Laurence Hurst facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laurence Hurst
FRS FMedSci
|
|
|---|---|
Hurst in 2015
|
|
| Born |
Laurence Daniel Hurst
6 January 1965 Ilkley, Yorkshire
|
| Education | Truro School |
| Alma mater |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
| Institutions |
|
| Thesis | Intra-genomic conflict and evolution (1991) |
| Doctoral advisor | |
| Doctoral students | Gilean McVean |
Laurence Daniel Hurst, born on January 6, 1965, is a well-known scientist. He is a professor who studies how living things change over time (called Evolution) and how traits are passed down through families (called Genetics). He works at the University of Bath in England and leads a special center there called the Milner Centre for Evolution.
Becoming a Scientist: Education
Laurence Hurst went to Truro School when he was younger. Later, he studied at the University of Cambridge, where he focused on natural sciences. He earned his first degree in 1987.
After spending a year at Harvard University in the United States, he returned to the UK. He then earned a higher degree, a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil), from the University of Oxford in 1991. His research there was guided by two famous scientists, W. D. Hamilton and Alan Grafen.
What He Does: Career and Research
From 1993 to 1996, Professor Hurst was a special research fellow at the University of Cambridge. Since 1997, he has been a professor at the University of Bath.
His work involves studying how genes and the entire set of genes in an organism (called a genome) change over time. He uses computers and math to figure this out. His research has looked at many interesting topics, including:
- Genes that are always active (called housekeeping genes).
- How genes are arranged in a genome.
- How germs like Staphylococcus aureus (a type of bacteria) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (a type of yeast) become resistant to medicines.
- How sexual reproduction and differences between males and females (called sexual dimorphism) have evolved.
Professor Hurst also studies why some changes in our genes (called mutations) are not as harmful as we might expect, while others cause more problems. He found that the genetic code, which tells our bodies how to build proteins, is designed in a way that helps prevent many errors. This means that even if a small change happens, it might not cause a big problem.
He also discovered why removing some genes has little effect on an organism. He showed that many gene deletions do not cause major issues.
On the other hand, Professor Hurst found that some changes in our genes that were once thought to be harmless can actually have important effects. For example, he showed that changes in the order of genes or small changes in "silent" parts of genes can still be important. He also found that genes can affect how other nearby genes work.
Recognized for His Work: Awards and Honours
Professor Hurst has received many important awards for his scientific discoveries.
In 2015, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci). He also became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), which is a very high honour for scientists in the UK. When he was elected to the Royal Society, they noted that he is a leading expert on how genetic systems evolve. They highlighted his work showing that:
- The genetic code is designed to reduce errors.
- Small changes in genes in mammals are important.
- The order of genes is not random.
- He was the first to understand how much a gene is used affects how its proteins evolve.
He received the Scientific Medal from the Zoological Society of London in 2003. In 2004, he became a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). In 2010, he was awarded The Genetics Society Medal.
