New England Biolabs^® Announces the Donald G. Comb Honorary Lectureship Series in Celebration of Company Founder

IPSWICH, MA (November 18, 2019) – Named in honor of the founder and first Chief Executive Officer of New England Biolabs (NEB^®), Donald Comb, this new annual lectureship series aims to showcase those who have pioneered basic research, with substantial impact on molecular biology, to address issues affecting the world at large.

The University of California, Berkeley’s, Eva P. Nogales, a pioneer in the application of cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM), will kick off the Donald G. Comb Honorary Lectureship series at New England Biolabs, in Ipswich, MA, on November 20th, 2019. 

Cryo-EM is a technique that bridges the gap between molecules and cells, allowing the study of large protein complexes that operate in living cells. New insights provided by the work of Dr. Nogales — professor of biochemistry, biophysics and structural biology at Berkeley —  have provided a deeper understanding of the large molecular machines that power the “central dogma” of DNA replication, transcription to RNA, and translation to protein. These studies have enabled an understanding of how these machines function and how they can fail — from how antibiotics block the cellular protein factory to how the DNA replication machinery can fail and introduce mistakes that can result in cancer or other diseases. 

In the course of her career, Dr. Nogales has engaged in numerous collaborations with academic, government and industry scientists, is well known for her energy and passion about her work, and has been a mentor to many in pursuing a scientific career. A recording of Dr. Nogales’ November 20 lecture will be made available at www.neb.com. 

“Dr. Nogales is a worthy choice for our inaugural Donald G. Comb Honorary Lectureship,” said Thomas C. Evans, Jr., Ph.D. and Executive Director of Research. “Her pioneering work in Cryo-EM embodies NEB’s core values of collaboration, scientific mentorship and rigorous scientific work.”

NEB was founded as a cooperative of scientists, with the aim of developing research tools to accelerate basic science, while using the profits to fund its own basic research program. At NEB today, basic research remains a priority, with over 30 laboratories working in areas, including enzyme analysis and engineering, epigenetics, RNA biology and parasitology. 

With the Donald G. Comb Honorary lectureship series, we aim to select recipients who have similarly pioneered basic research into fundamental molecular biology problems that has a measurable impact on many other areas of research, and into problems affecting the world at large.   

About New England Biolabs
New England Biolabs, Inc. is the industry leader in the discovery and production of enzymes for molecular biology applications and now offers the largest selection of recombinant and native enzymes for genomic research. NEB continues to expand its product offerings into areas related to PCR, gene expression, library preparation for next generation sequencing, cellular analysis, epigenetics and RNA analysis. Additionally, NEB is focused on strengthening alliances that enable new technologies to reach key market sectors. New England Biolabs is a privately held company, headquartered in Ipswich, MA, and has extensive worldwide distribution through a network of exclusive distributors, agents and eight subsidiaries located in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and the UK. For more information about New England Biolabs visit www.neb.com.

NEW ENGLAND BIOLABS^® and NEB® are registered trademarks of New England Biolabs, Inc.


Contact information:

Deana D. Martin, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Marketing Communications
New England Biolabs
240 County Road
Ipswich, MA 01938
978-380-7464
martin@neb.com