Peak Proteins Welcomes Dr Duncan Smith
Peak Proteins welcomes Dr Duncan Smith who joins us as a Protein Purification Specialist. Duncan began his academic career as a chemist but got his first taste of protein science during a final-year research project and has never looked back! Throughout his PhD and post-doc years he has expressed, purified, characterised, and engineered enzymes to be used as biocatalysts in various synthetic biology projects.
Starting Academic Life as a Chemist
Duncan graduated from the University of East Anglia with a Master of Chemistry degree before moving to St Andrews to carry out research for a PhD with Professor Rebecca Goss developing tools for modification of natural products produced by fermentation. Behind the idea of “Expanding the Genochemetic Toolkit” was combining selective and unusual genetic modifications with specific and efficient chemical modifications allowing natural products to be altered or engineered without needing to purify them or use lengthy protecting group chemistry.
Duncan remarked, “One of the things I looked at was tagging the natural products with fluorescent markers, to allow things like monitoring when or where they were made in the cultures. I also spent a lot of time working on the mass spec to try and detect chlorinated or brominated compounds directly, as they have a characteristic signal. For me, the most important thing to take from it was that I much preferred working with enzymes and bacteria than organic catalysts!”. During his PhD, Duncan kept a toe in touch with organic chemistry by demonstrating for undergraduate laboratory classes.
Post-doctoral Research
Duncan continued post-doctoral research at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester in synthetic biology with Professor Jason Micklefield. The project was in collaboration with Barry Wilkinson’s group at the John Innes Centre, an independent, international centre of excellence in plant science, genetics and microbiology based in Norwich, and Glaxo Smith Kline. The research involved engineering enzyme catalysts to replace synthetic organic chemistry in the production of commercial antibiotics.
Joining Peak Proteins
Duncan briefly worked at the Lighthouse at Alderley Park before joining Peak Proteins. “I wanted to work for Peak Proteins because I wanted to be able to apply my experience to a range of different challenges. I wanted to work somewhere where the day-to-day wasn’t routine and after meeting people online and after visiting, I thought Peak Proteins was somewhere I could contribute as well as learn”, added Duncan.
Mark Abbott, CEO, commented “We’ve employed 5 young people in the past year from first degree graduates to PhDs and Post-docs. We’ve been really happy with how they have all settled in and how rapidly they have become productive members of the team. We were unsure of the strategy but couldn’t be more pleased. We know some may leave to carry out academic research or just because they need to spread their wings. But that’s fine; it’s all part of our journey as we support the development of future scientists. We are very lucky to have some excellent universities across the north of England and Duncan is our latest recruit. Again, another fine candidate from a regional university.”
Life Outside Work
Everyone has had to find new past times during the past 12 months. Duncan added, “It’s a bit of an odd time to think about ‘hobbies’ or doing things ‘for fun’ that aren’t just Netflix – but I do enjoy playing board games and have been exploring the local neighbourhood taking my dog out for walks. Since lockdown started, I’ve got into YouTube yoga too, but mostly just can’t wait to be back in the pub having a beer with friends. I’m not really one for adventure and would much rather hide away in a cabin in a forest somewhere!”.
