Dr Ruby Peters

School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Physics of Life Early Career Fellow

r.peters@sheffield.ac.uk
F23, Hicks Building

Full contact details

Dr Ruby Peters
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
F23
Hicks Building
Hounsfield Road
Sheffield
S3 7RH
Profile

I am an early career fellow in the physics of life. My research group investigates how the structural, mechanical and material properties of actin cytoskeletal networks drive key cell functions. Since a tight regulation of cellular mechanics is critical to various physiological processes, and a deregulation of actin network architecture and dynamics is a hallmark of disease, there is an urgent need to uncover how actin networks control the mechanical properties of cells.

To address this, my group develops advanced fluorescence microscopy and computational approaches to quantify the nanoscale organisation and dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton. In combination, we use state-of-the-art atomic force microscopy to map the biophysical properties of the cell surface. By integrating these techniques, we gain unprecedented insights into how actin networks mechanically function at both the nano and cellular scales, and how this in turn governs cellular behaviour.

Alongside my core research, I am passionate about improving equality, diversity and inclusion within STEM.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

  • Zhang B, Daly S, Zhu C, Lenz MO, Weiss LE, Needham L-M, Peters R, Lee SF & O’Holleran K (2024) . Optica, 11(11), 1519-1525.
  • Bruggeman E, Zhang O, Needham L-M, Körbel M, Daly S, Cheetham M, Peters R, Wu T, Klymchenko AS, Davis SJ , Paluch EK et al (2024) . Nature Methods, 21, 1873-1883.
  • Daly S, Ferreira Fernandes J, Bruggeman E, Handa A, Peters R, Benaissa S, Zhang B, Beckwith JS, Sanders EW, Sims RR , Klenerman D et al (2024) . Nature Communications, 15(1).
  • Yanagida A, Corujo-Simon E, Revell CK, Sahu P, Stirparo GG, Aspalter IM, Winkel AK, Peters R, De Belly H, Cassani DAD , Achouri S et al (2022) . Cell, 185(5), 777-793.e20.
  • Peters R, Griffié J, Williamson DJ, Aaron J, Khuon S & Owen DM (2019) . Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 52(1), 014005-014005.
  • Peters R, Benthem Muñiz M, Griffié J, Williamson DJ, Ashdown GW, Lorenz CD & Owen DM (2017) . Bioinformatics, 33(11), 1703-1711.
  • Peters R, Sandiford L, Owen DM, Kemal E, Bourke S, Dailey LA & Green M (2016) . Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, 15(11), 1448-1452.
  • Truong Quang BA, Peters R, Cassani DAD, Chugh P, Clark AG, Agnew M, Charras G & Paluch EK () . Nature Communications, 12(1).
  • Williamson DJ, Burn GL, Simoncelli S, Griffié J, Peters R, Davis DM & Owen DM () . Nature Communications, 11(1).
  • Griffié J, Peters R & Owen DM () . PLOS ONE, 15(2), e0226825-e0226825.
  • Peters R, Griffié J, Burn GL, Williamson DJ & Owen DM () . Scientific Reports, 8(1).
  • Griffié J, Shlomovich L, Williamson DJ, Shannon M, Aaron J, Khuon S, L. Burn G, Boelen L, Peters R, Cope AP , Cohen EAK et al () . Scientific Reports, 7(1).

All publications

Journal articles

  • Shirgill S, Nieves DJ, Pike JA, Ahmed MA, Abbott H, Baragilly MHH, Savoye K, Worboys JD, Hazime KS, Bruggeman E , Garcia A et al (2025) . Nature Communications, 16.
  • Zhang B, Daly S, Zhu C, Lenz MO, Weiss LE, Needham L-M, Peters R, Lee SF & O’Holleran K (2024) . Optica, 11(11), 1519-1525.
  • Bruggeman E, Zhang O, Needham L-M, Körbel M, Daly S, Cheetham M, Peters R, Wu T, Klymchenko AS, Davis SJ , Paluch EK et al (2024) . Nature Methods, 21, 1873-1883.
  • Daly S, Ferreira Fernandes J, Bruggeman E, Handa A, Peters R, Benaissa S, Zhang B, Beckwith JS, Sanders EW, Sims RR , Klenerman D et al (2024) . Nature Communications, 15(1).
  • Yanagida A, Corujo-Simon E, Revell CK, Sahu P, Stirparo GG, Aspalter IM, Winkel AK, Peters R, De Belly H, Cassani DAD , Achouri S et al (2022) . Cell, 185(5), 777-793.e20.
  • Peters R, Griffié J, Williamson DJ, Aaron J, Khuon S & Owen DM (2019) . Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 52(1), 014005-014005.
  • Kemal E, Peters R, Bourke S, Fairclough S, Bergstrom-Mann P, Owen DM, Sandiford L, Dailey LA & Green M (2018) . Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, 17(6), 718-721.
  • Griffié J, Burn GL, Williamson DJ, Peters R, Rubin‐Delanchy P & Owen DM (2018) . Small Methods, 2(9).
  • Ashdown GW, Burn GL, Williamson DJ, Pandžić E, Peters R, Holden M, Ewers H, Shao L, Wiseman PW & Owen DM (2017) . Biophysical Journal, 112(8), 1703-1713.
  • Peters R, Benthem Muñiz M, Griffié J, Williamson DJ, Ashdown GW, Lorenz CD & Owen DM (2017) . Bioinformatics, 33(11), 1703-1711.
  • Peters R, Sandiford L, Owen DM, Kemal E, Bourke S, Dailey LA & Green M (2016) . Photochemical & Photobiological Sciences, 15(11), 1448-1452.
  • Truong Quang BA, Peters R, Cassani DAD, Chugh P, Clark AG, Agnew M, Charras G & Paluch EK () . Nature Communications, 12(1).
  • Manzano-Núñez F, Peters R, Burks DJ & Noon LA () . Journal of Visualized Experiments(158).
  • Williamson DJ, Burn GL, Simoncelli S, Griffié J, Peters R, Davis DM & Owen DM () . Nature Communications, 11(1).
  • Griffié J, Peters R & Owen DM () . PLOS ONE, 15(2), e0226825-e0226825.
  • Peters R, Griffié J, Burn GL, Williamson DJ & Owen DM () . Scientific Reports, 8(1).
  • Griffié J, Shlomovich L, Williamson DJ, Shannon M, Aaron J, Khuon S, L. Burn G, Boelen L, Peters R, Cope AP , Cohen EAK et al () . Scientific Reports, 7(1).
  • Kemal E, Abelha TF, Urbano L, Peters R, Owen DM, Howes P, Green M & Dailey LA () . RSC Advances, 7(25), 15255-15264.

Conference proceedings

  • Peters R, Owen D & Griffie J (2017) . Biophysical Journal, Vol. 112(3) (pp 142a-142a)

Preprints

  • Shirgill S, Jensen LG, Nieves DJ, Wales MC, Kaminer A, Sovoye K, Peters R, Heilemann M, Henriques R, Lee SF , Rubin-Delanchy P et al (2025) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Shirgill S, Nieves DJ, Pike JA, Ahmed MA, Baragilly MHH, Savoye K, Worboys J, Hazime KS, Garcia A, Williamson DJ , Rubin-Delanchy P et al (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Zhang B, Daly S, Zhu C, Lenz MO, Weiss LE, Needham L-M, Peters R, Lee SF & O’Holleran K (2024) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Daly S, Fernandes JF, Bruggeman E, Handa A, Peters R, Benaissa S, Zhang B, Beckwith JS, Sanders EW, Sims RR , Klenerman D et al (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Bruggeman E, Zhang O, Needham L-M, Körbel M, Daly S, Cheetham M, Peters R, Wu T, Klymchenko AS, Davis SJ , Paluch EK et al (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Baragilly M, Nieves DJ, Williamson DJ, Peters R & Owen DM (2022) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Yanagida A, Revell C, Stirparo GG, Corujo-Simon E, Aspalter IM, Peters R, De Belly H, Cassani DAD, Achouri S, Blumenfeld R , Franze K et al (2020) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Research group

Materials and Biological Physics Group

Links