James Naismith

James Naismith is a Professor of Structural Biology at the University of Oxford and serves as the Director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute since 2019. He previously held roles as a Professor at the University of St Andrews (1995-2017) and completed postdoctoral work at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre. His career spans leadership in multidisciplinary research institute creation and structural biology advancements.

• PhD in Structural Biology, University of Manchester (1992)
• BSc in Chemistry, 1st Class, University of Edinburgh (1989)

Research Focus: Naismith's work bridges structural biology and chemical biology, emphasizing pathogenic bacterial mechanisms. His lab has characterized enzymatic pathways like dTDP-L-rhamnose and patellamide biosynthesis, explored membrane protein transport (e.g., siderophores), and pioneered nanobody applications for therapeutic development.

Scientific Awards:

• Royal Society of Chemistry Horizon Prize (2022) for nanobody research
• Royal Society Fellow (2014) and Wolfson Research Merit Award
• Advanced ERC Grant (2012-2018) for TNT-NCB project
• Multiple medals: Tilden (2018), Jeremy Knowles (2009), Corday-Morgan (2004), Colworth (2004)

Labs & Initiatives: Naismith led the creation of a multidisciplinary biosciences institute at St Andrews and oversaw the £25M cryo-electron tomography project at the Rosalind Franklin Institute. His lab's work on nanobodies combines crystallography and cryo-EM, with translational applications in animal prophylactics.