LMB / About / History

History of the LMB

Since its origin in 1947, the LMB has made many key scientific advances and, where appropriate, our discoveries and inventions have been commercialised and form the basis of several biotechnology companies, new therapeutics and medical advances.

2024 Science

Whole brain connectome of fruit fly is most complex brain ever mapped

2024 Spin‑out

TRIMTECH Therapeutics formed to advance targeted protein degradation therapies

2023 Spin‑out

Sortera Bio formed to realise therapeutic potential of deep screening technology

2023 Spin‑out

RNAvate formed to develop novel RNA medicines

2022 Spin‑out

Constructive Bio formed to develop DNA assembly and genome reprogramming technology

2020 Science

First visualisation of individual protein atoms with cryo‑EM

2020 Science

First high resolution structures of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins on intact virions

2019 Technology

First synthesis of an entire recoded E. coli genome

©LarissaUlisko
2018 Spin‑out

PepGen formed to develop cell penetrating peptides for the treatment of rare genetic disorders

2018 Spin‑out

Inflectis Bioscience founded to develop multifunctional brain-penetrant therapies for neurological diseases

2017‑18 Science

Structures of tau filaments from Alzheimer’s and Pick’s diseases solved

2015 Science

First spliceosomal complex structures determined

2013 Science

Cryo-EM atomic structures at near-atomic resolution

2013 Building

New LMB building opened

2012 Technology

RELION computer programme developed for single-particle reconstruction of cryo-EM data

2012 Technology

Direct detectors for cryo-EM developed

2010 Science

Discovered that antibodies fight viruses within infected cells

2009 Spin‑out

Bicycle Therapeutics formed to develop novel therapeutic platform

2008 Science

β-adrenergic receptor structure determined

2007 Spin‑out

Heptares Therapeutics formed to discover new medicines targeting G protein-coupled receptors

2002 Science

Molecular mechanism of antibody mutation uncovered

2000 Science

Structure of 30S ribosomal subunit and its complexes determined

2000 Spin‑out

Domantis formed to develop human single domain antibody therapies

1999 Spin‑out

Gendaq launched to develop gene regulation technology using zinc finger DNA binding proteins

1998 Science

C. elegans is the first animal to have its genome sequenced

1997 Science

Identification of major component of filamentous lesions found in Parkinson’s disease

1994 Science

Structure of F1 subunit of mitochondrial ATPase revealed

1994 Spin‑out

RiboTargets founded to develop structure-based antibacterial and anticancer therapeutics

1990 Technology

Phage display of antibody fragments technique developed

1990 Science

First high-resolution structure of a biomolecule, bacteriorhodopsin, using cryo‑EM

1989 Spin‑out

Cambridge Antibody Technology formed to develop antibody therapeutics

1988 Technology

First patient treated with humanised antibody, Campath-1

1987 Technology

Commercial production of MRC confocal microscope

1986 Technology

First humanised antibody produced

1986 Science

C. elegans is the first animal to have its entire nervous system mapped

1985 Science

Zinc finger DNA-binding motif proposed

1984 Spin‑out

Somatogen founded to produce artificial blood

1983 Science

Embryonic cell lineage of C. elegans unravelled

1980 Spin‑out

Celltech founded to utilise monoclonal antibody technology

1977 Technology

Method for sequencing DNA developed

1976 Science

First computerised model of an enzymatic reaction

1975 Technology

Monoclonal antibody methodology invented

1975 Science

First 3D structure of a membrane protein, bacteriorhodopsin

1972 Science

Asymmetric lipid bilayer structure for biological membranes proposed

1972 Science

Signal peptide sequence which directs protein secretion discovered

1971 Science

Precursor tRNA molecules found and discovery of catalytic RNA

1968 Science

First 3D models of protein structures from electron microscopy

1967 Science

First mutant of nematode worm, C. elegans, produced

1962 Building

Original LMB building opened

1961 Science

Demonstration of the triplet nature of the genetic code [1]

1959 Science

Structure of haemoglobin determined [1]

1959 Science

First atomic-resolution map of a protein, myoglobin [1]

1957 Science

Single amino acid change causes sickle cell anaemia [1]

1953 Science

Double‑helix structure of DNA elucidated [1]

1953 Science

Sliding filament model for muscle contraction proposed [1]

1951 Science

First full chemical sequence of a protein, insulin, deduced [2]

1947 Building

MRC ‘Unit for Research on the Molecular Structure of Biological Systems’ established

Footnote:
  1. Research conducted in the MRC Unit for Research on the Molecular Structure of Biological Systems located within the University of Cambridge.
  2. Research conducted in the University of Cambridge Department of Biochemistry, while Sanger was a member of the Extended Staff of the Medical Research Council.