Nationality British Doctoral advisor I W M Smith FRS Alma mater University of Cambridge Academic advisor Richard Zare | Fields Biophysical chemistry Other academic advisors Richard Zare Field Biophysical chemistry | |
Known for Illumina dye sequencing,
Scanning ion-conductance microscopy,
Super-resolution microscopy,
Solexa Notable awards FRS (2012).
FMedSci (2015)
RSC Interdisciplinary Award(2007) Institutions University of Cambridge, Stanford University | ||
David Klenerman FRS FMedSci is a British biophysical chemist. Currently, he is a professor of biophysical chemistry at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Cambridge and a fellow of the Christ's College, Cambridge. He is best known for his contribution in the field of next-generation sequencing of DNA (that subsequently resulted in Solexa, a high-speed DNA sequencing company that he co-founded), nanopipette-based scanning ion-conductance microscopy, and super-resolution microscopy.
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Education and career
Klenerman attended Christ's College, Cambridge and received his bachelor's degree in 1982. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry in 1986 from Churchill College, Cambridge where he worked with I W M Smith FRS. He then went to Stanford University as a Fulbright scholar to work on high-overtone chemistry, with Richard Zare. After his postdoctoral stint at Stanford, he returned to United Kingdom to work in BP Research for seven years. Then, in 1994, he joined the University of Cambridge, as a faculty member of the Department of Chemistry and a fellow of Christ's College.
Research
Klenerman, along with Shankar Balasubramanian, invented a method of next-generation DNA sequencing which is commonly known today as the Solexa sequencing or Illumina dye sequencing. The method is based on the detection of fluorophore labelled nucleotides as they get incorporated in the DNA strands. This sequencing by synthesis method gained popularity, and is currently regarded as the most widely used platform to replace conventional Sanger sequencing technique, despite its comparatively low multiplexing capability of samples, as it offers several key advantages: it is automated, quick, highly accurate, capable of sequencing multiple strands simultaneously via massive parallel sequencing, and economically cheaper in case of whole genome sequencing.
He is also known for exploring nanopipette-based (instead of conventional micropipette-based) scanning ion-conductance microscopy methods. His research group was successful in achieving very high resolution topographic images of live-cells, in hopping mode imaging, in precise delivery of small molecules to cell, and in studying real time detailed cell-functioning.
Most recently, his group is focusing on 3D super-resolution microscopy to develop new insights on protein misfolding and neurodegenerative diseases.
Awards and honours
The major awards and honours that Klenerman received in recognition of his research work:
Companies
Klenerman and Balasubramanian commercialized their invention on the single-molecule-fluorescence based high-speed DNA sequencing and jointly founded Solexa in 1998. Later, in 2007, this company was acquired by Illumina for $600 million.
In 2004, Klenerman co-founded another spin-out company, Ionscope, to supply assembled scanning ion-conductance microscopes to the research community that looks for high-resolution 3D images of live cells. As per the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, as of February 2014, Ionscope sold 35 SICM units worldwide.