iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Thomas Gorochowski @chofski.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Although I've now taken a back seat, it is great to see the growing adoption of SBOL Visual in the synthetic and engineering biology literature and even more awesome to see so many current and visiting students to my lab on the author list😍 Roll on 2035! arxiv.org/abs/2507.04601

0156

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

EngBio CDT @engbiocdt.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

This afternoon, we continued with more inspiring talks from: Velia Siciliano (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia), Will Milligan (Extracellular), Max Jamilly (Hoxton Farms), Giulia Cuccato (Academy of Medical Sciences) Huge thanks to our speakers! Excited for networking tonight before starting Day 2!

012

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Thomas Gorochowski @chofski.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

What to agument your favourite protein with new functionalities? 🛠️ We've got a #biodesign workflow to help with that! In work led by @georgiehs.bsky.social we present SIMPLIFE that blends biophyscial and #ML models to extend biology in useful ways. #synbio doi.org/10.1101/2025...

1174

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

EngBio CDT @engbiocdt.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Kicking off our first CDT Summer School in Bristol this week! 🎓 3 days of talks, workshops & networking with students, academics & industry partners. Excited for the connections & insights ahead! #CDTSummerSchool #STEM

001

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Thomas Gorochowski @chofski.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

Great to see this report out from the UK Government Office for Science on 'Mirror Life'. Was nice to contribute to the discussions and thoughts on this topic with other UK colleagues. #synbio www.gov.uk/government/p...

gov.uk

Mirror life

053

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Thomas Gorochowski @chofski.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

Recombinases your thing? In the latest from my lab, Veronica Greco shows how @nanopore sequencing + automated liquid handling provides the perfect platform for characterising these systems at scale! Awesome collaboration with @jennbrophy.bsky.social @sarah-guiziou.bsky.social doi.org/10.1101/2025...

11915

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Oskar Staufer @ostaufer.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

Excited to share our new @pnas.org paper! We used reconstitution approaches and synthetic cells to uncover what drives bispecific T cell engagers efficiency. This helps future #immunotherapy design and demonstrates the potential of synthetic cells in #immunoengineering: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

pnas.org

Solution structure and synaptic analyses reveal determinants of bispecific T cell engager potency | PNAS

Bispecific T cell engagers (TcEs) link T cell receptors to tumor-associated antigens on cancer cells, forming cytotoxic immunological synapses (IS)...

084

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

New publication from our Max Planck colleagues 👇

021

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

...This is a recognition of the creativity & dedication of the outstanding co-workers I have been privileged to work with, and it underlines what outstanding, stimulating & collaborative places Bristol, and before that Manchester, have been (and still are!) to do imaginative and inventive science.”

000

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

Prof Jonathan Clayden: “I’m completely delighted, and extremely honoured, to have been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society, recognising the ways that we have managed to harness the power of molecular synthesis to explore and illuminate broader scientific concepts...

110

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

...I’m indebted to my fantastic colleagues in Chemistry, Biochemistry, and across the University for their collaboration, collegiality, and friendship over the last 20 years."

100

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

Prof Dek Woolfson: "I was completely bowled over to learn that I had been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is an honour for me personally, but, more importantly, it is recognition of my co-workers’ research over the past 30 years or so. Much of this work has been done at Bristol...

100

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

We are delighted to announce that two academics from the University of Bristol's School of Chemistry have been elected as Fellows of the Royal Society @royalsociety.org Congratulations to our Director Prof Dek Woolfson, and to Prof Jonathan Clayden. royalsociety.org/news/2025/05...

royalsociety.org

Exceptional scientists elected as Fellows of the Royal Society | Royal Society

Over 90 outstanding researchers from across the world have this year been elected to the Fellowship of the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences.

142

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

NEW PUBLICATION Dual Proteomics Strategies to Dissect and Quantify the Components of Nine Medically Important African Snake Venoms From our ADDovenom project team (addovenom.com), published in Toxins @mdpiopenaccess.bsky.social doi.org/10.3390/toxi...

doi.org

001

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

📢 Bioprocessing Internship Bristol-based Extracellular (www.extracellular.com) is offering a one-month, paid internship in bioprocessing this summer for early-career individuals, with the opportunity of a full-time role at the company. Find out more: extracellular.bamboohr.com/careers/49?s...

extracellular.bamboohr.com

Bioprocessing Internship

Extracellular is offering a unique, one-month, paid internship in bioprocessing this summer for early-career individuals, with the opportunity of a full-time role at the company. We have 6 places av...

000

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

We really enjoyed delivering our session at #SynBioBETA2025 on turning breakthrough health innovations into real world impact. Thanks to everyone who attended and asked so many questions, and thanks to Fiona Mischel and John Cumbers from @synbiobeta.bsky.social for the opportunity to present.

Five people - Francis Lister, Kathleen Sedgley, Kerstin Kinkelin, Ash Toye, Darryl Hill - stood by a notice board advertising the BBI event.

021

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

EngBio CDT @engbiocdt.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Last week, the CDT students submitted their first short research project 🥳 During their first year, CDT students research two 11-week projects. One of these will become their PhD project which they will work on for the next three years. After submitting, students met up to discuss their findings.

Three students sit at a table, looking to the right hand side. There are three laptops open, facing away from the students.

011

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

We are excited to be sponsoring and hosting a session at #SynBioBeta2025 on 6 May 2025! Join us to explore how @bristoluni.bsky.social and @sciencecreates.bsky.social are addressing global health challenges as part of Bristol's thriving deep-tech ecosystem. Come meet us in San Jose!

The University of Bristol Lunch & Learn session ('Engineered Human Therapies: Turning Breakthrough Health Innovations into Real-World Impact') at SynBioBeta 2025 (Tuesday 6 May, 12:15-13:00) will include Darryl Hill, Kerstin Kinkelin, Francis Lister, Kathleen Sedgley and Ash Toye who are pictured.

101

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Fabrizio Scarpa @fabrizioscarpa.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

New polymorphic composites inspired by pinecone scales are responsive to water, humidity, and hydrocarbons. They show reversible, stable actuation across cycles, load-bearing strength, and stiffening effects during wet/dry transitions. Paper here: doi.org/10.1002/aisy... 🧪♻️🤖⚙️ #AcademicSky

PHygromorphic materials and composites adjust their shape and curvature in response to changes in relative humidity, similar to the pinecone scales existing in nature. This work introduces a new class of poligromorphic materials-composites that adapt across various environments, including water, humidity, and hydrocarbons. Composed of carbon fibers (CF), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and maleic anhydride ethylene-propylene (MA-EPR) matrices, these materials are sensitive to fluctuations in fluids like water, isooctane, and toluene. Their bioinspired internal architecture mimics the asymmetric stacking of pinecone scales. MA-EPR/CF composites show limited actuation in water but strong responsiveness in isooctane and toluene. PVA/CF materials are more sensitive to water while retaining functionality in hydrocarbons. Importantly, their actuation is reversible and stable through multiple cycles of environmental aging, and the carbon fibers provide significant load-bearing capabilities, with stiffening effects when passing from dry (2.2 GPa) to wet and immersed states (6.6 GPa).

183

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

101

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Thomas Gorochowski @chofski.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Learn how Cas9-enrichment + @nanoporetech.com sequencing can more fully uncover biodiversity in complex environments via targeted metabarcoding in latest from lab! Led by the hugely talented Lucia Nikolaeva-Reynolds who started this as her final year undergraduate project! doi.org/10.1098/rsos...

265

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Mark Dodding @markdodding.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

New preprint on kinesin inhibition and activation - collaborative effort across Bristol Biochem and Chemistry with Woolfson and Schaffizel labs and JJ Phillips in Exeter 1/2 www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

biorxiv.org

Molecular mechanism for cargo-mediated initiation of kinesin-1 activation

Kinesin-1 is a dynamic heterotetrameric assembly of two heavy and two light chains (KHC and KLC) that mediates microtubule-based intracellular transport of many different cargoes. The complex adopts a...

1129

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Fabrizio Scarpa @fabrizioscarpa.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

We show via models and tests how random root distribution affects the mechanical properties of soil-root composites and the reinforcement provided by roots. You can access the paper here: doi.org/10.1016/j.ca... 🧪⚙️♻️🌳⚙️ #AcademicSky

The diagrams show: (a) the vegetated slope with roots and its macroscopic coordinates, (b) the periodic soil-root composite model with mesoscopic coordinates, (c) 2D view of the Finite Element unit cell developed to predict the mechanical properties of the composite, (d) a 3D finite element model of a UC, (e) the model used for calculating elastic modulus and (f) the model adopted for calculating the shear strength.

The experimental shear test methodology used in this work. (a) Peeling off the top surface of the carrot sample, (b) cutting the ring, (c) shear apparatus, (d) a sample after being subjected to the shear test and (e) stripped roots from the samples.

Numerical shear stress contours of the soil-root unit cell model with different random distributions of roots

071

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Thom Sharp @thomsharp.bsky.social · 09/04/2025

Our new lab website is online! sharplab.uk Check it out and learn more about our research in Bristol!

Protein structure of C1 bound to IgM antibodies

0175

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

🐍 Developing new snakebite treatment to save lives 🐍 Short film about our ADDovenom (addovenom.com) project (@bristoluni.bsky.social, @lstmnews.bsky.social, @universitedeliege.bsky.social, @univ-amu.fr & iBET) www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKAj...

youtube.com

Developing new snakebite treatment to save lives

YouTube video by University of Bristol

021

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Thomas Gorochowski @chofski.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Looking for a PhD? I have a fully funded one for UK nationals on engineering gene circuits in probiotic microbes. Will bring together a lot of existing stands of #synbio research in my group and push towards some exciting applications! Start date Sept 2025. Email me if interested! Pls RT

198

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Royal Institution @rigb.org · 19/03/2025

NEW VIDEO Swarm engineering expert @sabinehauert.bsky.social explains how recent developments in robotics and AI can revolutionise our lives, and why these swarm systems can be trusted. Watch now: youtu.be/E6iJx4ePQCc

Sabine Hauert in the Royal Institution lecture theatre. Text on image reads: "future robot swarms"

093

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

The Protein Design Archive website and database records de novo protein designs that have been structurally characterized. It contains over 1,500 designed protein structures, including historic designs that are not described in any publication. pragmaticproteindesign.bio.ed.ac.uk/pda

pragmaticproteindesign.bio.ed.ac.uk

Protein Design Archive

020

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Interesting article about our ADDovenom project partner @lstmnews.bsky.social, and the great work Nick and his team are doing on snake venom.

000

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Vaccine Hub Annual Meeting at Imperial College London - fantastic days of great science, inspiring talks, and dynamic discussions. Exciting new ideas and projects emerging from our partnerships with colleagues in the UK and Vietnam, especially with collaborators from Vabiotech in Hanoi.

010

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

The UKRI's article celebrating the history of BBSRC-supported impact in structural biology includes the research on the SARS-CoV-2 virus by BBI researchers Profs Christiane Berger-Schaffitzel and Imre Berger. More: www.ukri.org/who-we-are/h...

Finding fatty acids to block SARS-CoV-2
Professors Christiane Berger-Schaffitzel and Imre Berger at the University of Bristol were pooling their teams’ expertise to study how membrane proteins fold.

Their work was supported by BBSRC responsive mode and ALERT research equipment funding, the Wellcome Trust, and BrisSynBio, one of six synthetic biology centres in the UK. BrisSynBio was funded by BBSRC and EPSRC, and Professor Imre Berger is the director of the centre.

When the pandemic started, they pivoted to COVID-19 as part of University of Bristol’s UNCOVER, a COVID-19 emergency research group led by Professor Adam Finn from Bristol Medical School (PHS).

Using cryogenic electron microscopy, where researchers freeze samples and fire electrons to image proteins, they determined the 3D structure of SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein. They discovered a pocket in the spike protein that they showed contained linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid with key roles in regulating the immune response.

000

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Thomas Gorochowski @chofski.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

This was an awesome collaboration with Mario di Bernardo's lab and builds on the foundational development of the #dome with @sabinehauert.bsky.social. Also, wouldn't have been possible without support from the @ukri.org and @royalsociety.org. @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social @bristolbiosci.bsky.social

033

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Thomas Gorochowski @chofski.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Phenotyping motile microorganisms is always a challenge. In the latest from the lab led by Andrea Giusti, we show how our #DOME platform can speed up the processes, enabling data-centric inference of digital twins and routes to multicellular control! 🦠💨🔦 doi.org/10.1101/2025...

173

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Aya Elghajiji @ayaelghajiji.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

Registration is open for the Tissue & Cell Engineering Society (TCES) conference in Bristol this summer (June 18-20th). Check out our website tces2025.co.uk for abstract submission and registration.

001

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

EngBio CDT @engbiocdt.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Application deadline approaching! 📣 A quick reminder that the deadline to submit your application for the EngBio CDT is fast approaching! Don't miss your chance to be a part of this incredible opportunity ⚛️ Deadline: midday on Tuesday 4th March How to apply: bit.ly/EngBioCDTOx

034

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft @maxplanck.de · 18/02/2025

‼️Save the date‼️The new Max Planck #Postdoc Program kicks off its first call for applications from April 1, 2025; applications can be submitted until May 13, 2025. mpg.de/en/max-planc... #ScienceCareer

The new Max Planck Postdoc Program adresses young scientists.

06848

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Congratulations Nick! Nick works with BBI researchers as a Co-I on both ADDovenom (addovenom.com), and a UKRI Eng Bio Mission Award project on the production of snake venom metalloproteinase toxins for use in developing next generation toxin-specific therapies for snakebite envenoming.

000

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

EngBio CDT @engbiocdt.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Today is Feb 11 which marks International Day of Women and Girls in Science! We have a fantastic team of women who make up our Engineering Biology CDT – from our Director to our supervisors, from EDI Champion to Innovation & Scientific Managers. We’re very proud to celebrate our team today. #IDWGS

022

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Kathleen Sedgley @synbiosedge.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Not only International Day of Women and Girls in Science but also my birthday! Thank you @ukri.org for inviting me to make this video & for advocating for the role of Research Professionals in delivering world class research and innovation. #WomenInScience #WomenInSTEM #February11 #EngBio #SynBio

082

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Today is International Day of Women & Girls in Science. In a recent video for the UKRI's Engineering Biology Showcase, the BBI's Scientific Manager, Dr Kathleen Sedgley, talks about her career: www.discover.ukri.org/kathleen-sed... #WomenInScience #WomenInSTEM #February11

discover.ukri.org

Dr Kathleen Sedgley, SBRC Scientific Manager

Part of the Engineering Biology Story

031

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Bristol BioDesign Institute @bristolbiodesign.bsky.social · 10/01/2025

📢 JOB VACANCY 4-Year Postdoc Position in Protein Design at @bristoluni.bsky.social Develop new peptides and proteins to manipulate, target and probe the mechanisms that underpin intracellular transport by microtubule motors. More: www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find-in... Deadline: 6 Feb 2025

0712

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Oskar Staufer @ostaufer.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Hello BlueSky 👋 Happy to start here by sharing our lastest review on synthetic cells in tissue engineering. Great concepts presented by the amazing PhD students Anna Burgstaller and Sara Madureira www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #SynCells #tissueengineering #biomimetics #biomaterials #SynBio

sciencedirect.com

Synthetic cells in tissue engineering

Tissue functions rely on complex structural, biochemical, and biomechanical cues that guide cellular behavior and organization. Synthetic cells, a pro…

083

Reposted by Bristol BioDesign Institute

Fabrizio Scarpa @fabrizioscarpa.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

🧪⚙️♻️📳

011