معرفی
Professor Martin Tanner is a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia (UBC), within the Faculty of Science. He serves as the Interim Graduate Advisor and leads the Tanner Research Group, focusing on mechanistic enzymology. His research explores enzyme-catalyzed reactions, particularly stereochemical control in biosynthetic processes, with a focus on enzymes like ADP-heptose 6-epimerase and sialic acid synthases. Techniques employed include isotopic labeling, synthetic organic chemistry, and molecular biology.
Education: B.Sc. (University of Alberta, 1985), Ph.D. (UCLA, 1990 under Donald J. Cram), and postdoctoral training at Harvard University (1990-1992 under Jeremy R. Knowles). Awards include the Bernard Belleau Award (2010) and the Merck Frosst Lecture Award (2004). He contributes to editorial roles, such as on the Bioorganic Chemistry journal.
His research group investigates enzymes critical to bacterial lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, sialic acid metabolism, and tubulin polyglutamylation. Recent work includes inhibitor design targeting enzymes involved in bacterial resistance and cell wall synthesis. The lab’s projects highlight interdisciplinary approaches to understanding enzyme mechanisms and developing potential therapeutic agents.
Awards and honors span recognition for research contributions, including the UBC Faculty of Science Achievement Award (2003) and early-career accolades like the Bio-Méga/Boehringer Ingelheim Young Investigator Award (1997).
Current and past roles include leadership in professional organizations, such as the Executive Committee of the ACS Division of Biological Chemistry (2007-2009), and contributions to grant review panels, including NSERC and CIHR.
