The MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge is one of the world’s most influential centres for biological research. Since its founding in 1962, the LMB has been a place where curiosity-driven science has repeatedly led to discoveries that transformed our understanding of life, and how it fails in disease.

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Neurobiology has long been a central part of this story. Researchers at the LMB have uncovered fundamental principles of how neurons communicate, how synapses form and change, the molecular underpinnings of neurodegenerative disorders and how complex behaviours emerge from neural circuits. From the molecular machinery of synaptic transmission to the organisation of sensory and motor pathways, work at the LMB has helped define how the brain processes information and controls action. Sidney Brenner’s visionary work using the tiny nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model to understand the nervous system led to the first complete reconstruction of a nervous system, the C. elegans connectome.

 

What sets the LMB apart is its uniquely integrated approach. Neurobiological questions are tackled using tools from structural biology, genetics, imaging, computation, and physiology, allowing researchers to connect molecules to circuits, and circuits to behaviour. This culture of cross-disciplinary thinking has driven breakthroughs not only in neuroscience, but across biology more broadly.

 

The impact of research carried out at the LMB is reflected in its 12 Nobel Prizes and in the many biotechnology companies founded on discoveries made here. Above all, the LMB remains a place where bold ideas are encouraged, collaboration is the norm, and fundamental insights into the brain continue to shape our understanding of health and disease.