News from SGC

SGC-Abbvie collaboration results in A-196, chemical probe for SUV4-20

Posted on Monday 23rd of January 2017

In the most recent issue of Nature Chemical Biology, SGC-Toronto and Abbvie researchers share the results of their collaboration to create the first-in-class chemical probe for SUV4-20. A-196, an open access potent and selective inhibitor for SUV4-20, decreases H4K20 methylation and alters the DNA damage response, and is a useful tool to investigate the regulation of genomic integrity.

For the Nature Chemical Biology paper: http://www.nature.com/nchembio/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nchembio.2282....

An open approach to Huntington’s disease research

Posted on Monday 23rd of January 2017

Rachel Harding, a postdoctoral fellow at SGC-Toronto, writes in this online Nature blog about her open lab notebook experiences sharing her Huntington’s disease research data in real-time.

http://blogs.nature.com/scientificdata/2016/10/19/an-open-approach-to-hu...

Why biomedical philanthropy supports redundant science [TEDx Toronto Video]

Posted on Monday 23rd of January 2017

In this TEDxToronto talk, SGC Director, Aled Edwards, outlines the case for open science as a key to the development of cures and global advancement.

http://www.tedxtoronto.com/speakers/aled-edwards

The patent trap? Open science advocates want CRISPR technology to be free

Posted on Monday 23rd of January 2017

SGC Director, Aled Edwards, speaks in favour of open science in this CBC piece on privatizing CRISPR gene-editing technology.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/crispr-gene-editing-technology-patent-1.38...

SGC Scientists Report the First Chemical Probe for PCAF Bromodomain

Posted on Thursday 12th of January 2017

Scientists from the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) and Oxford University report the first potent and selective chemical probe for the bromodomain of PCAF in an article published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition

High-throughput protein production and crystallization EMBO course

Posted on Thursday 12th of January 2017

The study of proteins is a key aspect of the drug design process.

To spark medical innovation, Canada should embrace Open Science

Posted on Monday 9th of January 2017

SGC's director, Aled Edwards, pens an op-ed in The Globe and Mail on stimulating innovation in Canada with open science. Full article here.

UNC Catalyst initiative aims to create, share tools to fight rare diseases

Posted on Monday 9th of January 2017

In collaboration with the SGC and the Genetic Alliance, the UNC Catalyst at the University of North Carolina will give researchers the tools and knowledge to tackle rare and orphaned diseases. The initiative was launched with a $2 million grant from the Eshelman Institute for Innovation. For the full news release, please read here.

Functions of bromodomain-containing proteins and their roles in homeostasis and cancer

Posted on Thursday 5th of January 2017

We review this month the role(s) of bromodomains (BRDs), evolutionary conserved protein–protein interaction modules that are found in a wide range of proteins with diverse catalytic and scaffolding functions, present in most tissues. BRDs selectively recognize and bind to acetylated lysine residues, particularly acetylated histones and thereby play important roles in regulating gene expression.

3D map of PC2 to jump-start drug discovery efforts in polycystic kidney disease

Posted on Monday 19th of December 2016

http://www.nature.com/nsmb/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nsmb.3343.html

Oxford, UK, December 19, 2016, Scientists from the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) and Oxford University report a three-dimensional view of the Polycystin-2 (PC2), a protein that causes autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) when mutated, in an article published today in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology.