2026 Judith Howard Lecture

Judith Howard Lecture

Probing Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics using Single-Molecule Methods

2 June 2026

• 1-2 pm (Prize Lecture)
• 2-2.30 pm (refreshments)

Mountjoy Centre Event Space (2012)

We are very pleased to welcome Dr Kasia Tych (Groningen) to Durham for the 2026 Judith Howard Lecture, the BSI’s flagship event, named in honour of Professor Judith Howard CBE FRS.  

Register here: Judith Howard Lecture 2026 – Fill in form 

Abstract: Probing Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics using Single-Molecule Methods

Katarzyna (Kasia) Tych, University of Freiburg, Germany and University of Groningen, the Netherlands

Advanced biophysical techniques such as the optical tweezers can uniquely access the structural dynamics of biological macromolecules directly, in real-time.

I will provide an overview of how such experiments can be performed, what kind of information we can obtain from them, and provide some examples including our latest work in characterising molecular chaperones, inter-genic regions in viruses, and transmembrane transport proteins. I will also give an outlook on some of the exciting research directions we are currently pursuing and talk about what would like to work on next.