Professor Waksman's research recognised by three prestigious awards
A report on the impact of three major awards on Professor Waksman's ground-breaking research into secretion systems in bacteria.
[Note: This news story was originally published in July 2013]
In the past year Professor Gabriel Waksman has received awards from three of the major science funding institutions. These include an advanced ERC (European Research Council) grant, a programme grant from the MRC (Medical Research Council) and a senior investigator award from the Wellcome Trust, which is only awarded to established scientists at the top of their field. In addition, in spring 2012, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society. All of this recognises the impact of the Waksman Lab’s research into the structural and molecular biology of secretion systems in bacteria. These systems determine bacteria survival, adaptation and evolution, making them ideal targets for developing new antibiotics.
Awards encourage ground-breaking research
The awards are used to fund post-doctoral research associates, project materials and equipment, often for as long as five years for MRC and ERC advanced programmes, or even seven years for the Wellcome trust senior investigator award. Professor Waksman commented that it isn’t just the monetary value of the funding that is so significant, but the fact that while the reviews of research progress are diligent they allow researchers to focus on their work rather than being distracted preparing for annual assessments or three-year renewals. In this way, research can be more experimental: high risk in some ways, but with the potential for high returns.
Research provides insights into pili biogenesis in bacteria
In April 2013 Professor Waksman, his colleague Dr Sebastian Geibel and their collaborators at the ISMB, published a paper, Structural and Energetic Basis of Folded-Protein Transport by the FimD Usher, in the journal Nature. This described how bacteria move pili (microscopic hair-like strands) from the inside of the cell, where they are constructed, to their cell surface. These pili stick to human cells causing infection and making the infection harder to treat, as is the case with the common and very painful condition, cystitis.
Graphic shows structure of FimD-FimC-FimF-FimG-FimH
Professor Waksman revealed the significance of the research findings: ‘For the first time we have been able to see the structural and energy pathways via which the FimD usher protein facilitates the transport of the newly assembled pilus across the outer membrane of the bacteria. This process is a key target for the development of new antibiotics, as if biogenesis of new pili can be disrupted the bacteria will be unable to attach themselves to human cells and infection will be much less likely.’
Further information
Read more detail about the paper: Structural and Energetic Basis of Folded-Protein Transport by the FimD Usher
Read more about the work of the Waksman Lab.