Barbara Pearse
Encyclopedia
Barbara Pearse is a British biological scientist and Fellow of the Royal Society. She works at the Medical Research Council
Laboratory of Molecular Biology
in Cambridge
, United Kingdom.
Barbara Pearse attended the independent Lady Eleanor Holles School
in Hampton
in Greater London, and gained her undergraduate degree from University College London
in 1969. She was appointed to the scientific staff of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in 1982. She was visiting professor in cell biology
at Stanford University
(1984-5). She was elected a member of European Molecular Biology Organization
(EMBO) in 1982 and awarded the EMBO gold medal and prize in 1987. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1988.
Pearse’s main contributions lie in the structure of coated vesicle
s. Pearse first purified coated vesicles; she also discovered the clathrin
coat molecule in 1975. Coated pits and vesicles were first seen in thin sections of tissue in the electron microscope by Thomas Roth and Keith Porter in 1964. The importance of them for the clearance of LDL
from blood was discovered by R. G. Anderson, Michael S. Brown
and Joseph L. Goldstein
in 1976.
She is married to Mark Bretscher
, another scientist. She lists her recreations as “wild flowers, planting trees and fresh landscapes”.
Medical Research Council (UK)
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Laboratory of Molecular Biology
The Laboratory of Molecular Biology is a research institute in Cambridge, England, which was at the forefront of the revolution in molecular biology which occurred in the 1950–60s, since then it remains a major medical research laboratory with a much broader focus.-Early beginnings: 1947-61:Max...
in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, United Kingdom.
Barbara Pearse attended the independent Lady Eleanor Holles School
Lady Eleanor Holles School
The Lady Eleanor Holles School is an independent school for girls in Hampton, London, England. The school was founded in 1711.-Admissions:...
in Hampton
Hampton, London
Hampton is a suburban area, centred on an old village on the north bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in England. Formerly it was in the county of Middlesex, which was formerly also its postal county. The population is about 9,500...
in Greater London, and gained her undergraduate degree from University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
in 1969. She was appointed to the scientific staff of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in 1982. She was visiting professor in cell biology
Cell biology
Cell biology is a scientific discipline that studies cells – their physiological properties, their structure, the organelles they contain, interactions with their environment, their life cycle, division and death. This is done both on a microscopic and molecular level...
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...
(1984-5). She was elected a member of European Molecular Biology Organization
European Molecular Biology Organization
EMBO stands for excellence in the life sciences. The EMBO mission is to enable the best science by supporting talented researchers, stimulating scientific exchange and advancing policies for a world-class European research environment....
(EMBO) in 1982 and awarded the EMBO gold medal and prize in 1987. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1988.
Pearse’s main contributions lie in the structure of coated vesicle
Vesicle (biology)
A vesicle is a bubble of liquid within another liquid, a supramolecular assembly made up of many different molecules. More technically, a vesicle is a small membrane-enclosed sack that can store or transport substances. Vesicles can form naturally because of the properties of lipid membranes , or...
s. Pearse first purified coated vesicles; she also discovered the clathrin
Clathrin
Clathrin is a protein that plays a major role in the formation of coated vesicles. Clathrin was first isolated and named by Barbara Pearse in 1975. It forms a triskelion shape composed of three clathrin heavy chains and three light chains. When the triskelia interact they form a polyhedral lattice...
coat molecule in 1975. Coated pits and vesicles were first seen in thin sections of tissue in the electron microscope by Thomas Roth and Keith Porter in 1964. The importance of them for the clearance of LDL
Low density lipoprotein
Low-density lipoprotein is one of the five major groups of lipoproteins, which in order of size, largest to smallest, are chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, LDL, and HDL, that enable transport of cholesterol within the water-based bloodstream...
from blood was discovered by R. G. Anderson, Michael S. Brown
Michael Stuart Brown
Michael Stuart Brown is an American geneticist and Nobel Laureate. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Joseph L. Goldstein in 1985 for describing the regulation of cholesterol metabolism.- Life and career :...
and Joseph L. Goldstein
Joseph L. Goldstein
Joseph L. Goldstein from Kingstree, South Carolina is a Nobel Prize winning biochemist and geneticist, and a pioneer in the study of cholesterol metabolism.-Biography:...
in 1976.
She is married to Mark Bretscher
Mark Bretscher
Mark Bretscher is a British biological scientist and Fellow of the Royal Society. He works at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, United Kingdom...
, another scientist. She lists her recreations as “wild flowers, planting trees and fresh landscapes”.