Research

Research Priorities: bacterial secretion systems, type IV secretion, gram-negative bacteria, pilus biogenesis, development of antimicrobial substances

Gabriel Waksman is a biologist and biochemist. His research focuses on secretion systems in bacteria, which play a major role in the ability of bacteria to survive and adapt. He helped deepen the understanding of type IV secretion in gram-negative bacteria, and his research has contributed significantly to the development of new antimicrobial substances.

Secretion systems contribute to the pathogenic effect of bacteria. During secretion, bacteria release proteins, in particular enzymes and toxins, into their environment. Gram-negative bacteria require special secretion systems due to their additional external membrane. Waksman researches, above all, type IV secretion (T4SS) as well as secretion systems involved in pilus biogenesis. Bacterial pili are organelles that are responsible for recognising and binding bacteria to the host. They are thus key virulence factors i.e. they possess disease-causing properties.

The secretion systems studied by Gabriel Waksman are molecular machineries that are embedded in bacterial membranes. They play a key role in the pathogenicity of helicobacter pylori, a pathogen that can trigger stomach ulcers. They are also involved in the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. Gabriel Waksman’s working group analyses in detail how the molecular mechanisms function. The group adopts a multidisciplinary approach, combining structural technologies, such as electron microscopy or X-ray crystallography, with molecular and cell-biology methods, such as cloning, mass spectrometry, and fluorescence microscopy.

Gabriel Waksman’s research has provided definitive insights into pilus biogenesis, type IV secretion, and the development of antimicrobial substances.

Career

• since 2006 Courtauld Professor of Biochemistry, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology (ISMB), University College London (UCL), London, UK
• 2006-2019 Head, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (now Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology), UCL, London, UK
• 2006-2019 Head, School of Crystallography (now: Department of Biological Sciences), Birkbeck College London, London, UK
• 2003-2019 Joint Chairperson, Structural and Molecular Biology, UCL, London, and Birkbeck College London, London, UK
• 2003-2019 Director, ISMB, UCL, London, UK
• 2002-2003 Roy and Diana Vagelo Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, School of Medicine, Washington University, Saint Louis, USA
• 2001-2002 Alumni Endowed Professorship in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, School of Medicine, Washington University, Saint Louis, USA
• 2000-2001 Professor of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Washington University, Saint Louis, USA
• 1998-2000 Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Washington University, Saint Louis, USA
• 1993-1998 Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Washington University, Saint Louis, USA
• 1987-1993 Postdoctoral Fellow, Rockefeller University, New York City, USA as well as Bristol and Sheffield, UK
• 1985-1987 Scientist, Rhone Poulenc Agrochemical S.A., Lyon, France
• 1982 PhD in Biochemistry

Projects

• 2013-2018 Principal Investigator, Advanced Grant “Structural biology of Legionella’s effectors and secretion system”, European Research Council (ERC)
• Project, Medical Research Council (MRC), London, UK
• Projects in structural and molecular biology, Wellcome Trust, London, UK

Honours and Memberships

• since 2013 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• since 2012 Fellow, Royal Society, UK
• since 2008 Fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences, London, UK
• since 2007 Member, European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
• 2003 Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award, Royal Society, UK