John F. Atkins Explained

John F. Atkins
Birth Place:Dunmanway, Ireland
Nationality:Irish
Fields:Molecular genetics, RNA biology
Workplaces:University College Cork (Ireland), University of Utah, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Alma Mater:Trinity College, Dublin (Ireland)
Known For:Recoding, RNA World, Genetic Code
Prizes:Royal Irish Academy Gold Medal Award in 2007[1]

John Atkins is a research professor at University College Cork and a member of the Royal Irish Academy since 2003.[2] [3] Atkins was the first Irish national to be elected as a member of the EMBO Organization.[4] In 2002 Science Foundation Ireland appointed Atkins as its first Director of Biotechnology. Atkins is also an honorary Professor of Genetics at his alma mater Trinity College, Dublin.[5]

Research

Shortly after Crick and Brenner established the triplet nature of genetic decoding John Atkins showed that mRNA molecules are not always translated in a triplet manner.[6] Since then Atkins focused on aspects of the genetic decoding that are in defiance of the standard genetic code – phenomena collectively described as Recoding.[7] [8] Recoding challenges the generality of the genetic decoding and encompasses phenomena such as programmed ribosomal frameshifting that violates triplet character of the genetic readout. Proteinogenic amino acids that are not part of the genetic code, e.g. the 21st amino acid selenocysteine and the 22nd amino acid pyrrolysine are also subjects of Recoding.[9] John Atkins is an active proponent of the RNA World hypothesis and is an editor of The RNA World and RNA Worlds books.[10] [11] [12] His research activities include a search for modern protein-free RNA-based life forms.[13] In 2013 John Atkins organized installation of Charles Jencks sculpture ?What is Life? in Irish National Botanic Gardens.[14] In 2021 a family of RNA bacteriophages Atkinsviridae was named in recognition of his involvement in the discovery of Bacteriophage MS2 lysin protein.[15]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Royal Irish Academy | About | Grants & Awards | past . www.ria.ie . 2 February 2022 . https://archive.today/20130217232719/http://www.ria.ie/About/Our-Work/Grants---Awards/Gold-Medal-Award/past.aspx . 17 February 2013 . dead.
  2. Web site: SFI attracts leading bioscientist from US - Innovation | siliconrepublic.com - Ireland's Technology News Service . Siliconrepublic.com . 2016-04-09.
  3. Web site: Royal Irish Academy | About | Membership | Members List . 30 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130101021939/http://www.ria.ie/about/Membership/Member-List.aspx . 1 January 2013 .
  4. Web site: Archived copy . 3 November 2012 . dead . https://archive.today/20070814124252/http://www.ucd.ie/research/newsevents/newsarchive/newsarchive2007/mainbody,7493,en.html . 14 August 2007 .
  5. Web site: Staff - Genetics - Trinity College Dublin . 3 November 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121010001601/http://www.tcd.ie/Genetics/staff.php . 10 October 2012 .
  6. Riyasaty S, Atkins JF. External suppression of a frameshift mutant in salmonella. J Mol Biol. 1968 Jun 28;34(3):541–57.
  7. Atkins, John F.; Gesteland, Raymond F.Recoding: Expansion of Decoding Rules Enriches Gene Expression. Springer.
  8. Web site: Tiny gene discovered hiding in a major family of plant viruses . www.hpj.com . 2 February 2022 . https://archive.today/20130125170325/http://www.hpj.com/archives/2008/jun08/jun30/Tinygenediscoveredhidingina.cfm . 25 January 2013 . dead.
  9. John F. Atkins and Ray Gesteland (2002). "The 22nd Amino Acid". Science 296 (5572): 1409–1410. doi:10.1126/science.1073339.
  10. Gesteland, Raymond F.; Cech, Thomas; Atkins, John F. (2006). The RNA world: the nature of modern RNA suggests a prebiotic RNA world. Plainview, N.Y: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. .
  11. Atkins, John F.; Gesteland, Raymond F.; Cech, Thomas. (2011). RNA Worlds: From Life’s Origins to Diversity in Gene Regulation. Plainview, N.Y: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. .
  12. Web site: William. Reville . The great mysteries of life are biochemical . Irishtimes.com . 2011-11-03 . 2016-04-09.
  13. Ledford H. Life-changing experiments: The biological Higgs. Nature 483, 528–530 (29 March 2012) doi:10.1038/483528a
  14. Web site: WHAT IS LIFE - DNA and Dublin Schrodinger James Watson, francis Crick, Maurice Wilkinson, Rosalind Franklin, Charles Jencks . Whatislife.ie . 2016-04-09.
  15. Julie Callanan, Stephen R. Stockdale, Evelien M. Adriaenssens, Jens H. Kuhn, Janis Rumnieks, Mark J. Pallen, Andrey N. Shkoporov, Lorraine A. Draper, R. Paul Ross, Colin Hill (2021). "Leviviricetes: expanding and restructuring the taxonomy of bacteria-infecting single-stranded RNA viruses." MICROBIAL GENOMICS doi:10.1099/mgen.0.000686

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