01-Jun-2026
On 12 May 2026, Instruct-UK hosted a conference at the Wellcome Trust in London. This meeting brought together the UK structural biology community to discuss needs and priorities for the next decade. The conference featured a number of high-profile speakers, including Nobel prize winner Richard Henderson, and Instruct-ERIC founding Director Sir David Stuart.
The morning session focused on the strategy that the UK community should adopt to develop structural biology over the next ten years. Yvonne Jones (STRUBI) and Helen Saibil (Birkbeck College) gave comprehensive overviews of the current state of play for structural biology in the UK, while Richard Henderson (MRC) outlined what future developments might look like. Following this, there was a discussion on how to co-ordinate funding efforts to benefit the whole community.
The afternoon featured a showcase of research from the UK structural biology community, as well as how Instruct-ERIC can support access to infrastructure and integration with researchers and facility staff in Europe. Pamela Williams (Astex Pharmaceuticals) highlighted the value that research infrastructures provide to industry and pharmaceutical companies in particular. It was clear that not just access to technologies, but also the access to relevant expertise is highly valued within the industrial sector. Sebastian Porav (University of Leeds) discussed his experience of an Instruct-ERIC internship, and how valuable collaborations within academia are for helping young researchers to make connections and develop skills.
The conference ended with a talk by Sir Dave Stuart, who discussed future directions and how the UK structural biology community can co-ordinate efforts to ensure funding necessary for future infrastructure developments.
We would like to thank all members of the UK structural biology community who attended in-person and online for your valuable contributions. Recordings of the event will be available on our YouTube channel in due course.
