Peak Proteins Welcomes Dr Christopher Cooper
Peak Proteins welcomes Dr Chris Cooper as Director of Protein Science. Chris has over 23 years’ experience in molecular biology and recombinant protein production in academic research as a doctoral student, Postdoctoral Researcher and University Senior Lecturer, including in molecular biology, protein biochemical and biophysical analysis, protein structure methods, cell biology, RNA analysis, and bioinformatics approaches.
Starting Academic Life as a Biochemist
Chris gained a MBiochem at Merton College, University of Oxford, before joining the Department of Engineering Science to gain his DPhil (PhD), carrying out research in molecular biology and biochemistry. Here he isolated and characterised a novel DNA polymerase from a thermoacidophilic archaeon, with a BBSRC Industrial CASE studentship. Chris went on to study for an MRes in Bioinformatics at the University of York, with a research placement at the Department of Molecular Evolution at the Uppsala University in Sweden.
Postdoctoral Research
Chris joined the Nuffield Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences at Oxford University as a Julian Starmer-Smith Fund Research Assistant, researching microRNA and cancer-testis antigen expression profiles in human lymphomas. Continuing in Oxford as a Postdoctoral Scientist at the Structural Genomics Consortium, Chris worked on protein crystallisation and high throughput cloning and protein production, focusing on ETS transcription factors and DNA replication/repair proteins.
Continuing his research into genome integrity factors in cancer in Oxford, Chris moved to the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology to carry on his postdoctoral research on the structural biology of human DNA repair and poly ADP-ribosylation. Chris was also appointed an E.P. Abraham Cephalosporin Junior Research Fellow and a member of the Governing Body at Linacre College.
Academic Career
Having developed a love of teaching, Chris was appointed as a College Lecturer in Biochemistry at The Queen’s College at Oxford University. He subsequently established his first independent research group, joining the University of Huddersfield as a Senior Lecturer in Biological Sciences in the School of Applied Sciences, where he researched the structural molecular biology of DNA replication and repair.
Joining Peak Proteins
Chris commented, “I have been keen to move to industry to focus on protein production for a few years now and have watched Peak Proteins grow since the beginning. When the opportunity came up to join the company as a Director of Protein Science, I jumped at the chance”.
Mark Abbott, Chief Executive Officer of Peak Proteins added, “The business has been growing significantly over the past couple of years and now has considerably more projects to manage. Having someone with Chris’s experience as a protein scientist, people and project manager is a great addition to the team”.
Editorial Positions and Society Memberships
Chris is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a member of the Biochemical Society, Microbiology Society, Genetics Society, British Society for Research on Aging, UK Environmental Mutagen Society, and the British Phycological Society.
Chris is also the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Bioscience Reports (published by the Biochemical Society) and an Associate Editor of Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences (Structural Biology section).
Life Outside Work
A legacy of his time in Oxford, Chris is a keen rower and coach but until he finds a local navigable river, he will be joining many other team members cycling to work (at least in part) with familiar early morning starts. Recently Chris has rediscovered his teenage love of model building and painting and expects his Warhammer armies will be finally painted when his four-year old goes to university.
Here is a link to Chris’s Google Scholar Page
