Abstract:
In this talk, Prof. Wagner will introduce his early works as a physicist in developing NMR spectroscopy methods for protein characterization. He will then introduce the first step in protein translation, which is called translation initiation. Translation initiation is the process of assembly of elongation-competent 80S ribosomes, in which the proper start position on the mRNA is identified. The eukaryotic translation initiation apparatus is now a complex machinery comprising at least eleven factors. Through many years of work, Wagner group has mapped out how these factors are interacting with each other. In addition, Wagner group has also identified the potential druggable targets for cancer treatment.
Brief Bio:
Prof. Gerhard Wagner is Elkan Rogers Blout Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School. Prof. Wagner was elected to be a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and German National Academy to honor his contribution in developing NMR methods for protein characterization.
He received his diploma in department of physics of Technical University and PhD from department of biophysics in ETH. He started his independent career at University of Michigan in 1987 and was promoted to be a full professor in 1989. He then moved to Harvard in 1990. He has been Elkan Rogers Blout Professor since 1992.