Nicholas Turner (chemist)

Nicholas John Turner is a British chemist and a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at The University of Manchester.[2] His research in general is based on biochemistry and organic chemistry, specifically on biotechnology, cell biology, biocatalysis and organic synthesis.[9][10]

Prof. Nicholas Turner

FRS
Born
Nicholas John Turner

1959/1960 (age 60–61)[1]
Alma materUniversity of Bristol[2] (Bsc.)
University of Oxford[2](PhD)
Known forBiotechnology
Cell biology
Biocatalysis
Organic synthesis
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsBiochemistry
Organic chemistry
InstitutionsThe University of Manchester
ThesisMechanistic studies on isopenicillin N synthase (1985)
Doctoral advisorProf. Sir. Jack Baldwin

Education

Turner completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1982 at University of Bristol.[2] He then read for his Doctor of Philosophy degree at University of Oxford on Mechanistic studies on isopenicillin N synthase and successfully completed it in 1985.[11] His PhD was supervised by Prof. Sir. Jack Baldwin.[11]

Research and career

Upon completing his PhD, Turner spent two years (1985 - 1987) with Prof. George M. Whitesides at Harvard University as a Royal Society Junior Research Fellow.[2][12] He then moved to University of Exeter as a Lecturer in 1987, before moving to University of Edinburgh for the position of Reader in 1995.[12] He was promoted to the position of Professor in 1998 and moved to University of Manchester as a Professor of Chemical Biology in 2004.

Turner's research in general is based on biochemistry and organic chemistry, specifically on biotechnology, cell biology, biocatalysis and organic synthesis.[9][10]

Turner is the Director of CoEBio3, an organisation designed to provide scientific environment in which the necessary research and development can be carried out to create new biocatalyst-based processes to meet the changing needs of industry in the next 10–20 years.[13] He is also the Co-founder of Ingenza and Co-director of SYNBIOCHEM.[14][15] Turner is also the author of several books in the field of biocatalysis including Introduction to Biocatalysis Using Enzymes and Microorganisms[16] and Biocatalysis in Organic Synthesis: The Retrosynthesis Approach.[17]

Notable work

Turner was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society in the year 2020.[8] Regarded one of the world's leading researchers[8] in the field of Biocatalysis, his profile reads;

"Nicholas Turner undertakes research focussed on creating new enzymes for application as biocatalysts for chemical synthesis.[18][19][20] His group combine enzyme discovery with protein engineering and directed evolution methods in order to develop biocatalysts with tailored properties including high (stereo)selectivity, improved activity and enhanced stability. These biocatalysts, which include amine/alcohol oxidases, imine reductases, lyases, transaminases and monooxygenases, are then applied to the synthesis of a range of target molecules especially pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals.[21][22]

Nick also has a passion for promoting the wider application of biocatalysis across the entire chemical community and has developed guidelines for 'biocatalytic retrosynthesis[17]' to encourage greater adoption of biocatalysis amongst synthetic chemists. These guidelines enable multi-enzyme cascades to be designed and developed for the conversion of simple, sustainable feedstocks to more complex, target molecules."

Awards and Nominations

Major Publications
  • Turner, N.; Köhler, V.; Wilson, V.M.; Dürrenberger, M.; Ghislieri, D.; Churakova, E.; Quinto, T; Knörr, L.; Häussinger, D.; Hollmann, F.; Ward, T.R. (2013). "Synthetic cascades are enabled by combining biocatalysts with artificial metalloenzymes". Nature Chemistry. 5 (2): 93–99. doi:10.1038/nchem.1498. PMID 23344429. S2CID 205290846. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  • Turner, Nicholas; O’Reilly, Elaine (2013). "Biocatalytic retrosynthesis" (PDF). Nature Chemical Biology. 9 (5): 285–288. doi:10.1038/nchembio.1235. PMID 23594772. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  • Turner, Nicholas (23 April 2012). "Oxidation of C - N Bonds". In Drauz, Karlheinz; Gröger, Harald; May, Oliver (eds.). Biocatalysis in Organic Synthesis: The Retrosynthesis Approach. United Kingdom: Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. pp. 1535–1552. doi:10.1002/9783527639861. ISBN 9783527325474.
  • Turner, Nicholas; Jones, Patrik R.; Akhtar, M. Kalim (2012). "Carboxylic acid reductase is a versatile enzyme for the conversion of fatty acids into fuels and chemical commodities". PNAS. 110 (1): 87–92. doi:10.1073/pnas.1216516110. PMC 3538209. PMID 23248280.
  • Turner, Nicholas (2009). "Directed evolution drives the next generation of biocatalysts". Nature Chemical Biology. 5 (8): 567–573. doi:10.1038/nchembio.203. PMID 19620998. Retrieved 18 June 2020.

References
  1. "Prof. Nicholas Turner (CV)" (PDF). Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  2. Turner Lab. "Prof. Nicholas Turner". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  3. Royal Society of Chemistry. "Dextra Carbohydrate Chemistry Award". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  4. Royal Society of Chemistry. "Corday-Morgan Prize Previous Winners". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  5. Royal Society of Chemistry. "Organic Industrial Chemistry Award 2009 winner". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  6. Royal Society of Chemistry. "Organic Stereochemistry Award 2017 Winner". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  7. American Chemical Society. "Congratulations to the 2018 ACS Catalysis Lectureship Recipient: Professor Nicholas Turner". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  8. Royal Society. "Royal Society Fellows". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  9. "Prof. Nicholas J. Turner: Publications". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  10. "Prof. Nicholas J. Turner: Publications". Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  11. Nicholas J., Turner (1985). Mechanistic studies on isopenicillin N synthase (PhD thesis). (subscription required)
  12. University of Manchester NMR Group. "Prof. Nicholas Turner". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  13. CoEBio3. "CoEBio3 Activities". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  14. Ingenza. "Ingenza(Management)". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  15. (Synbiochem) Manchester Synthetic Biology Research Center. "Synbiochem". Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  16. Turner, Nicholas; Turner, Michael K.; Roberts, Stanley M.; Willetts, Andrew J. (27 January 1995). Willetts, Andrew J. (ed.). Introduction to Biocatalysis Using Enzymes and Microorganisms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511752254. ISBN 9780511752254.
  17. Turner, Nicholas; Humphreys, Luke (8 February 2018). Biocatalysis in Organic Synthesis: The Retrosynthesis Approach. United Kingdom: Royal Society of Chemistry. ISBN 978-1-78801-342-0.
  18. Turner, Nicholas (23 April 2012). "Oxidation of C - N Bonds". In Drauz, Karlheinz; Gröger, Harald; May, Oliver (eds.). Biocatalysis in Organic Synthesis: The Retrosynthesis Approach. United Kingdom: Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. pp. 1535–1552. doi:10.1002/9783527639861. ISBN 9783527325474.
  19. Turner, Nicholas; O’Reilly, Elaine (2013). "Biocatalytic retrosynthesis" (PDF). Nature Chemical Biology. 9 (5): 285–288. doi:10.1038/nchembio.1235. PMID 23594772. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  20. Turner, Nicholas (2009). "Directed evolution drives the next generation of biocatalysts". Nature Chemical Biology. 5 (8): 567–573. doi:10.1038/nchembio.203. PMID 19620998. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  21. Turner, Nicholas; Jones, Patrik R.; Akhtar, M. Kalim (2012). "Carboxylic acid reductase is a versatile enzyme for the conversion of fatty acids into fuels and chemical commodities". PNAS. 110 (1): 87–92. doi:10.1073/pnas.1216516110. PMC 3538209. PMID 23248280.
  22. Turner, N.; Köhler, V.; Wilson, V.M.; Dürrenberger, M.; Ghislieri, D.; Churakova, E.; Quinto, T; Knörr, L.; Häussinger, D.; Hollmann, F.; Ward, T.R. (2013). "Synthetic cascades are enabled by combining biocatalysts with artificial metalloenzymes". Nature Chemistry. 5 (2): 93–99. doi:10.1038/nchem.1498. PMID 23344429. S2CID 205290846. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
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