Mark Bretscher
Encyclopedia
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
. He is currently studying how animal cells migrate.
Mark Bretscher was educated at Abingdon School
in 1951, followed by Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge
in 1958. He was visiting professor in biochemistry and molecular biology at Harvard University
(1974-75) and Eleanor Roosevelt Cancer Society Fellow and visiting professor, Stanford University
(1984-85). He was head of the cell biology division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the University of Cambridge and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
in 1985.
Bretscher's main contributions lie in the areas of the mechanism of protein biosynthesis
, in the structure of cell membranes (especially that of the human red blood cell
) and in how animal cells move. He is the principal protagonist of the membrane flow
scheme for cell locomotion
, which is largely based on how cap formation
occurs. Using the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum
as an animal for study, he has identified the first two genes
whose protein
products are required for this creature to migrate.
His father was Egon Bretscher
, the nuclear physicist. He is married to Barbara Pearse
, another cell biologist. He lists his hobbies as "walking, creating wild environments, early English portraits and furniture."
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
biological scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. He works at the Medical Research Council
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
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He is currently studying how animal cells migrate.
Mark Bretscher was educated at Abingdon School
Abingdon School
Abingdon School is a British day and boarding independent school for boys situated in Abingdon, Oxfordshire , previously known as Roysse's School. In 1998 a formal merger took place between Abingdon School and Josca's, a preparatory school four miles to the west at Frilford...
in 1951, followed by Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1958. He was visiting professor in biochemistry and molecular biology at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(1974-75) and Eleanor Roosevelt Cancer Society Fellow and visiting professor, 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...
(1984-85). He was head of the cell biology division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the University of Cambridge and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1985.
Bretscher's main contributions lie in the areas of the mechanism of protein biosynthesis
Protein biosynthesis
Protein biosynthesis is the process in which cells build or manufacture proteins. The term is sometimes used to refer only to protein translation but more often it refers to a multi-step process, beginning with amino acid synthesis and transcription of nuclear DNA into messenger RNA, which is then...
, in the structure of cell membranes (especially that of the human red blood cell
Red blood cell
Red blood cells are the most common type of blood cell and the vertebrate organism's principal means of delivering oxygen to the body tissues via the blood flow through the circulatory system...
) and in how animal cells move. He is the principal protagonist of the membrane flow
Endocytic cycle
Most animal cells take up portions of their surface plasma membranes in a process called endocytosis. The main route of endocytosis is the coated pit, which buds into a cell to form a cytoplasmic vesicle — a clathrin-coated vesicle. The membrane so internalised is processed in a series of...
scheme for cell locomotion
Cell migration
Cell migration is a central process in the development and maintenance of multicellular organisms. Tissue formation during embryonic development, wound healing and immune responses all require the orchestrated movement of cells in particular directions to specific locations...
, which is largely based on how cap formation
Cap formation
When molecules on the surface of a cell are crosslinked, they are moved to one end of the cell to form a “cap”. This phenomenon, the process of which is called cap formation, was discovered in 1971 on lymphocytes and is a property of amoebae and all locomotory animal cells except sperm. The...
occurs. Using the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum
Dictyostelium discoideum
Dictyostelium discoideum is a species of soil-living amoeba belonging to the phylum Mycetozoa. D. discoideum, commonly referred to as slime mold, is a eukaryote that transitions from a collection of unicellular amoebae into a multicellular slug and then into a fruiting body within its lifetime. D...
as an animal for study, he has identified the first two genes
Gênes
Gênes is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Italy, named after the city of Genoa. It was formed in 1805, when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied the Republic of Genoa. Its capital was Genoa, and it was divided in the arrondissements of Genoa, Bobbio, Novi Ligure, Tortona and...
whose 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...
products are required for this creature to migrate.
His father was Egon Bretscher
Egon Bretscher
Egon Bretscher was a Swiss physicist.Born near Zurich, Switzerland and educated at the ETH there, Bretscher gained a PhD degree in organic chemistry at Edinburgh in 1926. He returned to Zurich as privat docent to Peter Debye, later moving in 1936 to work in Rutherford’s laboratory at the Cavendish...
, the nuclear physicist. He is married to Barbara Pearse
Barbara Pearse
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....
, another cell biologist. He lists his hobbies as "walking, creating wild environments, early English portraits and furniture."
External links
- Mark S. Bretscher page at Laboratory of Molecular Biology
- Mark S. Bretscher. Curriculum Vitae
- http://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/archive/papers/2004-081.pdfObituary of Francis CrickFrancis CrickFrancis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, and most noted for being one of two co-discoverers of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953, together with James D. Watson...
, The Independent] - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VRT-4D56PX0-6&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=933cd68a0e3485f54920d0cbb35a428a Obituary of Francis CrickFrancis CrickFrancis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, and most noted for being one of two co-discoverers of the structure of the DNA molecule in 1953, together with James D. Watson...
by Mark Bretscher and Peter LawrencePeter LawrencePeter Anthony Lawrence FRS is a British developmental biologist at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and the Zoology Department of the University of Cambridge...
, "Current Biology".
Books containing references to Mark Bretscher
- John Finch; 'A Nobel Fellow On Every Floor', Medical Research Council 2008, 381 pp, ISBN 978-1840469-40-0; this book is all about the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge.
- Robert Olby; 'Francis Crick: Hunter of Life's secrets', Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press 2009, 537pp, ISBN 978-087969-798-3.
- Matt Ridley; 'Francis Crick: Discoverer of the Genetic Code', Harper Collins 2006, 224pp, ISBN: 978-006082-333-7.