Richard M. Durbin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Durbin
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Durbin in 2008
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Richard Michael Durbin
30 December 1960 |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Highgate School |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge (BA, PhD) |
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| Thesis | Studies on the development and organisation of the nervous system of Caenorhabditis elegans (1987) |
| Doctoral advisor | John G. White |
| Doctoral students | Ewan Birney |
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Richard Michael Durbin, born in 1960, is a British scientist. He is a computational biologist, which means he uses computers to study biology. He is a professor of genetics at the University of Cambridge. He also works as a researcher at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Richard Durbin grew up in London, England. He went to The Hall School, Hampstead and Highgate School. In 1978, he took part in the International Mathematical Olympiad, a big math competition.
After school, he studied at the University of Cambridge. He earned his first degree in mathematics in 1982. Later, he continued his studies at St John's College, Cambridge. He earned his PhD by studying the nervous system of a tiny worm called Caenorhabditis elegans. He did this research at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge.
Career and Discoveries
Richard Durbin's early work involved creating computer programs. These programs helped with scientific tools like X-ray machines and special microscopes. He also helped with early research on how brains work.
Mapping Genomes
A big part of his career was leading the computer work for the Caenorhabditis elegans genome project. A genome is like a complete instruction book for an organism. He helped create a special database called AceDB. This database later became WormBase, a website used by scientists worldwide.
After that, he played a key role in understanding the human genome. The human genome project aimed to map out all the genes in humans.
Developing Computer Tools for Biology
Durbin has created many computer methods for analyzing DNA and protein sequences. These methods help scientists find genes. For example, he worked with Ewan Birney on a tool called GeneWise. He also developed tools like HMMER with Sean Eddy. These tools use special math models to compare and match biological sequences.
He co-wrote an important textbook called Biological Sequence Analysis. This book explains some of his work. Using these methods, Durbin helped build important databases. These include Pfam, which stores information about protein families, and Ensembl, a database for genomes. He also helped create TreeFam, which looks at gene families.
Studying Human Variation
More recently, Durbin has focused on new ways to sequence DNA. He has used these methods to study how human genomes differ. He is a leader in the international 1000 Genomes Project. This project aims to understand common genetic differences in people around the world. This research helps scientists learn more about human health and diseases.
Awards and Recognition
Richard Durbin has received many awards for his important work.
- In 1994, he won the Mullard Award from the Royal Society. This was for his work on the confocal microscope.
- In 2004, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
- He also became a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) in 2009.
- In 2017, the Royal Society gave him the Gabor Medal. This award recognized his contributions to computational biology.
- In 2023, he received the International Prize for Biology. This was for his work on understanding genomes.
When he was elected to the Royal Society, they said he made a "powerful contribution to computational biology." They noted his leadership in the new field of bioinformatics. This field helps scientists handle huge amounts of biological data.
Personal Life
Richard Durbin is the son of James Durbin. He is married to Julie Ahringer, who is also a scientist. They have two children.
