Cheryl Arrowsmith
Encyclopedia
Cheryl H. Arrowsmith is a Canadian-based structural biologist and is the Chief Scientist at the Toronto laboratory of the Structural Genomics Consortium
. Her contributions to protein structural biology includes the use of NMR and X-ray crystallography
to pursue structures of proteins on a proteome wide scale.
She received her Ph.D.
in chemistry at the University of Toronto
in 1987 and post-doctoral training at Stanford University
working with Professor Oleg Jardetzky. One of her areas of interest is the tumour suppressor p53
and related proteins.
Her current research is to determine the 3-dimensional structures
of human proteins of therapeutic relevance to diseases such as cancer
, malaria
and diabetes metabolic disorders by structural proteomics. One main advantage of this approach is economy of scale, although the scientific value of some resultant structures is at times questioned.
Dr. Arrowsmith was a co-founder of Toronto-based biotech company Affinium Pharmaceuticals in 2000.
Structural Genomics Consortium
The Structural Genomics Consortium is a not-for-profit organization formed in 2004 to determine the three dimensional structures of proteins of medical relevance, and place them in the Protein Data Bank without restriction...
. Her contributions to protein structural biology includes the use of NMR and X-ray crystallography
X-ray crystallography
X-ray crystallography is a method of determining the arrangement of atoms within a crystal, in which a beam of X-rays strikes a crystal and causes the beam of light to spread into many specific directions. From the angles and intensities of these diffracted beams, a crystallographer can produce a...
to pursue structures of proteins on a proteome wide scale.
She received her Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in chemistry at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1987 and post-doctoral training at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
working with Professor Oleg Jardetzky. One of her areas of interest is the tumour suppressor p53
P53
p53 , is a tumor suppressor protein that in humans is encoded by the TP53 gene. p53 is crucial in multicellular organisms, where it regulates the cell cycle and, thus, functions as a tumor suppressor that is involved in preventing cancer...
and related proteins.
Her current research is to determine the 3-dimensional structures
Protein structure
Proteins are an important class of biological macromolecules present in all organisms. Proteins are polymers of amino acids. Classified by their physical size, proteins are nanoparticles . Each protein polymer – also known as a polypeptide – consists of a sequence formed from 20 possible L-α-amino...
of human proteins of therapeutic relevance to diseases such as cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and diabetes metabolic disorders by structural proteomics. One main advantage of this approach is economy of scale, although the scientific value of some resultant structures is at times questioned.
Dr. Arrowsmith was a co-founder of Toronto-based biotech company Affinium Pharmaceuticals in 2000.