Dr. Walsh is an outstanding and highly productive researcher who uses a broad integrated approach that includes genetics, protein and carbohydrate chemistry, mechanistic enzymology, molecular biology and X-ray crystallography to elucidate and exploit the pathways for natural antibiotic synthesis. This body of work not only defines pathways for antibiotic synthesis, the molecular targets of antibiotic action, and the mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, but also serves as a platform for the synthesis of novel antibiotics. Dr. Walsh is also an accomplished mentor who has provided rigorous and insightful training for many younger scientists.
In his Frtiz Lipmann Lecture, he will focus on his research on nonribosomal peptide synthetases and the building and tailoring of peptide natural products. A large variety of biologically active peptide natural products are biosynthesized by the nonribosomal peptide synthetases. These synthetases act in assembly lines to carry out initiation, elongation, and termination reactions. Once released from these assembly lines, the peptides are often tailored by enzymes that glycosylate, oxygenate, and halogenate. Dr. Walsh will discuss some examples that illustrate the molecular logic of the enzymatic assembly lines and the tailoring enzymes.
The Fritz Lipmann Lectureship was established by friends and colleagues of Fritz Lipmann. Previous awardees include Roddrick MacKinnon, Ulrich Hartl, James E. Rothman, Helmut Beinert, and Wayne A. Hendrickson. The recipient of the award receives a stipend and a plaque. In addition, they are reimbursed for all travel, hotel accommodations, meals, and expenses to attend the meeting, where they will deliver the Fritz Lipmann Lecture.
The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization with 12,000 members in the United States and internationally. Most members teach and conduct research at colleges and universities. Others conduct research in various government laboratories, nonprofit research institutions, and industry.
Founded in 1906, the Society is based in Bethesda, Maryland, on the campus of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. The Society's primary purpose is to advance the sciences of biochemistry and molecular biology through its publications, The Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Lipid Research, Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, and the holding of scientific meetings.
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