David Stuart (structural biologist) facts for kids

Sir David Ian Stuart (born 8 December 1953) is a very important scientist. He is a professor of Structural Biology at the University of Oxford. This means he studies the shapes and structures of tiny biological things. He is famous for using a method called X-ray crystallography to look at viruses. He has helped us understand viruses like foot-and-mouth disease virus and bluetongue virus. He also helps lead a big science facility called Diamond Light Source.

Learning and Early Career

Sir David Stuart was born in 1953 in Lancashire, England. He went to school in Lancashire and Devon. He then studied Biophysics at King's College London. In 1974, he earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Science (BSc).

He continued his studies at the University of Bristol. In 1979, he earned his PhD. His research focused on the structure of an enzyme called pyruvate kinase. Enzymes are special proteins that help chemical reactions happen in our bodies.

Discoveries and Research

After finishing his studies, Sir David Stuart moved to Oxford in 1979. He worked with other scientists on important biological structures. In 1985, he started his own research group. His team focused on how viruses interact with cells and how they are built.

Sir David Stuart has figured out the exact atomic structures of many complex biological molecules and viruses. This is like creating a 3D map of these tiny particles. Some of his most important discoveries include:

• The structure of foot-and-mouth disease virus. This work has helped create better vaccines to protect animals.
• The structure of bluetongue virus.
• The structures of special viruses called phages PRD1 and PM2. PRD1 was the first time scientists saw the structure of a virus with a membrane around it.

He also studied the structure of a protein from HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. This research helps scientists design new medicines to fight the virus. Sir David Stuart also works on new ways to study protein structures and how they change over time.

Since 2008, he has been a director at the Diamond Light Source. This is a huge science facility in the UK. It uses very bright X-rays to study materials, including biological samples like viruses. It helps many scientists do their research. One of his former students, Susan Lea, is also a well-known scientist.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Sir David Stuart has received many awards for his important work. These awards show how much his discoveries have helped science:

• FEBS Anniversary Prize (1990)
• He became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1996. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
• Descartes Prize (2002)
• He became a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci) in 2006.
• He won the Gregori Aminoff Prize in 2006 with Stephen C. Harrison. This award is for important work in crystallography.
• European Crystallographic Association Max Perutz Prize (2007)
• He received honorary degrees from several universities, including the University of Helsinki (2010), University of Leeds (2011), and University of Bristol (2015).
• Premio Città di Firenze for Molecular Sciences (2016)
• He was made a Knight in 2021. This means he can use the title "Sir" before his name. He received this honor for his great contributions to medical research and science.