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Reposted by Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology

Stephen Royle @steveroyle.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

NEWS: @anne.mechanochemistry.org and I are the new Joint Directors of the Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology (CMCB) at Warwick @mechanochemistry.org We thank @rob.mechanochemistry.org who has been at the helm of CMCB since its inception. Looking forward to more exciting science in the future.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 09/06/2026

10 years Bowman lab @bowchro.bsky.social anniversary today, so we are treated to a complete history with all side bets talk. Congratulations 🎉

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Reposted by Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology

Stephen Royle @steveroyle.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

A mystery at @mechanochemistry.org ! There’s a carrot that is neatly placed in the corridor. None is admitting to owning it. How did it get here? Where will it go next? 🥕

The CMCB corridor with a suspect item on the floor

A close up of the carrot. It’s just chilling on a blue hand towel.

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Reposted by Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology

Anne Straube @anne.mechanochemistry.org · 09/05/2026

We had a blast. Thanks to everyone who came and made this such a memorable event.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 09/05/2026

Last but not least, Kristen Verhey's @kjverhey1.bsky.social closing keynote. She starts off with her top 5 of Rob's papers over the years

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 09/05/2026

Erik Schäffer @schaefferlab.bsky.social uses silicon nanospheres to measure the forces of ultra-weak plant kinesins with sub femtoNewton resolution.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 09/05/2026

Mark Dodding @markdodding.bsky.social talks about cargo-dependent activation of kinesin-1 through the light chain. Phosphorylation by NEK10 kinase suppresses membrane association of KLC2 specifically and controls lysosome transport by cooperation with cargo adapters.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 09/05/2026

Our own Masanori Mishima is up next discussing weak electrostatic interactions of motors and tracks that can be regulated by post translational modifications with examples from phosphorylation of KIF23/MKLP1 and arginylation and myosin II.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 09/05/2026

Varun Ramaswamy is describing how he tackled the difficult problem of determining the structure of full length of HSET

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Reposted by Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology

European Research Council (ERC) @erc.europa.eu · 09/05/2026

What happens when science is free to ask any question? It leads to discoveries we didn’t plan for – but now depend on. This #EuropeDay, we support #ProtectWhatMatters, celebrating the freedom that makes frontier research possible. Read the stories 👉 buff.ly/SRCDWoW and have a happy Europe Day! 🇪🇺

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 09/05/2026

Starting off today is Marija Zanic @zaniclab.bsky.social who introduces us to SSNA1, a sensor for microtubule damage and microtubule stabiliser, that increases their rigidity and protects against breakage

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 09/05/2026

Good morning! Day 2 of our Motors and Filaments meeting is under way.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Dinner impressions. Now everyone really knackered after a quiz that felt more like an exam on physical biology of the cytoskeleton. Getting very competitive during the marking process...

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

The "Vanderbilt girls" on the way to the dinner in the Tocil Wood bluebells.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Evening keynote from Rob Cross summarising 35 years of research to understand how kinesin walks along microtubules featuring the neck linker as position sensor, the load-dependence of dwell time and directionality of steps and the type of microtubule track.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Yean-Ming (Cross lab) talks about the dynamics of different tubulin isotypes and interrogates the lateral interaction regions, generating a chimera that assembled so readily that they also assemble in GDP.

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Reposted by Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology

Anne Straube @anne.mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Some poster session impressions from motors and filaments meeting

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Glenn Carrington (Peckham lab) shows the structure of myosin-5 in a two head bound state on actin and highlights strain-associated changes in the motor domain that explains different ADP release rates from leading and trailing heads.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Some happy faces behind the scenes - this is a reunion of @joehowardd.bsky.social with his former diploma student Frauke Hussmann

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Beth Lawrence (Manchester) talks about her postdoc project in the @zaniclab.bsky.social where she showed that human CLASP2 promotes rescues and suppresses catastrophies without affecting microtubule assembly and disassembly speeds. CLASP can convert the pre-catastrophe intermediate state to growth

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Jingyi Luo (Ti lab) identifies a single amino acid change in beta3-tubulin that can sensitise cancer cells to paclitaxel by allosteric changes to the taxane binding pocket and by directly stabilising the microtubule lattice by increasing structured water molecules and delayed GTP hydrolysis.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Change of machine: Andrew McMahon describes the elangosome that builds the bacterial cell wall. He is using Minflux to track individual rodA synthase molecules.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Flash talk session 2 with @eva-kreysing-lab.bsky.social talking about how neuronal maturation on stiff and soft substrates is regulated via piezo1 and TTR. Amy Godfrey introduces accessible microfluidics that is simple, cheap, fast and reliable and uses it to bend microtubules...

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Now some theory of beating cilia from Benjamin Friedrich @friedrich-group.bsky.social describing a stochastic dynamic sliding control model.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Alice Brinkworth continues the flagellum theme with cryo electron tomography of microgamete cells from Plasmodium revealing non-canonical microtubule arrangements

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Girish Mali @dyneinassembly.bsky.social looks at the recycling of motile cilia after they partially disassembled their cilia under stress.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Fast and furious flash talks as poster teasers next. Varun teasing us on doublecortin effects on the microtubule, Vishakha talks about slow motion stepping of kinesin, Abdulquddus describes how he uses BioAFM in cytokinesis, Shivani talks about force response of KIF1C in the presence of FHF...

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Time-resolved cryo electron microscopy 🙃 from Carolyn Moores

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Carolyn Moores focussed on doublecortin today, a microtubule nucleator stabilising 13 protofilament microtubules specifically. She also acknowledges inspiring and supportive mentors Rob and Ron.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Apolena Zounarova (Straube & Diez labs) talks about dynein-mediated sliding

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Marcus Braun discusses how tau changes the microtubule environment for motors and other MAPs

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Discussing A, B, C and D lattice microtubules...

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Next off is Matthieu Benoit from Rennes who is discussing in detail microtubule lattice configurations. He describes microtubules with new lateral interactions of protofilaments.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

You can still join remotely. We will send you the livestream link after you register on our website. For the discussions, reply to our posts with any questions you might have and we will read them out to the speaker on your behalf

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

First off is Joe Howard who brings us pictures of the past and discusses how cilia beat.

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 08/05/2026

Good morning, about to start our motors and filament meeting. We will keep you updated here throughout today and tomorrow

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Reposted by Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology

Anne Straube @anne.mechanochemistry.org · 01/05/2026

Barely a week to go until our "Motors and Filaments" meeting. Programme is ready. Catering ordered. My 3d printer has been busy too: have a look into the mingle bingo and dinner quiz prizes box. tinyurl.com/mechanochemi...

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 01/05/2026

Glorious weather for CMCB happy hour today hosted by Köster & Straube labs with 🥭 🍦 🍻 and a lot of other tasty treats

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Reposted by Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology

Biochemical Society @biochemsoc.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Congratulations to Rob Cross from Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology on receiving the 2025 Biochemical Society Award for Sustained Excellence at Dynamic Cell VI today! Rob presented his latest insights into the interlocking nanomechanics of kinesins and tubulins.

Professor Rob Cross (left) receiving the 2025 Sustained Excellence Award from Dr David Tumbarello (right)

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Reposted by Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology

British Society for Cell Biology @bscb-official.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Rob Cross @mechanochemistry.org shares his insights on kinesin and microtubule nanomechanics at #DynamicCellVI Rob is the recipient of the @biochemsoc.bsky.social Award for Sustained Excellence 2025. Congratulations!

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Reposted by Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology

Anne Straube @anne.mechanochemistry.org · 31/03/2026

Registration deadline for our motors and filaments meeting is tomorrow - not a 1st April joke! Thanks to our generous sponsors supporting sustainable scientific conference organisation @embo.org @biologists.bsky.social we also offer registration for a free livestream, supported by bsky discussions!

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 24/03/2026

Sign up to our meeting on 8/9 May on molecular motors and cytoskeleton filaments. We have an exciting lineup of speakers covering kinesins, dynein, myosin and cell wall synthesis machinery, plus microtubules with a variety of MAPs. Can't come? Sign up for the free livestream instead!

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Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology @mechanochemistry.org · 24/03/2026

CMCB talk this morning featuring Isaac Wong as part of our ECR seminar series. We learned a lot about centrosome architecture and marvelled at high speed cytoplasmic flows in rectangular diatomes.

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