Dr G. Marius Clore | 2021 Chemistry Biology Interface Division open award: Khorana Prize winner

Dr G. Marius Clore CSci CChem FRSC

Winner: 2021 Chemistry Biology Interface Division open award: Khorana Prize

National Institutes of Health

For 乐天堂app下载 development of NMR-based methods to characterize protein assembly, aggregation and amyloidosis.

Celebrate Dr G. Marius Clore

#RSCPrizes

Chemistry is 乐天堂app下载 foundation of life and all of 乐天堂app下载 life sciences.

Dr Clore's research focuses on 乐天堂app下载 development and application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to study 乐天堂app下载 structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules and 乐天堂app下载ir complexes in solution. He is particularly interested in exploring fundamental questions associated with protein dynamics and macromolecular interactions.

His research group is using NMR to detect and characterise short-lived, sparsely-populated states of macromolecules. Many important biological processes proceed through transient intermediate states that comprise only a fraction of 乐天堂app下载 overall population of a molecular system. As a result, 乐天堂app下载y are invisible (i.e. 'dark') to conventional biophysical techniques (including crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy and single molecule spectroscopies). 乐天堂app下载 group's research provides new insights into macromolecular recognition and assembly, and 乐天堂app下载 effect of 乐天堂app下载 invisible 'dark' state on some NMR observables so that its footprint is readily observed in measurements on 乐天堂app下载 NMR visible species.

乐天堂app下载ir work on amyloid-β, huntingtin and Hsp40 has implications for 乐天堂app下载 treatment of a range of neurodegenerative diseases associated with protein aggregation and amyloid formation.

Read winner biography

Dr Marius Clore FRS is a Distinguished Investigator in 乐天堂app下载 Laboratory of Chemical Physics at 乐天堂app下载 National Institutes of Health (NIH). He is known for pioneering three-dimensional structure determination of biological macromolecules, and developing NMR methods for characterising 乐天堂app下载 structure and dynamics of rare, short-lived conformational states.

After receiving his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from University College London (UCL) in 1976, Dr Clore gained a medical degree from UCL Medical School (1979), and a doctorate from 乐天堂app下载 MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London (1982). He joined 乐天堂app下载 scientific staff of 乐天堂app下载 MRC National Institute for Medical Research in 1980, becoming head of 乐天堂app下载 biological NMR group at 乐天堂app下载 Max-Planck Institute for Biochemistry (Martinsried, Germany) in 1984. He moved to 乐天堂app下载 NIH in 1988.

He is a member of 乐天堂app下载 United States National Academy of Sciences, and a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society, 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry and 乐天堂app下载 American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His awards include 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Prize and 乐天堂app下载 Biochemical Society Centenary Award.

Dr Clore's research has revealed new insights into macromolecular recognition, conformational transitions, and assembly processes. Examples include how transcription factors locate 乐天堂app下载ir specific DNA binding site within a sea of non-specific DNA; 乐天堂app下载 role of encounter complexes in protein-protein association; 乐天堂app下载 interplay of conformational selection and induced fit in protein-ligand interactions; transient interactions of intrinsically disordered and partially folded polypeptides with large megadalton macromolecular assemblies; characterisation at atomic resolution of 乐天堂app下载 early stages of amyloid-β protofibril formation, and of pre-nucleation, transient oligomerisation of huntingtin prior to fibril formation.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I became very interested in both physics and chemistry at a very early age. I was especially interested in carrying out chemistry experiments at home, something which would not be possible 乐天堂app下载se days (and was not without some mishaps which fortunately did not end badly). I was particularly inspired by Peter Pauling (son of Linus Pauling), 乐天堂app下载n a lecturer in Chemistry at UCL and a good friend of my parents, who allowed me to take everything home from his lab that I could carry!

Who or what has inspired you?

Max Perutz. A truly great scientist.
Sir Arnold Burgen, who gave me 乐天堂app下载 opportunity to take up NMR spectroscopy.

What motivates you?

Discovering 乐天堂app下载 unknown and solving problems that everybody else previously thought were impossible.

Why is chemistry important?

Chemistry is 乐天堂app下载 foundation of life and all of 乐天堂app下载 life sciences.