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Emma Presents at the RSC CBBG Symposium

This June, Emma Wadforth had the exciting opportunity to present her PhD research at the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Chemical Biology and Bioorganic Group (CBBG) Postgraduate Symposium in Aberdeen, UK.  As she nears the completion of her PhD journey—funded by the European Research Council (ERC)—Emma’s oral presentation marked a proud moment of sharing her work with the wider scientific community. The CBBG symposium provided a great opportunity for connecting with fellow researchers in chemical biology, exchanging ideas, and celebrating the progress of early-career scientists. Emma’s PhD project synthesised and characterised a selection of novel cyclic peptides from mRNA display against NEU2. This work led to the discovery of some of… Read More »Emma Presents at the RSC CBBG Symposium

Research Group Earns LEAF Silver Award for Sustainability Excellence

We’re thrilled to announce that the Kawamura Research Group has been awarded the Silver LEAF Award—a recognition of our commitment to sustainable lab practices and environmental responsibility.  The LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework) assessor praised our submission as:  “An excellent submission that showcases the great work and thoughtful approach the Lab has taken toward adopting sustainable practices. There is a clear culture of continual improvement, reflecting the team’s strong commitment to environmental responsibility.”  We extend special thanks to Thomas Beniston,  Tim Bell and Tom Smith for their dedication to the submission process, as well as Joanna Bonnici, Keir Pebody and Filomena Saulino for involvement in acquiring this achievement. 

Nature’s Chemists: Dr. Sarah Barry Visits Newcastle

On June 11th, Newcastle University’s Chemical Biology Special Interest Group was delighted to host Dr. Sarah Barry from King’s College London as part of the Inspiring Women in Chemical Biology seminar series, proudly sponsored by the Biochemical Society.  Dr. Barry, who leads an interdisciplinary research group focused on bacterial metabolism and natural product biosynthesis, delivered an engaging seminar titled “Learning from Nature’s Chemists.” Her talk explored how nature’s own chemical strategies can inspire innovative approaches in synthetic biology and drug discovery.  A highlight of the visit was a lunch with early career researchers, offering a valuable opportunity for informal discussion for PhD students, postdocs and fellows. Attendees included members from… Read More »Nature’s Chemists: Dr. Sarah Barry Visits Newcastle

Families Learn about Juicy Genes

Researchers from the Kawamura Research Group hosted an activity at this year’s Discover Festival – a one-day interactive event for families and members of the public on 7th June 2025 at Newcastle University.  The hands-on activity provided attendees with an opportunity to extract and see DNA using a simple experiment involving kiwis and strawberries, as well as better understand the role that DNA plays, and why epigenetics is important when fighting diseases like cancer.   “It was so great to see so many passionate young minds that were keen to try our practical experiment. Teaching them more about DNA and it’s role in epigenetics was very rewarding!” – Rob Dawber, Research… Read More »Families Learn about Juicy Genes

Farewell to Roman Belle!

After an incredible 10 years, we bid a fond and heartfelt farewell to Dr. Roman Belle as he embarks on an exciting new chapter.  Roman joined our group as a DPhil at the University of Oxford, then transitioned as a postdoc with us at Newcastle University. During his time with us, Roman made significant contributions to our understanding of epigenetics. His work has been instrumental in advancing our research on histone and DNA modifications and enzyme inhibition.  Beyond the lab, Roman has been a cornerstone of our team culture—always ready with a word of encouragement, a collaborative spirit, and a great sense of humour. We also want to thank Roman… Read More »Farewell to Roman Belle!

Joanna Delivers Talk at the RSC Chem Bio Symposium 2025

In London, the RSC’s Chemical Biology Symposium 2025 showcased the latest advancements in chemical biology, bringing together leading experts from around the world. We’re delighted that Dr Joanna Bonnici‘s flash talk, “JmjC catalysed histone H2a N-methyl arginine demethylation & C4-arginine hydroxylation,” was featured within this event, alongside her poster on this work.  “It was fantastic to finally be able to present, share and discuss my recent publication. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was inspiring to learn from, and connect with, leaders in the field – all within such a historic and beautiful venue.” – Joanna Bonnici  The paper (Bonnici J, et al. Commun Biol. 2024 ) is available to read… Read More »Joanna Delivers Talk at the RSC Chem Bio Symposium 2025

Celebrating North East Women in Chemical Biology

On a bright afternoon in May, researchers gathered in Newcastle University’s Baddiley-Clark Building for the Chemical Biology Symposium: Spotlight on Women in the North-East, a key event in the Inspiring Women in Chemical Biology seminar series, supported by the Biochemical Society.  The symposium was more than just a scientific meeting — it was a celebration of the achievements of women in STEM and a platform for fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration within the Chemical Biology community in the North East of England.  The event opened with two captivating talks:  Dr Ting-Yu Lin (Durham University) presented “Decoding RNA Modifications: From Molecular Mechanisms to Disease Pathways,” offering a deep dive into the… Read More »Celebrating North East Women in Chemical Biology

MoSMed CDT Conference 2025

In April, our team members attended the annual MoSMed CDT Conference at Durham University, an event funded by EPSRC that brings together doctoral students to discuss and explore molecular science for medicine.  The conference was a vibrant showcase of cutting-edge research, featuring project presentations, flash talks from PhD students, and keynote sessions from leading experts. We’re especially proud of Keir Pebody,  who earned Runner-up Best Flash Talk – a fantastic recognition of his work and presentation skills.   It was also a great opportunity to see Siddique Amin, a former PhD student from the Kawamura Research Group, now mentoring Keir as his supervisor at AstraZeneca.   Looking forward to what MoSMed 2026… Read More »MoSMed CDT Conference 2025

Prof. Flashman Kicks Off NU’s Inspiring Women in Chemical Biology Seminar Series in 2025

In March 2025, Newcastle University’s Chemistry Biology Special Interest Group had the pleasure of welcoming Prof Emily Flashman from the University of Oxford for the first seminar in a new series of talks focusing on Inspiring Women in Chemical Biology, proudly sponsored by the Biochemical Society.  Prof. Flashman delivered a captivating seminar titled “How plant cysteine oxidases mediate hypoxia and redox stress-signalling during submergence”, offering deep insights into the molecular mechanisms that plants use to respond to low oxygen environments. Her work, which bridges biochemistry and plant physiology, sparked engaging discussions among attendees and highlighted the importance of redox biology in environmental stress responses.  Prof. Flashman’s met with academics from… Read More »Prof. Flashman Kicks Off NU’s Inspiring Women in Chemical Biology Seminar Series in 2025

NU Chemistry and Alumni Research Symposium 2025

Our team participated in the Newcastle University Chemistry and Alumni Research Symposium – a fantastic event celebrating the breadth and depth of research across the Chemistry Department in the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences.  PhD student Tom Smith delivered an insightful talk on the role of mRNA-display library bias in hit generation campaigns, shedding light on a key factor influencing cyclic peptide drug discovery outcomes.   Meanwhile, two of our PhD student researchers showcased their work through poster presentations:  Emma Wadforth presented on Developing Cyclic Peptide Probes for Investigation of Human Neuraminidase Isoforms  Tim Bell shared his research on Peptide Technologies to Probe Chemokine Specificity.    This symposium provides a… Read More »NU Chemistry and Alumni Research Symposium 2025