Aled Edwards
Encyclopedia
Aled Edwards is a Canadian
structural biologist
. He is also the Director and CEO of the international Structural Genomics Consortium
and is Banbury Professor at the Banting and Best Department of Medical Research
, the University of Toronto
, Canada
. Edwards has been a leader in the field of structural biology
since the 1990s. He is involved with a number of research groups around the world focused on solving 3D protein structures. His work has led to hundreds of protein structures which are publicly accessible at the Protein Data Bank
.
Edwards received his Ph.D.
degree in biochemistry
at McGill University
in 1988 and conducted post-doctoral research in the laboratory of Prof. Roger Kornberg at Stanford University
, 2006 Nobel
Laureate in Chemistry.
While most structural biologists pursue structures of individual proteins or protein groups, specialists in structural proteomics, such as Edwards, pursue structures of protein
s on a proteome
wide scale. This implies large scale cloning
, expression and purification. One main advantage of this approach is economy of scale. On the other hand, the scientific value of some resultant structures is at times questioned. Put another way, while the average cost of a protein structure is less than that incurred in a lab pursuing a small number of proteins, the balance in accounting shifts if only significant structures are counted. In short, the field of structural genomics
has a significant number of supporters. An interesting Science article from January 2006 analyzes the structural genomics field.
A hallmark of Edwards' research philosophy is collaboration. Recognizing that structures alone are no longer interesting, he actively seeks and in fact invites collaborators to use his structures to enable their research, whether the end goal is functional assessment or drug discovery.
With the Structural Genomics Consortium
(SGC), Edwards and cohorts have refined their approach to one based on protein families and targets of significance, albeit still a large scale project. The number of structures and publications shows the success of this strategy. Notable SGC accomplishments include a significant number of structures of human kinases and parasite proteins, as well as multiple articles in Nature and Cell.
Edwards was also one of the founders of Affinium Pharmaceuticals, a Toronto
-based structure-guided drug discovery company. Edwards also serves as a scientific advisor on the television series ReGenesis
.
Edwards has also spoken out against the current state of drug discovery research, highlighting the dearth of new drugs and the increasing cost of drug development. He is a passionate advocate of open access drug discovery and proselytize against excessive IP protection, which he describes as a barrier to progress and a bottleneck in the process of finding new drugs. He also advocates an approach which utilizes academic research more in the early stages of the pipeline and focuses industrial efforts on pharmocology and clinical trials.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
structural biologist
Structural biology
Structural biology is a branch of molecular biology, biochemistry, and biophysics concerned with the molecular structure of biological macromolecules, especially proteins and nucleic acids, how they acquire the structures they have, and how alterations in their structures affect their function...
. He is also the Director and CEO of the international Structural Genomics Consortium
Structural Genomics Consortium
The Structural Genomics Consortium is a not-for-profit organization formed in 2004 to determine the three dimensional structures of proteins of medical relevance, and place them in the Protein Data Bank without restriction...
and is Banbury Professor at the Banting and Best Department of Medical Research
Banting and Best Department of Medical Research
Banting and Best Department of Medical Research is the preeminent Canadian biomedical research institute located on the campus of University of Toronto. The department is named after Drs. Frederick Banting and Charles Best, who discovered insulin and subsequently won a Nobel Prize in medicine....
, the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Edwards has been a leader in the field of structural biology
Structural biology
Structural biology is a branch of molecular biology, biochemistry, and biophysics concerned with the molecular structure of biological macromolecules, especially proteins and nucleic acids, how they acquire the structures they have, and how alterations in their structures affect their function...
since the 1990s. He is involved with a number of research groups around the world focused on solving 3D protein structures. His work has led to hundreds of protein structures which are publicly accessible at the Protein Data Bank
Protein Data Bank
The Protein Data Bank is a repository for the 3-D structural data of large biological molecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids....
.
Edwards received his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree in biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in 1988 and conducted post-doctoral research in the laboratory of Prof. Roger Kornberg at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, 2006 Nobel
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
Laureate in Chemistry.
While most structural biologists pursue structures of individual proteins or protein groups, specialists in structural proteomics, such as Edwards, pursue structures of protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
s on a proteome
Proteome
The proteome is the entire set of proteins expressed by a genome, cell, tissue or organism. More specifically, it is the set of expressed proteins in a given type of cells or an organism at a given time under defined conditions. The term is a portmanteau of proteins and genome.The term has been...
wide scale. This implies large scale cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
, expression and purification. One main advantage of this approach is economy of scale. On the other hand, the scientific value of some resultant structures is at times questioned. Put another way, while the average cost of a protein structure is less than that incurred in a lab pursuing a small number of proteins, the balance in accounting shifts if only significant structures are counted. In short, the field of structural genomics
Genomics
Genomics is a discipline in genetics concerning the study of the genomes of organisms. The field includes intensive efforts to determine the entire DNA sequence of organisms and fine-scale genetic mapping efforts. The field also includes studies of intragenomic phenomena such as heterosis,...
has a significant number of supporters. An interesting Science article from January 2006 analyzes the structural genomics field.
A hallmark of Edwards' research philosophy is collaboration. Recognizing that structures alone are no longer interesting, he actively seeks and in fact invites collaborators to use his structures to enable their research, whether the end goal is functional assessment or drug discovery.
With the Structural Genomics Consortium
Structural Genomics Consortium
The Structural Genomics Consortium is a not-for-profit organization formed in 2004 to determine the three dimensional structures of proteins of medical relevance, and place them in the Protein Data Bank without restriction...
(SGC), Edwards and cohorts have refined their approach to one based on protein families and targets of significance, albeit still a large scale project. The number of structures and publications shows the success of this strategy. Notable SGC accomplishments include a significant number of structures of human kinases and parasite proteins, as well as multiple articles in Nature and Cell.
Edwards was also one of the founders of Affinium Pharmaceuticals, a Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based structure-guided drug discovery company. Edwards also serves as a scientific advisor on the television series ReGenesis
ReGenesis
ReGenesis is a Canadian television program produced by The Movie Network and Movie Central in conjunction with Shaftesbury Films. The series, which ran for four seasons, revolves around the scientists of NorBAC , a fictional organization with a lab based in Toronto...
.
Edwards has also spoken out against the current state of drug discovery research, highlighting the dearth of new drugs and the increasing cost of drug development. He is a passionate advocate of open access drug discovery and proselytize against excessive IP protection, which he describes as a barrier to progress and a bottleneck in the process of finding new drugs. He also advocates an approach which utilizes academic research more in the early stages of the pipeline and focuses industrial efforts on pharmocology and clinical trials.
External links
- University of Toronto homepage.
- Structural Genomics Consortium homepage.