Paul Beales

Professor of Soft Matter & Biophysics. Membranes, vesicles, medical applications, artificial cells. Interdisciplinary science education. Art-science interface.

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

One week left to apply for these two exciting postdoc positions.

Please repost and circulate to your networks. Thanks!

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

We are recruiting 2 postdocs for the ACROPATH project, which aims to develop artificial cells for diagnosis of pathogen infections.

This is a joint UK-Japan collaboration with secondments at project partners.

Deadline is Monday 3rd February.

Details of the positions are below.

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

You will now mainly find me @bealeslab.bsky.social.

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

Research Fellow in Artificial Cell Modification

Particularly suited to applicants with expertise in protein overexpression and purification, peptide synthesis and characterisation of proteins and their conjugates, including mass spectrometry.

https://t.co/y3Ln07fNFy

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

We are recruiting 2 postdocs for the ACROPATH project, which aims to develop artificial cells for diagnosis of pathogen infections.

This is a joint UK-Japan collaboration with secondments at project partners.

Deadline is Monday 3rd February.

Details of the positions are below.

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

Research Fellow in Artificial Cell Engineering

Particularly suited to applicants with expertise in assembly & characterisation of biomimetic membranes/vesicles, including encapsulation of functional biomolecules and/or functionalisation of the membranes.

https://t.co/ZkW5zEibdS

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

@professor_dave When resorting to calling a Fellow of the Royal Society a neo-fascist then we know things must really be a mess!

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

Great to see this work finally out in @angew_chem. Congratulations to @zexi_xu on producing fascinating data on the interaction dynamics between cubosomes and vesicles. Lots of potential for developing this towards minimal machinery for membrane remodelling in artificial cells.

[Angewandte Chemie @angew_chem]

Topological and Morphological Membrane Dynamics in Giant Lipid Vesicles Driven by Monoolein Cubosomes (Paul A. Beales and co-workers) @zexi_xu @michellepeckham @NotAnElf @BealesLab #openaccess 🔓 https://t.co/MRZgkPhqHJ

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

@KateAdamala @The_Angu @EricTopol @ScienceMagazine There's no controlling how the press present a story. I've experienced that too. We need to be nuanced & balanced in discussions. I thought the Science article was very worst case scenario. Life always amazes me & it wouldn't surprise me if native life soon adapted to any threat.

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

@KateAdamala @The_Angu @EricTopol @ScienceMagazine The community probably needs a discussion on how best to engage in measured dialogue about ethics and risk. I'm not convinced that initiating major press headlines of "mirror bacteria that could wipe out mankind" is the answer.

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

@The_Angu @KateAdamala @EricTopol @ScienceMagazine For me, the question is the extent of this idea of "invisibility" - there would still be intermolecular interactions. I bet if we decorated nanoparticles with right-handed proteins and gave repeat doses to immune-competent mice, they would soon generate antibodies against them.

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

@The_Angu @KateAdamala @EricTopol @ScienceMagazine Interesting hypothesis. I was thinking the carbon fixation could be good for the climate! I guess you can have too much of a good thing!

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

@KateAdamala @The_Angu @EricTopol @ScienceMagazine Then was the article and press coverage an example of putting the cart before the horse? Should the wider community discussions have been had first before presenting outcomes to the public?

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

@KateAdamala @The_Angu @EricTopol @ScienceMagazine Was the entire field in agreement? The fact you plan a workshop/discussion on this next year suggests not. But what will be the purpose of this meeting when the bad press and public mistrust has already been created?

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

@KateAdamala @The_Angu @EricTopol @ScienceMagazine I have no opinion on mirror life, only questions. However your previous comment came across as fairly absolute and final!

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

@KateAdamala @The_Angu @EricTopol @ScienceMagazine But at least there'll likely be a good Hollywood disaster movie or Netflix series that comes out of this!

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

@KateAdamala @The_Angu @EricTopol @ScienceMagazine That is why I think it's a dangerous precedent. Do we want a scientific community that is constantly throwing fear at the public? Will that more broadly improve public trust in science? I think not. We need less public forums to play out these conversations first. (4/4)

[Paul Beales @BealesLab]

@The_Angu @KateAdamala @EricTopol @ScienceMagazine Would the chirality of cyanotoxins matter? I don't know. But a moot point as it's now a lost technology given the press release and subsequent news articles of putative doomsday scenarios. Even if later proven unjustified, public opinion will always now fear this.