Arthur Riggs
Encyclopedia
Dr. Arthur Riggs, Ph.D, is a geneticist
who worked with Genentech
to express
the first artificial gene
in bacteria
. His work was critical to the modern biotechnology
industry because it enabled the large-scale manufacturing of protein drugs
, including insulin
. In 2006, Riggs was elected to the National Academy of Sciences
. He is the director emeritus of the Beckman Research Institute
of City of Hope National Medical Center
, where he was also the founding dean of City of Hope's graduate school. Riggs also serves on the board of trustees at the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences
.
at University of California, Riverside
in 1961, and was honored as a distinguished alumnus in 1988 http://www.alumni.ucr.edu/50th/50_award_recipients.html. He conducted his doctoral thesis work at the California Institute of Technology
with Herschel K. Mitchell
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/55/3/599. As graduate students at Caltech, he and Joel A. Huberman collaborated on work that later led to a classic paper on mammal
ian DNA replication
, which was published in 1966 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=5689363&dopt=Citation. His postdoctoral work at the Salk Institute resulted in another well-known series of papers on the lac repressor
and bacteria
l gene regulation.
, and used recombinant DNA
technology to become the first to produce a human protein
in E. coli
. Following the advice of Riggs and Itakura, the group successfully produced the hormone Somatostatin
in 1977 as a proof of concept
before they attempted to work with the more complicated insulin
molecule. http://www.nap.edu/books/0309051894/html/167.html The group succeeded in producing insulin in 1978, and in 1979, Riggs received the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
Research Award for this work.
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
who worked with Genentech
Genentech
Genentech Inc., or Genetic Engineering Technology, Inc., is a biotechnology corporation, founded in 1976 by venture capitalist Robert A. Swanson and biochemist Dr. Herbert Boyer. Trailing the founding of Cetus by five years, it was an important step in the evolution of the biotechnology industry...
to express
Gene expression
Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product. These products are often proteins, but in non-protein coding genes such as ribosomal RNA , transfer RNA or small nuclear RNA genes, the product is a functional RNA...
the first artificial gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
in bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
. His work was critical to the modern biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
industry because it enabled the large-scale manufacturing of protein drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
, including insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
. In 2006, Riggs was elected to the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
. He is the director emeritus of the Beckman Research Institute
Beckman Research Institute
The Beckman Research Institute is a research facility located at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, CA, United States. It is dedicated to studying normal and abnormal biological processes which may be related to cancer. The institute was dedicated in 1952, and endowed by the...
of City of Hope National Medical Center
City of Hope National Medical Center
City of Hope National Medical Center, is a private, not-for-profit clinical research center, hospital and graduate medical school located in Duarte, California, United States...
, where he was also the founding dean of City of Hope's graduate school. Riggs also serves on the board of trustees at the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences
Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences
Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences is a specialized graduate school in Claremont, California. It was founded in 1997 through a startup grant of $50 million from the W. M. Keck Foundation...
.
Background
Riggs earned his undergraduate degree in chemistryChemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at University of California, Riverside
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside, commonly known as UCR or UC Riverside, is a public research university and one of the ten general campuses of the University of California system. UCR is consistently ranked as one of the most ethnically and economically diverse universities in the United...
in 1961, and was honored as a distinguished alumnus in 1988 http://www.alumni.ucr.edu/50th/50_award_recipients.html. He conducted his doctoral thesis work at the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
with Herschel K. Mitchell
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/reprint/55/3/599. As graduate students at Caltech, he and Joel A. Huberman collaborated on work that later led to a classic paper on mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
ian DNA replication
DNA replication
DNA replication is a biological process that occurs in all living organisms and copies their DNA; it is the basis for biological inheritance. The process starts with one double-stranded DNA molecule and produces two identical copies of the molecule...
, which was published in 1966 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=5689363&dopt=Citation. His postdoctoral work at the Salk Institute resulted in another well-known series of papers on the lac repressor
Lac repressor
The lac repressor is a DNA-binding protein which inhibits the expression of genes coding for proteins involved in the metabolism of lactose in bacteria. These genes are repressed when lactose is not available to the cell, ensuring that the bacterium only invests energy in the production of...
and bacteria
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
l gene regulation.
Genentech
Along with fellow City of Hope researcher Keiichi Itakura, Riggs collaborated with Genentech scientist Herbert BoyerHerbert Boyer
Herbert W. Boyer is a recipient of the 1990 National Medal of Science, co-recipient of the 1996 Lemelson-MIT Prize, and a co-founder of Genentech. He served as Vice President of Genentech from 1976 through his retirement in 1991....
, and used recombinant DNA
Recombinant DNA
Recombinant DNA molecules are DNA sequences that result from the use of laboratory methods to bring together genetic material from multiple sources, creating sequences that would not otherwise be found in biological organisms...
technology to become the first to produce a human 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...
in E. coli
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms . Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls...
. Following the advice of Riggs and Itakura, the group successfully produced the hormone Somatostatin
Somatostatin
Somatostatin is a peptide hormone that regulates the endocrine system and affects neurotransmission and cell proliferation via interaction with G-protein-coupled somatostatin receptors and inhibition of the release of numerous secondary hormones.Somatostatin...
in 1977 as a proof of concept
Proof of concept
A proof of concept or a proof of principle is a realization of a certain method or idea to demonstrate its feasibility, or a demonstration in principle, whose purpose is to verify that some concept or theory that has the potential of being used...
before they attempted to work with the more complicated insulin
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle....
molecule. http://www.nap.edu/books/0309051894/html/167.html The group succeeded in producing insulin in 1978, and in 1979, Riggs received the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes research. Driven by volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of T1D research...
Research Award for this work.