MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine

This Sunday is #InternationalWomensDay 🧪
Each year we take our Women of WIMM group photo, celebrating women across our entire community, from research and technical teams to professional services.

Here is to the women of #MRCWIMM.

@rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk

#WIMMReads
🧪 From the Thomas Milne, Robert Beagrie and James Davies Groups: FACT is identified as a key regulator of 3D genome organisation, helping preserve promoter topology and large scale chromatin structure.
Read more👇
#GenomeBiology #Chromatin #WIMM @rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk #AcademicSky

Wishing a happy Holi to everybody celebrating.

#WIMMinFocus
The actin cytoskeleton of megakaryocytes revealed in warm purple tones. These structures shape how cells spread, migrate and prepare for platelet production 🧪

Contours of Cytoskeleton
Lauren Murphy
2025 WIMM Image Competition

#SciComm #AcademicSky @medsci.ox.ac.uk @rdm.ox.ac.uk

The lab’s future work aims to expand this research across the full range of immune receptors, helping to support the development of new immunotherapy regimens for cancer treatment.

Toby is currently investigating T cell co inhibitory signalling by TIM 3, with a particular interest in TIM 3 expression and function in T cells in cancer.

#ScientistSpotlight 🧪

This week we’re featuring Toby Whitehead, a DPhil student in the Sharma and Davis Labs at the #MRCWIMM.

@rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk

#WIMMSpotlight #WIMMCommunity #Immunology #CancerResearch #Immunotherapy #TCells #CheckpointBiology #AcademicSky

Cell sorting, a specialised technique utilising flow cytometry, allows specific cell types to be separated for further study. It is possible to sort millions of cells with high purity in a matter of hours, and it is also possible to isolate single cells for precise downstream interrogation.

Real life impact: Flow cytometry helps us understand normal and abnormal cell development and provides insight into life threatening conditions such as leukaemia, lymphoma, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases by revealing changes in cell populations and immune responses.

It allows scientists to analyse up to millions of cells individually, focusing on cellular characteristics including size, granularity, and specific proteins that can be detected using monoclonal antibodies tagged with fluorescent markers.

#MethodMonday 🧪

New month, new method: What is flow cytometry?

It is a powerful technique used for hundreds of applications, including clinical diagnostics, basic research, and discovery.

#FlowCytometry #WIMMResearch #CellAnalysis #AcademicSky #CellSorting @rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk #Oxford

Rare Disease Day 2025 - YouTube

If you would like to learn more about the science and the people behind it, explore our video playlist 👇🧪🧬 #AcademicSky #RareDisease #Science #Research

Tomorrow is #RareDiseaseDay

Behind every rare disease diagnosis is a person and a family looking for answers. 🧪🧬

Rare diseases are a core focus at #MRCWIMM, driving research that aims to deliver real impact for patients.

@rarediseaseday.bsky.social @rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk

@abattacks.bsky.social @rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk #AcademicSky #bloodcancer

New bone marrow model offers scalable platform for next-generation drug discovery Researchers at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine have developed the first combined human bone and bone marrow organoid platform capable of modelling long-term blood and immune cell pr...

#WIMMReads
🧪 A new study led by Abdullah Khan introduces comBO, the first human bone and bone marrow organoid platform to model long term blood and immune cell production in 3D.

Designed to improve preclinical modelling of blood cancers and immune disorders.
#CancerResearch #Haematology #Organoids

#WIMMinFocus
Whole blood flowing over collagen under controlled conditions. Magenta, green and red reveal activated #platelets in this gold standard in vitro setup 🧪

Where Beauty Meets Function
Natalie Jooss
2025 #WIMMImageCompetition
@rdm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk
#Microscopy #AcademicSky

Spatiotemporal analysis of human intestinal development at single-cell resolution Development of the human intestine is not well understood. Here, we link single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to characterize intest…

📄 Key paper on single cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics in fetal intestine:
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

#WIMMSpotlight #WIMMCommunity #PaediatricResearch #IntestinalImmunology #SpatialTranscriptomics #SingleCellGenomics #RareDiseaseResearch #MRCWIMM

Spatial fibroblast niches define Crohn’s fistulae - Nature Spatial transcriptomic analysis of cells in intestinal fistulae of patients with Crohn’s disease reveals the existence of specialized fistula-associated cell states with distinct signalling profiles a...

📄 Recent paper on spatial transcriptomics in intestinal tissue:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

🔗 Simmons Group, Intestinal Immunology Lab:
www.imm.ox.ac.uk/research/res...

By interrogating these maturation drivers with patient derived organoids, often described as mini guts, his work aims to identify the causative pathways behind devastating rare childhood intestinal disorders such as necrotising enterocolitis and Hirschsprung’s disease.

David's research investigates intestinal development from before birth to adulthood, mapping how it balances exposure and inflammatory responses using single cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics.

#ScientistSpotlight 🧪
This week we’re featuring David Fawkner-Corbett, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Surgery.

@ndm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk @wolfsonoxford.bsky.social #AcademicSky

#TeamScience #WIMMResearch #ImagingFacility

Our MRC WIMM, imaging specialists, provide essential expertise and training ensuring that the local research community in Oxford can operate the advanced microscopes at the highest standard and can apply that transferable skillset for their ongoing and future research projects.

The team discusses upcoming research project’s imaging approaches, helps choose the right microscope, troubleshoot sample preparation and microscopy issues, and redirects researchers to other facilities if a specific technology isn’t available on site, when needed.

#MethodMonday 🧪
Meet the #Imaging Facility at the #MRCWIMM
With over 15 years of expertise each, our two MRC WIMM imaging specialists maintain the instruments and support researchers working with a diverse range of research questions and imaging demands.

@medsci.ox.ac.uk @rdm.ox.ac.uk #AcademicSky

It may be a US import, but we will happily take any excuse to celebrate our pets. Happy Love Your Pet Day everyone! 🐾

Meet some of our #WIMMPets, the companions who keep us grounded, entertained and well walked outside the lab.

#LoveYourPetDay #Pets #Dogs #Cats #Horses #Fish

Pump-priming awards support new cross-cutting research across RDM Three Radcliffe Department of Medicine research teams have secured pump-priming funding to support new collaborations and early-stage research aligned with RDM’s cross-cutting research themes.

Three RDM research teams have secured pump-priming funding to support new collaborations and early-stage research aligned with our cross-cutting research themes.

Find out more about the projects 👇

shorturl.at/tMKHs

A double helix twist in HIV vaccine design DNA origami scaffolds displaying HIV antigens stimulate focused antibody responses in mice

#WIMMReads
🧪 A new Science commentary from #MRCWIMM 's Oliver Bannard highlights how #DNA origami scaffolds could help focus antibody responses in #HIV #vaccine design, offering new directions for broadly protective immunity.
@ndm.ox.ac.uk @medsci.ox.ac.uk

#HIVResearch #Immunology #AcademicSky