Christopher J. Schofield facts for kids

Christopher Joseph Schofield (often called Chris Schofield) is a top chemistry professor at the University of Oxford. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a big honor for scientists. Professor Schofield teaches organic chemistry and is a Fellow at Hertford College, Oxford.

His research looks closely at special proteins called enzymes. These enzymes use oxygen and another molecule called 2-oxoglutarate. Understanding these enzymes has opened up exciting new ways to develop antibiotics. It also helps us learn how our bodies sense oxygen and control how our genes work.

Chris Schofield first studied enzymes from plants and tiny living things. Later, he focused on human enzymes that weren't well understood. His work showed that these enzymes play surprising roles. They help control how our genes are used, especially when our bodies don't get enough oxygen (a condition called hypoxia). His discoveries could lead to new medicines.

Becoming a Scientist

Chris Schofield went to St Anselm's College, a school in Merseyside, UK. He then studied chemistry at the University of Manchester. He earned his first degree with top honors between 1979 and 1982.

In 1982, he moved to Oxford to continue his studies. He worked towards his DPhil (a type of advanced degree like a PhD) with Professor Jack E. Baldwin. After finishing his DPhil, he started working at Oxford University in 1985.

He became a Lecturer in Chemistry and a Fellow of Hertford College in 1990. By 1998, he was made a full professor of Chemistry. In 2011, he became the Head of Organic Chemistry at the University of Oxford. In 2013, he received the prestigious title of Fellow of the Royal Society, or FRS.

What Professor Schofield Researches

Professor Schofield's lab at Oxford studies many different areas of chemistry. Here are some of the main ones:

How Genes Are Controlled

One big focus for his team is studying how histones are changed. Histones are like spools that DNA wraps around inside our cells. Changes to histones can turn genes on or off. Professor Schofield's group studies how enzymes called oxygenases remove certain chemical tags from histones.

This research is important because these changes are linked to diseases like cancer and inflammatory diseases. Understanding how genes are turned on and off can help scientists find new ways to treat these illnesses. They also study other proteins that affect how our genes work.

Enzymes That Use Oxygen

Professor Schofield's team also studies a large group of enzymes called 2-oxoglutarate (2OG)-dependent oxygenases. These enzymes are special because they use oxygen and a molecule from our body's energy cycle (called 2OG) to do their work.

Scientists are interested in these enzymes for a few reasons. They can perform very difficult chemical reactions that are hard to do in a lab. They also play many important roles in how our bodies function. When these enzymes don't work right, it can lead to diseases. The research aims to find ways to target these enzymes to treat illnesses.

Fighting Germs with Antibiotics

Most of the antibiotics we use today come from natural sources. A very important group of antibiotics has a special ring structure called a β-lactam ring. This group includes common medicines like penicillin and cephalosporin.

Professor Schofield's group studies how these antibiotics are made in nature. They also look at how bacteria become resistant to these medicines. Bacterial resistance is a huge problem because it makes antibiotics stop working.

His team is working on designing new medicines that can stop bacteria from breaking down antibiotics. They are trying to find inhibitors for enzymes called metallo β-lactamases. There are currently no medicines that can stop these specific enzymes, but they are a major reason why many antibiotics no longer work against dangerous bacteria.

Awards and Honors

Professor Schofield has received many awards for his important scientific work:

• 2015-2020: Wellcome Trust Advanced Investigator Award (with Sir Peter Ratcliffe)
• 2013: Fellow of the Royal Society (London); Member of EMBO; Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, UK; Member of the Biochemical Society; Member of the Society for Experimental Biology, UK
• 2012: Finalist – Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council 'Innovator of the Year'
• 2011: Royal Society of Chemistry, Jeremy Knowles Award, UK
• 2009 – 2014: Principal Investigator for a major European research grant (with Sir Peter Ratcliffe)
• 2000: Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (London)