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Gerald F. Joyce, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Departments of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute Investigator, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology Background B.A., University of Chicago M.D., University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine Ph.D., University of California, San Diego Research Summary Just as organisms undergo Darwinian evolution in nature, molecules can be made to evolve in the test tube. This can lead to the production of molecules with interesting properties, including the ability to catalyze a particular chemical reaction. The recipe for Darwinian evolution of molecules is simple: 1) Start with a large population of molecules of varying composition;In our laboratory we have harnessed the power of Darwinian evolution as applied to populations of trillions of different RNA or DNA molecules. At their most rapid, our procedures allow us to carry out over 100 "generations" of test-tube evolution in a single day. The resulting molecules have interesting catalytic properties, teach us about evolution itself, and have potential application as therapeutic agents. I am delighted to work with a group of talented young scientists, mostly graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, who have shared in the development and application of directed molecular evolution technology. All of the members of the laboratory have a linked web page in which they describe their current research activities. Our work is funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Institutes of Health, Johnson & Johnson Research, and the Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology of the Scripps Research Institute. |
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Contact Information The Scripps Research Institute 10550 N Torrey Pines Road, MB42 La Jolla CA 92037 |
phone (858) 784-9844 fax (858) 784-2943 gjoyce@scripps.edu |