The Biochemist

1 Biochemist The Magazine of the Biochemical Society Vol. 40 No. 2 April 2018. Movement and Motors Scientific Meetings 83rd Harden Conference: Protein Disulphide Bonds - Biochemistry, Autophagy from Molecules to Disease II Biotechnology and Biomedical impact 3 7 June 2018 31 August 1 September 2018. Chesford Grange, Warwick, UK University of Kent, Canterbury, UK. The Biology and Physics of Bacterial Biennual International LRRK2 Meeting Chromosome Organisation 2018 2 4 September 2018. 4 6 June 2018 The Botanical Garden, Padua, Italy Golden Tulip, Leiden, The Netherlands 84th Harden Conference: Translation UK 2018 Single-Molecule Bacteriology 5 6 July 2018 9 12 September 2018. University of Manchester, UK Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, UK.

2 Small G Proteins in Cellular Signalling Acylation of intracellular and and Disease Secreted Proteins: Mechanisms 9 12 July 2018 and Functional Outcomes Clare College, Cambridge, UK 10 12 September 2018. Old Ship Hotel, Brighton, UK. Structure and Mechanism of Membrane Proteins Synthetic Biology UK 2018. 2 3 August 2018 November 2018. Maple House, Birmingham, UK Bristol, UK. Sponsorship opportunities available to help you reach a targeted group of molecular bioscientists. Contact Registration and further details can be found at Registered in England and Wales Charity No: 253894 Company No: 892796. The Biochemist Vol. 40 No. 2. Contents Movement and Motors Editorial 3 Regulars Student Focus 40. Features molecular Motors: a story of a lifetime The bacterial flagellar motor and the 4 Meg Booth evolution of molecular machines Morgan Beeby Lifelong Learning 42.

3 Out of the classroom and into the workplace 4 The choreography of life 10 James Brown Charles B. Reilly Policy Matters 45. Traffic control inside the cell: 14 Brexit uncertainty looms over government policies microtubule-based regulation James Tooze of cargo transport Linda Balabanian, Abdullah R. Chaudhary Careers 46. and Adam G. Hendricks A day in the life of a Research Scientist Lorenza Giannella Who let the fat out? 18. 14 Roop Mallik Book reviews 58. Cartoon 59. Not just a pretty cargo carrier: 22 Prize Crossword 60. the other face of kinesins Claire Friel Obituary DNA in a twist? How topoisomerases 26 Rachel Leech (1936 2017) 48. solve topological problems in DNA Caroline Dean, Mike Chadwick and Dale Sanders Natassja G.

4 Bush, Monica Agarwal, Sara R. Henderson, Nidda F. Waraich and Anthony Maxwell News 22 It's good to unwind: 32 Events and Membership News 50. how Hel308/HelQ helicases 2017 Society member survey 52. are good for health Royal Society of Biology News 54. Tabitha Jenkins, Sarah Northall, Edward Bolt Introducing the Early Career and Panos Soultanas Member Representative 55. CEO Viewpoint 56. Interview 38. Magnetic attraction Michael Winklhofer Helen Albert 32. Coming up in 2018. June Fertility August Food Production 42. April 2018 Biochemical Society 1. Editorial For advertising and inserts contact: Marketing Department Microscopic manoeuvres Biochemical Society Charles Darwin House by Chris Willmott, Science Editor 12 Roger Street London WC1N 2JU As some readers of The Biochemist will be aware, I.

5 Tel.: +44 (0) 20 7685 2411; fax: +44 (0) 20 7685 2469 am an enthusiast for the use of broadcast media in email: teaching (I wrote a piece on this for the December 2015 issue of the magazine) and I keep an eye out Production by Portland Press Limited for programmes with educational potential. It Editor: Helen Albert was this interest that led me to the BBC's recent Typesetting and layout: Rowena Weedon Design by Peter Jones re-transmission of the classic Secret Universe: The hidden life of the cell from 2012. For those unfamiliar with the programme Printed by Cambrian Printers Ltd, Aberystwyth (and if you haven't seen it, I do recommend you carve out an hour to do so), a Published by Portland Press Limited six times a year combination of computer-generated imagery and interviews with prominent (February, April, June, August, October and December).

6 Scientists sheds light on the inner complexities of the cell. 2017 Biochemical Society Built around the narrative of an adenovirus invasion, frequent reference ISSN 0954-982X (Print); ISSN 1740-1194 (Online) is made to the work of different molecular machines within the cell. One of the striking animations depicts a dynein molecule unwittingly transporting Charles Darwin House a virus towards the nucleus, where it will conduct a hijacking of the host cell. 12 Roger Street London WC1N 2JU. Dynein is included amongst the proteins discussed in this edition's articles tel.: 020 7685 2410 on molecular machines. Indeed, different aspects of microtubule-associated email: proteins feature prominently. To begin with, Balabanian, Chaudhary and website: Hendricks offer insight to the molecular signals that help to ensure kinesins Registered charity no.

7 253894 and dynein deliver their cargo to the correct intra-cellular locations. Mallik then describes how the interests of his lab switched from carrier to cargo as Subscriptions they became increasingly focused on the function of lipid droplets which email: were initially little more to them than conveniently trackable freight. Friel Science Editor: Chris Willmott (University of Leicester, UK) turns our attention to the diversity of other roles performed by kinesins, for example in microtubule assembly and disassembly. Editorial Board: David Pye, Shane Hegarty, Elsewhere, Reilly and Beeby separately offer fresh insight into two of Megan Booth, Harriet Groom, Matthew Lloyd, the best known molecular motors, which are respectively ATP synthase and Patrick Walter and Heather Doran.

8 Flagella. Reilly examines the interplay of classical Newtonian mechanics and quantum mechanics in modelling the movement of biomolecular complexes. The Editors are pleased to consider items submitted by Beeby discusses the significance of flagella diversity in delivering different Society members for publication. Opinions expressed in signed articles are not necessarily those of the Society. torque for different jobs. Finally, we have a pair of articles looking at the manipulation of nucleic US agent: Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., acids. Faithful replication and processing of DNA requires a veritable army 156 15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11431, USA of molecular machines. Bush and colleagues introduce us to mechanistic aspects of topoisomerases, such as my favourite enzyme DNA gyrase, in the Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica, NY11431,USA.

9 Management of DNA topology, as well as considering the clinical relevance of Postmaster: address corrections to The Biochemist , Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156 15, compounds that can interrupt the activity of these essential proteins. Jenkins 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11431, USA et al. discuss the role of helicases in unwinding DNA, particularly in the context of DNA repair process associated with replication and recombination. In this issue, we also introduce a revamped Student Focus section. The Society recognises the importance of increased representation for students and early career scientists, and it is hoped this will offer a channel for their voice to be heard. Meg Booth, student rep on the Editorial Board and Student Editor for the magazine, sets the ball rolling.

10 Find us on Facebook at Biochemical Society Further reading & viewing Secret Universe: The hidden life of the cell is on BBC iPlayer until 21st April 2018, but is also available via other Willmott C (2015) Putting the moving image to work in biochemistry Follow us on Twitter @The_Biochemist education The Biochemist 37(6):29-31 bio/03706/0029 April 2018 Biochemical Society 3. Movement and Motors The bacterial flagellar motor and the evolution of molecular machines Morgan Beeby Understanding how life on earth evolved is an enduringly fascinating and profound question. (Imperial College London, UK) Relative to our understanding of eukaryotic evolution, however, our understanding of how the molecular machines underpinning life have evolved is poor.