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Confocal image showing two different subpopulations of the anterodorsal thalamic nuclei which have different axonal projection patterns. Cells labelled in cyan are positive for Calretinin and send decedeing axons that project to the deep layers of medial entorhinal cortex, whereas cells labeled in magenta project laterally to the thalamic reticular nucelus.

New study reveals specialised subpopulations of head direction cells in the mouse thalamus

Researchers from the Viney Group in the Department of Pharmacology, along with collaborators from The Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, US, have identified distinct subpopulations of head direction (HD) cells in the mouse thalamus, revealing that the brain's internal compass is composed of specialised neurons that differ in their sensorimotor responses, molecular identity, and connectivity.

MRSA can cause serious skin infections that require immediate antibiotic treatment.

Lanyon-Hogg group publishes new approach to antibiotic resistance

A new paper, published in Cell Chemical Biology, highlights a new protein in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that could be a potential new target for antibiotic drug discovery. The research, carried out in the Lanyon-Hogg group in Pharmacology, in collaboration with the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research, shows that molecules targeting this protein, called SpsB, can slow the rate at which MRSA develops resistance to antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin.

This figure illustrates the multiscale platform used for the discovery and validation of PAK1 kinase activators. The approach begins with PAK1-activating peptide as a guide to identify potential binding sites for virtual screening of small-molecule activators. Hits are then validated using mass spectrometry-based assays to confirm PAK1 activation, and further characterised through biophysical and structural studies to elucidate the mechanism of action. Finally, the therapeutic potential of the PAK1 activators is evaluated in both in vitro and in vivo models of cardiac hypertrophy.

Oxford-led study reveals new way to activate protein kinases, opening new therapeutic possibilities

Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a new strategy to activate protein kinases — a major class of enzymes that regulate essential cellular processes — offering a potential pathway to treat diseases where current therapies remain limited.

Key cellular channel identified as a brake on lung scarring

Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious and often fatal condition in which lung tissue becomes progressively scarred, stiff, and less able to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. With limited treatment options and no cure other than lung transplantation, there is an urgent need to understand the biological mechanisms that drive this disease. A new study from the Grimm Group, published in The EMBO Journal, identifies a previously unrecognised protective role for a cellular ion channel called TRPML1 in preventing lung scarring. The research shows that when this channel is absent or non-functional, the lungs develop a fibrosis-like condition marked by excessive accumulation of structural proteins such as collagen and elastin

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OxON-14: Targeting Synapse Loss to Rescue Memory in Alzheimer’s Disease

Friday, 10 July 2026, 12pm to 1pm

Speaker(s): Professor Xuelin Lou (Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA)

Host: Prof. Ira Milosevic