Mervyn Bibb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mervyn Bibb
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| Alma mater | University of East Anglia |
| Awards | FRS (2013) |
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| Thesis | Genetic and physical studies of a Streptomyces coelicolor plasmid (1978) |
| Doctoral advisor | David Hopwood |
Mervyn James Bibb FRS is an Emeritus Fellow at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK.
Education
Bibb was educated at the University of East Anglia where he graduated with a BSc in Biological Sciences and was awarded a PhD in 1978 for studies of plasmids in Streptomyces coelicolor.
Research
Bibb's research focused on
- The regulation of secondary metabolism (antibiotic production) in streptomycetes
- Functional genomics in Streptomyces, particularly transcriptome and proteome analysis
- Lantibiotics from actinomycetes
Awards and honours
Bibb was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2013. His nomination reads:
Mervyn Bibb is nominated for his seminal contributions to the genetic manipulation of antibiotic-producing bacteria, and to our understanding of antibiotic production and its regulation. He characterised Streptomyces plasmids, invented a method for introducing them into Streptomyces, and then developed cloning systems. This opened the way to his characterisation of the basic features of Streptomyces genes. He then applied this knowledge to the synthesis of antibiotics and their global and pathway-specific regulation. New therapeutic agents and ground-breaking approaches to yield improvement are emerging from this work.
