Natalie Strynadka facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Natalie Strynadka
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![]() Strynadka in 2015
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Born | 1963 (age 61–62) |
Alma mater | University of Alberta |
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Thesis | Probing molecular interactions at various levels of structural definition (1990) |
Doctoral advisor | Michael N. G. James |
Natalie C. J. Strynadka is a Canadian biochemist. She is a professor of Biochemistry at the University of British Columbia. Her work helps us understand how tiny parts of cells work.
Education and Early Career
Natalie Strynadka studied at the University of Alberta. In 1990, she earned her PhD degree there. A PhD is a very high university degree. It shows that a person is an expert in their field. Her research focused on understanding how molecules interact.
Awards and Important Work
In 2015, Natalie Strynadka became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very special honour for scientists in the United Kingdom. It means she is one of the best scientists in the world.
Her important work focuses on proteins. Proteins are like tiny machines that do many jobs inside living things. She studies how proteins work together in bacteria. She looks at how bacteria cause sickness and how they become resistant to medicines.
Fighting Germs and Superbugs
Dr. Strynadka is a leader in studying how bacteria cause infection. She looks at how bacteria build their cell walls. The cell wall is like a protective shield around bacteria. If we understand how bacteria build this shield, we can find ways to stop them.
Her research helps create new medicines. These medicines include antibiotics and vaccines. Antibiotics fight bacterial infections. Vaccines help your body learn to fight off germs before you get sick. Her discoveries are very important for developing new ways to fight "superbugs." Superbugs are germs that are hard to kill with regular medicines.