Kat Toropova

A proteome-wide dependency map of protein interaction motifs Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, Published online: 06 March 2026; doi:10.1038/s41594-026-01762-2Ambjørn and Meeusen et al. functionally characterize all reported and a comprehensive set of predicted short linear motifs (SLiMs) using base-editing screens, identifying 450 reported and 264 predicted SLiMs required for normal cell proliferation.

New online: A proteome-wide dependency map of protein interaction motifs

A super detailed protocol + video on Cryo-ExM - Cryo-Expansion Microscopy, led by the labs of our former postdocs @marinelap.bsky.social & @ebertiaux.bsky.social.
Clear, practical, and very useful for anyone doing nanoscale imaging 🚀 app.jove.com/t/68595/expa...

Cryo-EM structure reveals how influenza A virus NEP binds the viral polymerase at a regulatory hotspot, coordinating RNA synthesis and nuclear export. Fantastic collaboration with @loiccarrique.bsky.social and Jon Grimes. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Holy cow the Zhou lab at UCLA is cooking with Isonet 2 - www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Averaging-free direct visualization of ribosome translational state! #teamtomo #cryoet

Very proud!

Congratulations to the new cohort of 28 EMBO Young Investigators! They are joining an international network of more than 800 life scientists – Welcome!

Read the press release here:
https://www.embo.org/press-releases/twenty-eight-group-leaders-become-embo-young-investigators/

very unusual - a tRNA regulated anion channel

Toropova-Roberts lab Christmas lunch 🎄, a joy to work with this lovely bunch!

2025 Pettenkofer Prize awarded to Teresa Thurston - Dunn School The award by the Pettenkofer Foundation recognised Teresa’s contributions to identifying how different bacterial effectors impact the outcome of infection.

Many congratulations Teresa!

Teresa Thurston was awarded the 2025 Pettenkofer Prize, recognising her contributions to identifying how different bacterial effectors impact the outcome of infection.

www.path.ox.ac.uk/news-article...

Converting a kinase through molecular mimicry - Dunn School Published in EMBO Reports, a new study by the Thurston Group reveals how a small virulence protein from Salmonella called SteE, uses molecular mimicry to reprogramme host kinase specificity.

A new study by @thurstonlab.bsky.social reveals how a small virulence protein from Salmonella uses molecular mimicry to reprogramme host kinase specificity.

Find out more: www.path.ox.ac.uk/news-article...

We are hiring an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine. Come join our collaborative research environment with state-of-the-art facilities in NYC! Application review starts Oct 22.
biochem.weill.cornell.edu/join-our-fac...

Huge congrats Girish and team 😍

Happy to share the inaugural paper from the lab. We describe a molecular mechanism for the activation of outer dynein arm motors that power the vital motion of cilia.

Open access link below:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Here's a cool animated summary

We had a fantastic time today showcasing our amazing history and cutting-edge research at #OxfordOpenDoors! Visitors learnt about 100 years of medical research, the development of penicillin and our ongoing work on microbiology and AMR. Thanks to all the volunteers!

KIF13B controls ciliary protein content by promoting endocytic retrieval and suppressing release of large extracellular vesicles from cilia Rezi et al. show that kinesin-3 KIF13B regulates ciliary protein content by promoting endocytic retrieval and small extracellular vesicle (EV) release of ciliary proteins while suppressing their relea...

KIF13B controls ciliary protein content by promoting endocytic retrieval and suppressing release of large extracellular vesicles from cilia: Current Biology www.cell.com/current-biol...

Mechanistic studies on axonemal dynein transport to motile cilia - Dunn School Over 30 groups work at the Dunn School to uncover the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying disease. Discover which research groups are accepting students for our next round of applications.

The annual Dunn School DPhil studentship competition for 2026 is open for applications.

We have a project aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms of ciliary dynein transport. See details below and please pass on to anyone who might be interested.

www.path.ox.ac.uk/project/mech...

Great time showcasing the amazing science we do at the @dunnschool.bsky.social at #OxfordOpenDoors today!

Leopard-EM: An extensible 2DTM package to accelerate in situ structural biology The ability to generate high-resolution views of cells with cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can reveal the molecular mechanisms of biological processes in their native cellular context. The re...

First pre-print from the Lucas Lab led by Matthew Giammar and @joshdcryoem.bsky.social online today! We develop a new, extensible Python implementation of 2DTM and apply it to build pixel size optimization, constrained search and characterize molecular motions in situ www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Another exciting opportunity @dunnschool.bsky.social !

Come and be a colleague to a great group of scientists working on the fundamental mechanisms underlying disease, and how to transform health

Please help us find great applicants

The Dunn School PhD programme is live! 🎉

Two projects in our labs:
1) How the motor protein giant dynein-2 works
2) How signalling-essential membrane proteins get into cilia

Cryo-EM/ET, single mol & live-cell fluor microscopy, CRISPR-based genetic tools & more!

www.path.ox.ac.uk/study-with-u...

Applications now open for our PhD studentship programme - Dunn School Applications are now open to apply for our four year, fully-funded PhD programme in Molecular Cell Biology in Health and Disease.

Our PhD studentship programme is officially open; pass it on

If you are looking for a fully-funded PhD in the mechanisms underlying human disease, here are the details...

Great science and a great environment!

www.path.ox.ac.uk/news-article...

Group Leader Career Development Fellowships - Dunn School Are you an early career researcher interested in the cell or molecular mechanisms underlying disease? Do you have an outstanding record and an innovative research plan?

Are you a postdoc interested in the mechanisms of disease?

Do you have a great record and an exciting vision?

Come and start your own lab @dunnschool.bsky.social by applying for sponsorship for early career fellowships.

Deadline 30th September...pass it on!

www.path.ox.ac.uk/work-with-us...

Very cool!!

In-cell structure of a LINC complex reveals the molecular basis for membrane remodelling and head-to-tail coupling in sperm cells In eukaryotic cells, LINC complexes physically bridge the two nuclear membranes to cytoskeletal filaments, transmitting mechanical forces to the nucleus. Due to their dynamic and membrane-embedded nat...

Fantastic work by the group of @matteoall.bsky.social : a SUN5:Nesprin3 complex at the head:tail junction of sperm cells. 🤯 #teamtomo

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Multi-scale Molecular Imaging of Human Cells reveals COPI and COPII Vesicles at ER Exit Sites Trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus comprises the first steps toward the correct localization of 30% of eukaryotic proteins. Coat protein complexes COPII and COPI are inv...

Go check out the latest preprint from Giulia Zanetti's lab. @dr-downes.bsky.social used cryo-tomography to directly visualize COPI and COPII coated vesicles in situ at unprecedented resolution in human cells. Amazingly beautiful, rigorous, insightful work.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Nde1 promotes Lis1 binding to full-length autoinhibited human dynein 1 - Nature Chemical Biology Cryo-electron microscopy and biochemical reconstitution analysis reveals that Nde1 enhances Lis1 binding to autoinhibited dynein, promoting formation of a Phi-like–Lis1 intermediate during dynein acti...

Cryo-EM and biochemical reconstitution analysis reveal that Nde1 enhances Lis1 binding to autoinhibited dynein, promoting formation of a Phi-like-Lis1 intermediate during dynein activation

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Congratulations team! 🎉🎉

This is a brilliant opportunity. I was sponsored through this scheme, and the support was (and remains) phenomenal. Please share.

Thrilled to see our study on how kinesin-2 motors are switched on and off published in @natsmb.nature.com ⚛️

➡️ www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Congrats to all authors from me and Anthony 🎉 @dunnschool.bsky.social Check out this animation made by talented PhD student @matthew-batisio.bsky.social 😆

New lab preprint! Unveiling the Molecular Architecture of T Cells and Immune Synapses with Cryo-Expansion Microscopy (Cryo-ExM). A fantastic collaboration with Dr. Benita Wolf. Congratulations to all authors, especially Florent Lemaitre, for leading this amazing work! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...