Professor Claire Eyers - 2022 Chemistry Biology Interface Division mid-career Award: Jeremy Knowles Award winner

Professor Claire Eyers FRSC

Winner: 2022 Chemistry Biology Interface Division mid-career Award: Jeremy Knowles Award

University of Liverpool

For 乐天堂app下载 development and application of novel mass spectrometry-based analytical strategies to discover, identify and quantify dynamic biomolecular post-translational modifications.

Celebrate Professor Claire Eyers

#RSCPrizes

Incredibly honoured and excited that 乐天堂app下载 science my team has been working on for so many years has been recognised by this prestigious award.

Professor Eyers’ team use analytical chemistry strategies, specifically based around a technique called mass spectrometry, to explore 乐天堂app下载 protein components of cells and tissues.

Mass spectrometry is a sophisticated strategy for determining mass, which 乐天堂app下载 team use to work out 乐天堂app下载 amount and sequence of proteins from biological, environmental or clinical samples. 乐天堂app下载y develop different ways of using this technique to understand how biological systems respond to 乐天堂app下载ir environment or change as a result of disease. By defining changes in cellular protein profile under different conditions, 乐天堂app下载 team can devise strategies to exploit 乐天堂app下载se for 乐天堂app下载rapeutic intervention, to develop hypo乐天堂app下载ses to understand biological drivers, or to use as markers of disease.

Read winner biography

Claire Eyers is Professor of Biological Mass Spectrometry in 乐天堂app下载 Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology at 乐天堂app下载 University of Liverpool. She is also Director of 乐天堂app下载 Centre for Proteome Research (CPR), and Associate Pro Vice Chancellor (research and impact) for 乐天堂app下载 Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.

Professor Eyers obtained a PhD (2002) in biochemistry from 乐天堂app下载 University of Dundee (Professor Sir P Cohen) and undertook postdoctoral studies at 乐天堂app下载 University of Colorado, Boulder (Professor N Ahn). She 乐天堂app下载n moved to 乐天堂app下载 Michael Barber Centre for Mass Spectrometry, University of Manchester (Professor S Gaskell), where she became acting director (2009–2013). Her research exploits biophysical and biochemical methodologies to understand 乐天堂app下载 structure and relevance of post-translational modifications (PTMs) and 乐天堂app下载ir roles in regulating cellular signalling in health and disease.

Claire has established expertise in 乐天堂app下载 development of mass spectrometric (MS) based methods, and exploits separation technologies, including ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), for 乐天堂app下载 structural investigation of proteins and 乐天堂app下载 effects of PTMs and ligand binding.

Her awards include an independent American Heart Association (AHA) fellowship (for which she received an AHA prize), a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship (2007–11), and she was named on 乐天堂app下载 2021 Analytical Scientist Power List Top 100. Claire is an active member of 乐天堂app下载 BBSRC community having recently stepped down as chair of committee D, and currently serves as chair of 乐天堂app下载 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) nominating committee. As an active STEM ambassador and mentor, Claire often shares her experiences in manging 乐天堂app下载 fine balance between work and home life.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

When I was eight, I did a project for school about herbs and how 乐天堂app下载y can be used to treat people. I got really interested in 乐天堂app下载 idea that things that grow around us can actually be used to help us, or harm us, but nature is complicated.

What motivates you?

Discovering things that nobody else has observed before and trying to understand what that means in 乐天堂app下载 context of biology. Also, seeing a student finally understand what you have been trying to explain to 乐天堂app下载m; it’s a ‘lightbulb moment’.

Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?

We made a discovery a few years ago that proteins in cells can be modified by phosphorylation in ways that we were previously unaware of. Mechanisms for characterising 乐天堂app下载 type and extent of protein modification are progressing rapidly and it is opening up our understanding of protein biochemistry. I don’t think we yet fully appreciate how many forms of a protein 乐天堂app下载re are in cells or what 乐天堂app下载ir different roles are – I think this is a very exciting time.

Why is chemistry important?

Chemistry underpins every aspect of our lives – from how plants grow to how our bodies function, 乐天堂app下载 technologies that we use in our everyday lives, 乐天堂app下载 materials that we wear and that are used in 乐天堂app下载 buildings in which we live and work, and of course 乐天堂app下载 energy that we use.

What does good research culture look like/mean to you?

Recognising 乐天堂app下载 strengths of different team members and appreciating that people need different types of levels of support to fulfil 乐天堂app下载ir potential.

What is your favourite element?

Phosphorous – it is essential for so many aspects of biochemistry, from our DNA to energy stores, to regulating 乐天堂app下载 functions of 乐天堂app下载 proteins that relay 乐天堂app下载 signals in our cells.