Professor Dr Tom A. Rapoport
- Section Biochemistry and Biophysics
- Location Boston, MA, United States
- Election year 2003
Research
Research Priorities: cellular signalling pathways, distinction between different organelles in cells
Tom A. Rapoport is a German-American biochemist who conducts research into organelles in biological cells. Each organelle has a characteristic shape and fulfils a specific function that is carried out by different proteins. Tom A. Rapoport focuses his attention on the proteins and signalling pathways involved. This research is relevant for illnesses in which organelles are abnormally shaped or proteins are misdirected, misfolded or degraded.
In higher organisms, biological cells contain organelles that are separated from the cytosol, the liquid medium contained within a cell, by membranes. Tom A. Rapoport’s team looks at the processes that lead to an organelle’s characteristic structure and ability to perform special functions, focusing in particular on using intracellular signalling pathways to manage these processes. Together with his working group, he examines how the proteins involved are transported by membranes, how organelles obtain their structure and how misfolded proteins are degraded. He has a particular interest in aspects relating to the endoplasmic reticulum, the cell transport system and peroxisomes, which play a key role in detoxifying and degrading certain substances. Recently, the team examined how lamellar bodies in the pulmonary alveoli are formed.
The work carried out by Tom A. Rapoport’s group is helping to improve our understanding of illnesses in which proteins are misdirected or misfolded.
Tom A. Rapoport is a German-American biochemist who conducts research into organelles in biological cells. Each organelle has a characteristic shape and fulfils a specific function that is carried out by different proteins. Tom A. Rapoport focuses his attention on the proteins and signalling pathways involved. This research is relevant for illnesses in which organelles are abnormally shaped or proteins are misdirected, misfolded or degraded.
In higher organisms, biological cells contain organelles that are separated from the cytosol, the liquid medium contained within a cell, by membranes. Tom A. Rapoport’s team looks at the processes that lead to an organelle’s characteristic structure and ability to perform special functions, focusing in particular on using intracellular signalling pathways to manage these processes. Together with his working group, he examines how the proteins involved are transported by membranes, how organelles obtain their structure and how misfolded proteins are degraded. He has a particular interest in aspects relating to the endoplasmic reticulum, the cell transport system and peroxisomes, which play a key role in detoxifying and degrading certain substances. Recently, the team examined how lamellar bodies in the pulmonary alveoli are formed.
The work carried out by Tom A. Rapoport’s group is helping to improve our understanding of illnesses in which proteins are misdirected or misfolded.
Career
- since 1997 HHMI Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- since 1995 Professor of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- 1992-1994 Professor and Research Group Leader, Max Delbrück Centre for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- 1985-1992 Professor and Department Head, Central Institute for Molecular Biology, Academy of Sciences of the GDR, Berlin, Germany
- 1977 Habilitation, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- 1972 Doctorate, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- 1966-1971 Degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- 1965-1966 Degree in Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Projects
- 2010 Co-Organiser, Keystone Meeting “Molecular Basis for Biological Membrane Organization and Dynamics”, Snowbird, USA
- since 2009 Council of Mentors, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- since 2007 Steering Committee, Preliminary Qualifying Exam – PQE, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
- since 2007 Standing Committee, Higher Degrees in Systems Biology, Harvard University, Boston, USA
- 1997-1999 Chair, Gordon Research Conference on Molecular Membrane Biology, Andover, USA
- 1999-2002 Member, Study Section, National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA
Honours and Memberships
- 2011 Schleiden Medal, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
- 2011 Milstein Lecturer, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), Cambridge, UK
- 2010 Keith R. Porter Lecturer, American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB), USA
- 2010 Van Deenen Medal, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Belgium
- 2010 Anatrace Membrane Protein Award, Biophysical Society, Rockville, USA
- since 2009 Scientific Advisory Board, Bioinformatics Institute (BII), Singapore
- 2009-2014 Distinguished Research Chair Professor, Center for Biotechnology and the Center for Medical Excellence, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- 2009-2014 Scientific Advisory Board, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- 2009 Clifford Barger Excellence in Mentoring Award, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- 2008 Scientific Advisory Board, Dahlem Conferences, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
- 2008 International Advisory Board, Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences (GGNB), Georg August University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- 2007 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), USA
- 2007 Sir Hans Krebs Medal, Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS)
- 2005 Max Delbrück Medal, MDC, Berlin, Germany
- 2005 Member, National Academy of Sciences, USA
- 2005 Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, USA
- 2004 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
- 2004 Otto Warburg Medal, German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM), Germany
- 2004 Johannes-Mueller Prize for Experimental Medicine, German Society for Experimental Medicine, Germany
- since 1993 Member, Academia Europea
- since 1993 Member, European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), Heidelberg, Germany
- since 1993 Member, Leibniz Society of Sciences, Germany
- 1988-1992 Member, Academy of Sciences of the German Democratic Republic, Germany
- Rudolf Virchow Award, Germany