This press release contains dated information and should be used for background only.
Nobel prize-winning medical researcher Richard J. Roberts, Ph.D., will speak at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in March.
Roberts will present "Finding New Restriction Enzymes by Genomics and Bioinformatics" at the School’s Walter S. Sutton Symposium, 2:30 - 5 p.m. on Friday, March 1 stat Battenfeld Auditorium, Student Center. The Student Center is located at the corner of Rainbow Boulevard and Olathe at the The University of Kansas Hospital campus in Kansas City, Kan.
Roberts is director of bioinformatic research at New England Biolabs in Beverly, Mass. Much of his work concerns the use of computer methods, or bioinformatics, to deduce the exact layout of DNA molecules. His laboratory pioneered the application of computers in this area, and he has used it to unravel complex DNA sequences.
Roberts received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery that an individual gene can comprise several DNA segments. His findings led to the prediction of gene splicing and forever altered the understanding of genetic composition.
The symposium is being held to honor Dr. Billy Hudson who is stepping down after eight years as chair of the department of biochemistry and molecular biology. Hudson is an internationally recognized authority on the biochemistry of progressive kidney disorders whose work recently earned him a Distinguished Service citation from the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). His 28-year tenure at the Medical Center has included roles as dean of research, associate director of the Kansas Kidney Institute and numerous administrative and governance posts.
The Walter S. Sutton Symposium itself has relevance to the subject matter. It carries the name of a former KU graduate student who, a century ago this year, put forth the revolutionary hypothesis that chromosomes carry the units of inheritance.
William Jewell, MD, professor of surgery and director of the Kansas Cancer Institute, said that Sutton’s discovery had been a seminal event in medical history.
"He is considered the father of cytogenics, the study of how cells form," Jewell said. "His work has tremendous importance because we use cytogenics every day in medical research."
Jewell will present a tribute to Sutton at the symposium. The event is free and open to the public.