Wojciech Kopec
@wojciechkopec.bsky.social
Lecturer in Computational Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Queen Mary University of London | Visiting Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences | Computational Electrophysiology & Ion Channels
Poland->Denmark->USA->Germany->UK..?
Poland->Denmark->USA->Germany->UK..?
Pinned
Wojciech Kopec
@wojciechkopec.bsky.social
· Nov 21
MD simulations of K+ ions permeation through the MthK potassium channel, done at +150 mV. We developed and applied optimized ion parameters within the Electronic Continuum Correction (ECC) framework. The simulated current quantitatively matches the experimental one.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
October 20, 2025 at 9:06 PM
www.ft.com/content/7144... another thing that makes moving to the UK difficult and should be removed ASAP - simply does not make sense
Scientists charged too much to come to work in UK, says Royal Society
Combined upfront cost of the five-year Global Talent Visa and the Immigration Health Surcharge stands at £5,941
www.ft.com
October 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM
www.ft.com/content/7144... another thing that makes moving to the UK difficult and should be removed ASAP - simply does not make sense
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
‘Economics Nobel prize won by researchers who showed how science boosts growth’ by @philipcball.bsky.social in @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/d41...
October 13, 2025 at 8:34 PM
‘Economics Nobel prize won by researchers who showed how science boosts growth’ by @philipcball.bsky.social in @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
Destroying UK HE through completely backwards policies that perpetuate a death spiral for the sector is not novel, though.
It's the endgame for two decades of erosion and implosion.
It's the endgame for two decades of erosion and implosion.
Sending some universities to the wall based on spurious assumptions about teaching quality, which are based on spurious data about graduate employment rates and salaries, would certainly be a novel approach to managing the HE system.
(from The Sunday Times: www.thetimes.com/uk/education...)
(from The Sunday Times: www.thetimes.com/uk/education...)
October 12, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Destroying UK HE through completely backwards policies that perpetuate a death spiral for the sector is not novel, though.
It's the endgame for two decades of erosion and implosion.
It's the endgame for two decades of erosion and implosion.
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
@dabiophysicist.bsky.social I just found a news-and-views article about the Aldrich lab's classic work on Shaker K+ channel inactivation. An *amazing* snapshot-in-time, in the pre-structural era but with everyone knowing it's only a matter of time. What an amazing piece of science reporting!
October 12, 2025 at 6:05 PM
@dabiophysicist.bsky.social I just found a news-and-views article about the Aldrich lab's classic work on Shaker K+ channel inactivation. An *amazing* snapshot-in-time, in the pre-structural era but with everyone knowing it's only a matter of time. What an amazing piece of science reporting!
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
And before 'austerity', HE was one of our world-leading (almost world-*defining*) sectors; raising fees, cutting funding, imposing the disastrous REF regimen, and redefining HE as employment preparation has utterly eviscerated the core ethos and role of our universities.
October 10, 2025 at 9:07 AM
And before 'austerity', HE was one of our world-leading (almost world-*defining*) sectors; raising fees, cutting funding, imposing the disastrous REF regimen, and redefining HE as employment preparation has utterly eviscerated the core ethos and role of our universities.
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
UK Universities cut 12,000 jobs, more on the way.
40% of Unis in financial crisis.
Major exporter destroyed by successive govts
Obstacles for foreign students.
Low fees in England, lack of govt funding.
£267bn student debt.
Home student numbers down.
How will the UK compete with other nations?
40% of Unis in financial crisis.
Major exporter destroyed by successive govts
Obstacles for foreign students.
Low fees in England, lack of govt funding.
£267bn student debt.
Home student numbers down.
How will the UK compete with other nations?
Thousands more university jobs cut as financial crisis deepens
University workers will vote on national strike action this month over a 1.4% pay offer made in the summer.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 10, 2025 at 6:27 AM
UK Universities cut 12,000 jobs, more on the way.
40% of Unis in financial crisis.
Major exporter destroyed by successive govts
Obstacles for foreign students.
Low fees in England, lack of govt funding.
£267bn student debt.
Home student numbers down.
How will the UK compete with other nations?
40% of Unis in financial crisis.
Major exporter destroyed by successive govts
Obstacles for foreign students.
Low fees in England, lack of govt funding.
£267bn student debt.
Home student numbers down.
How will the UK compete with other nations?
Dear Dr. Kopec,
I hereby confirm the receipt of your application for the vacancy Junior Professorship with Tenure Track in Theoretical Chemistry.
Due to our experience it will take usually about one year to reach a final decision on the offered position.
Found in old emails. Apply early folks 😀
I hereby confirm the receipt of your application for the vacancy Junior Professorship with Tenure Track in Theoretical Chemistry.
Due to our experience it will take usually about one year to reach a final decision on the offered position.
Found in old emails. Apply early folks 😀
October 3, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Dear Dr. Kopec,
I hereby confirm the receipt of your application for the vacancy Junior Professorship with Tenure Track in Theoretical Chemistry.
Due to our experience it will take usually about one year to reach a final decision on the offered position.
Found in old emails. Apply early folks 😀
I hereby confirm the receipt of your application for the vacancy Junior Professorship with Tenure Track in Theoretical Chemistry.
Due to our experience it will take usually about one year to reach a final decision on the offered position.
Found in old emails. Apply early folks 😀
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
Curbing ‘unfunded’ research ‘could chase away academics’.
Researchers wary of signals from senior figures that universities “can’t afford” research without external funding.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Researchers wary of signals from senior figures that universities “can’t afford” research without external funding.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Curbing ‘unfunded’ research ‘could chase away academics’ - Research Professional News
Researchers wary of signals from senior figures that universities “can’t afford” research without external funding
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
September 26, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Curbing ‘unfunded’ research ‘could chase away academics’.
Researchers wary of signals from senior figures that universities “can’t afford” research without external funding.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Researchers wary of signals from senior figures that universities “can’t afford” research without external funding.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Supervising project students in the UK - here are your data, research plan, meetings scheduled week by week, marking sheets and examples from last 5 years
Supervising project students in Eastern Europe - i just read about this new theory, it is now your topic, see you in 6 months
Supervising project students in Eastern Europe - i just read about this new theory, it is now your topic, see you in 6 months
September 27, 2025 at 6:26 AM
Supervising project students in the UK - here are your data, research plan, meetings scheduled week by week, marking sheets and examples from last 5 years
Supervising project students in Eastern Europe - i just read about this new theory, it is now your topic, see you in 6 months
Supervising project students in Eastern Europe - i just read about this new theory, it is now your topic, see you in 6 months
Science Funders > we want you to do research that challenges the current understanding of life
Also science funders > we will give you one postdoc for 2 years
Also science funders > we will give you one postdoc for 2 years
September 26, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Science Funders > we want you to do research that challenges the current understanding of life
Also science funders > we will give you one postdoc for 2 years
Also science funders > we will give you one postdoc for 2 years
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
A brilliant piece in the FT about the human and institutional cost of overreliance on international student fees. Managers are making our most vulnerable students pay the price of a failing funding model and are skewing the purposes of university in their pursuit of fees.
www.ft.com/content/3f49...
www.ft.com/content/3f49...
September 23, 2025 at 7:41 AM
A brilliant piece in the FT about the human and institutional cost of overreliance on international student fees. Managers are making our most vulnerable students pay the price of a failing funding model and are skewing the purposes of university in their pursuit of fees.
www.ft.com/content/3f49...
www.ft.com/content/3f49...
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
Managers should admit the funding model doesn't work and join in advocating for change, not push the pain and risk onto our most vulnerable students and change universities beyond recognition. Or making institutions beholden to agents, taking the future hostage. www.ft.com/content/3f49...
September 24, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Managers should admit the funding model doesn't work and join in advocating for change, not push the pain and risk onto our most vulnerable students and change universities beyond recognition. Or making institutions beholden to agents, taking the future hostage. www.ft.com/content/3f49...
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
UK Universities desperately need support from our government.
Education should be free for everyone.
Education is not a business.
Education is key for a strong economy.
Education is important for everyone's life and well-being.
#Solidarity with @uonucu.bsky.social
Education should be free for everyone.
Education is not a business.
Education is key for a strong economy.
Education is important for everyone's life and well-being.
#Solidarity with @uonucu.bsky.social
Another fantastic days of pickets across the university! We will continue tomorrow with a final day of pickets from 8-11:30 and then make our way to the Trent building for a rally in support of our fight against compulsory redundancies. We'll see you there!
#StopTheCuts #SaveHE
#StopTheCuts #SaveHE
September 23, 2025 at 3:47 PM
UK Universities desperately need support from our government.
Education should be free for everyone.
Education is not a business.
Education is key for a strong economy.
Education is important for everyone's life and well-being.
#Solidarity with @uonucu.bsky.social
Education should be free for everyone.
Education is not a business.
Education is key for a strong economy.
Education is important for everyone's life and well-being.
#Solidarity with @uonucu.bsky.social
“£230bn saving” 🙄 If you issue your own currency, you don’t “fund” the NHS by shrinking the population - you need the real capacity. Migrants add tax, fill critical roles, and face limited benefits access. The constraint isn’t a debt figure; it’s having enough nurses, carers, teachers and builders.
September 22, 2025 at 8:46 PM
“£230bn saving” 🙄 If you issue your own currency, you don’t “fund” the NHS by shrinking the population - you need the real capacity. Migrants add tax, fill critical roles, and face limited benefits access. The constraint isn’t a debt figure; it’s having enough nurses, carers, teachers and builders.
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
Excellent piece on basic income for the arts by Mick Gallen. One of the most talented and hardest working artists I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Amazing to read what the scheme did for him.
www.thejournal.ie/readme/opini...
www.thejournal.ie/readme/opini...
The Basic Income scheme brought me success, wellbeing and family life; the Government must retain it
The pilot scheme has given artists a balance between working well and living well, writes Michael Gallen.
www.thejournal.ie
September 20, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Excellent piece on basic income for the arts by Mick Gallen. One of the most talented and hardest working artists I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Amazing to read what the scheme did for him.
www.thejournal.ie/readme/opini...
www.thejournal.ie/readme/opini...
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
Really helpful post here about the upcoming ballot which you'll have seen an email about on Monday. #WeAreTheUniversity - vote yes to:
▶️protect jobs and prevent cuts
▶️defend the agreements that support our work
▶️demand a pay uplift.
▶️protect jobs and prevent cuts
▶️defend the agreements that support our work
▶️demand a pay uplift.
There should be a joint statement from the five unions in the next day or so (which also mentions pay, jobs, and nationally agreed employment conditions).
For now, here is some further detail on what our dispute is about and what we UCU members will be balloted on nationally:
#WeAreTheUniversity
For now, here is some further detail on what our dispute is about and what we UCU members will be balloted on nationally:
#WeAreTheUniversity
September 9, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Really helpful post here about the upcoming ballot which you'll have seen an email about on Monday. #WeAreTheUniversity - vote yes to:
▶️protect jobs and prevent cuts
▶️defend the agreements that support our work
▶️demand a pay uplift.
▶️protect jobs and prevent cuts
▶️defend the agreements that support our work
▶️demand a pay uplift.
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
It's welcome week and I'm on strike (again) over the University of Edinburgh's refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies. UoE has no deficit, but cuts of £90 million are already underway, damaging teaching, research, and the future of education at our university.
September 8, 2025 at 6:29 AM
It's welcome week and I'm on strike (again) over the University of Edinburgh's refusal to rule out compulsory redundancies. UoE has no deficit, but cuts of £90 million are already underway, damaging teaching, research, and the future of education at our university.
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
Science Secretary Peter Kyle very clear today: 'too many universities are competing for the same pool of students'. He wants much more 'co-operation' (AKA merger) and unis narrowing down to their individual strengths. You have been warned.
www.gov.uk/government/s...
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Peter Kyle’s speech at UK Universities conference 2025
A speech delivered by Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Peter Kyle, at UK Universities conference, Exeter on Thursday 4 September 2025.
www.gov.uk
September 4, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Science Secretary Peter Kyle very clear today: 'too many universities are competing for the same pool of students'. He wants much more 'co-operation' (AKA merger) and unis narrowing down to their individual strengths. You have been warned.
www.gov.uk/government/s...
www.gov.uk/government/s...
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
New preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We used molecular dynamics simulations and solid-state NMR (@fmp-berlin.de) to look at calcium binding to the pore domain of the calcium-gated K+ channel MthK. @wojciechkopec.bsky.social @compbiophys.bsky.social
We used molecular dynamics simulations and solid-state NMR (@fmp-berlin.de) to look at calcium binding to the pore domain of the calcium-gated K+ channel MthK. @wojciechkopec.bsky.social @compbiophys.bsky.social
August 19, 2025 at 7:42 AM
New preprint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We used molecular dynamics simulations and solid-state NMR (@fmp-berlin.de) to look at calcium binding to the pore domain of the calcium-gated K+ channel MthK. @wojciechkopec.bsky.social @compbiophys.bsky.social
We used molecular dynamics simulations and solid-state NMR (@fmp-berlin.de) to look at calcium binding to the pore domain of the calcium-gated K+ channel MthK. @wojciechkopec.bsky.social @compbiophys.bsky.social
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
9 in 10 students are struggling to afford rent and food…
Yet former universities minister Jo Johnson says it’s “perverse” to complain about tuition fee rises 😱
Read our report: tr.ee/wAdLcJ
Yet former universities minister Jo Johnson says it’s “perverse” to complain about tuition fee rises 😱
Read our report: tr.ee/wAdLcJ
August 18, 2025 at 10:44 AM
9 in 10 students are struggling to afford rent and food…
Yet former universities minister Jo Johnson says it’s “perverse” to complain about tuition fee rises 😱
Read our report: tr.ee/wAdLcJ
Yet former universities minister Jo Johnson says it’s “perverse” to complain about tuition fee rises 😱
Read our report: tr.ee/wAdLcJ
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
Jay Bhattacharya, the NIH Director, thinks that if science isn’t popular it should be abandoned.
“No matter how elegant the science, a platform that lacks credibility among the people it seeks to protect cannot fulfill its public health mission”.
He is unfit for his job in every imaginable way.
“No matter how elegant the science, a platform that lacks credibility among the people it seeks to protect cannot fulfill its public health mission”.
He is unfit for his job in every imaginable way.
August 12, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Jay Bhattacharya, the NIH Director, thinks that if science isn’t popular it should be abandoned.
“No matter how elegant the science, a platform that lacks credibility among the people it seeks to protect cannot fulfill its public health mission”.
He is unfit for his job in every imaginable way.
“No matter how elegant the science, a platform that lacks credibility among the people it seeks to protect cannot fulfill its public health mission”.
He is unfit for his job in every imaginable way.
Reposted by Wojciech Kopec
Very few people seem to understand university finances and, distressingly, this includes many academics and most policymakers. This is an attempt to condense the key points you need to know. open.substack.com/pub/profseri...
Understanding University Finances
... a very short guide
open.substack.com
August 10, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Very few people seem to understand university finances and, distressingly, this includes many academics and most policymakers. This is an attempt to condense the key points you need to know. open.substack.com/pub/profseri...
Good read: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Tuition fees are rising again and nobody is happy – it’s time to actually fix our broken university sector | Zoe Williams
The figures simply don’t add up for higher education in England and Wales. Yet delusional politicians from all parties seem intent on avoiding the issue, says Guardian columnist Zoe Williams
www.theguardian.com
August 8, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Good read: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...