biology section at Newcastle University.  Joanna plays a central role in ensuring that our research environment operates at the highest possible standard. Her exceptional organisational skills, proactive leadership, and deep technical knowledge bring consistency, safety, and efficiency to every aspect of our laboratory work. From overseeing essential day‑to‑day lab operations and organising ice scraper amnesties, to contributing to our lab’s Gold LEAF certification and supporting the PhD students and Early Career Researchers in the MoSMed CDT, Joanna’s managerial skills help the entire team excel.  Being shortlisted… Read More »Joanna Nominated for an NU Technicians Award

Emma Wadforth Completes Her PhD Viva

We are delighted to celebrate a remarkable milestone in Emma Wadforth’s academic journey: she has successfully defended her PhD viva!  This achievement represents years of dedication, curiosity, and resilience. Emma’s PhD research, funded by ERC, focused on developing cyclic peptides against human neuraminidases.  We would also like to extend our thanks to Emma’s examiners, Prof Steven Cobb (Durham University) and Dr Céline Cano (Newcastle University), for their valuable time and engagement.   Wishing her every success in her new role at the Francis Crick Institute.   

Tim Bell Completes His PhD Viva

We’re delighted that Dr Tim Bell has successfully passed his PhD viva! An incredible milestone that reflects years of perseverance and hard work.    Tim worked on developing peptide-based tools to understand the chemokine network using high throughput peptide screening and biophysical methods, as part of his PhD funded by the BBSRC Doctoral Training Partnership. Tim’s highly interdisciplinary project benefited from several collaborations, including learning cell-based assays with Prof. Shoumo Bhattacharya (University of Oxford), crystallography with Prof Ehmke Pohl (Durham University) and bioinformatics with Dr Simon Cockell (Newcastle University).  A heartfelt thank you to Tim’s examiners, Prof Simi Ali (Newcastle University) and Dr Michael Plevin (University of York), for their time and expertise during the examination.  Congratulations, Tim, on this incredible achievement!