On Tuesday 9th May at 4:00PM, Paul Wassarman will deliver his LMB Lecture ‘The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Sir John C. Kendrew’. The lecture will be delivered in the LMB’s Max Perutz Lecture Theatre and will also be streamed over Zoom where anybody who is interested is welcome to join.
Paul is a Professor in Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology at the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where he researches the molecular mechanisms behind mammalian fertilisation. His key findings include the discovery and biochemical characterisation of ZP3, a glycoprotein present in the extracellular coat of ovulated eggs in mammals, including how it is synthesized, processed, and secreted by oocytes (precursors to eggs). To date, Paul has published over 225 scientific papers and reviews. He began his scientific career with a PhD in Biochemistry from Brandeis University, before joining the LMB as a postdoctoral fellow in 1967, where he worked with John Kendrew.
In 2020, Paul published ‘A Place in History: The Biography of John C. Kendrew’ where he discussed the scientific and personal life of John Kendrew, a key figure in the LMB’s history. Paul’s lecture will cover several of the key insights from his book, copies of which should be available to purchase at the event.
Lecture abstract
John Kendrew (1917-1997) was a pioneer in structural biology and a catalyst for the emergence of molecular biology in the second half of the twentieth century. He was the first person to determine the three-dimensional structure of a protein at atomic resolution and, for this, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1962. John Kendrew ultimately became an international organizer, administrator, and unwavering advocate for British and European science, and his expansive legacy lives on today. In this talk, Paul Wassarman will delve into aspects of John Kendrew’s personal and scientific life and discuss some of the background, traits, and experiences of the man responsible for so many achievements within science and beyond.
Further references
Paul Wassarman – Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Poster for the lecture