Curious about prions, protein misfolding, quantum sensing, and where disciplines meet

London, UK
Joined June 2023
Szymon W. Manka retweeted
💥 Post-doc opportunity! 💥 Come join our team (thelowlab.org) at Imperial, London, working on the cryo-EM structure and mechanism of bacterial secretion systems. 48 months. Please RT. For more details and to apply: imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-j…
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I adore this thank you card from my student who tackled structural biology of ex vivo (brain-derived) prions. Our rodent models are true workhorses - proud of the science and the people behind it.
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Proud to have hosted @iGEM Mini Jamboree at Imperial as PI for 2026 Imperial team. The whole event100 people) was organised & run by the students, led brilliantly by Vasily Vanifatov. Fantastic #SynBio teams, speakers, judges & panellists 🧬 mankalab.org/blog/mini-jambo…
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Did you know? Unilateral sanctions have death tolls comparable to those of wars, the main difference is the affected group is primarily civillians, especially kids <5 and elderly. And have sactions ever toppled any govt or r they completely futile? thelancet.com/journals/langl…
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Szymon W. Manka retweeted
🚨AFTER 56 HOURS SWIMMING THE BALTIC SEA FROM SWEDEN TO POLAND WITHOUT SLEEP, POLISH MAN’S FIRST MEAL IN HOSPITAL: KOTLETY MIELONE AND PICKLES 🇵🇱🔥 Bartłomiej Kubkowski just became the first person in history to swim non-stop from Sweden to Poland — 160 km across the Baltic Sea. 56 hours in cold water. No sleep. Hallucinations. Complete exhaustion. And the first thing he ate after reaching the shore? Classic Polish kotlety mielone with ogórek małosolny. In the hospital bed, barely conscious, he still smiled and kept saying “thank you” while being fed. This is pure Polish character. After conquering the sea, the only thing he wanted was the taste of home. Respect. 🇵🇱
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Szymon W. Manka retweeted
🚨POLISH WINDSURFER CROSSES 227.5 KM OF BALTIC SEA IN 8 HOURS 28 MINUTES AT 55 KM/H — NERVOUS SYSTEM SHUT DOWN, HANDS CRAMPED, WAVES HIT FROM THREE DIRECTIONS, WIPED OUT 7 TIMES, THEN CRIED WHEN HE SAW POLAND 🇵🇱🔥🇺🇦 Maciek Rutkowski, World Champion and 20-time Polish Champion, has officially entered the Guinness World Records. On 18 September 2025 he windsurfed from Sandhamn in southern Sweden all the way to Władysławowo in Poland — 227.5 km in just 8 hours and 28 minutes, reaching speeds of up to 55 km/h. He faced three-meter waves, wipeouts, extreme exhaustion. After only one hour his nervous system nearly shut down, his hands cramped badly, and at times he could no longer tell which direction he was going. When he finally saw the Polish coast, he broke down and cried. He also raised over €28,000 for charity during the challenge. This is pure Polish endurance. Respect. 🇵🇱
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It was great to host Dr. DeFranco from @ColoradoStateU (Telling Lab) Joe delivered a fantastic seminar on #prion strain evolution and gene-targeted mice that sparked lively discussions and ideas for future collaborations. Bonus: we officially welcome Joe to #KriosHugger community
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Szymon W. Manka retweeted
Blog post: even while qualitatively we know what prion disease "looks like", there is an urgent need for more quantitative data characterizing the symptomatic progression of the disease. The TAPCJD study being run at Case Western is vitally important: cureffi.org/2026/06/02/why-t…
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Szymon W. Manka retweeted
Most bacteria remain uncultured and don’t grow in the lab.. to address this am excited to share EDEN - an enhanced domestication method to grow uncultured bacteria & new diversity. Using EDEN we isolate a new species active against MDR pathogens.. doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycag0…
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We loved hosting Sara Canoyra Sánchez from CISA-INIA-CSIC (Spain) for a 3-month doctoral placement 🧪She even skipped an Atlético match for her leaving dinner! 🇪🇸 Full story: mankalab.org/blog/great-coll… #PrionResearch #CryoEM #InternationalCollaboration mankalab.org/blog/great-coll…
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Whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned prion researcher, this animation is a great way to get a quick rundown of what classical prions are. mankalab.org/blog/prion-biol…
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Research from Imperial, @MRC_LMS, & @sheffielduni reveals that the twisting of DNA could play a role in correcting CRISPR errors. 🧬 The team captured interactions between CRISPR and DNA, providing insights that could help eradicate errors. 👇 imperial.ac.uk/news/articles…
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Szymon W. Manka retweeted
The first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize, the first individual to be awarded two Nobel Prizes and still today the only individual with two Nobel Prizes in two different scientific categories: Marie Skłodowska Curie. Skłodowska Curie developed the term radioactivity, discovered the chemical elements polonium and radium and contributed to develop new cancer treatments. For her scientific dedication and remarkable breakthroughs, she was awarded the 1903 physics prize and the 1911 chemistry prize. Learn more: bit.ly/4qGyRS1 #InternationalWomensDay
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Szymon W. Manka retweeted
Today we celebrate the life of Byron Caughey, a beloved friend and generous mentor who made enormous contributions to the fundamental biological understanding, diagnosis, and potential for treatment of prion disease. Blog post: cureffi.org/2026/02/18/celeb…
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UKRI’s planned funding reforms have raised big questions across the UK research community. In @Nature, Prof John Tregoning (@DrTregoning) explores what the changes could mean and why careful implementation matters.👇nature.com/articles/d41586-0…
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Excellent opportunity
We're #hiring new non‑clinical Assistant Professors at @ImperialMed! Keen to join the Department of Infectious Disease? Make sure to choose ‘Infectious Disease’ as your first preference when applying. ✍️Apply by 11 March 2026. 👉 imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-j…
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Szymon W. Manka retweeted
A Polish startup just built a 1,000 muscle robot that moves exactly like a human and it’s terrifying. [📹 Nic Conley]
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