Page 8 - Eureka! Fall 2006

Student news interesting, but independent, novel close encounters struct and enter alumni news
research is something else. I couldn’t
of the DNA kind
imagine it before I did it,” he says.
“Two summers working in the lab has
shown me that I enjoy doing research.
It’s opened my eyes to my options.”
an you pinpoint the moment
ence Education and is former editor-
the nodules in
C you found your calling? For Dr.
in-chief of the Journal of Bacteriology.
When Tan arrived in Buist’s lab
after his first year of university, he
Since joining MIT in 1976, he has
Society Research Professor in the
Walker’s gradu-
hadn’t yet studied organic chemistry
and was the youngest member of the Graham Walker, an American Cancer carried out basic research on DNA plant roots. When
ate student Gordon
repair and mutagenesis in bacteria.
Department of Biology at the Mas-
research team. But being green didn’t sachusetts Institute of Technology He first demonstrated that a regula- Campbell decided to look
hold him back. (MIT), that moment was at Carleton in tory network of more than 40 genes for symbiosis defects in bacte-
“Nigel was able to come up to the 1960s, when the Chemistry major were turned on in E. coli as a result of rial mutants that glowed even
Photo: Chris Strangemore enthusiastic, hard working and has ogy class. property specific to bacteria, similar the bacteria was unable to
DNA damage. Initially thought to be a
encountered DNA in a first-year Biol-
brighter, the team discovered
speed very quickly. He’s very bright,
“I thought it was a cool molecule
excellent lab skills,” says Buist. “He
produce vitamin B12, and
elaborate responses to DNA changes
will be coauthoring three publica-
have since been shown in mammalian
were able to identify a spe-
and I wanted to work on it,” recalls
TAn-giBlE success tions — quite a feat for someone only Walker, BScHon/70. That decision cells. In fact, several of the DNA repair cific defect in a gene, named
bluB, involved in the least-un-
shaped the academic course Walker
entering third year!”
genes Walker has worked on have
turned out to have human homologs
Tan’s supervisor at Brookhaven
derstood part of B12 synthesis.
took and led to his 30-year research
National Laboratory in New York, and teaching career at MIT. that play roles in cancer prevention. “The initial breakthrough came
or third-year Biochemistry stu- Chemistry, the Ruth Lifeso Scholarship where he spent a week doing some Since being named an American Can- from teaching,” says Walker, who as
Fdent Nigel Tan, kicking back after in Science and the William H. Cook biological experiments, was similarly cer Society Research Professor in 2001, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute
class takes on a whole new meaning. Memorial Scholarship in Science. impressed, says Buist. Walker has used the award’s funds to (HHMI) Professor from 2001-2005
A practitioner of Taekwondo for 15 All of these merit-based awards “Every day was a new learning experi- initiate a project on DNA repair and received a $1-million grant to find
years, Tan uses his training and spar- both reward and encourage academic ence,” says Tan. “The research team was mutagenesis in yeast and mammals. ways to bring the excitement of the
ring time to take a breather from his success, says Tan. “Carleton does amazing. As fascinating as the research “By using simple systems like research lab into classrooms. “My
studies and research. He catches up a fantastic job at rewarding excel- is, having a fantastic group of people to bacteria and yeast that can mutate career was helped by undergraduate
with friends while kicking the heavy lence. As a scholarship recipient, I am work with makes a huge difference.” overnight, I can move research along research at Carleton and I’m commit-
bag and gets involved in community motivated to succeed and I strive to Tan’s lab work with fatty acids — faster, push harder and use a vari- ted to helping my students.”
activities with his club. do better.” synthesizing lipid analogues, explor- ety of techniques,” says Walker. “I’ve Walker used those funds to estab-
While Taekwondo has developed his The scholarships, made possible ing fatty acid desaturases, and testing found genes and processes that have lish an education group composed
strength, speed, balance and flexibility, through gifts to the University, have the limits of Carleton’s new nuclear implications for cancer, but I didn’t of postdoctoral fellows, graduate
Tan has also learned focus and concen- also alleviated the pressure to find a magnetic resonance spectrometer for set out to solve cancer.” students, and undergraduates to work
tration — attributes that have helped traditional student job, allowing Tan to detecting fluorine-tagged fatty acids Walker’s lab also studies the sym- on curriculum development, includ-
him to excel academically and prepared pursue research opportunities in the — has implications for health care, biosis between alfalfa roots and the ing web-based materials. His com-
him for long hours in the laboratory. summer through the Natural Sciences in helping to treat obesity and type II nitrogen-fixing bacterium Rhizobium. mitment to teaching saw Walker run
Tan is one of those promising and Engineering Research Council diabetes. It’s an appealing combina- Walker, who experienced his eureka moment at He has uncovered commonalities be- the MIT undergraduate program in
Carleton students recognized by the (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Re- tion for the student who knows that Carleton, is helping others here and at MiT to find tween this symbiosis and the chronic Biology for 15 years and direct MIT’s
University as a potential leader in search Awards program. he wants to pursue graduate studies their callings too. intracellular infections caused by the HHMI-funded program in under-
his field. In 2004, he was presented Working with Dr. Peter Buist, a Profes- in medicine or in Biochemistry. Under now-retired Associate Pro- human pathogen Brucella. graduate education in the biological
with a Chancellor’s Scholarship — a sor in Carleton’s Institute of Biochemis- With years of studies still ahead of fessor Dr. Robert Wightman, Walker “The way that bacteria are taken sciences since its inception in 1989.
prestigious award for students with try and the Department of Chemistry, Tan him, Tan strives to maintain a flexible turned his attention to organic chem- into the membrane of the legume and Among his several awards is the Ar-
an admission average of 90 percent has acquired hands-on lab experience learning style and keep a balanced istry at Carleton in the hopes of being the molecular conversation between thur C. Smith Award for contributions
or higher — and has since earned the and an appreciation for research. life, making time for both micro- able to synthesize DNA. He worked on the bacterium and the plant, is to undergraduate life.
Josef Dlouhy Memorial Scholarship in “The labs we do in class are scopes and martial art. nucleic acid synthesis and biochemis- analogous to some human pathogens At Carleton, Walker is also help-
try at the University of Illinois, where that get taken up by white cells,” says ing to provide undergraduates with
Advancing the Faculty of science he earned his PhD, and then added Walker. “I’m interested in how they research opportunities. In 1998, he
genetics to the mix as a postdoctoral get in and how they live there.” endowed the Margaret Biehn Walker
carleton’s growth is made possible by the community to help advance education says timms. “Our volunteers and donors fellow at the University of Califor- In 2005, Walker’s team made a Summer Fellowship in memory of his
generosity and commitment of its volunteers and research is a tremendous privilege,” are great champions for our students, the nia–Berkeley. striking discovery thanks in part to mother. The Fellowship funds Bachelor
and donors. whether providing financial as- Faculty and carleton.” “I wanted to work on science prob- a lab trick he used with undergradu- of Science students so they can gain
sistance to students, or enhancing teaching timms, an Ottawa native and former Of- lems by approaching them from more ate students. When Walker added a summer research experience with a
innovation and opportunities, they are vital ficer in the canadian Navy, joined the Faculty than one discipline,” he says. laundry whitener to a lab dish, the research group in the Biological Chem-
members of the University community. As in may 2006. he was previously the senior A leader in the field of DNA repair symbiotic bacteria he studied glowed istry or Biochemistry programs.
the Faculty of science’s senior Development manager of major Gifts and corporate cam- and mutagenesis, Walker has published in ultraviolet light. “I saw I could try to help people
Associate, Dave timms, BA/85, facilitates paigns for Breakfast for learning, canadian more than 250 scientific articles and The gimmick proved a useful lab do what I had been able to do,” says
opportunities for and matches interests of living Foundation, the Director of Alumni at a textbook, is a fellow of the American tool in the symbiotic research, when Walker. “I wanted to help young,
volunteers and donors who want to support Photo: Chris Strangemore an independent school, and the campaign Academy of Microbiology, serves on the researchers noticed that some of the excited students because I know what
students and Faculty priorities. Director for a capital fundraising campaign at editorial boards of DNA Repair, Cur- bacteria did not light up. They were difference a research experience can
“to connect the carleton and broader st. lawrence college in Brockville, ON. rent Opinion in Microbiology, Life Sci- missing key genes needed to con- make to their careers.”
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