NEWS

25 April 2025

Our Oxford lab contributes to a first published study!

The work from our collaborators in the Reuther, Sieben, Ciminski, and Schwemmle labs shows how the H18N11 bat influenza A viruses induce nanoscale MHCII clustering upon host cell attachment.

More details can be found here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58834-y

Screenshot of a Nature Communications open access article titled "The bat influenza A virus subtype H18N11 induces nanoscale MHCII clustering upon host cell attachment," published on April 25, 2025.

14 April 2025

Snezana enjoys her first cryoEM

data collection

A modern laboratory with scientific equipment, desks, and computers, showing a bright and organized workspace.

9 April 2025

JOIN US: The first postdoctoral position in the lab has just gone live!

Please see the details on Nature Careers website or go to the ad at the University website directly via the link at the top right corner of the bookmark bar. More details can be also found in the “People” section.

Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, a modern cutting edge biochemistry department, with colourful vertical panels and glass entrance.
Job listing on Nature Careers for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Structural Cell Virology in the Wrobel lab at the University of Oxford.

28 March 2025

We are awarded the Human Frontiers Science Program Research Grant

We are very excited to receive funding from the HFSP to collaborate with Marcin Suskiewicz (https://msuskiewicz.github.io/research/) and Max Staller (https://www.stallerlab.com/) on an exciting project on the frontier of human biology!

Details will follow, as we are about to launch this collaborative initiative on the 1st of September 2025.

Logo of the Human Frontier Science Program with a globe symbol and text "International Human Frontier Science Program Organization."

10 February 2025

Tremaine freezes his first grids

And they look good!

Harley hones her freezing skills and progresses to grid clipping.

Scientist wearing goggles and gloves working in a lab on freezing specimens for cryoEM.
Scientist in a lab coat and safety goggles working on freezing specimens for cryogenic electron microscopy.
A scientist wearing safety goggles and orange gloves sits in a lab next to a Vitrobot machine, used for cryo-electron microscopy preparation.
A woman in a lab coat working with laboratory equipment, including the aparatus for clipping grids for cryoEM.
Two scientists in lab coats working with laboratory equipment, examining samples during grid clipping for cryoEM.

6 December 2024

The lab enjoys a Christmas lunch with our friends from the Zitzmann Lab!

A group of people sitting at a long dining table in a restaurant, with plates and drinks in front of them. The setting is a bright, possibly enclosed patio with plants and decorative items on shelves. The scene suggests a gathering or celebration.

2 December 2024

Harley freezes her first grids

And clearly enjoys the process and shows a real talent for it!

A person wearing safety goggles and a lab coat working on freezing grids on a Vitrobot.

1 October 2024

The lab gains its Senior Scientist

Snezana joins us moving from the Zitzmann Lab. As an established expert in molecular biology and glycoprotein chemistry, and a long-term member of the department, she will facilitate all aspects of the work ongoing in the lab.

Snezana we are so lucky to have you!

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20 September 2024

The lab gains its first members

Harley and Tremaine, Part II students at the Department of Biochemistry, join the lab as its first official members (co-supervised with Nicole Zitzmann).

Harley’s work will focus on understanding at the molecular level the receptor recognition by gamma-coronaviruses. Tremaine will work on understanding the molecular mechanisms governing the folding and quality control of viral membrane proteins.

Person wearing a white lab coat and safety goggles, smiling in a laboratory setting.
A person smiling indoors with a light background.

9 September 2024

We are awarded the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant

Our GLYCvsPROT grant will focus on understanding how viruses switch between glycan and protein receptors and what it might mean for the past and future pandemics . More details can be found on the University and ERC websites:

https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/news/starting-grants-2024-examples-projects

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-09-05-six-oxford-researchers-awarded-european-research-council-starting-grants-launch

Logo of the European Research Council featuring the letters 'erc' over a pattern of orange dots, with the text 'European Research Council' and 'Established by the European Commission' below.
Origami sculpture with red and blue geometric shapes on a yellow background, representing a fusion glycoprotein of a coronavirus.
Historic building with dome in Oxford, featuring stone facade and ornate architectural details.
Logo for "Department of Biochemistry 1923 - 2023" of the Oxford University, featuring DNA strand design.
The Wellcome Trust logo: stylized black letter 'W' over the word 'wellcome' in lowercase letters on a white background.

1 September 2024

The Wrobel lab opens at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford thanks to generous funding from the Wellcome Trust.

Exciting future lies ahead!