Ben Hall
@hallben.bsky.social
Professor in computational cancer biology at UCL interested in disease, mutations, and aging. Funded by CRUK, MRC and Royal Society.
Personal account for science, code, music, photography! “Tired is the new awake”
Personal account for science, code, music, photography! “Tired is the new awake”
It got me thinking that for light harvesting complexes (proteins that turn sunlight to energy in plants etc) you could probably only use crystallography to do this at the very short timescales. This review from 2022 seems to back that view up febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
FEBS Press
Dynamical changes in light-activated proteins can be dissected using the powerful techniques of time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography and small/wide-angle X-ray scattering. Light-induced c....
febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 8, 2025 at 11:37 AM
It got me thinking that for light harvesting complexes (proteins that turn sunlight to energy in plants etc) you could probably only use crystallography to do this at the very short timescales. This review from 2022 seems to back that view up febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Protein crystallography is still being done, but cryoelectron microscopy is very popular now to get the same types of data (don’t need crystals, very hard to grow and require brute force search).
I’ve heard some people say that it’s all replaced by alphafold but I really don’t think it’s true
I’ve heard some people say that it’s all replaced by alphafold but I really don’t think it’s true
November 8, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Protein crystallography is still being done, but cryoelectron microscopy is very popular now to get the same types of data (don’t need crystals, very hard to grow and require brute force search).
I’ve heard some people say that it’s all replaced by alphafold but I really don’t think it’s true
I’ve heard some people say that it’s all replaced by alphafold but I really don’t think it’s true
With proteins you need to solve the phase problem because of the large number of atoms- was it small enough in principle for you to avoid that?
Been ages since I thought about it- tried unsuccessfully to become a protein crystallographer, though I found the technical side of things interesting
Been ages since I thought about it- tried unsuccessfully to become a protein crystallographer, though I found the technical side of things interesting
November 8, 2025 at 11:26 AM
With proteins you need to solve the phase problem because of the large number of atoms- was it small enough in principle for you to avoid that?
Been ages since I thought about it- tried unsuccessfully to become a protein crystallographer, though I found the technical side of things interesting
Been ages since I thought about it- tried unsuccessfully to become a protein crystallographer, though I found the technical side of things interesting
Oh cool, so you’d line up the sample, and shoot continuously whilst perturbing in some way?
November 8, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Oh cool, so you’d line up the sample, and shoot continuously whilst perturbing in some way?
Proteins/biomolecules, or something less cool?
November 8, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Proteins/biomolecules, or something less cool?
I hadn’t thought of that but you’re right, and it’s a problem for other domains too. Particularly intense competition for limited numbers of overseas studentships where I’ve heard people saying for example you need a publication to be competitive for international phd studentships
November 7, 2025 at 8:36 AM
I hadn’t thought of that but you’re right, and it’s a problem for other domains too. Particularly intense competition for limited numbers of overseas studentships where I’ve heard people saying for example you need a publication to be competitive for international phd studentships
It seems to be missing the problem that comes up when speaking to European colleagues- the need to publish to graduate for many degrees. And that’s a problem coming from academia
November 7, 2025 at 8:27 AM
It seems to be missing the problem that comes up when speaking to European colleagues- the need to publish to graduate for many degrees. And that’s a problem coming from academia
Can’t tell you what the insult could mean though.
“Did you see Eileen? Floods of tears. Geoff scared the life out of her by silently appearing behind her when she was concentrating on something.”
“Guys an absolute Batman, he’s got to knock it off”
“Did you see Eileen? Floods of tears. Geoff scared the life out of her by silently appearing behind her when she was concentrating on something.”
“Guys an absolute Batman, he’s got to knock it off”
November 6, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Can’t tell you what the insult could mean though.
“Did you see Eileen? Floods of tears. Geoff scared the life out of her by silently appearing behind her when she was concentrating on something.”
“Guys an absolute Batman, he’s got to knock it off”
“Did you see Eileen? Floods of tears. Geoff scared the life out of her by silently appearing behind her when she was concentrating on something.”
“Guys an absolute Batman, he’s got to knock it off”
I saw someone point out that “absolute Batman” sounds like a plausible insult
November 6, 2025 at 2:29 PM
I saw someone point out that “absolute Batman” sounds like a plausible insult
Reposted by Ben Hall
Basics of Visual Rhetoric in Science
Basics of Visual Rhetoric in Science Dr. Kerry Spencer Pray
docs.google.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:27 PM
But what will you give to the trick or treaters?
October 31, 2025 at 5:02 PM
But what will you give to the trick or treaters?
I’ve had some built into plug splitters, usually for more sensitive devices like computers.
October 31, 2025 at 3:37 PM
I’ve had some built into plug splitters, usually for more sensitive devices like computers.
I think I reached my limit when it autocorrected my name to Bean in a sign off
October 28, 2025 at 8:44 PM
I think I reached my limit when it autocorrected my name to Bean in a sign off